Meet Adele

Over the last few months we’ve introduced you to an amazing bunch of female creatives - from knitters to bloggers and paper artists to donut aficionados - and now we’d like you meet Adele! Illustrator and textiles designer, Adele’s vibrant and psychedelic style is right up our street. Read on as we chat about her inspirations, aesthetic and love for Tatty Devine…

Tell us a little bit about yourself… Hello! I am Adele Louise, a 22 year old illustrator and surface designer currently in my final year at Cleveland College of Art & Design. I’ve spent the last three years immersed in my Textiles & Surface Design degree, creating a portfolio of screen print, digital and embroidered pieces which have all been exhibited at international trade shows - including New York and Paris! In my spare time I specialise in painting alternative pet portraits, perfect for adding a pop of colour to the home!

My final project at university is inspired by the hallucinogenic effects that certain plants and fruits can produce in humans and animals, portraying visual phenomenons through the use of vibrant colour palettes and interpreting natural formations using un-natural colours. I’m working towards creating a bespoke collection of pieces including large scale hand-rendered illustrations and fashion garments.

When and where did you first discover Tatty Devine? When I was at college and one of my tutors was wearing the mirror acrylic Horse & Carriage necklace. I love looking through all the collections - my favourite pieces include the Still Life Pot Plant from 2015, vivid orange Tiger Necklace and the Fortune Teller Hands Necklace! When my cousin met his lovely wife Katie who works at the Tatty Devine shop in Covent Garden, I learnt more about the creative design process that goes into making each piece, so now I admire the brand even more and appreciate their role in the fashion industry.   

Describe your aesthetic in three words… Off-beat, funky, psychedelic!

 Who or what inspires you? I’m inspired by great masters - Henri Matisse and Frida Kahlo - as well as contemporary illustrators such as Kristen Liu-Wong and Martine Johanna. My style is also influenced by the type of music I listen to, artists such as of Montreal, The Flaming Lips and Moon Duo.

My drawing and painting style has been inspired by painting by numbers books, I loved doing them when I was younger and have always paid attention to intricate and linear detailing. I frequently receive comments that my work looks like a painting by numbers with a kaleidoscopic aesthetic. My recent work is influenced by my own dreams and visions, and I’ve experimented with sleep deprivation and lucid dreaming to come up with unusual colour combinations and imagery.

What drew you to focusing on plants and animals in your work? I’ve been a bit of a nature enthusiast since a young age and find the most beautiful forms are natural, I enjoy creating juxtapositions in my work, studying plants and animals and interpreting them in a synthetic looking style. Wildlife is so rich and interesting and my concept has allowed me to discover thought-provoking facts about animals in the wild who consciously consume certain plants and foods to experience their intoxicating or medicinal effects.

We set you the challenge of reimagining our designs in your signature style - how did you get on? I decided to design my ‘dream necklace’ and loved creating it! I reimagined the shape and design of the Paint by Numbers Statement Necklace as I love anything that involves a cat and used a mix of emulsions and acrylic paint to reflect the opaqueness of certain acrylic and perspex used in Tatty Devine jewellery. I imagined styling this necklace teamed with monochrome stripes, vintage denim and chunky heels.

Find out more about Adele’s work now.

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