I'm beyond excited to reveal this commissioned piece I created for Wild Eco Retreats, a beautiful forest holiday retreat in the south of France.

I loved working on this project. This was my very first map commission and also the first time I was focusing on a rural location so there was a lot of challenges to sink my teeth into.

My usual work focuses on cities, it was really fun to explore this wild valley and work on a visual language for representing it on the page. The picturesque Hamlet had several interesting buildings to draw, and place on the map but one of the key intentions was to show the surrounding area and some of the amazing walks visitors could set off on.  I was delighted to hear that guests at the retreat have begun to  explore the forest routes more as a result of the map!

One of the best things about this commission was staying in the hamlet and discovering all its treasures, it was such a wonderful relaxing place and I enjoyed walking drawing and relaxing there. It was a really enjoyable piece to work on, sometimes zooming in and making detailed drawings of of the plants, the tangle of brambles and mint leaves and at other times zooming out to capture the lay of the land and the collection of buildings and how the paths wind up the hillside. 

The most challenging part of this artwork was matching the experience of moving through the physical area which is on a hillside with the overview of the geography shown on an ordinance survey style map. I worked closely with the clients to check that my geography accurate before inking and drawing everything in. I used the drawings I made whilst visiting the hamlet of particular locations such as 'The Glade' and the different guest houses in combination with my drawings of the pathways and trees to give the feel of wandering through area.
The clients were very happy with the result, here is what they said:

If you would like to commission an original artwork of a place that is special to you please get in touch. You can find out more about my commissions and the process here.

The Festival of making is a online celebration of craft and creativity, Created as an innovative alternative to The Cockpit Arts Open Studios which would normally take place this month.

For this weekend's Festival,  I will be taking part in a 'Big Make', creating new artwork from beginning to end during the festival.

For this interactive project, I would like to invite you to help me create a ‘Museum of Hand-crafted Treasures’.  Simply submit a digital image of your favourite hand made item, for me to draw throughout the weekend.

It could be a favourite item from a museum, a keepsake from your home or even something crafted by a Cockpit Arts Maker. I will transform them from a digital image to a physical drawing creating a hand drawn museum.

You can follow my progress throughout the weekend live on Instagram where I will be showing my work in progress, with the final collection revealed on Sunday.

* Submissions are now closed*

I hope you will join me on this creative journey and I look forward to seeing your submissions for the museum.

Over the weekend, I drew the hand crafted treasures that people sent to me, I didn't know what people were going to send. 

The project was really exciting challenge and had an immediacy to it, which was fun. My favourite part was the interactivity, finding out about peoples treasured items and hearing all the stories behind the treasures and their histories. In this way it wasn’t that similar to my usual work where I draw and print places which hold many layers of history, memories and meanings.

In these videos I've gathered together the stories behind the treasures as well as the drawings and some of the process of drawing them.

All the artworks I created during the festival are available for sale and In the spirit of the challenge I would like to Invite people to pledge what they think the drawings are worth. You can do this by sending me a message with your bid. I will be donating  20% of any sales to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

During the quarantine I have been exploring drawing in a different way and connecting with my subject virtually.

I have enjoyed creating these ‘isolation drawings’ creating a different visual language using a single colour pencil and different using mark making techniques.  

Through this different creative process of drawing from a screen I have the opportunity to draw anywhere in the world from a photograph whilst safely at home, whereas in my usual practice I draw on site from life.

As part of this new extension to my practice during quarantine I am offering the opportunity for you to commission an original drawings of a place of your choosing  using this ‘isolation drawing’ style.

During this time I am offering these artworks for a set price of £190 (+ p&p) I will draw from a photograph of your choice and you will receive the original drawing.

This is the first time I have made original drawings available for sale and  a unique opportunity to commission a piece for this price!

How to take part:

• Submit your image via email to Hello@KethiCopeland.com
• I will reply to confirm and send you an invoice, this will need to be paid in advance.
• UK postage will be £4. Worldwide postage will be calculated based on your location.
• Artworks will be on A4 the image may be smaller on the page.
• The artwork will be drawn in pencil from an image you send me, and will resemble the Isolation drawings on this page. Please note that the commission page on my website does not refer to this project.  

Send requests and any enquiries to Hello@KethiCopeland.com

Please draw with me in isolation! During this time I have been drawing a bit differently, and I would like to share my process with you and invite you to give it a go. 

I have created a video tutorial to get you started. The key message is to just get started making marks on the page, do not worry about what it looks like, or even the subject, just put pencil to page and everything else will come with practice, mostly have fun drawing.

Below are some examples of drawings I have made out of my window.
Whilst everyone is staying home, I have suggested you make a drawing of the view from your window, but you could use the same techniques to draw a still life or another view.

Send me your drawings I would love to see what you have done and show a gallery of isolation drawings here. send them by email or Tag me on Instagram @KethiCopeland.

If you tried the activity, let me know!

I made a video to give a little insight into my creative process.

The video was made from footage filmed a couple of years ago, making drawings by the Thames for my 'A walk by the River' print series and printing in my studio.
Normally this process takes a few months, but this video gives a taster of the process in under a minute!

