I don’t know about you guys, but I’m kind of excited that the holidays are behind us—I just have not been nearly as productive the last two weeks as I would have liked (I don’t think drinking excessively while watching the Buffy marathon on Logo can be termed “productive”). But I have been able to set enough time aside to continue prepping some awesome new designs, both from last week’s guest artist Ginger Nielsen (check out her Timberhooves and Encounter designs), and this week’s guest artist Fee Harding! I have three designs to present courtesy of Fee: Panda Love, You Make Me Weak At The Knees, and Pink Elephant. Check ‘em out!

Without further ado, please say g’day to Fee:

Where are you from (both originally and currently)?

I was born in Brisbane, Australia, but recently moved an hour up north to a place called the Sunshine Coast. I love where I live now; it’s a coastal spot with equally beautiful hinterland areas (so never short of adventures to go on!)

Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your
creative processes?

I moved up to the Sunshine Coast to live with a friend who pushed me to get my art out there, so I guess indirectly, yes! I’ve done art since a I was a wee little lass—it’s always been my love but I was too scared
to pursue it any further then my bedroom walls. In some sense I moved away from a comfortable but slightly mundane existence to a new life, with a new attitude that anything is possible

Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?

My all time favourite artist is Miss Van; she can do no wrong—great females figures, strong style, awesome application! I also love Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. Actually, I’m totally in love with his sweet yet sinister characters! For the Aussie team I’ll go with Beci Orpin, who does incredibly clean design work and has an amazing strong, sweet style—simple lines, patterns and incredible colours!

How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?

I love films and I have a few favourite directors, the first being Tim Burton; always loved his aesthetics and the kind-hearted characters he puts in his dark worlds. Next is Wes Anderson and his amazing attention to detail and colours; I could easily watch his films with no sound at all I also love for the same reason Sofia Coppola, she creates amazing characters as well! I think I cheated with this answer because I tend to view all three as visual artists in their own right

Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?

I topped art in high school and I had no doubt in my mind that I would do visual art at University. I prepared my portfolio, went in for my interview and felt I aced it all. When acceptance time came around I searched for my name, not one moment doubting I wouldn’t get in. I never found my name. It was a huge setback for me; I felt this one thing, that I held so dear, that had only been encouraged, faced its biggest rejection ever and it really crushed my soul. That may be why it’s only in the last few years I’ve worked up the courage to put my art out there for judgment (which by the way has only been an incredibly awesome thing)! The story does have a happy ending, though, and I did end up doing a creative industries course at Uni with art as one of my electives

What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?

I work in silence in my little one bedroom flat. I have a drawing table but tend to gravitate towards my dining room table instead. I always work on watercolour paper and I use pens, inks, acrylics, gouache and watercolours.

Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?

My work is heavily influenced by pop culture, so yes, many many guilty pleasures. I guess my most cringe-worthy would have to be the movie Twilight. Love that sappy romance, which is a big leap from my once too-cool-for-school attitude. I’ve learnt you should just enjoy what you enjoy even if it pulls your cool status down into unreachable depths!

What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?

I have a whole list of awesome blogs I read, listed over my own blog (right hand hand side under “daily reads”). I love blogs!

Do you have any pets?

Does a pet rock count? No pets at the moment, I just live vicariously
through others to get my daily dose of animal happiness!

Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?

I like wine, sweet sweet wine! But really I can drink anything

If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?

Oh so many choices! You know what, I’d probably first stop in at few years ago, sit down with my high school self and be like “oi punk, stop caring what others think—they are just as insecure as you are!”

Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?

Black forest cake! I used to have a lolly addiction, but I had to give it up; now I replace lollies with chocolate, which probably wasn’t what my body had in  mind when it wanted me to give up the sugar ***

Be sure to take some time to pop on over to Fee’s Etsy shop and have a look around at all her artwork!

I spent my weekend designing new tees. I have to say I am most excited about this guy because dinosaurs are silly and awesome:

For the creature lovers, kitty vs canary:

For the pun lovers, a little facial hair/farm animal humor:

Finally, two new additions to the “I’m big in” series, because everyone and their mother has designed a t-shirt with Godzilla or a Sumo that says “I’m big in Japan”, I’ve decided a different take on the theme is in order: