Karen Billing Creative
about me
Hi I am Karen Billing
I love nostalgia and all things vintage.
Dusty things in attics, retro design and decor, antiques, history and memories.
my work
My drawing and illustrations have been described as “quirky” and “vintage”.
My work is intensely patterned and often depicts women and birds.
my process
I like to sketch something out roughly at first, then hone the sketch, add colour and then spend hours drawing flowers and/or patterns and outlining
My Projects
using new canvases
Paint Your Wagon
Recently I was commissioned to decorate a gypsy caravan
A dream job as I love pattern design and can get in “the zone” when hand painting pattern repeats
The owner wanted the finish to look like original wagon painting art which leads to lots of research and many fascinating YouTube videos on the subject
I designed the patterns using a french curve to ensure they were symmetrical and then transferred them on to the wagon
After investing in some decent brushes and 1 Step Signwriting paint .. (a bit pricey but well worth it for ease of application and durability) we were ready to start
A big shout here out for the on-site help from my friend and assistant Donal
During this project, I’ve learned a lot about taking the time and not rushing to get the job finished.
Apart from the basic scrolls I had no concrete plan as to where the design will go, it is just so satisfying to let the work grow organically.
I am always happy to take commissions for similar work, furniture, interior decor and so on the permutations are endless!
P.s during a rain shower, I sheltered inside the caravan.
Small but perfectly formed I could live in there! Just Beautiful!
on the road
Mobile Art Gallery
I’m mobile… yes really!
Tulip my much loved VW FOX is now on the road showing and delivering art work to your door.
COVID-19 precautions are in place.
Contact me for more details
telling stories
Lizards Discard Their Tales
I am working on an autobiographical graphic storybook.
It will tell of my life in Cyprus child in the 1950s and life on an RAF camp.
It also relates the drama of my mother’s affair with an EOKA spy and the disintegration of my parents marriage
Artist Blog
All Stitched Up
“If we don’t transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it ” Richard Rohr So you may be wondering what has transforming pain got
How To Over Come “Blank Canvas Syndrome”
Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it.
