Contrado Artists #2: From Baroque To Blooms

The Contrado artists make up an exciting and revolutionary aspect of Contrado.

Our artist’s platform is growing by the week. Showcasing incredible, diverse and independent talent, which we love supporting. The Contrado Creatives are able to display their works on their choice of handmade, Contrado products.

Contrado artists leading the way for new talent

As an artist or a designer, it can be hard to get your work seen. Making a profit from it might be even harder. With this in mind, the artist’s stores were launched. This online marketplace features a wealth of artists. All walks of life, all ages, and all backgrounds. Tattoo artists, surface pattern designers, illustrators, painters, and many more.

Incorporating this artwork onto items, which can be used every day, is the perfect way to make them accessible for everyone. You can literally wear your art on your sleeve. We hope that this will allow our artists to reach a whole new audience.

Following on from our last article about the first bunch of Contrado Creatives, we would like to introduce you to the next batch.

Meet the #ContradoCreatives

Last time, we met Third Eye Design, Marion McConaghie Design, Hoshiko Art, Art by Heath Kane, Q-Artwork, Mental Embellisher, Mandascat, CJ Crainer, Georgina Barker, and Acid. You can read about them and their collections for Contrado at the end of the article.

This week, we would like to introduce you to a further 5 creatives, who are producing incredible things in their online stores.

Elysian Bloom

Elysian is a stunning fashion brand, built around the natural beauty of flowers. Created by Australian graphic apparel designer Kelly-Ann Campbell, Elysian Bloom is feminine, fresh, romantic, and sweet. Reminiscent of Aussie beach summer style.

Kelly-Ann uses the word Elysian, because of its meaning, and the images it evokes. A Greek word, Elysian means; beautiful, creative, divinely, inspired, peaceful, and perfect. Now, who doesn’t want a bit of that in their life?

The translation of the word can be seen in all of Kelly-Ann’s work. The prints bring colour, life, and light, and will fill you with a peaceful, and calm feeling. The Elysian Bloom Contrado store features a curated collection of products, chosen by the artist. Sweet and dreamy florals are printed on a range of fashion items and accessories; from silk scarves, to swimwear.

Emily Ainsworth Print

Delicate, distinct, and dreamy, artist Emily Ainsworth invites you into her pretty, printed world. Her Contrado store showcases a variety of printed patterns, adorned on a range of our handmade products.

Illustration plays a large part of Emily’s work. Each collection displays its own theme, style, and aesthetic. From abstract Baroque inspired designs, to prints depicting the famous London tube, Emily Ainsworth Print has something for every taste.

All prints are made by hand, never computer generated. The designer uses a number of mediums to create her work, including illustrations. painting, and lino printing. The hand drawn motifs are simple and to the point. The Contrado collection includes everything from lamp shades, to duvet covers, with Emily carefully matching each print to a specific product.

Swade

Artist Steven Wade is the creative mind behind Swade. This suggestive collection is eye-catching, vibrant, and memorable. Art was always a way for Steven to express himself, even from a very young age. With a passion for art and design, Steven kindled his creativity to launch Swade.

Drawn to bright, and strong colour palettes, Swade’s style consists of abstract shapes, bold colour schemes, and lots of texture. Using close ups from photographs to achieve this, Swade’s designs will always intrigue and delight the viewer.

Nature is a major inspiration in Swade’s work. The shapes, textures, animals, and colours, all help paint a picture. The artist’s natural affinity with the countryside also plays a major factor in his designs. From posters and art prints, to onesies and hoodies, Swade’s Contrado store is perfect for anyone who loves to take a bit of a risk.

Bloom and Gloom

Welcome to the intriguing and darkly beautiful world of Bloom and Gloom. Artist Amy Caprice creates prints, which have an appealing and captivating melancholic demeanour. The artist draws inspiration from art and history, to design a collection, which is powerful, inspirational, and effective.

All images are hand drawn by Amy, and used to create collages on Photoshop. Shade and light is added for additional depth. Her style is distinctive. A lugubrious colour palette, or a dark context, with touches of softness and light to break it up. The overall desire is to create imagery and effects that are unusual for the pattern or motifs.

Victorian art, and the Aesthetic artists lend themselves as inspiration to the work of Bloom and Gloom. As does the idea of making imperfections beautiful. Every design is intended to be timeless, and the products in the Contrado store have been chosen to emphasise this.

Jan Olive

Textile and surface designer Jan Olive, creates stunning prints from drawings, paintings, or photographs. The designs are influenced by the artist’s surroundings. Living in Somerset, being surrounded by stunning countryside and beaches, you can certainly feel the natural beauty in her work.

Light is also a major influence in Jan’s work. How the light hits an object, a reflection, or the way light can bounce off of a surface. The collection is varied and offers something to suit all sorts of tastes. From abstract repeat patterns in gentle pastels, to popping, vibrant floral prints in eye-catching colours.

Every design in the collection starts with a painting, a photo or a drawing. Where possible, Jan draws from life or from her own photos. Experimenting with a range of techniques, including tie-dying, Jan will then use Photoshop and Illustrator to develop the elements of the design. Each collection offers something unique. Homeware, leisurewear, and apparel mix to create a curated store, that has mass appeal.

Like what you see? You can see even more of our artists, by clicking the links below. Make sure you keep an eye on the blog, as we introduce you to even more talented creatives.