Posted on March 30 2017
Swedish born illustrator Lina Löfstrand has been drawing for as long as she can remember. After moving to the UK, Lina studied Applied Art and Drawing Degree at UWE in Bristol, which is where she is now based as part of the creative collection 'Blaze in Bristol'. Her illustrations are a mixture of fantastical, imaginary, imagery and real animals. Often she uses a combination of watercolours and inks to create her pieces but also enjoys drawing with pencil. We chatted to Lina Löfstrand about her process and what she likes doing on her days off.
Can you tell me a bit more about yourself and why you began designing? I have always loved being creative and expressing myself and my imagination through drawing. Making and illustrating has been something I have always enjoyed doing and after a reassuring pep talk with my dad in 2008 I decided to start Art Uni and haven't put my pen down since!
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor, a vet, a baker or an artist. - What are your ambitions? I have for a long time been dreaming about making a book. I have two ideas for books that I am working on at the moment and am hoping to have a chance to write and illustrate during 2017. But right now one of my biggest desires is to find a nice house to live in with my own studio where I can set up my desk in front of with a big window.
What do you do when you aren't working? Playing with my brilliant one year old, walking in the woods, day dreaming, going on daytrips or writing letters to friends I miss.
How do you spend a typical weekend? / Sunday? Playing with my little boy in the park watching birds, dogs and airplanes, drawing while he sleeps and eating apples. As a self-employed working mum, most days of the week look the same, but I love it.
What is one of your most memorable/exciting trips? I had a lovely mini-holiday in London a couple of months before my little boy was born with one of my best friends Lucy. We visited museums all day long, ate homemade cakes and filled our brains and notebooks with so much beautiful inspiration! It was so dreamy!
Which designers/artists do you admire? Edward Gorey, Carson Ellis and Walter Potter
What are you working on right now? An ABC-book for kids, a range of illustrated enamel kitchen wear and tea towels. I have so many plans for 2017 and feel really inspired to make some lots of new work!
You can view our range of high quality giclee prints by Lina Löfstrand here.