Maiden Moose illustrations
Domenique Serfontein may be based in Ireland, but her magical illustrations take us to another world entirely.
Hello, who are you?
Hi, my name is Domenique. I'm half human, half moose and the illustrator behind Maiden Moose studio.
What is Maiden Moose Studio? How did it all start?
Maiden Moose is an illustration studio, based in a small seaside town in the beautiful Wicklow Mountains, Ireland. Here I spend most days drawing, writing, painting and learning with my two sweet dog companions by my side (Nina and Heidi).
My journey as an illustrator started two years ago. Since then it's been a grand adventure filled with many moments of doubt, but even more so many moments of magic.
Can you tell us about your creative journey?
I will start at the very beginning. I was born into what felt like a terribly uninspiring and rather dull environment, and so a big part of my childhood was spent fantasising and obsessing about escaping to another world. I had a very detailed vision of what this world would look like. I even drew a map once of how to get there (for the great escape) and had names for the oddball friends I would meet there. It was a fantastical, extravagant and magical imaginary world that protected me from so many things. But as it goes in life, at some point you 'grow-up' and need to deal with the real world. Despite growing up, I think that element of romanticising escapism always stuck with me and inspires a lot of my work today.
Fast forward to my early 20s and I started working in advertising, during this crazy time in my life, I also discovered photography and used it as an art form to tell stories and document things that inspired me — this was my first dabble into the creative world. A few years after this I got married, packed my bags and moved to a new country. During this adventure, I decided to pursue art more seriously and started my BA in Graphic Design. Through my studies and living in what feels like an other-worldly environment, I discovered the joy of illustrating. This sparked a deep desire in me to start drawing, writing and reconnecting with old as well as new imaginary friends.
Your artwork is so whimsical and imaginative. What inspires this?
When it comes to inspiration, I am quite mystified by it and don't always know how to explain it. Inspiration to me feels ever-fleeting, sometimes ideas come out of nowhere like a giant magical sparkling cloud and in those moments you feel enchanted and compelled to create whatever the cloud demands of you.
Other times sitting behind a drawing table takes discipline and you need to coax ideas out of your mind. I am now at a point where I recognise the difference between the two situations and can enjoy the creative process without always feeling inspired. That being said, I'm forever patiently waiting for the 'magical cloud' to visit. In terms of real-world things that inspire me, I am deeply inspired by stop-motion animations, my dogs, poetry, other artists, science-fiction, cooking and spending time in nature.
Do you have any exciting projects on the horizon?
I have illustrated a book called Mirror on the Wall, written by the talented author KM Goldstar. Mirror on the Wall is an enchanting, dark and wickedly thrilling illustrated novel, which retells the tale of Snow White in a vivid and mesmerising manner. What drew me to this project was my love for fairytales, the strong female characters the author invented and the feeling of nostalgia generated through her style of writing.
The artwork in this book is in some ways different from my everyday work. Visually it takes inspiration from medieval-inspired character drawings, classical fairytales and folklore colour palettes. There's also a lot of symbolism in these illustrations that foreshadow twists and turns in the upcoming chapters — this was a very fun concept to experiment with and illustrating this book was such a wonderful experience. It will be published next week on November 16!
What do you enjoy most about making and creating?
I know there is magic in the creative process, but I feel utterly satisfied when I see the end results of the hard work that goes into an illustration. So I guess I do it for the final moment when everything comes together.
Is there a project or particular artwork that is most special to you?
I have a special place in my heart for the 'night-time hike' collection. These drawings are inspired by personal memories and moments in nature. They are about finding the calm and light in even the darkest of times.
What puts you in the mood to create?
That 'magical cloud' and good music.
Ireland, Europe
