Artist Proof Interview with Artist: Anneli Olander
Global Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Shop: http://www.zazzle.com/anneliolander
Illustrator Anneli Olander, born in 1981, has been drawing since she got her first crayon in her hand at age two, in Storfors, Sweden. In January 2007, she decided to take the plunge and started her company A.Olander Illustration. After two months she had her first big client from USA. She mostly works with illustrations for magazines, apparel companies and publishers, but is dipping her toes in anything interesting she comes across. In 2008 she took part in the Curvy Show, showcasing “100 of the best female artists” according to Yenmag.net. She’s also had art exhibitions in USA, Belgrade, Italy and Sydney. Today Anneli lives in Stockholm and works as a designer and illustrator. She still freelance and her clients are situated all over the globe.
AP: How long have you been making art for and what lead you to start?
AO: I have been painting and drawing since I was a child, but I didn’t take my work seriously, or think it was possible to make a living from it, until people around me was questioning me why I didn’t stop fooling around with various jobs and start commit to an art career instead. By that time I was in my early 20’s and the more I learned about this business the less I could go back to my old life, denying the creative part of me.
AP: Where do you currently live and work ? And how does this influence your work?
AO: I live in Stockholm and work full time at the world’s largest community for girls- Stardoll.com This job is very different from my personal work but I think it’s a good thing. And the safety it offers gives me a secure platform to rest upon and grow stronger. I also find lovely creative colleagues and a new network from the design world. Before this job I wasn’t very good at designing for web and illustrating with vector programs, so I can say for sure this is something I will always carry with me and occasionally benefit from in my personal work as well. And what can I say about living in Stockholm? It’s a fantastic place, a beautiful city full of art and inspiration! I love it here.
AP: Did you have formal training if so what? If your self taught can you tell us what you prefer about being a self taught artist vs having formal training?
AO: I have some formal training from a semester in a classic art school in Stockholm where I tried various mediums and learned the importance of perspective and color. I also studied art and design a year at University of Newcastle in Australia where I discovered a hidden passion for ink. But mostly I’m self taught as I’ve always found school quite stressful and intimidating. I was never the star student. The tools I brought from my studies I still carry with me, but it took years and many books I read by myself to understand how to use the tools that was given to me. Experimenting and finding your own voice and story to tell when working with art is important, and it’s nothing you can learn in school really. You only get the tools in school to find out with which medium and technique you could express that inner artistic voice and story. But you gotta think for yourself still.
AP: Can you tell us about where you make your work is it in your house, a studio etc.. and how it effects your work?
AO: I used to have a studio which was very nice but then I moved to Stockholm - and a studio here would cost more than I could afford at that time. Now I have a studio space in the corner of my home because I’m so often at the Stardoll office, but eventually I will go back to having a studio. I’m not sure if it will have to be in Stockholm though, or if I would want to have a secret place somewhere where I can escape and spend a couple of weeks at a time to create. I’m still thinking about it, time will tell :) I think my work is more affected of how I feel rather than where I paint, so I’m not sure it matters. It’s more convenient to have a space where you can spread out and splash paint around without worrying I guess haha
AP: What are some of you favorite design projects/exhibitions you have worked on to date?
AO: Ohh they are all charming and fab in their own way, but I guess my biggest proud moment was probably that time I was asked to be in a group show at Corey Helford gallery in LA along with my idols - famous pop art names such as Gary Baseman, Paul Frank, Tokidoki and Audrey Kawasaki. It was a dream come true and I felt unworthy because I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what I do artistically…
AP: What is your medium of choice ?
AO: Ink and Photoshop
AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work?
AO: My fables I paint go so well hand in hand with ink, so painting my fable girls is impossible to achieve in any other way than using the technique I’m using. Also my comic Ghostly Melody is done all digitally which is also important because it’s a quick fun and quirky style - a different technique would spoil the fun I think… so I choose technique carefully depending on the story I wish to tell.
AP: In what direction would you like to see your work going over the next five years?
AO: I’ve had such busy years behind me and I would like to slow things down and be able to do my graphic novels and perhaps have more art shows…. so yeah, maybe working with a publisher and tell more stories would be nice I need more time and money to do so haha, but don’t we all?
AP: What forth coming projects and or exhibitions do you have scheduled for 2011?
AO: I have a solo show coming up on May 5th at Friends of Leon gallery in Sydney, there will be a book and/or show for Depthcore (the creative team which I’m in) that I look forward to, I believe we’ll show our work at this year’s OFFF. Also I’ve been in a group show in April at KC.GRAD in Belgrade showing the work of 10 designers from Sweden and 10 designers from Belgrade - called Incredible Machine. I’m also collaborating with my Hong Kong business boys on starting up a brand focusing on mainly on the Asian market but I can’t give you details yet.
AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist.
AO: I wake up, drink coffee, go to work, illustrate and design for 8 hours, then I go home, check my email… if I have freelance gigs I deal with them, spreading out the hours on the week nights and then in the weekends I try to rest. It’s not the perfect plan but it works and I’m getting that secure foundation/soil now on which incredible things can grow from. It’s hard work, but I’m prepared and I look forward to what the future will bring.
AP: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions.
-My pleasure, keep up the awesome work!
