Today we’re featuring the fun and bright illustrations of Ann Shen! We have actually been familiar with Ann’s work for awhile since we always come across her illustrations in different places online. We love how her designs have an aesthetic that makes it easy to recognize her work and we’re so excited to get the chance to learn more about her. From selling her pieces on Etsy and doing freelance projects, to working on her very first book (that will be released next fall!), Ann is one busy creative! Luckily she took the time to answer some of our questions and show us how much she really loves what she does. Read on to brighten up your Friday by seeing her illustrations!
Tag: talent
Feature Friday: Caterham Design
Today we’re bringing to you Catherine Dawes of Caterham Design! We fell in love with her hand-lettering instantly and think it’s so cool that something as simple as a phrase can be written to look fun, stylish, or even sophisticated. Catherine really does a great job in making sure her typography communicates something. We love how her pieces all have their own feeling or vibe attached to them! She has a lot of great advice to share and we can’t wait for you to keep reading to learn more about her creative journey thus far.
: Tell us a little about who you are.
: Hi! I’m Catherine, a graphic artist from South Africa specializing in hand-lettering and calligraphy. I run my design studio, Caterham Design, from a dusty farm on the edge of the Kalahari; where I drink lots of coffee, eat my fair share of buttery pastries, and create hand-crafted designs for creative, artisan companies and individuals.
Feature Friday: Artist Ellie Edon
Today we’re featuring Ellie Edon of @wastedpaints. We can’t help but be drawn her colorful, fun pieces! A majority of her focus is on animals and it’s so cool that she makes them look completely realistic, while at the same time often using multicolor. She not only creates art because she’s talented at it, but also loves how it makes her feel. Her pieces make us happy so we’re glad that creating them does the same for her! Keep reading to learn more about Ellie and see her amazing works of art!
: Tell us a little about yourself as well as your artistic background.
: I’m Ellie Edon. I am an 18 year old from Yorkshire in England. I’m a socialist, a vegetarian, intersectional feminist, a dog lover and someone who finds peace in making artwork. I find writing about myself difficult as I am still young and developing who I am. I want how I change as a person, and my values, to shine through my artwork someday.
I remember in Year 6 (in England this is around the age of 10/11) I won my first Art contest with the theme being Easter. In fact, I used very very bright colours even then. I also won a blue peter badge with the same work. (This was a big deal!!) I used to have very low self confidence, and found some self-esteem when people complimented my work. This esteem has helped me develop my skills in where I am today, and has made me a much more confident person. I’m still just someone with an Instagram account – still, it’s pretty cool having a following.
Feature Friday: Singer-Songwriter Lidor Sai
We’re always looking for new music to listen to and came across the amazingly talented singer, Lidor Sai. He has a debut EP of original songs coming out in November and on top of that, does some incredible covers which can be heard in different places around Los Angeles (and on his Facebook page!) We love that he’s written more than 50 songs and he’s only 20 years old, showing that you should start pursuing your passion as soon as possible. For today’s feature, Lidor put together a video giving more insight into his music and we’re so excited to share it with you! Make sure to check out his social media accounts as well to listen to his songs, covers, and to stay tuned to his big EP release.
lidorsai.com
facebook.com/lidorleesai
Instagram – @LidorSai
Twitter – @LidorSai
soundcloud.com/lidor-sai
youtube.com/lidorsai
Feature Friday: Singer Corina Seas
BY CAILIN BURKE
Happy Feature Friday!
For today’s feature we’re excited to have electro-pop artist Corina Seas! Her debut EP, Flux, will be out on September 22nd and it’s filled with fun, danceable songs and some of the catchiest lyrics and tunes. After I heard her first single, Crystal Cove, I was singing it for days! In our interview below you can tell how passionate she is about her music and we loved learning more about the behind-the-scenes work in creating Flux, as well as what she’s trying to achieve with her good vibes-inducing music. Again, her EP comes out in just four days and her single Crystal Cove is available on iTunes and SoundCloud now so make sure to show her some support!


Awesome People Please Apply!
Hello lovely readers!
As most of you are aware, every Friday we feature someone who is doing something creative or just plain cool on our site. If you write, draw, paint, play an instrument, dance, own a business, travel, sew, design, craft, or have any other talent you want to share, apply to be a !
We love sharing what you guys are doing and it’s a great opportunity to show off what you do to your friends, family, colleagues and our readers from all over the world.
To apply simply shoot us an email at castlefoundations(at)gmail.com, tell us what you do and we will get back to you with our feature options.
We can’t wait to share some of the Features we already have lined up for this month!
❤–Tara & Cailin
Feature Friday: Ed Martin Design
Happy !
We talked to Ed Martin of Ed Martin Design for this week’s feature! He not only does graphic design but also works in photography and fashion. We love that he aspires to use his creativity in as many ways as possible, and not stick to just one form of design or medium. The fact that he also can’t go a few days without doing some form of design shows he is in the right field. We love that he says, “Pursuing design is 24/7.” If you love something, you have to be totally devoted to it and Ed definitely is! Keep reading to hear about how Ed Martin Design got started and how he gets the inspiration to do it all.