A big thank you to Darren Brady and Chris Fretwell for filming for me.

If you are in the area, it is free to visit, unless you are tempted in to having a cocktail.
The Dixon, 211 Tooley St, London SE1 2JX

Preparations are underway for my exhibition 'London Layers' which opens next week at Deptford Does Art Gallery.

London is an ongoing source of inspiration for my work; this exhibition will bring together prints and drawings of the city with architecture as the focal point for exploring the many layers of the city and the connections with our memories and lives.

This exhibition offers a unique experience to step inside the artwork, with the event taking place on the street that inspired my most recent print series: ‘ The High Street’.

I hope you will join me on Friday 26th April for the Private View and Launch Party. 6pm - 11pm

LONDON LAYERS'
An exhibition of prints and drawings, exploring the many layers of the city.

ADDRESS
Deptford Does Art
28 Deptford High Street, SE8 4AF
Map

OPENING TIMES
The exhibition is open daily Wednesday 24th - Sunday 28th April

Wednesday  3pm - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 10pm
Saturday 10am - 10pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

PRIVATE VIEW - FRIDAY 26th
6pm - 10pm all welcome.

London From Above is a little different from my other prints.  As suggested from the title, this print captures the city from a new perspective; 1000 feet in the air. I made all the drawings for this piece from the viewing gallery at the top of the Shard, (currently) Europe's talest building.

The artwork began with a pencil sketch and then adding the details by hand in pen, then adding a a splash of colour by screen-printing some elements directly on to the drawing. This included the reflection of the shard in the walkie- Talkie, the Gherkin and a highlight of yellow on the Monument.

I am pleased to be selected for the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair again this year. I will be launching my brand new 'High Street' prints at the fair which feature an epic 20 + layers of print. Follow my progress on Instagram as I document the print process and visit the fair to see the finished artwork.

This is the place to go to start your art collection, find something perfect for your home and meet and learn about printmaking in one of the many demonstrations, talks and stands across the weekend.
Visit the fair 23rd - 25th November.

I have also been invited to give a print demonstration at the fair. Come along on Sunday 25th to try your hand at block printing and contribute to street-scape artwork based on my new screen-prints. Take a look at the video below to see some of last years show including a little clip of me talking about the workshop I gave.

Visitor Details
Dates: 23rd - 25th Nov 2018 Opening times: Thur & Fri 11-5pm, sat 10 -6pm, Sun 10-4pm
Admission: Tickets £4.50 - £7 Buy Tickets
Address: Building 17, Cartridge Place, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London, SE18 6ST

Summer Open Studios
Summer has finally arrived and with it comes our bi-annual open studios.
I hope you will save the date and visit me in my studio at Cockpit arts June 15th - 17th.

It is a great opportunity to see  art  and contemporary crafts, meet the makers and also see where and how the pieces are made.

See art, print, jewellery, interiors, fabrics, glass ceramics, accessories and shoes. all lovingly hand crafted. Everyone with a studio at Cockpit Arts is a designer maker using a hand craft and running an independent business. I always enjoy meeting people across the weekend. come along and see it for yourself!

I am so excited to finally share these photos with you!
Last year I worked with Photographer Rick Smee on his "A Mano" Project, where he photographs makers and their workspaces.

Rick joined me in the studio for a print session in the studio, sketching by the riverside and portraits alongside my finished prints. It was a bit of a strange experience being in front of the camera, but I absolutely love how these have come out and how they show the various aspects of what I do.

Scroll down to see the full portfolio of images.

I was number 5 in this behind the scenes photo series, you can see the full "A Mano" series on Ricks website here.

I loved working on this commission of the Barbican towers, I was asked by clients Conrad & Francina to create a print for their home which featured one of their favourite buildings from London’s skyline.

They had seen artwork I had already created and we used this to discuss what they would like as part of their own print; for instance, they really liked the rust-red colour I used in my Battersea Power Station print and wanted this to be included. They also had a place in mind where they wanted to display the artwork and so we knew from the beginning that it would fit the space and I used this to inform the design which emphasises the height of the tall narrow towers.

The commission process is collaborative, rooted in creating work that is really special and meaningful to the client. It is very fulfilling to be trusted with the memories and stories creating something that will be treasured. Here is the final Print.

I'm Looking Looking back at some of my favourite moments from last year:
I was so pleased to have two of my Riverscape prints selected for Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, An art fair that focuses on contemporary prints by living artists.

The exhibition also featured leading practitioners such as Chris Ofili, Paula Rego and Norman Ackroyd alongside emerging talent and a broad range of print mediums from etching and lithography, to woodblock and screen-printing.

I ran a printing workshop at the fair, with participants creating a riverscape print of their own; drawing and printing architecture both real and imagined to add to the riverside scene.  There was such a great atmosphere and some great prints made by  first-time printers.

I share my Inspirations, behind the scenes photos and work in progress on my Instagram feed.
I love seeing what others post and connecting with people on this visual platform.  I also share glimpses of studio life and interesting exhibition visits and artwork using Instagram stories. Join me there to see what is happening and feel free to start a conversation.