something to inspire us, to put a bit of colour back in your life

i finally got the chance to share with you this amazing person: Rachel Urquhart :)

She is not just an amazing illustrator but she is a true inspiration to me.

i struggle in the drawing area because i  give up to quickly but then i discovered her work last year and started getting inspired by it, it helped me to persist in my drawings and try some new techniques.

she never fails to amaze me with the creations she shows and I'm so excited she is only a hop, skip and a jump away from me.

i cannot wait to purchase one of her prints! and of course you can too at:

 http://society6.com/artist/RachelUrquhart

(you can get t-shirts, canvases, iPhone cases and more!)

check her out and follow her on Facebook, tumblr and her very own blog!

i was lucky enough to ask her a few questions about her life, inspirations and aspirations...

thanks rachel for your time and wish you all the best!

i will continue to follow your work and enjoy every part of it!

Have you always wanted to be an illustrator? How have you made this all happen for you?

Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer, an artist or a vet. I ended up, formally, becoming a journalist (for now). I don’t really consider myself an actual illustrator yet, it’s more of a fun, sideline kinda thing.

I’ve drawn all my life but it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve taken it seriously, and actually tried to finish pieces. Since then, any jobs or exposure that’s come my way happened organically.

Working with people like Spell and the Gypsy Collective helped a lot too, and having a supportive network of people who dig what I do – most of the time I’m just thinking: “Is this even any good? I should quit while I’m ahead here”.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your drawings?

I think about drawing all the time, I’m constantly cataloguing and composing projects that I’ll never get to! So inspiration comes from everywhere… a lot of it comes from creative pursuits that are one step removed from drawing: like music, literature, photography… And growing up in a sort-of isolated rural area, where I was surrounded by and obsessed with the natural world, still plays a big part.

I’m also hugely interested in rites of passage, and how we grow up in our world now – like where is the mysticism, the sacred, the god in nature and divinity?

Today, our equivalent of a vision quest is like a bender or shitty chemical drugs mixed in someone’s laundry. That’s the trip we take to find out who we are. Our tribal markings are mass produced and transient and we can cash them in whenever they get old. I’m interested in that search for a sense of self, meaning, a tribe to fit in with and a god or nature or universe, whatever form that might be.

What type of material and techniques do you use when drawing your illustrations?

I tend to change a lot, I’m still experimenting… I always starting off sketching with mechanical pencils, then I decide whether it’s a fineliner/ink situation or not. For colour, I use watercolour, Posca pens, coloured pens and pencils – whatever is on hand really. I sometimes do a bit of digital colouring in Photoshop too, but that’s a pretty soul-destroying business. I used to do a lot more large-scale painting with acrylics and spray paint, which I miss, but hopefully I’ll find some time in the future to get back to that.

What do you consider your style like? Do you follow trends or stick by your own style?

I guess it is what people see it as – it changes a lot. Sometimes I’m more disciplined and sometimes I’m a bit looser, but it’s all illustrative.

As for trends, I try to learn from the aesthetic of artists whose work I’m really moved by, but at the same time I’m super cautious of taking too much influence and ripping anyone off – it’s really heartbreaking when you get ripped off. And I try not to go in for trends, because I don’t want to be limited to being just a photorealist or a fashion illustrator or whatever else.

What does the future hold for you?

At the moment, I’m living in Melbourne and working full time as a journalist… Ideally, I’d like to be able to work part time as a journalist, part time as an illustrator. There are so many projects I want to get started on, and hopefully the future will let me get to them.

Also, I’m new to Melbourne, and absolutely adore it, so hopefully my partner and I can stay here for a while, get a puppy, just cruise along. Ultimately, we’re hoping for a small farm with too many dogs and baby goats and the more freedom/less workdays ethos.

check out a video of her drawing HERE.

love leana

xxxx