charles eames,art, design, illustration, graphics, mid century, alexander calder, herman miller
eye-likey Q&A with
UK's ELLIE FOREMAN-PECK
ABOUT
Ellie is a freelance illustrator based in North London. She is a graduate of University of the West of England '2008. Her work combines interesting perspectives, utilizing a combination of line + collage + pattern and often incorporating narrative. She enjoy's working on fashion, editorial, portrait and children's illustrations.
How do you stay inspired?
Sketchbooks where I stick in inspiring images, draw doodels, sketch ideas and write lists. Lists are the key. Sometimes in the list, I remind myself to write another list. I find London and all it has to offer very inspiring, from the great characters on the busy streets, to my friends peppered around the capital. It's also bursting with inspiring museums and galleries - my top rated for sketching and sparking ideas are the V&A and the British Museum.
Typical work day?
Walk to my studio through Clissold park, past the deer and goats then e-mails, yoga, sometimes swimming, and lots of drawing!
What are you currently working on now?
A book cover for Random House’s Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol."
Ellie in her North London Studio
Favorite place you ever traveled to ?
India.
Where would you like to visit that you haven’t yet?
South America – all of it!
Top 3 Favorite website + blog/s
FAVORITE movie of all time ?
Too difficult! but a classic is "Belleville Rendezvous", astonishingly good animation with a dark undercurrent.
FAVORITE movie of all time ?
Too difficult! but a classic is "Belleville Rendezvous", astonishingly good animation with a dark undercurrent.
SOME FAVORITE ARTISTS PAST+PRESENT ?
Gorge Grosz, Aubery Beardsley, Laura Carlin, Macintosh, Picasso, Ralph Steadman, Paula Rego, Lucian Freud, Hockney, Chris Ofili Henry Darger, Hogarth.
Favorite project you ever did?
“Lucy Flies South” for the CBBC. I had two weeks to create 12 double page spreads and was given a lot of freedom. Children were CGI'd into the pages of the book which was amazing to see.
Dream assignment + project for the future?
I would love to do a collection of ceramics with decorative narratives running through the collection. Half pattern, half story telling used as embellishment but also as visual text.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you like to be?
Singer.
Name something you do in your spare time.
Dance.
WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO WHILE YOU WORK?
Radio 4 and then a very eclectic mix of music: ethiopian Jazz, classical, house, funk, along with an ever changing playlist created by my DJ/illustrator studio mate Vix.
Best advice to an artist either still in school or just out, looking to get started?
Do examples of the type of work you want to be commissioned for. for instance If you want to do conceptual editorial, make sure you have these in your portfolio and try to show them in context.
Thanks for the interview + beautiful inspiration Ellie!
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