Sally Haysom is an illustrator who loves applying her drawings to all sorts of hand made goodies, from jewellery to printed textiles and more.
Where did you train?
I studied Illustration at Falmouth in
Cornwall and it was a wonderful 3 years.The main thing it gave me was time to explore my ideas, strengths
and weaknesses. It also instilled in me
a good sense of the importance to the business side of things! I do feel that it was a very narrowly aimed
course however, and it could have made students aware that there is a much
broader range of options available after graduating than pure, commercial
illustration. I tried to fit myself into
this mould for 3 years before finally realizing it wasn’t for me and exploring
other options.
Is being a designer / maker your only job?
My design work is now my full time
occupation, although it has taken a lot of hard work and time to get here!
One favourite living designer?
I absolutely love the work of jewellery
designer Helen Noakes. She encompasses
everything I love about high craft – brilliant technical skill, originality,
beauty and fun. The little figures
suspended in resin have a narrative feel, suggesting a story or history behind
each piece, and they are so beautifully set with her silver work. For me they just stand out so far from most
of the jewellery you see at craft events.
I covet every piece!
One favourite historical designer?
I will have to stray slightly from the designer
here and go for an illustrator, as that is also a huge part of what I do, and
has actually formed the larger part of my development. I really like the work of traditionally fairy
tale illustrators, such as W Heath Robinson.
The muted colours, magical scenes and romantic style – always
beautifully executed and composed with an eye for pattern and design within the
images.
What is the most interesting / fun job you have
had?
My work being what it is, I don’t
actually work on jobs for clients, but one of the last jobs I did for a client
was the ‘Wow! Gorillas’ project run by Bristol Zoo. For that project I, had to design and hand
paint a life size gorilla sculpture. I
covered it with illustrated text, pictures and patterns about Bristol and gorilla
conservation. It was so much fun, and
completely different from anything I’d ever done before. I’d definitely do another one if I had the
opportunity!
What is your most prized item of design / craft?
I have a knight in shining armour who I
love! It was a gift from my parents
years ago, and to my shame I don’t actually know who made it – there is no mark
or name on it – but he is a balancing ‘toy’ with a stand and he sits on it with
just his hoof tips, and the weight counterbalances it perfectly so he just
rocks back and forth on his horse! It’s
brilliant, fun and everyone who visits comments on it. I will have to find out where he came from!
What item of design / craft do you covet most?
As I mentioned earlier, I am totally
smitten with Helen Noakes’s jewellery, and that is next on my birthday list!
At age 16 who most influenced your style?
Blimey, that’s going back a bit! When I was 16 I was really into painting and
painters like Lucian Freud and Stanley Spencer.
I also really liked Paula Rego who had an element of fairy tale and
symbolism in her work so maybe that’s where my love of fairy tales began. But back then I was trying to paint in
acrylics and oils and spent loads of time at life drawing classes working on my
drawing.
Last book / film that blew your mind?
This question always makes my mind go
blank....um....I read ‘Remains of the Day’ a little while ago and really liked
that. It was a quite, understated but
insightful book. Beautifully written.
What music are you currently listening to?
I’m getting quite into folk type stuff
at the moment – Seth Lakeman is the current favourite. I’m not really into DJ’s or electronic type
music though, I like real instruments!
How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
Waaaay too many. Continual blogging, facebook and email
checking. I need to allocate it a time
slot and stick to it.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
I’m a water baby and country girl at
heart, so anywhere by the sea – either somewhere warm, or Cornwall. I love Cornwall because I spent a lot of time
there as a kid and then at Uni and there’s just nowhere like it. It is, however, subject to the good old
English weather, so I might go further afield to sunnier climes instead!...I
quite like the idea of West Coast America.
Where and what is your studio?
I work from a home studio, which is
currently in one end of my living room, but I’m moving house soon and will have
my very own room! It’s absolutely
stuffed with equipment and materials. I love learning new techniques and skills,
but each time I do it adds a new box of tools or supplies to the mess!
Do you have a good work/life balance?
Hmmm....that’s tricky. I’m really trying to work a rough 9-5 day
Monday to Friday at the moment, and giving myself evening and weekends
off. It’s just so hard sometimes to be disciplined. I’d say my work/life balance could be better!
What one word would describe your feeling of doing
your work?
Disbelief (that I’m actually getting to do what I love
full time!)
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