Interview with illustrator Sophie Gilmore (Jamieson)
Sophie Jamieson is the sweetest and tiniest illustrator I’ve met. She has a cheeky smile, just like she’s up to something. And, Sophie is the little sister of my friend and colleague Rebecca.
When Rebecca mentioned that her sister was coming out to Australia for the summer, from Edinburgh, I just had to interview her. Her work is BEAUTIFUL. Her characters are cute, thoughtful, and often vulnerable. Her pen and watercolour style are also so very delicate.
Sophie recently graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art and is hoping to pursue work in storybook illustration. Sophie works by hand, and many of her projects feature papercut elements, where her illustrations are layered to tell the story.
After completing an entire book of papercuts, Sophie explains that she vowed not to do that again – but the finished product is absolutely stunning. See more of Sophie’s layered paper cut work below.
Another of Sophie’s creative outlets is bookbinding and leather work which she enjoys as a break between illustration work. And to make Sophie’s life seem more like a freelancer’s dream, when not travelling, she lives on a little houseboat on Regent’s Canal in London – for real!
Pop over to Sophie’s website and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this talented young lady.
How have you got to where you are today?
I knew I wanted to illustrate but hated art & design at school so when I left I felt really lost, and ventured back to New Zealand for a year or so.
It took this time for me to really figure out that Edinburgh was where I wanted to study, so I returned and did a great course at Telford College, building up a portfolio in order to apply to the Edinburgh College of Art. When I was accepted I felt incredibly relieved, because I knew I was finally on the right track.
In a few words, describe yourself…
Small. Mischievous. Inquisitive.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
At the moment, (apart from loving being in Brisbane) I am writing a few stories to work with when I return to my little boat studio.
Personally, I prefer to work on two or three projects together, finding that when writing I can’t keep other ideas at bay, so in order to focus I jot these down simultaneously and piece them together.
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
During my final year, I was having a severe case of the dreaded Creative Block. Thinking a change of scenery might help I went home to my dad’s house, where he was playing an Enya album called Watermark.
Weirdly, something about how soothing it was immediately put me in a working frame of mind, and from then on I listened to it on a loop while I worked until the degree show. So now, if I am feeling the Block take hold, I can put her on and be transported back to work mode. I should probably dedicate something to her.
What or who inspires you?
Oh so many things! Odilon Redon’s etchings and lithographs, specifically ‘Spirit Waters’. ‘The Three Incestuous Sisters’, an incredible picture book by Audrey Niffenegger.
My childhood in New Zealand – we lived far from anywhere really, surrounded by hills to navigate, dense bush to hide in, peacocks to peer in your windows and cicadas to stalk.
Patrick Benson’s illustrations for The Minpins never fail to take my breath away, I love to pore over them before starting a new project. The Victoria & Albert in London.
But mainly I’m inspired by people who have ideas and just go for it, they knock on doors and make it happen. I aspire to be like them, it is my New Year’s Resolution.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I would say ‘an artist’, because I wasn’t aware of the term ‘Illustrator’ yet! Since I laid eyes on Maurice Sendak’s books I have never wanted to do anything else.
If I wasn’t creative, however, I would be an Entomologist. Which I suppose isn’t very surprising, as insects feature regularly in my drawings.
