DESIGNER PROFILE

Greetings from the home of Huggleknits, in the leafy suburbs of Dublin. Summer has come at last and its great to finally be able to be out working in the garden when the sun is shining.

This month I am delighted to introduce the lady who looks after the Etsy Ireland Blog - Lily from Petal to Petal. 

Lily at Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Mo: Hi Lily, great to finally get to meet you (virtually). Can you introduce yourself to the gang and tell us what you do. 

Lily: Hello Mo thanks for inviting me to be your Designer for May. My name is Lily Reilly and I am an Illustrator and Surface Pattern Designer from Cork City but currently living in Berlin. I work under the artist name ‘Petal to Petal’. The name 'Petal to Petal' describes the method in which I work- literally drawing one petal at a time. I can (and do!) spend hours drawing and can get lost in my work.

My style is quite intricate and I use a lacing pattern that I call ‘flower bomb’. The pattern explodes and disperses and I like to experiment with it and use it in different ways. I particularly love working in monochrome and just concentrating on the shapes and detail of an image. 

Lace Doily’- acrylic, pen and varnish on wood

Mo :  How did you get involved with your craft?

Lily : I wanted to be an interior designer when I was younger and at an early age I was introduced to the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and William Morris. I loved the detail and perfection in their work, the pattern and symmetry. It was so clear that they loved what they did, not just in their work but in their involvement in the Arts and Crafts movement, and that made me realise how important it is to do what you love. I studied Graphic Design in college and then trained as an Art and Design Teacher but neither of those professions appealed to me. I love elements of both but my heart just wasn’t in either, I knew there was something else. While I was in college I started making and selling work in my spare time- I always made time for it because it was what I wanted to do. I then studied Surface Pattern Design last summer and think that it’s a really fun area to work in.

Poppy and my Jane Ormes print

Mo : Describe a typical day?

Lily : A typical day in my studio starts with a coffee and a clear space. First thing I check my e-mails and I look at my planner and see what I will be doing that day. Sometimes I work on one piece and on other days I work on several different pieces. I love to listen to music as I work and once or twice a week I head over to a friends house- a fellow artist who lives around the corner and we chat for hours over coffee.

As I work my kitten Poppy sleeps next to me, or plays with my pens which she seems to have a fascination with! If I need some stationery supplies I head out to one of the amazing little shops nearby, or even if I don’t need anything I still like to look! 

Poppy asleep in my studio

Mo: How about future goals and ambitions? 

Lily: To keep on doing what I do and I would love to see my designs on home ware and textile ranges. I have lots of projects in the pipeline so it will be nice to see where they go. 

Mo: Are there any Designers, blogs, crafters, arty people you follow and why?

Lily : loads - here are a few :
Jane Ormes:- https://www.etsy.com/shop/janeormes?ref=pr_faveshops I have been a fan of her beautiful work for a long time now, and finally bought a print from her a few months ago which is hung in my studio. Eleanor Reilly:- https://www.etsy.com/shop/JupiterInLoveShop?ref=pr_faveshops Eleanor is a positive artist living in Cork City. She is also my big sister!

Yellena James:- https://www.etsy.com/shop/yellena?ref=pr_faveshops
I love Yellena’s abstract organic shapes and colour palettes.

Esther:- https://www.etsy.com/shop/eveden?ref=pr_faveshops
This Berlin creative hand dyes and screenprints her fabric before turning them into her beautiful bags and pouches. 

Mo: do you have any advice for new crafters?

Lily : The more you practice, the better you will be and you will learn from every mistake so don’t think of them as bad things. Also, never copy anything or compare yourself to anyone else- I think that too many people do and that it’s the reason why there are so many imitations out there. Do what is true to you and do it to the best of your ability. 

Mo : where can we find you online?

Lily : any one of the following:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetaltoPetal
• Twitter: @PetaltoPetal
• Blog: http://petaltopetal.blogspot.de/
• Website: http://petaltopetal.carbonmade.com/

Mo : cheers Lily and thank you for being my guest this month. 

Lily : I enjoyed the chat, thanks Mo.

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So thats it for this month. If you are a member of the Etsy Ireland team and would like to be interviewed for the blog just get in touch through my Etsy shop - www.huggleknits.etsy.com

Have a great May

Cheers

Mo