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The life & launch of ARCH

posted by POP Members March 28, 2024

Holly Seymour is the creator of the ARCH range of printed goods. As an artist, graphic designer, and printmaker, ARCH is where she combines her love of screen printing, sewing, graphics, and typography to create various products including prints, bags, and illustrations.

Holly graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art. This followed on from a heavily influenced creative education and childhood, where she took any chance she got to make something; from taking Art & Textiles at college, to completing a 2 year Extended Diploma in Fine Art afterwards. Holly comments; “Looking back, I also think I was influenced by my Dad growing up, who is a Graphic Designer – I think thats where my love of bold, graphic based art comes from.”

Recently, she published ARCH online, her first range of honest, screen printed goods. The ARCH range has grown from her love of bold, graphic, and playful design, into something that also encompasses Holly’s own personal meditation and self discovery journey. She states; “Having always been drawn to particular arch-like shapes and curvy, loopy forms, I began to think about the symbology of the arch to me – the idea of rebirth and entering an arch to leave behind the old and enter the new, really resonated with me, and sparked ideas about how I could use arch to bring to life my written thoughts and words from my journalling and meditation practice, as a form of processing and getting it out into the world whilst having fun with it and seeing my practice in a different light.”

Holly’s passion for textiles and functional, hand made art is also evident in ARCH. Having always needed to have a ‘hands on’ approach to creating and designing, screen printing and sewing are a perfect combination for her to realise her thoughts and create without limit.

Ideas for her creations are often ignited from things like a breath work practice, a walk in the sun, or a successful journalling session, from which she will excitedly scribble and sketch everything down. These rough sketches are then turned into paintings and drawings which Holly scans into Adobe Illustrator to manipulate and play with – figuring out print layouts or digitally laying onto bag designs. Once she is happy with the ideas, she then starts the process of getting files ready for screen printing, eventually going onto exposing screens and getting to her favourite part, the printing itself – whether that’s onto paper or fabric. “There is something so satisfying about pulling the squeegee and seeing the print you envisioned from a little idea in your sketch book come to life, almost like magic in front of you,” says the printmaker.

Looking the future, Holly aims to continue creating freely by not putting herself in any boxes, further explore the techniques she loves, and launch some exciting new ranges.

@archtote
archtote.bigcartel.com

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