ghostkitten: Interview with Anne Bollman: Lovely Ink July artist

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Interview with Anne Bollman: Lovely Ink July artist

Anne Bollman, of Anne was Here, is gracing our July with the cheerful courage of this flower-maned lion. Her illustrations depict a world inhabited by quirky, friendly characters who nestle into our hearts and make us giggle and play – the perfect thing to get us into the spirit of the summer and bring out the child in us all.

If you want to receive a free 8x10" printable and desktop wallpaper of this sweet lion and his striped-tail mouse friend, sign-up for Lovely Ink here. Every month, Lovely Ink delivers free inspirational art to your inbox.

We were lucky enough to have Anne share some of her inspiration and creative process below. Enjoy!

Take us through your creative process of making your piece for Lovely Ink?
I started with the quote and broke it down into the key words of creativity and courage. Next I brainstormed imagery that I associate with those words. One of the images that I associate with courage, from growing up watching The Wizard of Oz, is a lion. Since I love drawing animals I went with that one! Then I thought about how I could make him a creative lion and had the idea to have his mane be made up of colorful flowers. I start in my sketchbook and draw many iterations until I have one that I am happy with. Then I scan it and bring it into photoshop where I use the sketch as a template for my design. I draw right on top of it using my Wacom pen and tablet. Once I'm done with the drawing I add texture. Then I tweak the colors too many times until I need to go to bed and that's when I know I'm finished!

What drew you to the inspirational saying you used in your Lovely Ink piece?
I have always loved this quote by Matisse. I think it is especially meaningful for artists who have to have courage in so many facets of their life in order to pursue their passions. We give up financial stability and also put ourselves out there for the world to criticize in a way that many people never have to do.

Was there a moment in your life when you first fell in love with making things?
I can't remember because it's been ever since I learned to use my hands. My mom has saved all of my early creations to prove it! I once made a robot costume out of a brown paper grocery bag, an old Kleenex box and some markers. I later used a picture of myself sporting this costume for my resume and somehow got a job with it.

Where in your life do you find the most inspiration for your art?
The world around me! It took me way to long to figure this out though. You really have to open your eyes and heart to it to see. I recently went to the zoo with my two year old nephew and it was so fun and inspiring experiencing it with him. Imagine you've never seen a zebra before....seriously. It is a horse with crazy high contrast stripes all over his body, who has a mohawk that is also striped. It blew my mind seeing the zebra through my nephew's eyes. Expect an Anne Was Here collection featuring zebras soon!

What would be your absolute dream project - no limitations?
I am so new to this I'm sure my answer will become more grandiose with time, but for now, I would love to illustrate a children's book with a reputable publisher.

Who are some of your favorite artists, illustrators or surface designers?
Dr. Suess, Helen Dardik, Emily McDowell, Mike Lowerey, Lisa Congdon, Ashley Goldberg, Gemma Correll, Carolyn Gavin, Lotta Jansdotter, Nate Williams, Oliver Jeffers, Jon Klassen, Mary Blair, Muxxi, Steve Simpson and Mark Ryden - Just to name a few. ;)

What are your favorite design or art blogs that you would like to share with your fans?
Print and Pattern, Design Milk, Orange You Lucky, Today Is Going To Be Awesome, Love Print Studio, The Alison Show