I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The interwebs is a magical place. I discovered Norwegian illustrator
when I was searching for
, and I stumbled upon this Audrey inspired print.
I checked out more of her work and thought it would be fun to
and what her life is like.
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You have created some interesting prints that cover a variety of topics, some of which are customizable. Will you tell us a little bit about how you developed your style, how you decided to offer customizable prints, and where you get your inspiration?
My goal when I started this webshop was to get to do more of my personal work. To kind of force myself to take/make time for my own work in our busy life. My style was very different when I graduated, but it was impossible to work in this style. I have developed a style that helps me complete commissions in a more convenient and (I think now) more interesting way. My goal is always to have fun doing the work. If I stop having fun while working on a commission, then I have to change my way about it.
The issue of the prints being customizable is that I love the idea that someone can make them personal, use them to get a personal message across to someone they love, and that my drawings can be important to someone other than me.
Inspiration comes from everywhere! My kids, and their drawings. Music. Old clothing and materials/patterns. Flea markets. An interesting face. Freckles (I think freckles are so pretty, I almost always HAVE to add them when I draw children’s faces). One of my favorite illustrators is Jill Bliss. I love her style, and she seems like such a lovely lady!
While I can see “you” in all of your work, your women prints just feel different somehow. What do you think makes them stand out from your other illustrations? Is my perception even true or am I just crazy? :)
No, I don’t think you are at all :) Note to Vibeke: Ahh…you just don’t know me well enough yet. ;)
They are different, because they are more personal. Most of them are made just for me, drawn just for the sake of drawing without having a certain commission in mind. I think it is important to keep changing and developing yourself. I just can’t keep doing the same thing – it gets boring. One of the finest people I’ve ever met said, “Only boring people get bored,” so I make sure I don’t get bored. So I think my personal work is kind of an indication of where I am taking my other commissioned work. It is normally those pieces of work I promote to potential clients.
I haven’t had the chance to visit Norway. Will you tell us a little bit about where you live and what the art community is like in Sandnes?
I love Norway, and my little town Sandnes. It’s a good place to live and raise children. It is safe, and you kind of feel like you know everyone (though you definitely don’t).
The art community isn’t lively, like I imagine it is in places like New York or San Francisco, but the internet has opened so many doors. You can work with whomever you want really, and it gives me lots of inspiration. Luckily my dear sweet sister just finished her BA in textile art, so I feel I have a great companion and fellow artist here who understands me and the passion you get for your work when you work within arts. Check out her wonderful work on her website.
I have a studio that I find really charming and inspirational. It is cute and small – just big enough for me. I might move on to a bigger place within the year, but I am still searching for a perfect place. I find myself missing someone to say good morning to in the morning, someone to discuss work with or have a cup of coffee with.
It seems like you’re very busy! I’m always looking for ideas to better manage all of things I want and need to do. Tell me your secret. How do you balance your freelance work, your own illustration projects, and your family life?
That’s another good question! I never seem to stop working. My work is the most important thing for me AFTER my family. Sometimes I feel that it is kind of a curse, because I find it hard to do what everyone else is doing because it takes so much of my day/night.
My blog has been a good motivator for me. It keeps me on my toes, and forces me to take time to do my own work and to reflect over my work. Gwen Bell inspired me when it comes to my blog. In an interview on YouTube she stresses the importance of defining a clear goal of why you have a blog, and that goal makes me stay focused. I try not to stray away from that path. My goal is to keep drawing and remembering why I became an illustrator – because I love drawing! So everything I put out there has to do with my work.
Back to your question, balancing my work. It seem to go ok. When I get a commission I usually let it sink in a bit. Normally when I go to sleep at night I have a project on my mind, and the solution usually comes to me either before I go to sleep or in the morning when I wake up. Once or twice I have actually dreamt the solution – which is a great feeling. :)
I almost never just sit down in front of the computer and think, “Oh..what to do?” I normally have a sketch in my mind before I go about it, which saves time! I also think of solutions when I put my kids to sleep, after we’ve read a book and they are falling asleep, or when I am forced to wait for something, do the laundry, etc. My work is almost always on my mind, and most of the time I like it like that.
I do wish I had time for more personal work, but most of the time I have off I spend with my family. And that is the way I want it to be now. I believe that there will be more time for my own work when the kids grow up, so I am patient, and enjoying family life now. Life is short and the kids grow so (too) quickly, and I don’t want to miss a thing. Normally the only thing I am missing is sleep! And a perfectly tidy house. ;)
What are you working on now that you’re really having fun with?
I am going to be part of a local arts and crafts market, so I am working on some signs in plexiglas with my illustrations, and hoping that I will get some of them ready by Sunday. I also have a really hard nut to crack for a Norwegian magazine. Tune in on my blog to see how that turns out. I guess that one is going to be on my mind tonight before I go to sleep.
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Thank you for taking the time to share a piece of your world with us, Vibeke! I look forward to following your work. xoxo
To see more of what Vibeke is working on now, check out her Facebook page.
Images courtesy of Vibeke Høie. All rights reserved.