Designer Desire: Lesley Barnes

Mosaic of Lesley Barnes illistrations | H is for Homeall images © Lesley Barnes

Glasgow-based, award-winning illustrator, author and animator, Lesley Barnes is a hugely talented individual. We’re so in love with her playful, colourful illustrations. Her clients have included Belle & Sebastian, Bestival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Glasgow Film Festival, Puffin Classics, the Museum of childhood and the V&A.

Lesley sells a small selection of her work – prints and cards – in her Etsy shop. Her books, and others that she’s illustrated, are available from Amazon and Hive (who give local bookshops a percentage of every single order they receive).

Have a look at this short video from a few years ago which showcases a number of Lesley’s designs.

madness from Lesley on Vimeo.

Designer Desire: Juliet Glynn-Smith

Various designs by Juliet Glynn-Smith | H is for Home

We first featured Juliet Glynn-Smith (b. 1939) on our blog when we acquired a sheet of kitchen cards that she designed for Habitat. As well as being responsible for the illustrations in the shop’s very first catalogue she produced a number of textile designs for Conran Fabrics. These include ‘Prince of Quince’ (1965); the children’s designs, ‘Jackanapes’ and ‘Toy Cupboard’; ‘Lollipop’ (1966); ‘Petals in the Sky’ and ‘Daisy Spray’ from their Firecracker Collection (1969).

Although she’s best known for her Habitat work, she has also created designs for other firms. One such company is Hunkydory Designs Ltd. Three of the brand’s wrapping papers are included in the montage above; ‘Big Heart’, ‘Big Flower’ and ‘Big Stripe’, all from 1970. Also above are her ‘Fauna’ greetings cards and ‘Santa’ Christmas cards which she designed for the company the same year.

She worked for Parkertex – for whom she created the ‘Fanfare’ fabric design in 1968 – and for German company, Rasch doing designs for their ‘Contempora’ and ‘Künstler’ textile collections in 1973.

For Christmas 1967, Glynn-Smith designed a psychedelic screen print poster which advertised Thursday late night shopping at D.H Evans, an Oxford Street department store (now a branch of House of Fraser).

‘Zig zig’ and ‘Polygon’ (pictured side-by-side above) were two wrapping paper designs made under the name of Glynn Smith Associates in 1972.

As well a textiles and paper, Juliet Glynn-Smith also produced designs that were used on metalware. The square Britannia serving tray, included above, was for Reginald Corfield Ltd. in 1966. We’ve come across a pair of ‘Sprig’ storage tins for previously mentioned, Hunkydory Designs Ltd.

Image credits:

Pinterest | Shelf Appeal | V&A | Visual Arts Data Service

Designer Desire: Kirsten Ulve

Mosaic of Kirsten Ulve illustrations | H is for Home

Kirsten Ulve is a New York-based artist and designer. Her work initially caught my eye because it reminded me so much of one of my faves – Lefor Openo. I think it’s something in the eyes.

Amongst her clients are prestigious companies such as The New Yorker, Vogue Japan, Glamour Germany, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Volvo, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, The New York Observer, Los Angeles Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter.

Check out more of her wonderful work on her portfolio pages on Behance and The i Spot. A few of her prints and silk scarves are available to buy in her shop.

Portrait of Kirsten Ulve

All images © Kirsten Ulve

Designer Desire: Yehuda Devir

Yehuda Devir illustrations

I’ve not been one for cartoons and comics since I grew out of them in childhood and I’ve never been into the more grown up incarnation, the adult graphic novel. That was, until I discovered the work of Yehuda Devir. Based in Tel Aviv, he’s a comic artist whose work often charts his relationship with his wife – fellow illustrator – Maya.

One of These Days is a collection based on real moments of their everyday lives. His work is humorous, absolutely relatable and they’re just the cutest couple!

Prints of his work are up for sale on his website. Check him out!

Yehuda and Maya Devir

All images: © Yehuda Devir