First Impressions: Olivia Rose
A mystery benefactor planted the art seed in this illustrator’s fertile mind…
A mystery benefactor planted the fantasy art seed in this illustrator’s fertile mind…
Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art?
I grew up in the countryside in England. There’s a lot of greenery and it’s really beautiful. I love incorporating nature into my work especially flowers. Living here has probably fuelled that.
What, outside of art, has most influenced your artwork?
My first influence is my mother. She’s a fashion designer and growing up I always saw her creating beautiful things. She has gorgeous big eyes and long curly hair, and I have a little of her in all my pieces.
I also watched a lot of cartoons and anime. The creepy ones like Courage the Cowardly Dog always grabbed my attention the most. I also love watching nature documentaries – specifically The Blue Planet, which is produced by the BBC. The ocean is so beautiful with many amazing natural structures that often make appearances in my work.
Is there a painting that you saw in your formative years that changed everything? What was it?
When I was young someone gifted me a fantasy book with the most amazing illustrations, which stuck in my mind for years. Weirdly, the book disappeared and no one in my family seems to know who gave it to me. Growing up, I never knew the name of the artist but just rediscovered his work! The artist is Wayne Anderson and the piece I always remember came from his book The Perfect Match. His work is so ethereal… I love it.
Tell us about your first paid commission, and does it stand as a representation of your talent?
I think I was around maybe 14, 15 years old? Someone asked if I could draw them some custom originals. I was so surprised and excited that someone wanted to pay me to draw something! I always get so embarrassed looking back at older work, but it’s always nice to see how I’ve grown as an artist and person.
What’s the last piece you finished, and how do the two differ?
My most recent piece was a mermaid for # MerMay. Comparing the two pieces, it’s crazy how much of a difference there is. My work when I was younger had a real cutesy or just plain creepy look about it. Now my work has so much more substance and depth.
Is making a living as an artist all you thought it would be?
In all honesty, being a full-time artist is probably much harder than I envisioned it would be. It’s a lot of hard work and there are moments when you can feel disheartened or frustrated. Self-motivation is key, and it’s not always easy to do that. But in saying all that, I absolutely love being able to do what I love every day. I feel super lucky.
What advice would you give to your younger self to aid you on the way?
I would have told myself to stay focused, motivated and just keep on practising your craft. Master it now so you don’t have to work so hard later. Ha ha, just kidding!
How has the industry of art changed for good since you’ve been working in it?
I think social media has really helped artists get out there way more! It’s also made things more accessible to people that need it.
What character or scene that you’ve painted do you most identify with?
Every now and then I create pieces that always manage to correlate with a moment in my life. I recently created a piece called The Blue Angel’ and it’s probably one of the first pieces I’ve created that really expressed how I felt at a specific point in time.
What’s your next step in art or life?
I think my biggest goal is to have my own studio space. At the moment I work from home. It’s nice, but I think a studio would just be perfect!
Olivia is a fantasy/pop surrealism artist and has been in the industry for around 10 years. Over the past few years she’s selfpublished three books with the most recent one having a Zodiac theme. You can see Olivia’s work at www.lalasdreambox.com.
I get embarrassed looking at older work, but it’s nice to see how I’ve grown as an artist