Like I said earlier my name is Amy and I am studying Graphic Design with the Open College of Arts. Pink Angeleno is where I evidence (in the style of blog diary entries!) the design process behind all of my design work! My entries are very detailed, methodical, honest (sometimes with some light hearted humour!) but most of all they are documented with passion and love for the subject!
Here (scroll your way along the top menu!) you will find all of my blog entries to date and my online portfolio for all of my work that I have designed for various Graphic Design briefs during my studying!
So, the big question is how did this journey begin?… Why Graphic Design?…
The beginning
I first got a taste for Graphic Design at secondary school in 2002, I absolutely loved it! I had the passion, drive and motivation for the subject. I knew I wanted to continue further down this career path so I went on to study at college and completed my BTEC National Diploma in Graphic Design in 2005. I was very much a “home” girl back when I was younger and after I completed college it was never my desire to move away from my home, my family or my friends to go to university, (even though my college lecturers really tried to push me to go!) I was (and still am to a degree!) an introvert! I was very shy and quiet!
I worked part time all my student life at a very well known UK supermarket (beginning with M! ;p) and it was then that they offered me an office role for my “gap year” full time for a year until I decided that I would brave it and go to university a year later. Going to university required me to travel daily (in my old little purple beloved clapped out KA named Biddy!) to start my degree in Graphic Design. I completed my first year and a half before the pressure of finances, my beloved Biddy who was dying, working a long hard 24 hour week part time job and just being young and insecure in myself set in and my lecturers and I decided to call it a day in February 2008. I was disheartened. I have never however regretted that decision because it was RIGHT for me at the time..
Now what? I have grown up, experienced some valuable life lessons, realised what is important in life and what I must do for ME. Art and design is installed in me.. from the moment I could pick up a pencil as a small child I have drawn. My primary school teachers used to tell my parents I would grow up to either be a fashion illustrator or a children’s book illustrator as I used to love drawing pretty girls in fashionable clothing and creating stories for them all. I would draw pictures for anyone and everyone and it gave me such a good buzz to feel that I was good at what I did, I had a raw talent and that people enjoyed my work.
Who and where I am now?
The end of my twenties and beginning of my 30s were tough! I was working 2 jobs with barely any free time to myself and I was left wondering that there must be more to life. I was merely surviving. I felt like a ghost in my own life. I knew that the only way to try and forge a career out of something I love was to go back and get my degree!
Now in my mid thirties I am still working full time as a Design and Technology Technician and Teaching Assistant at a secondary school in Lincolnshire, (I work with year 7 to year 11 students within Textiles and Graphics) but I am also happily settled with my boyfriend Chris, our 2 cats Bridgette and Tubby and our little cottage in the countryside.
Finally! – Lets talk about why this page is pink!
To everyone who knows me aesthetically (*using a bit of design terminology!) I very much love the colour pink! I used to be fondly known as “Barbie” or “Pink Amy” by my mates and sometimes unkindly by strangers who liked to stereotype and know no better. The pink over the years became my look and “brand” and how people recognised me… As the years have progressed though I have grown up (only a little bit!) and the Pink is not such a dominant feature of mine anymore but my love of the colour still is. Angeleno refers to native civillians of Los Angeles which just so happens to be one of my favourite places! – the two together just worked!
As I said earlier please Feel free to pop back every now and then to say hello, comment on my posts if you feel I have done a good job and generally just to see how I am doing on my OCA design journey! Please come along and follow me on Instagram too! @pink_angeleno
pinkangeleno.com 