Wednesday 10 October 2012

Polka Dot Sundays - Paper Artist



Today in our continued Inspired:London interviews we talk to Jaina from Polka Dot Sundays.




What is the name and background behind your company?

Polka Dot Sundays was born out of sheer creative frustration. I was desperate to make things again after a break from my job as a prop maker.  I made a polka dotted monkey from newspaper for a friend and luckily she loved it.  Once I’d started however, I couldn’t stop and soon had an entire collection of birds, monkeys, giraffes and other random creatures born from our box of recycled newspapers.
I went on to sell my paper creations at craft fairs and eventually online worldwide.



Where are you based? 

I’m based in North London, near Alexandra Palace. The palace park is great for a good uphill walk to clear a creative block and the deer there have inspired one or two wall pieces.



How long have you been in business for? 

I’ve been selling my work since 2008.

What do you love most about living in London? The fact it’s still full of places I haven’t discovered yet even though I have lived here for 6 years.



Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired by a lot of illustrators and photographers.  I work part time as an Art Buyer so I see a lot of amazing artists who get me excited about what I could also be making.  Some of my favourites are Sarah Beetson and Kyle Bean.



What advice would you give designers starting out? 

Make sure you value your time and skill when costing your items. It took me a while to get this right…

What is new for your company?

I will be turning some of the most popular characters into 2D works…so Jamie the stripy monkey and Patrick the giraffe may be appearing as prints.  I’ll also be creating new limited edition runs of fabric covered creations and continuing my bespoke baby names. Upcoming dates for my workshops can be found on my Facebook page




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