Artist Spotlight
How would you describe what you do?
My work is quite graphic, bold lines and bright colours. The simplest way to describe it is probably an adult thing, drawn in a childish format. I find drawing quite cathartic so sometimes it’s funny and a little low brow and sometimes it’s sad. Just how I’m feeling when I’m creating really.
Why did you want to be an illustrator?
I’ve just loved to draw as a child and was always told it wasn’t a great career to go for so I went into fashion and slowly realised the reason I wanted to do anything creative all started with drawing. So it kind of happened naturally after university but only in the last couple years have I developed my style and found my voice as an illustrator.
How does print play a role in your work?
It is slowly playing more of a role in what I’m doing, be it selling more of my own work or working with publications. I love seeing my work in print, it feels way more actualised in person.
How do you create your ideal work space and conditions that you need to be creative?
Well, my work spaces have always been at home, either a desk in my room or somewhere in the house, and I’ve gotten quite used to that. I like having my own environment to draw, which works well when you feel the urge to work at random times of the night.
I have a lot of my sketches and ideas pinned around me so I don’t forget to develop them — I used to have the bad habit of drawing something and forgetting it existed so I need to be somewhat surrounded by it to remind myself. My setup comprises of my iPad, MacBook, tablet, sketchbook, coffee and music in the background.
How does print feature in your work?
I can’t say I’ve had much advice — I can only really think of the good advice from my 3rd year tutor, who told me my final project was the best work I’d done so far (it was majority all illustration based) and that I should pursue it. My work has changed considerably since then, but I think she could see it was better because I genuinely enjoyed that aspect of it.
If you could collaborate with another creative, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I’ve always loved Yoshitomo Nara’s work so it would be him. I love the humour in his work.
We’d like to ask you to recommend a ‘woman in print’ to us…
I’d like to recommend my friend and graphic designer, Katie Evans. I loved the work she did for Shura’s latest album — all one colour risograph, as well as a photography zine she did with a mutual mate, Hollie Fernando for her exhibition.