a conversation with…

Angie Crowe is definitely one artist to be watching right now. Her work has been showcased in two of the hottest contemporary Illustration and Fine Art exhibitions in London – the One Ton Show and the F**K ART Lets LOVE!! And it’s damn nice stuff! Although relatively new to the scene, Angie Crowe is already having her work profiled and shouted-about in online style blogs and art sites. With more exhibitions to come, plus new fab works being created at a speedy pace, Angie is sure to be a big hit!!

Her use of colour is lovely, and compositions satisfyingly bang-on..and the collage embroidery makes her work a joy to receive. It’s not just a painting..Angie’s work crosses the boundaries between textiles and design and fine art. It is like receiving a piece of craftwork…a 3D piece of design which is intricate and yet simple at the same time…and looks stunning on your wall. I love it!

On top of all of this, Angie also hosts her own trend blog Easy On The Eye featuring the hottest trends in all things art, design, and interiors-related! (I have to give thanks to Ms Crowe for a few contributions to this blog, as she has passed a few lovely things my way while doing her own research! Thanks Ange!).

Angie was kind enough to answer a few questions!!

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ke: Where do you live and work currently?

ac: London – I work full time for a fine art publishing company so I usually do artwork at the weekend, in my flat in Highbury.

ke: How would you describe your work?

ac: It’s a mixture of painting, sewing and paper collage, with a retro feel.

ke: Can you tell us some of the clients you have worked with over the recent years?

ac: I’ve only recently started getting back into my artwork so unfortunately not many clients (yet!). I am waiting to hear if a couple of still life images, very different to my usual pieces, are going to be accepted by IKEA. There is also the possibility of some of my collages being reproduced on canvas and some digital pieces as posters by The Art Group.

ke: If you had to choose, which would be your favourite piece or commission that you have worked upon?

ac: It’s hard to choose between the piece I have only just finished or another called Bar Italia (below). My favourites always tend to be my latest pieces as I always think I can do better, but Bar Italia was a piece I did for ‘The One Ton Show’ and it was the first one I produced. I like looking at this and seeing how much my work has developed.

ke: Who, or what, would you say has been your biggest inspirations for your illustration work?

ac: I have always loved anything retro – design, homewares, clothes and I think this really shows in my work with both the colours and patterns. I think the most obvious artist that has influenced my work is Beatriz Milhazes, I just love how many colours she has in her paintings the big, bold patterns that have become synonymous with her name.

ke: I always find it fascinating to see peoples’ working space..wether it be their studios or bedrooms, kitchens, garages.. or a tiny space on their living room floor! Please could you describe your working space, to give us a sense of where and how you work?

ac: Small!  It’s a corner of my kitchen which has a table for cutting out the patterns and the wall which I pin the artwork to while I’m working. Once it’s nearly finished and all that is left to do is the embroidery I normally move to the lounge so I can watch TV while I’m doing it! I dream of having a bigger flat with a room I can call a studio!

ke: How difficult has it been for you to establish yourself as an artist?

ac: I don’t feel that I have established myself yet but I’m really happy with where I am at the moment, especially considering I only really have evenings and weekends to produce work and I only started doing this seriously about 6 months ago.

ke: What advice would you give to anyone starting out in a similar field?

ac: I think I’m far more in a position to be receiving advice rather than giving it out!  All I would say is if you are thinking about producing anything creative but don’t feel that you have the time – make the time. It really is rewarding and you never know what will come of it so at least give it a go. Also, take advantage of all the marketing opportunities that are out there, get a website, get on flickr, just get your work seen.

ke: And finally…what are your aspirations for the future?!

ac: I’d love to earn more from making art but  I enjoy it so much and just want to keep on doing it. Anything that comes from it is a bonus.

ke: Thanks Angie!!! x

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To contact Angie direct, go to Angie’s website http://angiecrowe.com to see more from her portfolio, and to purchase on of your very own originals! Angie would also be happy to discuss personal commissions.