The magic of creativity
The pages of fairytales are full of fairy godmothers, trolls, talking trees and other magical creatures. And all of it, especially magic toadstools, is the inspiration behind this artist’s creations.
When you look at Stevie’s work, it almost feels as though you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, or have been transported to an enchanted forest full of magical creatures.
Like most of us, Stevie’s childhood was full of fairytales. “As a child, most of my entertainment was composed of books, stories, and movies of fantastical natures,” she shares.
“My dad, especially, would read lots of fairytales (not always the happy ending ones) to me and even make up his own when I was bored of hearing the same ones too often! He also bought me my first book, a collection of Hans Christian Anderson fairytales, when my mum was still pregnant with me,” says Stevie.
“So I guess a pull towards the fantasy genre and aesthetic has been naturally ingrained in me from the beginning.
“Also, it’s a great exercise of the imagination to be able to create something that has no limitations in realism.”
Never wanting the story to end, the fairytale theme has followed Stevie into her life today as an artist.
We had a chat with Stevie about her small business, Toadstools & Teacups.
What sort of things do you create?
Strangely, the pieces that began my whole journey to becoming an artist – my little fairytale characters and creatures – aren’t pieces I’ve debuted yet. My business name was chosen to attempt to convey the fairytale aesthetic I was aiming for, but it’s been taken quite literally and now all my work is toadstool focused! Up until now I’ve been creating prints, stickers, sculptures, and jewellery based on toadstools and mushrooms, but throughout the past few months of lockdown I’ve been attempting to phase them out and get back to my original intentions of fairytale pieces.
Can you tell me more about your sculptures?
My sculptures are all usually ‘fit in a teacup’ size and are made from air dry and paperclay. I just love the finish it has and it means I can use a variety of medium to paint them (sometimes even tea – it gives a perfect mushroom colour). A stereotypical toadstool sculpture can take me a few days to finish because of the drying time, but a more detailed character sculpture can take much longer. From the tiny face details to the sanding, sanding, and more sanding, as well as creating the base or their props, it’s usually a minimum of a few weeks. I also tend to have lots of ideas floating round my head, so I usually start more sculpts than I finish!
What research goes on before you begin?
Usually lots of searching of toadstool images. I usually let the drawings and sculptures take on their own shape, but a colour reference really helps. For characters, I scroll endlessly on Pinterest and reread a lot of my books. I have a few beautiful Brian Froud books that I find a huge inspiration.
What’s the first artwork you remember making?
A drawing of The Little Mermaid that I did for a book fair competition when I was about eight. I won a prize for it and I still have the drawing!
Where would you like to see your business go?
Apart from the goal of being a full-time artist, I’d like to eventually move off the Etsy platform where I currently sell and develop my own website. I’d also love to see my pieces stocked in some local shops and eventually have an art studio somewhere that isn’t in my own house!
Do you have any new products we might get to see soon?
I’m currently working on a handful of new prints to be gradually stocked over the rest of this year. I also have some of my character sculptures that I’m super excited to release in time for Halloween! I really want to set myself up to have a running start come the beginning of 2021. I hope it’s a better year for all of us!
Follow along with Stevie on Instagram – @toadstoolsandteacups
Location: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
