Society6 Artist interview: Aurelie Grand

Awhile back I posted about collaborating with Society6 to pick out an artist every month (it’s more like a bi-monthly thing though!), and our third pick this time goes to Aurelie Grand. There were tons of applicants, and while it was no easy decision to make, Aurelie stood out because of her sense of style, and the various media that she uses. Here’s definitely one lady to watch!

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Name: Aurelie Grand
Location: Montreal, Canada
Website: www.aureliegrand.com
Shop: socuute.etsy.com
Blog: lilyk.canalblog.com
Illustration media: ink, digital, photography, acrylics, fabrics

Tell us a little more about yourself!
I was born in Toulouse «Pink City», France. I grew up in a small village closer to the Pyrenees. My dad has always been an illustrator (though he was also a full time dentist for a while) and I used to spend hours in his studio either watching him or doodling. As far as I remember drawing’s always been my number one occupation. I honestly never stopped. How nerdy is that?

I currently live in Canada with my boyfriend Max who’s also an artist.

Where do you live? What stands out about living where you are, and what is your daily schedule like?
I spent 3 fun years in Vancouver, Canada and I recently moved to Montreal, Quebec because I wanted to experiment the North American East Coast for a while and we have long-time friends here. Montreal is culturally rich, there’s a lot of artists, parks and bikes (and snow), that’s enough to inspire me.

I like to wake up early and start my day by sketching ideas, new projects etc… Then I have to say I’m not very productive in the afternoon so I’m networking, reading, having a nap, or just hanging around . My favorite shift at the studio is 9pm-2am. I guess I get more focus at night. I also like to take the bus home from the studio with drunk people.

How did you get your start in illustration?
I wrote and illustrate a book when I was 9 or 10. It was an elementary school project, a sort of novel inspired by a school trip. It was about 2 detectives (a dog and a hamster) who were investigating on missing horses in a farm. We sold the books to parents and friends at the school annual show. Ha!

I didn’t go to art school right after high school, even if I really wanted to (I wanted to be a graphic designer actually) mainly because my family did not seem to agree with the idea but I know now that I wasn’t ready anyways. So I went to university to study cell biology and animal behavior for 4 years which was seriously interesting but I soon realized life’s too short and I was wasting my time there.

I opened my first blog in 2005, started to meet artists and , thanks to networking, found and improved my style in a few months. I joined the Illustration and Graphic design program of Capilano University in Vancouver in 2006 and graduated in April 2009.

I got my first paid job, a novel for kids, thanks to my blog or myspace page, while I was still an art student. I had the chance to meet interesting people in school, and via internet who helped me a lot.

Could you tell us more about your thought process when you start a piece?
If it’s a commission, I read the brief again and again and I start by a quick brainstorming. If it’s a personal piece or a children’s book I’m just doodling hard until I get a character , an emotion or an atmosphere. In both cases I love to sketch ridiculously small thumbnails in my sketchbook.

What’s your favorite project so far?
So far I enjoyed doing all my projects. I may have a less favorite piece but I won’t say which one because I like the people I worked with!

I am very attached to the SoCuute project that I started with Max, but we didn’t have time to work on it recently. Hopefully I’ll make new plushies and stuff this summer.

Do you keep a journal/sketchbook, and would you mind if we had a sneak peek?

Haaaa sketchbooks… I love sketchbooks so much I have a pile at home that I never finished or never started. I classify them in 3 categories:

1) the main one, where I write down ideas and draw tiny thumbnails. Or where I just draw whatever’s on my mind at anytime.

2) the life drawing sketchbook: fits in my hand and I can take it everywhere I go. Very useful to capture instants.

3) the journal: I drew a couple of my trip in a graphic novel form. But it’s a lot of work and I hope I finish them someday. I posted some pages on my blog.

Would you care to share your studio space as well?
Here it is!

What or who inspires you?
What: snow, trains, travel, legends, Oregon chai latte, summer bike rides, winter walks, folk music, musicals, crowd karaoke, water, illustration or photography books, graphic novels, playing piano, Polaroids and Lomography, art toys (god bless craft fairs and KidRobot)

Who: Max (him again), Blutch (whose show in Angouleme 2010 festival was the most amazing and inspiring thing I’ve ever seen), Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian, the Beautiful Losers, JS Bach, Elliott Smith, and… pretty much everyone I met in my life has been a source of inspiration.

What keeps you motivated?
A blank space and a fresh bottle of ink. And working in a shared studio (because home = resting)

What’s your favorite tool?
I have a lot of digital pieces in my portfolio although the tablet is not my favorite tool . I prefer to use a brush pen or a smooth nib filled with ink.Yummy.

Are you a full-time artist?
I want to say yes, even if technically, I kept a part-time job because it’s actually pretty cool and inspiring.

What advice would you like to give people who are interested in being an artist full-time?
Work harder and be open to feedback. Don’t neglect your self-promotion and your networking. Do your own thing, don’t envy the others! Have fun!

Where do you see yourself within the next few years?
Probably in France, freelancing, creating more books and more creatures. I’d like to experiment animation eventually.

What message do you want to send out to people about your work?
I want people to feel that I am very passionate. Drawing is like writing a biography in a way. I always take inspiration from everyday life, small events, wounds, a nice encounter, a show, a trip…But don’t try to look for a specific deep meaning in my artwork because most of the time there’s not. Most of the time they are just random silly thoughts J and I hope I can get at least a smile from you.

Tell us something random about yourself!
When I was 4, at the San Diego zoo in california, I wanted to feed a big fat walrus. So I threw a small fish at him but unfortunately the fish got sucked into a water pipe or something. The walrus tried to get it so hard in vain, he got super pissed, and in a second he jumped out of the water and spitted at me. I was soaked and everyone was laughing at me ( I wish I could find pictures of this moment).

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Congratulations Aurelie!

To read up on previous Society6 winners picked out for Pikaland’s collaboration with Society6, here’s Aijung Kim and Craig Atkinson.. In addition to being featured on Pikaland, artists were also given a one-month ad space on the blog!