Welcome
to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the
fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both
personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on
Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month. (BTW You have noticed today is Wednesday,
not Tuesday! Apologizes for the delayed post—summer got the better of us here
at Bird Meets Worm! XO)
This month I’m pleased as pink lemonade punch to be catching up
with the super star Illustrator & Designer, Kat Kalindi Cameron (aka Team
Kitten!)! I’m a total fan girl of Kat’s happy, fun, fabulous artwork! Kat has
been working as an Illustrator & Designer for over 12 years along
Australia’s Gold Coast. She is inspired by quirky Japanese culture,
Scandinavian folk art, sunshine and rainbows, happy magic, repeat patterns,
geometrics, cute animals, retro homewares and vintage children’s illustrations.
Her impressive client list includes Coke, Emirates Airlines, Penguin Books,
Illicit clothing, McDonalds, Cadbury and many more. You can view more of her artwork here!
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| Wishing you unicorn dreams—every night!!! |
Q: You are
masterful at creating fun, beautiful and BALANCED pattern collections (i.e.
fabulously detailed main with simpler, but equally fabulous coordinates!) Dish
with us about your personal approach to creating pattern collections. And do
you have any tips for designing pattern collections?
A: Well thank you so much! That is super kind of you. I think I
have been looking and admiring art and patterns for so long, it almost becomes
second nature. So I may as well make that my tip number 1—take notice of
patterns in life. Not just what you see on pinterest, but around the home, in
nature, architecture, homewares, packaging etc. Make sure your design is nicely
balanced - rework and rework it and rework some more! Then play with colours,
it's good to research latest trend colours, but sometimes I like to work with
specific colours. I also like to do a few variations of colours for one
artwork.
Q: Your list of
inspiration is pure happiness: Asian pop culture, Hello Kitty, toys, Russian
dolls, Scandinavian folk art and happy magic (among others!)! Give us the scoop
on what attracts YOU to these inspirations and how they’ve directly influenced
your artwork.
A: I think we are attracted to those things that provide us joy
and do make us happy. What I love about Hello kitty is that she is iconic and
recognizable by her simplicity. I love Russian nesting dolls and folk art
for their detailed florals and whimsical symmetrical designs. Happy magic that I
refer to is bold, bright, magic icons, rainbows, unicorns and basically
anything that is a bit woowoo! I try to sprinkle a little of these details into
my designs—although it's not always commercial, my personal work will have that
influence.
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| How totally adorbs are these cutie pie baby tigers?! |
Q: Tell us all
about your most favorite illustration or design project!
A: Hmm, tricky as I find it's always evolving, and I like
different things about different projects. I think a favourite was years ago—going
back about 11 years ago I did a job for McCann Erickson for Coke. It was in
Dublin and I had to create a super spring style graphic for a billboard and
they made cut-outs from my graphic. It was also used on bus shelters and they
had the sounds of birds chirping in the bus shelters! So exciting to be a part
of a project like that.
Q: One of your
super star specialties is designing childrenswear graphics. Dish with us about
this unique market: how you broke into it, what client relationships &
terms typically look like and your favorite current trends.
A: I love designing for children. I think because I am a big kid,
and I have forever admired classic children’s story book artists. I used to
work as an inhouse textile designer at a women’s fashion brand, which was great
learning for me. We worked on so many different ranges a year—doing
embroideries, placement prints, applique and yardage—that it became second
nature. When I had my kids, I couldn't work in the office, so I started
freelancing and decided I really wanted to do more of my own style and try and
develop that more. So doing childrenswear graphics came naturally.
Regarding client relationships, it's great to keep that
relationship going with a client once you start a commission, because it can
lead to repeat work. Which is fantastic!! I find terms are usually different
with each client, so I tend to find out what they are after and go from there.
If I feel a client is after repeat work, I would offer a good rate. You really
have to feel out each situation because they are all unique.
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| Om, pretty pretty, om! |
Q: Self-promotion
is one of the key areas of business that freelancers, like yourself, must excel
in to be successful. What advice would you give fellow freelancers regarding 1)
trade shows 2) social media 3) promotional mailings (print and/or email) 4)
client outreach.
A: Trade shows are great, but expensive. I would say don't go
jumping into trade shows without first having a solid body of work, have already
worked for a few clients—so you know how to deal with them. Research as much as
possible from previous participants. Be prepared to be let down by clients who
say they love your work and want to buy it, and then never return your emails!
Social Media—get on it, show your work, don't be afraid to share
it. Try and post daily.
Promo mailings/Client outreach—I only email. I don't send printed
matter. A newsletter is a great way for you to stay in touch with clients, but
also emailing them specifically with a sample of your latest artwork would
probably work better. Tailor the email to suit the client (or potential
client). Don't send a greeting card company only repeat patterns—they would
probably like to see your illustration and lettering styles.
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| Gorgeous florals! Fabulous! |
Q: Describe your
most perfect Sunday.
Thank you so much, Kat, for catching up with us here at Bird Meets Worm! You artwork makes us SO happy! Cheers!