Friday, April 17, 2009

greatest hits: by ouou

what inspires you artistically & creatively? what would those inspirations look like visually? in this fun series, (please see the others here) ... i’ve invited some wonderful artists to share with us 4 images of inspiration in their artistic life, something of an interview in images! the guidelines were basically this: choose 4 visuals (something like your creative-stimuli *greatest hits!*) that you feel most inspires & expresses your art or craft today. for some, it might be a person, place or thing; a material; a pattern; a colour; a sound or song, etc. it might be a photograph, a drawing, a scan, etc. i’ve tried to leave it a bit open-ended so that we might better glimpse into these artists' motivations and their amazing, raw talent! today i’m delighted to present the next in the series: greatest hits!

i just love
things adorable. things that are beautiful, linear and that captivate my imagination and inspire me with colour & design. so you can well imagine my delight with the glorious, sweet artwork of Laurie, artist behind the amazing shop *
ouou * .

i glimpse @ her pen & ink works, gocco creations & silkscreening marvels and i'm transported to somewhere thoughtful, sweet, adorable and whimsical. what a great talent that is! i'm honoured to own some of Laurie's beautiful work, and visitors to our home always comment on her enchanting style & captivating artwork. be sure to visit her lovely lovely shop here, and her wonderful blog, too.







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and now...here's a glimpse into what's inspiring Laurie, in her own words, with her own lovely photos:

Nature:
Here in the Pacific Northwest we are already starting to see hints of spring with crocuses, daffodils, snow drops and the deepening of our evergreen moss. No matter where I have lived, though, nature and plants and trees most especially have always had a way of making the words-words-words in my head melt away and my heart fill with joy. It is in those moments when inspiration feels infinite.

Netsuke:These Japanese figures are such perfect little forms. My first love in design was Art Nouveau, no wonder these curving, detailed, often strange statues catch my imagination and wonderment. I find myself pouring through images of them or seeking them out in museums time and time again.

The Library:
I have a background in independent book selling and children's book illustration, so "books books books" are an obvious choice for my list. The library, in particular, is where I hope to stumble upon the unexpected, or spend hours sketching, nestled into a corner with a pile of tomes stacked around me.


Surprise:
Oh those moments!

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thanks so much, ouou!
and have a sweet sweet weekend, lovelies!
join me all next week for earth day celebrations, 3 (count 'em, 3!) great little giveaways,
and more!


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5 comments:

  1. What an adorable shop she has! Thanks for introducing me. Have a great weekend, RikRak!

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  2. Her work is wonderful. I love the little girl being followed by fish.

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  3. ooh, I did not know OUOU, know she is in my fav's!!!

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  4. RikRak, you are true blue my dear. It has made my day to see this post, and was such a lovely surprise to be interviewed in the first place!

    You're one of my Etsy heroes. Thank you so much for the support.

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  5. I love the illustrations, thank you for sharing!!

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thanks so much for your comments, nicies!
it's a joy to read what everyone writes here.
thank you!