Artist in Residence: Sugarbones

Everything’s rosy The Canada-based artist discusses her love of illustration and product design, and why she didn’t always have such a passion for pink

The Canada-based artist discusses her love of illustration and product design.

It’s always been such a vital part of my process to be surrounded by the aesthetic and energy that I want to siphon into my own creations. I want to feel joy no matter where I look in my studio, and bright and colourful spaces energise me.

I spend a lot of time in this spot, so some of my favourite items reside here. I love plushies and figurines, especially of the mascot Rilakkuma. There aren’t many places in my home where you won’t find his face somewhere! My walls feature some of my favourite art, as well as illustrations from my friends and fellow artists. Some are gifts, some are notes of encouragement – they all uplift me in my own creative practice.

I share the space with my boyfriend, who has his own desk opposite to mine. He works as an electrical engineer, and his setup is very technical and full of schematics, so we like to joke that the room is like the left and right side of the brain.

I’m a very social creature and working from home can get lonely sometimes without any coworkers, so it’s nice to have my boyfriend around to liven things up! He’s also a valuable asset when it comes to feedback for my designs, especially when it comes to decision making or noticing things I may have missed with fresh eyes.

REASSESSING MY IDEA OF PINK

I didn’t always love pink as much as I do now. In fact, growing up I actively distanced myself from anything that could be considered girly or feminine in the slightest. As a 2000s teen, the dawn of teen vampire dramas and the era of Mean Girls made it crystal clear how society viewed girly girls. Often written to be materialistic, vapid and cruel, my inner Barbie was abandoned in favour of the cool, tomboyish counterpart. As I grew, I began to question my flawed understanding and confront my internalised misogyny face on. Why would I need to shed the feminine aesthetic, hobbies and community that I felt

Growing up I actively distanced myself from anything that could be considered girly or feminine…

connected to in order to appear smart, strong, when both can coexist. There was never a problem with pink.

Realising the potential behind my own agency, I reclaimed my unapologetic love of sparkles, pastels and heart-shaped things. Being able to incorporate them into my artwork was life changing, and I haven’t looked back.

A TRIO OF DIGITAL TOOLS

Typically, I bounce between three computers throughout a work day. My main computer is a Surface Studio Pro, which I use for the bulk of my website design, product drafting, tending to my shop or connecting with customers. It only made sense to make this computer the centerpiece of my desk, tucked away in the corner in a comfortable spot. For illustrating, I shift between an ipad Pro and my Wacom tablet.

While I’m often primarily creating digitally when designing for my shop, I still love exploring traditional arts and crafts and making things with my hands. I’m good with routine, so being able to bounce between different artforms like this keeps me from getting bored and keeps things fun.

Over the past year I’ve gotten into making punch needle rugs, and recently made my own mirror for the studio. That turned out pretty cute!

I make a lot of enamel pins for my web shop, and have a pin board that

I’m good with routine, so being able to bounce between different artforms like this keeps me from getting bored

displays them all close by as I design new ones. I use it to compare sizing, shapes, and also to remind me what worked in the past and what didn’t. It’s always a learning experience! Sugarbones is an artist and product designer who lives in Ontario, Canada. She transforms her illustrations into fun products for her web shop, as well as run a monthly enamel pin subscription club. Her inspirations included bad girls, pop culture and deceptively cute animals. See more of her work at www.sugarbones.net.

My cosy setup where I spend most of my days, dreaming up new artwork and designs!

I’ve always loved drawing bad girls with pink weapons. I love pink in unexpected places – it creates a fun juxtaposition not usually associated with the colour.

I love creating artwork based in nostalgia, and the joyful feeling of unlocking memories that you may have once forgotten.

I make enamel pins for my shop and pin club, and I keep my favourites on a pinboard so I can reference them as I design new ones. Which one is your favourite?

I’ve saved a lot of plants from certain death by swapping to fake ones! No green thumb for me, just a pink one. For a lot of my digital illustrations I use this Wacom Cintiq 22. Stickers always make things cuter. I used to use a digital calendar, but seeing it physically helps me grasp what the heck is going on.

My little son, Peachy, loves to shred and destroy paper. His bad behaviour has earned him a lifetime ban from the studio.

I use a bar cart while I’m painting for my brushes and supplies. It has wheels, which makes it easy to roll around while I work. Super convenient!

I love collecting anything Rilakkuma, and have a collection of miscellaneous products he’s been featured on. His face can make anything cute! This box of condoms is no exception. I found this bow shelf at a thrift store and was able to breathe some life into it with some sanding and a fresh coat of paint. It has the honour of holding up an illustration I made of Medusa, and a little pink Godzilla sculpture. I use the Microsoft Surface Studio as my desktop PC . It’s got pen and touch, and it’s easy to switch between the two if I don’t want to boot up my drawing tablet. I love listening to music while I work, especially anything fun and upbeat to keep me energised! I love figurines and hope to make my own one day. I won this one at an arcade while I was visiting Tokyo. Sailor Moon has been a huge inspiration to me since I was very young. I love taking the themes, colours and elements that influenced me from that series and putting them into my work. My Copic market collection! I haven’t used them in a while, which can be seen by how neatly they’re sorted and not in total chaos. Some of my favourite vinyl figures! They sit on top of my framed How To Be Bad bunny design, who’s become sort of a mascot of my shop! He shows up in a bunch of my products, and people seem to love him! When I was visiting Japan for Design Festa, I got this commission from a girl who drew you as a hamster. It’s now a family heirloom.

Over the years I’ve collected a ton of art and reference books. My favourites are the ILLUSTRATION series, featuring artwork from artists all over Japan. It’s released annually. Whenever I make pins, I print them out so I can really see what it’ll look like. It’s so important to take things off the screen when designing products so you can better understand them.

I drew this little bear when I was feeling down. Every time I look at his little face, I know he gets it.

Over the past year I’ve gotten into making punch needle rugs, like this one. It’s time-consuming, but really relaxing and the results are so fun. Although my walls are pretty busy, I try to keep my desk space as organised as possible. When I work it can get cluttered pretty quickly, so I try keeping on top of things so it doesn’t become overwhelming. I spent more money than I wish to disclose on a realistic Gizmo doll, but I’m not ashamed of it.