We’re delighted to be able to share Katie Turton’s most recent colour and material experiments with you. Katie’s work will be particularly fascinating and inspiring if you work in any capacity with colour for Interiors or Fashion; you are in the paint industry; you are a pastry chef or chocolatier; you have a passion for make-up. So get ready for a visual treat that is sure to motivate you to be more experimental with materials, textures, product styling, photography and colour.
“My motivation for this project was to explore my passion for photography in combination with my interest in trends by forming evocative trend imagery. I used my photography skills to capture unique compositions exploring the different contrasts of chosen materials, as well as producing innovative surfaces and intriguing imagery.”
“This project also allowed me the opportunity to experiment with new materials and examine how they interacted with each other. I centred my imagery on the word ‘Contrast’ and this was used as my core inspiration. I probed the concept of different states of matter – liquid, powder and solid – and how these states would impact one another.”
“I gathered a range of materials; collected rocks, makeup and paint in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, as well as wallpaper samples to use for backgrounds. I purposely used a limited selection of materials because I wanted to test how much I could achieve from such a small selection and investigate the properties of each material more widely.”
“I mainly work on instinct when taking photographs – that’s how I feel I work best. After some experimentation, I chose to dive straight in and start taking photos. I tried lots of different positions for the objects and when I felt like they were in the right place and relating to each other well, I began to freely add paint and powders over the top. I built up layers of makeup, paint and stones and photographed these compositions from a range of angles.”
“I reused objects from each photo multiple times, which resulted in additional texture and layers of colour. Working on intuition and impulse was a huge part of my process and it makes my work unique and dynamic. I find that trusting myself – my decision-making and my senses – contributes to the success of my material compositions and imagery.”
“Colour is my favourite thing to experiment with. For this project, I wanted to use a more muted palette than I would normally generate.”
“In a sketchbook I tested combinations of colour chips and tested proportions thoroughly before I formed the one I loved. I feel that colour is so important to get right and the right colour palette can really lift a project or product.”
Thanks again to Katie Turton for allowing us to share her inspirational colour & material work. To keep up-to-date with Katie’s stunning photography, colour & material experiments and pattern work you can follow her Instagram feed. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn. Katie is in her 3rd year at Birmingham City University studying Textile Design and has a keen interest in Trend Forecasting. You can get in touch to offer her projects, sponsorship or a job via: kturton12@hotmail.co.uk
1. Model Photograph by Van Koo – @supernovanGirl with kaleidoscopic glasses by Holes Eyewear 
1. Lighting by Arnout Meijer Studio 2. Tactum 3D by Mad Lab 3. Grid Series by Maarten De Cellar 4. Iris van Herpen
1. Woven Glass Pendants by Elisa Strozyk for Edition Van Treek 2. Shimmer mirror by Patricia Urquiola for Glas Italia 3. Pulpo Container by Sebastian Herkner 4. Kaleidoscopic glasses by Holes Eyewear
The Trend Hub looked amazing thanks to our generous collaborators. Layered recycled Rugs by 
