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 Ever since I can remember I have been good at colouring
in, so I decided from a young age that I was going to be an artist when I grow
up! Dad had huge influence as he worked as a Creative Group Head at Saatchi
Saatchi and later as a graphic designer/copywriter running his advertising and
design
business from home - the temptation to ‘borrow’ his magic markers was just too
great to miss. When I was in my early-teens we often stayed at our holiday house in Dolwyddelan
where it seemed
to rain the whole holiday! It was about that time that I had first memory of the Ffestiniog
Railway when Dad would drop my ‘train fanatic’ of a brother and me off
at Blaenau Ffestiniog to catch the train down to Porthmadog where my parents
would meet us. I would take my (borrowed) magic markers with me to ‘doodle’ in my sketch
book as trains were ‘boring’ in my eyes then!
Funny how now it is me who works on t he Ffestiniog Railway and not my brother
Matthew!
And now ‘Steam Trains’ are not boring at all but rather
stunning bits of engineering. How better to couple my love of art with my work
and earn some extra cash at the same time?
I started work as summer staff in the Porthmadog Booking Office in 2005. I
graduated two years previously with a First Class Honours in Illustration and
was trying to sell my paintings in local galleries but needed a ‘proper job’ to
pay the mortgage. I was selling a couple of paintin gs and one client said to
me; “Why don’t you sell greeting cards of your art work?” That idea
stayed with me and when Dad and I were looking for a decent Welsh Greetings
card for my Mum, we couldn’t find one. The concept of ‘Welsh Greetings
Cards’ using Dad's and my paintings to develop a huge and visually diverse
range of greetings cards, signed limited-edition prints and original work! This would give me extra income
in the winter so I could go back to the Railway the following year.
It is now 2007, I am full time in the Booking Office as a Supervisor working as
Sam Hughes’ Assistant. My card business has gone from strength to strength –
plus I also work
regularly with the Welsh Books Council as an illustrator with three published
books already complete, produced the Christmas Cards for the Welsh Assembly, the Ffestiniog
Railway (The LyD Card - illustrated below featuring Paul Lewin and husband-to-be, Jon Whalley
plus ‘The Bessie Jones' Card - illustrated above), I completed fashion work for Fashion Designer
Anne Tyrrell in London as well as major commissions for major 'blue-chip'
companies like Debenhams and Severn Trent Water. I also take on board smaller
commissions for hundreds of private clients from
drawing people’s
dogs and cats to
Wedding Stationery.
I have developed a reputation for being able to draw just about anything – from
Steam Trains to Wolves and to Portraits of people and horses, in any media and in any style! We print cards of 180 gram Bockingford watercolour paper to create the ‘Handmade Watercolour feel’ unique
from Wales. We also design and make handmade Wedding Stationery, prints of our
work, book marks and sell to over 20 retailers all over North Wales plus
Welsh-speaking communities all over the world.
The fantastic thing about being an artist and working on the Ffestiniog Railway
is I get the best of both worlds – I work with fantastic people on the Railway
and I get to go home and do some ‘colouring in’. But best of all, I'm now
totally self sufficient - no mean achievement for a recent graduate!
And not to forget the most exciting promotion I have ever
been involved with ... The 'Steamy Ladies Calendar 2006' raised many thousands
of pounds for the Macmillan Cancer Support charity. It also, apparently, raised
the blood-pressure of most of the male rail enthusiasts across the country!
There are still a few copies available if you would like to contact the
Ffestiniog Railway shop at Porthmadog. No, I'm not going to say which month I am!
Web site designed and
published by R J Kitchin © Copyright Steamy Ladies 2007. Browse more sites
from Peter and Rebecca Kitchin, the father and daughter team from Wales,
UK |
Greeting cards, prints and originals - Greeting cards: handmade, wedding stationery, original watercolours and signed
prints. Includes happy birthday, merry Christmas, best wishes, thank you,
get well soon |
Personalised Greeting cards - Personalised Greeting cards: handmade with illustrations of Welsh landscapes, flowers, Welsh
cobs and the Ffestiniog railway. Includes happy birthday, merry Christmas,
best wishes, thank you, get well soon |
Cardiau cyfarchion - Cardiau cyfarchion, argraffau a lluniau gan
Rebecca & Peter Kitchin |
Wedding stationery, traditional - Wedding stationery: handmade
invitations, personalised, traditional designs. Wedding invitations, wedding reception, order of service and menus
created |
Wedding stationery, contemporary - Wedding stationery: calligraphy,
handmade, personalised, contemporary designs on.
Includes wedding invitations, order of service and menus |
Birthday cards - Birthday cards, handmade: personalised, online. Personalised birthday cards designed by the
creative duo |
Christmas cards - Christmas cards: handmade, personalised. Welsh landscapes, snow scenes, holly, ivy, and Ffestiniog trains |
Pet portraits - Portfolio of pet portrait paintings and drawings by
young Welsh award-winning artist plus advice on commissioning your own pet
portrait |
Watercolour landscape paintings of Snowdonia - Watercolour landscape
paintings of Snowdonia, North Wales by Peter Kitchin. Includes studies of
slate workings in and around Blaenau Ffestiniog, Cwmorthin, Maenofferen
and Porthmadog |
Watercolour landscape
paintings of South Buckinghamshire -
Watercolours of South Buckinghamshire: Over thirty watercolour landscape
paintings of South Buckinghamshire and other parts of UK by Peter Kitchin
| The following are 'non-profit' research sites from Peter and Rebecca |
Learn to write and speak Welsh - Learn to write and speak Welsh: A web
site written by Welsh learners for Welsh learners - the terrified kind! |
Directory of British birds - Birds seen in UK. Massive directory of
breeding and migratory British birds arranged by habitat and by A-Z |
Directory of British castles - Discover the rich
history of castles built in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Who
built them, why, where? | All Web Sites designed and published by P D Kitchin.
© Copyright Rebecca Kitchin & Peter Kitchin 2007. Any attempt to copy the
images within these websites, digitally or otherwise, will constitute an
infringement of copyright.
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