On the move: Catherine Marion’s art studio
For New Zealand-based Catherine Marion, calling a campervan home means that she has the freedom to enjoy not having to pay rent, while being travel anywhere. Best of all, it means being able to create with endless inspiration.
Hello, who are you?
I am Catherine Marion from Folklore & Flora. I am an artist and pattern designer most known for my folk art illustrations. My work aims to reconnect people to nature through colourful and stylistic designs.
When did you first start creating?
I have been drawing since I was a kid! But I only really started working in my own style about three years ago.
Can you tell us about your journey as an artist?
I studied fine art in CEGEP back in Canada, which is between high school and university. This was a broad study where we explored everything from painting to sculpture. I then switched to graphic design and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in that field.
What is your advice to artists wanting to get their works into retail/ stockists?
The first step is to start building your portfolio. The second step is to get in touch with art directors (for licensing) or stores if you wholesale your own products. Sharing your work online is also important and it's a good way to track your own progress.
When it comes to your collaborations, how do you approach each of these to be both representative of your work, and the brand you are working with?
I always select brands that I would like to work with and that fits with my style. I turn opportunities down when the company or product doesn't feel right to me.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love the freedom that my work gives me. I can work whenever I want to, from wherever I am and I most of the time create what I want! I rarely do briefed work, and when I do I make sure that I still have a lot of freedom during the creative process. This is very important to me.
What does it mean to you to be a 'maker'?
For me it means that I am excited to get up in the morning!
What challenges have you faced along the way and how have you overcome these?
At the start it can be pretty difficult to get gigs on a regular basis so I decided to work as a part-time graphic designer for a few years while I was building my side business.
New Zealand
