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