New! 'Red Shoes' Cupcake Logo Design

Here's a revised element from one of my most recent commissions, a retro-style logo and branding for a cupcake shop in the States. Mmm... I love cupcakes!

New! Personal Work, 'La Muertita'

Hope you all had a suitably spooky Hallowe'en and a brilliant Día de los Muertos this week :) Happy Friday!

Seven Steps to Utter Fearlessness

A brand-new illustration for a wonderful piece by Ursula Glitch for the upcoming first issue of Helen Martin's awesome Lionheart Magazine :) ROAR!

To learn more, just visit Lionheart Magazine or follow @LionheartMag on Twitter.

Another Sneaky Peek...

Packaging Design: A Sneaky Peek

Here's a cropped and sneaky peek at some label and packaging designs I've been working on recently for a lovely client...

Because Love Shouldn't End With Valentines

Here's the love-themed post I created for lovely Andrea Pich's blog "The Art of Staying Up All Night." We posted it in March since we decided that Valentines Day is overrated and Love shouldn't end in February! As ever, for a closer look at the images, just click each one. Please take a peek at all the gorgeous things I found, many are available on Behance to drool over or buy on Etsy for your very own :)

1. Three covers of  ‘LOVE’ magazine

2. Three covers (issues 2, 3 and 5) of ‘I love you’ magazine

3. ‘Daleks Need Love Too’ by BrownPaperBunny on Etsy

4. ‘The Silence of Love’ Headless Heroes album cover, by Irana Douer
5. ‘Leash Called Love’ by Si Scott
6. Song Title Canvases by Adam Dedman
7. Love.Type by SHCH Graphics Group
8. True Love Carnival Tickets by vintagebliss on Etsy
9. ‘Ampersand Love’ by Patrycja Zywert

10. ‘Just For You’ The Book by Pablo Correa Wentlant

11. Kissing couple by Juliana Veloso on Flickr
12. Handmade jewellery by ragtrader vintage on Etsy
13. ‘Why We Love Boston in Winter’ by Jessica Hische

14. ‘Lust For Love’ photoshoot by Nicoline Patricia Malina, on Behance
15. Love Bird Pinwheel Bouquet, by rule42 on Etsy
16. ‘Spanish Girl in Love’ by toniwall on Etsy
17. ‘Be Mine’ by Q. Cassetti, on Behance
18. Elementary School Blackboard, by Bettie New on Flickr

19. ‘A Journey of Inseparable Love’ by Nicoline Patricia Malina, on Behance
20. ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘The Start of Something Beautiful’ by Gabriella Barouch, on Society6
21. Red Heart Pin by 2212 jewellery on Etsy
22. 'Love Soars' heart necklace by birdqueen on Etsy
23. ‘Everything Will Be Ok, Love’ by Hindu Holliday on Etsy
24. Silhouette shabby French gift tags by jolipapier on Etsy
25. Love pendant necklace by TheUniquePendant on Etsy
26. Love-themed photos, by Images by Claire on Flickr

27. Love-themed photos, by Images by Claire on Flickr

A Tale to Tell Project

A Tale to Tell is an illustrated, collaborative storytelling project where each week a new illustrator/artist will be invited to submit the next part of the story, with a text entry and an illustration to accompany it. Each artist responds to the story as it was left by the previous, taking the story wherever they wish and leaving it open for the next person to continue! Last week I submitted my chapter of the story with the accompanying illustration, which you can also find online here. Enjoy!

Chapter 7 - Jenny Lloyd

"The bag of secrets spilled and spilled, the river flowed and flowed, and the two wolves swam helplessly along behind, clusters of secrets spinning and twinkling in the flood. A chance wave brought Father Wolf closer to the escaping secrets, which seemed to float into the air above the rushing waters; a moment later he realised they were actually rising into the sky. The astonished wolves scrambled desperate and panting onto the river bank, eyes raised to the night, where sparkling secrets were being drawn one by one into the darkness above."

Amelia's Magazine: Interview... Nancy Elizabeth

Written by Helen Martin | Illustrations by Jenny Lloyd, Matilde Sazio and Daria Hlazatova

"We have been Nancy supporters for a long while. We were lucky enough to get an interview with the stunning singer, songwriter and multi-instrument playing lady. She's super."

Lovely Things Part III: The Posters of Jules Chéret

Look at this beautiful book my boyfriend gave me for my birthday! Jules Chéret is one of my favourite artists, and definitely my favourite illustrator from the belle epoque. You can find out more about him here :)

Three Lovely Ladies, all in a Row

I've had a couple of requests recently for three of my most popular illustrations together to buy as a print or canvas. Well I do like to please, so here we are, a triptych of three lovely ladies, all in a row :) available to buy from my studio on Society6.

