This months etsy interview is with Holly Maguire.
Holly is a London based freelance designer and sells her playful, decorative and colourful art prints in her etsy shop.
Her love of textiles and nature comes across in her artwork, with illustrated girls and animals surrounded by rich foliage and lush florals, and palettes of tropical pinks, aquas and greens.
Yum!
So, lets get to know Holly shall we...
1. Can you tell us a bit about you and your background...
I usually get up around 7.30.
I always start with a pencil sketch which I’ll then paint directly over using Acryla paints
A Beautiful Mess, Lenny Letter and It’s Nice that.
Nothing beats seeing your work out there in the world and seeing people enjoying it too.
Pick n’ mix sweets, really buttery crumpets and watching cheesy period dramas while I work.
Holly is a London based freelance designer and sells her playful, decorative and colourful art prints in her etsy shop.
Her love of textiles and nature comes across in her artwork, with illustrated girls and animals surrounded by rich foliage and lush florals, and palettes of tropical pinks, aquas and greens.
Yum!
So, lets get to know Holly shall we...
1. Can you tell us a bit about you and your background...
I finished my BA in Illustration from Cardiff school of Art in 2010 and moved to Bristol after graduating.
Since then I have been working away on my illustrations and freelance commisions, sometimes whilst having full time and part time design jobs which really taught me a lot about about the creative industry.
I decided to take the plunge into being fully freelance just over a year and so far it has been great!
I made the move to London in September and I am loving it here.
It’s great to meet other Illustrators and go to events and exhibitions that give me endless inspiration.
In the past year I have worked on a range of projects, including my first children’s book, creating Illustrations for Boden’s kidswear and starting my brand new Etsy shop!
2. How would you describe your work/ style?
I’d describe my work as painterly, decorative and playful.
I like to use lots of green mixed with bright pops of colour in my work.
I’m very inspired by nature and textiles and I think this comes across a lot in my work too.
3. What books/ magazines are currently on your coffee table?
A half read copy of Time Out, a book of vintage botanical wall charts called
‘The Art of instruction’ and 'My name is Girl’ by Nina Cosford.
My favourite contemporary artists include Carson Ellis, Emily Sutton and Yelena Brysenkova.4. Who are your design heroes and what inspires you?
I just love the incredible detail in their work!
I also am very inspired by the works of Henri Rousseau, Matisse and M.Sasek.
My inspiration comes from all over.
I love collecting beautiful food packaging, going people (and dog!) watching, reading, listening to podcasts, and visiting museums and exhibitions.
5. Tell us about a typical day for you…
I’ll often start the day with a 20 min yoga session in my studio or I’ll sometimes go for a jog. I then make a nice cuppa and some breakfast and peruse my emails and procrastinate on instagram for a while!
I don't actually start working on any illustrations till mid-morning.
I work from home so I try to get out of the house everyday to escape the
cabin fever and I’m still new to London so there are plenty of places to explore.
I’ll usually continue working into the evening if i’m busy before flopping out on the sofa for a bit!
6. Can you give us an insight into your creative process?
(a mix of acrylic and gouache by Holbein).
When I’m happy with the painting, I scan it and fix any mistakes and clean or brighten up the image in photoshop.
If i’m working on a really complex piece i’ll sometimes paint separate elements of an image which I’ll then put together in photoshop as well.
7. What are your top three blogs?
8. What makes you laugh?
Cute animal videos!
9. What’s the most popular item for sale in your etsy shop? And also, your personal favourite?
My shop is still very new but the piece I’ve had the best response to so far is either the Eames print or the Cool cats print.
I think my favourite is the Cool cats, it’s the most fun!
10. What’s the most rewarding thing about being a designer/illustrator?
11. Do you have any guilty pleasures?
12. What are you currently passionate about or fascinated by and how is it inspiring your work?
I'm really interested in fabric and textiles at the moment.
I went to the Josef Frank exhibition at the Fashion and textiles museum recently
and It was incredibly inspiring.
I’m now dreaming about creating a collection of homewares one day!
A big thank you to Holly for taking some time out to be part of the etsy interviews and sharing a glimpse of her world with us!
You can follow Holly here...
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