Can you tell us a bit about yourself and where in NZ you're based? How does your environment influence your artistic process?
I live in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara, with my teenage twins and I have a studio/shop in Island Bay. This is were I draw and create and sell my designs alongside other products by NZ creatives. I'm inspired by the natural environment, the South Coast and the ever increasing number of native birds in the city thanks to Zealandia.
What sparked your interest in art, and how did you begin your artistic journey? Were there any particular experiences or mentors that shaped your approach?
I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. I took Art as a subject all through school and then did a degree in Art History. After some travelling overseas I trained as an Architectual draughts person and worked in that industry for years. While doing a lot of technical drawing for work, I always took courses and spent time outside of work doing things like life drawing, photography, weaving, cooking, and most recently pottery. I love learning new things and playing with different mediums.
What themes or concepts do you find most compelling in your artwork? Are there specific sources of inspiration that consistently inform your creations?
I have been drawn to NZs flora and fauna as it provides an endless inspiration.
Could you describe the mediums and techniques you commonly use in your work? How do these choices contribute to the overall aesthetic of your pieces?
I produce a variety of work. I create jewellery from laser cut Rimu, I hand screen print textiles and I also design stationery, greeting cards, wall prints and enamel pins. My jewellery requires designs to be relatively stylised as I hand paint them all. The same is also true for my screen printed designs although they have more detail I generally stick to one or two colours and I'm often drawn to multiples and repition. My greeting cards provide more freedom but every medium, from Kraft card to wood to linen have issues that have to be thought about in the design process to make them work.
Can you walk us through your creative process from ideation to completion? Do you have any specific rituals or practices that help you get into a creative flow?
These days, when designing a new product for my range I usually start with either a design idea that has been floating around in my sketches for too long. My humourous designs very much come from my everyday life, being a mum, things I enjoy, coffee, food, music....and things I don't enjoy. Adding a design to my flora and fauna range is often influenced by customer requests or a gap I might have my range. I sketch In the early days I sketched on paper but now it's in Procreate on my iPad. I makes it a lot faster when I'm making changes and trying different things out. With my rimu jewellery for example, I will make mock ups with card at the very start and then I send the design off in digital form to my laser cutter to get the first trials cut in wood. Sometimes they come out perfectly the first time and some designs take a bit of adjusting and tweaking with size. I then play around with colours do some trial wearing and photographing before releasing them out into the world.
For the specific design featured in our book, what is the story or concept behind it? Are there any personal or cultural elements incorporated into the artwork?
I'm in the NZ Nature book and my theme was Beach life so that was my starting point. The final design ended up being quite different from my first draft andore based on my sketches in the progress stage. Ami was really keen for the design to reflex me, the sketchy lines and the natural fabrics I use. I incorporated seaside iconography of shells, pebbles, seaweed, seagulls and Pohutukawa in a combination of earthy colours, a departure from the sometimes expected blues and greens of the sea.
What are your aspirations as an artist? Are there specific milestones or projects you're currently working towards?
I feel very lucky to be working full time as a creative so I hope that I can continue for the foreseeable future. I'm hoping in the longer term that I can evolve, or rather go back to painting and drawing original art works rather than purely designing products to sell. Maybe when I retire!
How do you hope your artwork resonates with people who encounter it? Is there a particular emotion or message you aim to evoke in your audience?
I really just hope people think my designs add something beautiful to their everyday life that doesn't break the bank, whether it's a pair of earrings or a tea towel. And hopefully give people a giggle with my humour.
Where can we follow your journey?!
www.natty.co.nz