Title page designer: Jasmine Mansbridge
Today I'm pleased to introduce Jasmine Mansbridge, who designed the title page for the interview with Nancybird founder and designer Emily Wright in Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Two.
What is your art/design/career background? I started painting when I was seventeen and it is something I truly love doing. In March this year I had a solo exhibition in New York, which was a real highlight for me. I often spend time drawing and playing around with a pencil and paper and this is how my ideas develop.
What drew you to the work of your interviewee, Emily Wright of Nancybird? I moved to Victoria three years ago, and one of the first things I did was visit the NGV, where I first saw Emily's Nancy Bird products. I loved them for their quality and original aesthetic. I purchased my first Nancy Bird bag not long after that and I still use it most days. It is practical and still looks as good as new. So, It was a wonderful feeling, and a privilege to be given the opportunity to illustrate for Emily. Probably about time for a new one though??!
Tell us about the development of your title page design and how you arrived at your concept. I drew up four rough designs before visiting Emily in her Northcote studio, I wanted to get a visual of her and her space and (most importantly) get her opinion on what she thought suited best with her brand. We chatted about the elements she liked best and this gave me direction for the final illustration. I loved the collaborative aspect of the design process and the input she gave me was very helpful.
What materials or computer programs did you use to create the title page, and how did you then prepare it to be submitted for the book? I simply used pencil, pen and acrylic paint to create my design. I like the good old fashioned approach to art making, and truthfully, I never learnt to do anything clever on a computer and so it's all I have to work with anyhow.
What other fun projects are your working on now? Right now and am busy creating work for a solo exhibition at the Rtist Gallery in Prahran in March 2014! I like being busy and always have a painting on the go. I feel blessed to be able to be doing something I love.
