Monday Maker - Fable Illustrations

Hello Bec and welcome to BrisStyle.

Were you creative as a child/do you come from a creative family?

I was always drawing and writing when I was young. My family lived on a small farm outside of Beaudesert so I was always outside, discovering and creating. We'd go on bushwalks and I'd come back and fill journals with sketches. I would see holes in tree trunks and imagine all the goings-on of the wildlife that lived there. It was really just a natural thing to interpret what I saw into art.

How would you describe your work?

Whimsical, earthy, maybe even a little fragile. Like me :)

How has your work evolved since you started?

I used to paint mainly in oils, creating moody abstract landscapes, or dreamscapes.

I still love these, but the transparency and honesty of watercolour drew me in, and being able to work in small detail was really appealing.

I love how one little tiny dab of paint can change everything about a piece. And how so much can be said with the finest of layers.

How did you start selling online?

I used to paint little cards on scrap paper for friend's birthdays and they would say 'I wish I could buy something like this from a shop'. It took quite a few years before I had the courage to give it a try. 

Who or what inspires you?

My best friend Margeaux is the textile artist behind Willowynn, and a trail blazer for me in terms of taking a risk. We worked together as park rangers before we had children and I watched her build this beautiful business around her to compliment her life. It was like watching somebody discover themselves and like all bright stars, you can't help but want to follow them.

Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process?

I use an Australian printing company that is extremely passionate about the environment. 

Describe your workspace?

I work from my office/studio in my home on the outskirts of Brisbane. I'm lucky to have this incredible woodland right at my back door, so at any moment I can look out and see kookaburras, kingfishers and cockatoos in the canopy. It keeps me connected to the natural environment.

What is your favourite thing to make?

I strangely go in phases where I just 'must' sew, or crochet, or paint dolls, or paint canvas.

It's all rewarding. I try to just listen to what my soul is craving. But lets face it, when I sketch or draw, my hand more than often turns to owls. I just love them!

How did your business name come about?

The name Fable came from a love of storytelling and a kinship with animals.

Most of my work starts from words - poetry, music, quotes that get under my skin - and then in my head they manifest into images, mostly of animals.

I felt like what my art represented seemed something like a fable.

Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?

Right now I'm just letting the natural course of things take me for the ride. 

I think I've learned that trying to make something happen can feel like its forced, and then when you're not expecting it, an opportunity arises.

I've also got my husband joining me at my side this year to help with marketing and sales, so who knows where things may lead!

What’s your top tip to others wanting to break into the creative market?

I'm not sure I'm qualified to give top tips at this stage, but I think what I've learned from my own journey, and watching others along the way, is that it's important to stand by your integrity, so that what you put out there into the creative market is a product you truly feel proud of. 

Whatever else happens doesn't matter if you have achieved that.

Describe your typical creative day?

Sometimes I feel most creative around my young girls, when they sit and paint with me and I am blown away by their imagination.

Other days, it takes a quieter space and a lot of reading and listening to music, to sink into the zone. 

What kind of music do you like to listen to while creating?

Emma Louise and Japanese Wallpaper are a few.

What is your favourite handmade item that you have bought?

I love my Erin's Window hanging ornament that was gifted to me. It features a woman and a wolf standing side by side. It feels very me.

Where can we find you online and stockists?

www.fableillustrations.com.au
etsy.com/au/shop/fableillustrations

I'm also stocked at Mudwood Studio in Kyogle NSW, and New Farm Editions, Clarence Corner Bookshop and Bowerbird Collections in Brisbane.

And how long have you been a member of BrisStyle?

Just a few months.

How did you find out about BrisStyle?

A fellow creative referred me.

Why did you become a member?

I wanted to connect with other artists and get a sense of the scene in Brisbane. It can be hard to keep up with all of the action in such a big city.

Why do you craft?

It's an extension of who I am, and I'll do it until I don't want to anymore. But I can't imagine that happening :)

Thank you Bec
x Anita

 

Monday Maker - Bagua Lala

Hello Sadia, tell us a bit about yourself.

