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Whatareyouupto?I’vejustlaunched
a smallrangeofhomewaresthatI
designedandmademyself.Theyare
functionalpiecesthatwillbringa little
splashofhappinesstoyourspace.Up
untiltheendoflastyear,myfocuswason
clothing,butI decidedtoexpandmy
creationswiththeeditionofhomewares.Whyis colorsospecialtoyou?I feel
verydrawntoit in allaspectsofmylife.
Coloris a wayin whichI canconvey
feelingsandemotions.Funnilyenough,
I startdrawingsolelyin blackmarkeron
paperasI canfocusontheshapeand
balanceofthepiecethatway.ThenI add
the color once I have digitalized the
piece. The addition of the color can take
minutes or weeks. It takes its own
window of time, as it is an important
aspect of bringing the piece together.Do you have a favorite color? Blue! I
love how clear and focused it makes me
feel. I used to love red a lot when I was
younger; I felt very drawn to the intensity
and passion in the color. And anotheronethathasgrownonmemorerecently
is pink.I usedtoavoidit in mylifeas it
annoyedmethatpinkis sostrongly
associatedwithbeingfemale.Butnow I
loveit togetherwithblue,redoryellow.Whatis yourcreativeprocess? I
canhaveanideain myheadfora few
days,brewingaway,whileothertimes I
havetositanddrawfora fewhours. If I
feelstuck,I trytodosomethingtotally
different.I usedtofeelthatI hadtoo
manythingsgoingon:drawing,sewing,
patternmaking...ButnowI usethat to
fueleachprocess.If I don’tfeellike
sewing,I’lldraw,andviceversa.What is your work schedule like?
Technically I work three days a week. I’ve
tried really hard to adopt a healthy
balance with work and family. I love my
work, but if I don’t have down time and
spend time with my family then my work
suffers. After all, the things you do
outside of work are often the things that
can inspire something new in your work
or gives you perspective. >Artist, designer and creator Lives in Brisbane,
Australia, with her partner and two daughters
Claireritchie.com.auClaire Ritchie
Diary drawings Tea towel used to wrap a gift‘My latest collection of
printed cushions’