Interview: Curtains for the Window

Last week, the lovely Jules Young asked if she could feature me on her blog, 'Curtains for the Window', and I was, of course, delighted to agree! Jules has very kindly given me permission to re-post the interview and accompanying illustrations below. Hope you enjoy :)

Who are you, where do you come from and what do you do?

I’m Jenny Lloyd, an illustrator and print designer from the UK. I was brought up in the West Country, studied for my Illustration degree in Cornwall and then went to live in London for a few years; I’ve also lived in the Greek Islands, Budapest, and am now based in the West of Ireland. 

What first started you off with illustration?

I think what first started my fascination with illustration was books I read as a child. I’ve always loved to read, but if the stories came with beautiful pictures inside or on the cover, so much the better. Later I became fascinated with art books and magazines, which I could never afford to buy, but stood quietly in the corner of the local bookshop, leafing guiltily through the pages with charcoal-smudged fingers and trying not to be noticed. When I realised I loved to draw and that I wasn’t terrible at it, becoming an illustrator seemed a natural progression. I thought for a long time I might be a writer instead, but drawing just came more naturally to me. I like that illustration comes from an idea, or can accompany and enrich the written word; I like things to have a purpose, and although more often than not I’m able to use my own ideas, I actually like working for and alongside clients. I enjoy working towards a brief and having a deadline; if I was a fine artist I think it would be difficult for me to maintain motivation and self-discipline.

Who/what influences what you create?

With client-initiated work, often my ideas and influences come directly from the client’s needs. For example, a recent commission entailed my designing the packaging for a range of beauty products whose ingredients come from Ghana in Africa. In this instance, I spent a significant amount of time researching African styles, fabrics, and the landscape; likewise with a series of illustrations I did last year for a Yoga-themed exhibition in New Delhi, India. Although in both cases I feel the finished product still reflects my style, I was obviously heavily influenced by the visual research I’d done for each country/culture. With personal or self-initiated work, however, my inspiration can come from anything. Maybe a set of vintage teacups, a song, or an Art Nouveau painting; a colour palette, a genre of film or music, or something as simple as the weather one day. Anything!

How do you decide on a subject for an illustration?

As I’ve mentioned above, the subject often comes directly from the client; its what you can do with the required subject to make it relevant and beautiful that interests me. I had an obsession with Japanese art and culture for a long while – as you can see from my portfolio – which actually led to editorial commissions. With personal work I always have lots of ideas in my head about what I’d like to do next. I’m currently obsessed with Mexico and Mexican culture; the Day of the Dead festival traditions especially, after seeing a row of beautifully decorated sugar skulls on a necklace. And last year I started watching an amazing TV series from the US about the 20s and 30s travelling Carnival trade, and did some research and preliminary drawings based on that. Neither of those themes have really come to light yet in my portfolio, but I’m pretty sure they will at some point! 

If you could have your work published or hung anywhere, where would you like to see it?

That’s a tough one; I’ve had my illustrations published in quite a high-profile magazines, etc., which is very exciting, but sort of sad if its only going to be visible in that magazine for a week or month. I’d love my illustration to be picked to feature in a specifically illustration-oriented magazine, like the Association of Illustrators’ quarterly ‘Varoom,’ but I don’t think my work is groundbreaking enough for that. As for my illustration as prints, I’m not a snob about that in any way, so I’d really just say on the walls in the rooms of peoples’ houses. As many people as possible! Ideally I’d like my work to be enjoyed, I want people to want to live with it every day, not just visit it in a gallery.

What medium do you like to work in and why?

I like to draw everything first, but really my favourite medium to work in is digital. I think ‘digital artists’ get a bad rap because we’re seen as somehow devaluing the currency of ‘real’ drawing, as if what we do is dishonest somehow. But really I just see it as a natural progression; as technology advances, then people are going to take advantage of that to make art. That’s not to say I don’t think illustrators shouldn’t have to be able to draw; they should. But once you’ve learned the skills, its up to you what you do with them. I love digital media, and have taken advantage of Illustrator, Flash and InDesign too at various times, but my favourite application is Photoshop. I’m a terrible perfectionist, so I love the precision of working digitally, the way I can ‘mix’ and use colours so precisely, and create a perfect curve, a gentle glow, a perfectly soft blur. I also love how easy it is to change things at my own whim or at the behest of a client, it saves huge amounts of time and gives me massive amounts of control. I do like to use lots of texture in my work, though, to try and avoid it looking flat and sterile; so I use lots of my own scanned textures and online texture resources. Overlaying textures gives a sense of depth and richness, a sense of reality. Its my favourite kind of fakery. 

If you could only eat one food for the rest of forever what would it be?

Well, pie, obviously. But after that, potatoes. You can boil them, mash them, roast them, bake them, fry them, make crisps… I admire their versatility. They’re a very noble food ;) 

Whose work do you admire and want on your own walls?

