We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Niamh Faherty ("NF").
Niamh Faherty is an animator and paper artist that graduated from Limerick School Of Art & Design in 2017 after studying Animation and Motion Design. She always had a passion for working traditionaly and creating her work by hand. Niamh grew up in Inis Mór, Aran islands an island off the coast of Ireland. Craft is so predominant to the tradition of the island, its culture and the landscape and this has had an impact on her passion and interest in traditional and highly detailed craft and designs. She uses only two materials to create her Quilling work. Paper and glue as well as a combination of precisely cutting and shaping strips of paper to create her artwork three dimensionally.
Niamh Faherty Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Niamh Faherty.
Niamh Faherty Design - Archangel Michael Quilling
Designer Interview of Niamh Faherty:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
NF : Ever since I was a child I remember loving art. If any of my friends were out of school I would be making gifts for them and every holiday I would get to paint all the windows in the school. Going on to college I studied art and design and majored in Animation & Motion Design. Throughout my course I always had a tendency to find new ways of creating animations without using the computer and it is for one of my animations I learned to create quilling art and ever since I have had a love for the technique.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
NF : The quilling I made of Archangel Michael is my favourite piece. I made it as a gift for my mother and it has so much meaning for myself and my family it will always be a very meaningful piece for me.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
NF : My favourite material would have to be paper. It is such a versatile medium and there are many different methods of working with it.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
NF : I live on Inis Mór, one of the Aran islands off the west coast of Ireland. We have a very strong culture here and growing up on the island definitely has had a huge impact on me. I find a lot of inspiration for my work from the irish folklore stories, landscapes and nature.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
NF : I first create a few sketches to work out the composition and the design. I will then do research and look into some references and colour studies. When I have a clear idea of the design. I make a detailed drawing with the chosen colours and create it to the scale to ensure it looks good before progressing. When working with paper It is important to have a clear idea of the desired piece before glueing anything onto the card because if there are any changes to be made after gluing the paper it can be hard to change it without damaging the backing card.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
NF : Many different types of Paper and card from 120-200gsm. I would use different weights of paper depending on what I am creating. I find that the heavier papers are easier to manipulate and work with. I also use a round pencil to curl the paper, Craft knife, cutting board, PVA Glue and tweezers.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
NF : It all depends on the piece, the level of detail and the overall size. Some can take a few days and others a few weeks. This technique is very time consuming and you can’t rush through any part of it. When I start a piece I get so excited to see it finished that even when it takes a few weeks the time flies by.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
NF : The main question I get asked when people see my work is “how do you have the patience to create that?” The designs I do are very time consuming but when I start working I am so focused I don’t even notice the hours going by.
DI: How can people contact you?
NF : Please feel free to send me an email to niamhfaherty.lsad@gmail.com