: I’m 24 years alive. Enjoying the Boston scene. Working at Jackrabbit Design. Freelancing within design, photography, and fashion.
: How did you decide you wanted to pursue design/photography? How did you discover you had a talent at it?
: It all came very natural. I’ve always been an artist. I was lucky that my high school offered a graphics class with an awesome teacher. Since I picked design up it’s been a passion I’ve never put down. Photography came a bit later. I’d owned a digital camera since I was about 19 but it wasn’t until a college professor introduced me to film photography. That’s when I found another love.
I’m not sure there was a point where it clicked that I had the talent. It’s something that has always felt second nature. The creative industry is my place.
: What type of design projects do you enjoy doing the most?
: I love logos and branding. The challenge to condense an entire brand image into a clean, concise mark is a fun challenge. Album and music artwork is always fun. Anything that I can incorporate other creative sides into the overall project is the best. I love pulling pieces from all different fields.
: Where do you get your inspiration from?
: Inspiration is 24/7. I’m constantly sending myself stuff. Photographing, emailing, screen capping. Its everywhere. Feelings, traveling, music, fashion, partying, etc. Participating in the culture I adore and being open minded creates constant influence.
Some visionaries I really look up to are Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Milton Glaser, Neville Brody, Alan Fletcher, Man Ray, Armin Hofmann. There are so many greats. Music is really inspirational while working too. I have a great collection of records if that’s what I’m feeling. What I’m listening to depends on the project or mood.
: How would describe your aesthetic?
: Hmm. It’s always the hardest to describe your own style. I weigh in on different styles between design, photography, fashion and so on but I’m always pulling pieces from each aspect to incorporate within each other. There’s part’s of minimalism, vintage, contemporary, abstraction etc. I’d say quality minimalistic with contemporary edge.
: What are some of your long and short term goals for the future?
: Long term goals are to cover all the industries that interest me. To work and live equally with the things I love. Have design, photography and fashion all on the same plane. At the moment my short term goal is to keep living in the now and continue to pull myself into what I want to be doing.
: What kind of skills/characteristics do you need to be successful at what you do?
: Persistence, creative judgment, problem solving, and hustle.
: What drives you to continue to pursue design and motivates you to want to be a better designer?
: Pursuing design is 24/7. It’s wired in me. If I go a few days without creating I start to feel really anxious and uncomfortable.
There are a lot of things that push me to continue becoming a better designer. People or businesses that are good at what they do but don’t visually convey it. My friends. The good and bad in the industry. Those who are mixing and building upon different genres of art, music, and culture. My mind works on a two part scale. Good design puts me in the mood to be great myself. And on the other side, bad design gives me the challenge to make it better.
: What project are you the most excited about right now? How many projects do you work on at one time?
: I’m excited about the logo project I just wrapped up for musician Beya Likhari. Also the calendar design that just got printed for Fitchburg Art Museum. But I’m most excited to be creating the artwork for my homie, Maka’s upcoming album.
At the office I’m involved in 3 to 7 projects daily. Freelance comes and goes depending on my schedule but I’ll usually have 1 or 2. And I always have a handful of personal projects in the works.
: Do you have any advice for those seeking to become a designer?
: Don’t force it. Study and learn the fundamentals but have fun breaking the rules with reason. Never box yourself in. And learn to feel inspiration no matter the situation.
Feature Friday Sneak Peek
We’re back to the arts, but this time we’re showcasing an amazing photographer! Look out for the post around 1PM EST tomorrow. Here’s a little preview of her work. This piece actually goes with another one of her photos but since it’s a “sneak peek” after all, you only get to see half of it… until tomorrow!
Feature Friday Sneak Peek
Make sure to check back tomorrow for our third !
This time we’re spotlighting someone with a talent a little different than those we’ve featured before. Here’s a clue:
The full interview will be revealed at 10AM. Don’t forget to check it out and email castlefoundations@gmail.com if you’re interested in being featured yourself!
CALLING ALL CREATIVES!
Castle Foundations is launching Feature Fridays on March 14th and we are looking for people with creative talent to spotlight! All you have to do to be considered is send the following to castlefoundations@gmail.com:
#1 Name your talent (Can be anything from art, design, fashion design, illustration, music, crafts, baking, interior design, makeup design, photography, dance, writing…etc.)
Embed from Getty Images#2 A brief description of yourself and your work (One paragraph please!)
#3 Some examples of your work (No more than 5)
It’s as simple as that! After we receive your application, we will contact you and let you in on the full process. Take this opportunity to share with the world what you’re passionate about and inspire others to follow their dreams!
P.S. You don’t have to be a professional, if you love what you do that’s good enough for us. Show em’ what you got!