I absolutely love Art Nouveau, so I adore huge Alphonse Mucha prints; he’s one of the very first true illustrators whose work I fell in love with. Also, the gorgeous, vibrant dancing ladies of Jules Chéret’s French theatre posters; I love images of beautiful women and I adore colour too, so I suppose its natural I should like both those artists. I also admire the spareness and gentle feeling of vintage Japanese woodblock prints; their delicacy is just so beautiful. As for contemporary work, my favourite artists and illustrators include Shaun Tan, Charmaine Olivia, Jen Lobo, Alberto Cerriteno, James Jean, Laura Laine, Matthieu Bessudo, Sophie Griotto, Nanami Cowdroy, Gabriella Barouch, Matthew Billington, Zara Picken, Nicoletta Ceccoli, Kevin Tong… there are far too many to mention!

What’s the best thing about being an illustrator?

Being able to do what I love every day.

What’s the future hold for your work?

Who knows? Commercially, I’d like have similar commissions to those I’m doing at the moment. Just more of them, please! And I’m getting excited again about the idea of doing more surface pattern design… I think its highly likely you’ll see some pretty and extravagantly coloured patterns coming out of my studio pretty soon :)

Lovely Things Part II: Pie Badge

Also in the post last week... a gorgeous hot candy-pink glittery pie badge from the ever-lovely Dee Andrews. It came so beautifully wrapped, looks good enough to eat! You can see the rest of the badges from wonderful pie-loving creatives Cat Palairet, Jules Young and Tia of Who Ate My Crayons on Flickr.

Lovely Things Part I: Secret Valentines Swap

Just look at the utterly beautiful things I got in the post from the very talented and generous What Katy Did Next. Two handmade, hand-beaded and delicately lovely corsages, one a headband with chiffon, organza and vintage lace flower in pistachio green, one a romantic floral brooch in peach. I can't wait to wear them! And, an amazing calico tote bag with a hand-printed design and fabulous black sequinned heart, perfect as a much-needed new shopping and book bag.

I'm overjoyed with my gifts, which are part of the Secret Valentines Swap, created and curated by the lovely fashion designer and embroiderer extraordinaire Alicia Rose. For regular updates and wonderful things from both Katy and Alicia, use the following links:

What Katy Did Next
Blog: http://katyhowieson.blogspot.com
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/whatkatydidnextvtg
Facebook: http://hyc.im/whatkatydidnext
Twitter: http://twitter.com/whatkatydidnxt

Alicia Rose
Blog: http://iamaliciarose.tumblr.com
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/shopaliciarose
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shopaliciarose
Twitter: http://twitter.com/iamaliciarose

Take a look of the photos of my gorgeous Secret Valentines gifts below:

New! Sacred World Yoga Prints for your Walls

eed a little Yoga-related soothing? Just drop by my new Sacred World studio and shop at Society6 :)

New! Personal Work, 'Peacock Heart'

vailable from Society6 as a t-shirt, iPhone case or iPhone skin... also of course as an art print or canvas. Love Your Walls!

♥ Valentines ♥

f you haven't picked a card yet for your loved one or secret crush, how about some sweet Lovebirds, or a pair of courting Flamingos? Available online at Moo.com :)

Amelia's Magazine: Interview... Icelandic Music Artist, Eliza Newman

Written by Helen Martin | Illustrations by Jenny Lloyd, Mina Bach, Avril Kelly and Chloe Cook

"This Icelandic lady taught millions how to say 'Eyjafjallajökull;' she also plays the ukelele like a dream. And we love her quirky, folky pop."

FREE shipping on all orders over $50 at Society6!

ffer ends tomorrow, so if you fancy a couple of lovely prints or t-shirts from my Society6 studio, don't miss out!

Desktop and iPhone Calendar 2011 no2. February ♥

know you've seen this one before but I think it might be perfect for a still-snowy February... choose your size and download free and sweet!

Amelia's Magazine: Shop Review... Make Lemonade Vintage Fashion Pop-up

Written by Jessica Furseth | Illustrations by Jenny Lloyd, Joana Faria and Genie Espinosa

"Emete Yarici takes her online vintage fashion world onto the high street with the Make Lemonade pop-up shop. Guest appearances include accessories designers Temitope Tijani and Louise Dungate, prints from Hato Press and a wall from Supermarket Sarah."

Illustration Friday: Chicken {Topic set 14th January}

Amelia's Magazine: Music Review... Frànçois and The Atlas Mountains

Written by Helen Martin | Illustration by Jenny Lloyd

"Ah Frànçois! A musical Frenchman with arts skills. His music is much like a French film; serious, yet comical, lighthearted but deep - and full of LOVE. Pow!"

You can listen to some of Frànçois' gorgeous, uplifting music here and watch some of his lovely music videos and animations here.