Were you creative as a child?

I think I was more curious and my Mother encouraged me to try different things. I remember I had a collection of beads and a 'Spirograph'.

And your parents, are they creative?

My Mother knows how to draw.




How would you describe your work?

I do little things with my hands for your beautiful fingers and ears. I really think that we don't need to wait for people to give us a gift to feel loved. Our style is a way to present our identity, and I try to propose a panel of colours to fit with our state of mind too. This is about feelings, each jewellery piece has a story, and has come from a different part of the world, so when somebody buys one of my products, a real relationship starts between them.

How has your work evolved since you started?

I worked with recycled buttons from my Mother, originally, and then when travelling I decided to keep a piece of each place we visited by collecting a few buttons that were really different from what I had ever seen. Then I decided to add some ribbon and play with different materials.

Recently, I have created earrings, adding beads to my work. I am surprise I didn't go to beads first but I always have been in love with buttons! :)

Who or what inspires you?

I think I am inspired mostly by artists like Van Gogh, drawers of Zentangling as well as writers of personal development books

Brisbane and Queensland encourage me to keep my eyes open to creativity. Everything around is so colourful! Nature is so impressive. I love patterns for example and you can find patterns everywhere!

Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process?  

YES! Some of my buttons and beads come from my secret box. Clients sometimes offer me some of their beautiful 'leftovers' and hope I can do something with it.

Sometimes, I can create something after many years! One of my last pair of earrings has been made with a necklace I had stashed more than 15 years ago.

Can you describe your workspace?

I have a special room to create, I always go back in the living room to have light and be near the kitchen to prepare cups of tea.

What is your favourite thing to make?

I think the earrings are becoming something I prefer, probably because it is new to me and I like to challenge myself. I also create my own gift boxes and I really enjoy doing that.

I love Zentangling and drawing classes as well as drawing on paper or fabrics. I am thinking about doing something with these new skills.

How did your business/shop name come about?

Bagua Lala comes from Bague à Lala which means in French :  Ring of Lala. Lala, is one of my nicknames I received from a friend at school and it stays

Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?

I would like to create a different line in jewellery, handmade cards and decoration. But 12 months doesn't look like enough time so during this time I will improve my skills and my style.

Do you have a top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade market?

I would say enjoy the opportunity to talk people. You don't need to wait for them to purchase, try to imagine you are them and get to know your customers.

There are so many choices everywhere, and we are all trying to do our best to please people. But remember to continue to create things that YOU like by adding love and piece of soul in everything you create.

Respect your product, they are born from you. They were just ideas before you decided to give birth to them. Enjoy speaking with your stall neighbours, you can share a lot of things and advice with other creative people!

Describe your typical creative day for us?

I put everything I have on my table before I start work.  It looks like a mess. Often I will go back to a previous creation, to repair or to change something.

I like to go buying new supplies even if I have enough at home. I mix what I already have with new things. Sometimes, as I told you about recycling, I can buy something and wait several months before using it. That's really funny because when I buy, I know exactly what I want to do with it.

Do you have a Favourite inspirational quote?

'The better is the enemy of good'.

But it sounds so much better in French, "Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien" and 'Do your best at this precise time, that's the most important.'

Favourite Music while creating?

Music of my teenage years or any playlist I have made on Spotify. I have one with just soft songs

How long have you been a member of BrisStyle?

I am still 'new', I arrived in July 2016.

How did you find out about BrisStyle and what made you take them plunge and become a member?

Thanks to Sarah from Designs of the Heart, when I met her at an Etsy market and thanks to Meg from Stychy Wytchy when I discovered my first Twilight market as a customer.

I wanted to be a visible part of a community. I like this idea in the City. You feel supported and you can share. I like it a lot.

Why do you craft?

I like this question.! I think I like to invite others to not forget themselves, especially women.

When you offer yourself as a gift, it is a sign of self-esteem and you can improve your self-esteem this way.

I like to invite people to make a special gift too. Something with a story, a personality. I think I like to achieve things. It makes me feel really proud of myself.