CHRISSY LAU

Yorkshire born and raised, Chrissy Lau is a self-taught artist (with a law degree!) who left England's miserable weather for Australia's sunshine five years ago, and has been happily living in Sydney with her husband since. Incredibly talented and super sweet, Chrissy has worked with Orange Mobile, Elle Girl and Gary Pepper Vintage (to name just a few), and has been published in Taschen's Illustration Now!. What drew me to her work was her unique and signature style of intricate patterning, her oriental influences and of course, the super cute and fashionable girls she creates. I think it's safe to say that Chrissy isn't so much an up-and-coming artist but rather an artist who is on the up and up, and I have no doubt that she has a future of continued success ahead of her. 

Describe your creative process...

It's really simple. A pencil, eraser, fountain pen, a red Sharpie are my tools of the trade. I normally draw a rough outline then go wild with the patterns & lines.

Your work really stands out well in a growing sea of illustration. Who or what influences you?

I don't think I take direct influences in my work at the moment, but when I do see an artist I like that can inspire me. For example, Yayoi Kusama and her polka dot patterns look nothing like my work, yet I've seen her exhibitions/installations over the past 5 years, they're so colourful & full of patterns that they really inspire & motivate me to create my own art work.

What elements of your own character do you try to express through your work? 

I probably try to portray a bit of love & patience. I'm a very patient laid back person and I think the lines & pattern details really represent this. I tend to use red a lot which represents warmth & love, the girls I draw are whimsical & vintage inspired. You'll see some drawings that are slightly more surreal (girls in tea cups) which shows my imaginative/quirky side.

As someone who is illustrating for others, landing jobs, and constantly creating great work  - what advice would you give other artists or illustrators looking to delve into the freelance world? 

I have a full time day job as a search marketing manager as my goal is to buy a house so the freelance work I do is a bonus for me. To be freelance full time it is a really hard slog and only a few will make a living from it - I really admire artists who can do it. You have to be good with your money as often you'll be chasing clients for payments. You'll also need to be constantly creating opportunities for yourself - don't sit at home waiting for people to approach you. The majority of jobs I have done are through contacting clients I want to work with. Basically if you don't ask, you don't get :-) 

If you could illustrate any book or text from any time in history, what would it be?

I think it would have to be Roald Dahl's The BFG or The Twits - those were two books I enjoyed reading as a kid.

When you aren't working, what are you doing? 

When I'm not drawing I'm either working at my full time job, exercising, eating lots of food or watching TV. I lead a really simple life!

If we came to visit you in Sydney, where would you take us? 

I'd take you for a beach walk - you can walk for miles on end from one beach to another in Sydney, we'd have to visit Bondi as your friends & family would ask you about that. I would take you on a ferry ride across the Harbour so you could take some touristy photos of the Harbour Bridge & Sydney Opera House. No doubt, I would force you to eat lots of delicious food - we're spoilt for choice in Sydney! 

And finally, what are you excited for in the future? 

I designed a coin for the Royal Australian Mint - it's a bit of a secret but it comes out early 2013, this is the highlight of my career/dream come true so I'm really excited about this!

Check out Chrissy's website, her blog and twitter.