Dundrum...

 

We spent a lovely day on Sunday down in Dundrum (County Down) visiting some friends who have just set up home there... we went for a wee dander around Dundrum Castle, and it's ruins, and then down to the beach. Such a nice time!

We are just obsessed with the incredible colours found in nature, noticing the particular palette which is instantly recognisable as 'Ireland' and which contains such a rich variety of diverse and interesting natural neutrals, always contrasted with the brightest of brights... so, so beautiful. And so much for us to look at!

I took far too many pictures... hope you enjoy them!

A&R

Illustrating Springtime...

Hand-illustrating beautiful flowers is a huge part of what we do here at abigail*ryan, and something we really love... each and every design, pattern, print and product starts with me photographing beautiful flowers, trying to find gorgeous silhouettes and forms that I know will work well with my style of drawing, and then painstakingly interpreting them in pen and ink...

I love making marks with ink, creating deep hatched details, and how you can show the undulations of papery natural forms with some flowing line-work, building up depth and intensity with each line and mark you make.

I also love seeing them transformed with colour later on - it's such a magical process.

Here are some Hellebore's I have been working on. These are becoming the forth napkin design in a box set we are set to launch very soon.

Yum!
A@a*r