Based in Portland, Oregon, artist Hadley Hutton's work is a blend of traditional painting and modern design. She draws inspiration from Asian patterns and motifs, Victorian die cuts, and geometric designs. Her work explores nature’s beauty, people’s influence on their surroundings, and the environment's influence on people.  I came across her work on one of my favourite blogs Design*Sponge and was drawn to the brilliant use of colour in her images which often include flowers and birds.

"Above"

How long have you been working as an illustrator?

 I am a full time artist and illustrator for the past three years. I really couldn't imagine any  other calling. 
I certainly can't type to save my life.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is the commute from my living room to my art room. I can make a huge mess which is what Hadley’s do best, and the boss mostly lets me get away with it Smile

"Dear, Deer Bloom"

How long does it take to create a new artwork?

I really don't pay much attention to time when I work. It takes however long it takes, which may be less than an hour or more than a few days. It's difficult for me to give an accurate time estimate for one piece. I never really work on one piece from start to finish. First, I work on the monoprints for several pieces. Then I gesso the boards and mount the art on the boards for several pieces, and finally I wax several pieces. I have a more accurate estimate of how long it takes to make 15 small pieces-- about 30 -35 hours.

"In the Mums"

Where do you look for new inspiration?

Inspiration is such is an interesting topic for an artist because often we are not even cognizant of inspirations as we work. Artists are often sponges absorbing all kinds of influences,  be it a feeling, a word, an image and then regurgitating it into a piece of art.  So I find it fascinating to try to name and place these influences. One influence that seems to be a constant is traditional Asian art,  For as long as I can remember, I have  been influenced by Asian 
motifs.  The first book I purchased for my mother at age 8 was a large 
Asian pattern book, called "The Grammar of Chinese Ornaments", by 
Owen Jones.  I have spent countless hours poring over the gorgeous 
pages of this book.  Somehow the book managed to make it into my 
library :)  My love affair with Asian design is still going strong.  I 
recently took a trip to Japan where I had the opportunity to see 
incredible woodblock prints.  As a printmaker, the craftsmanship and 
beauty inherent in Japanese printmaking has had a profound influence 
in my work.

"Dripping Bouquet"

You do very well selling your prints over on Etsy.  Do you get a lot of interest from people seeing your work on this website?

Etsy has been a wonderful way for me to reach a new audience. Yes, I do I have shops, galleries, publishers, and illustration clients contact me after seeing my work on Etsy. I also am involved with several collaborative projects with other Etsy sellers -my art is now made into jewelry and soon into fabric purses, and rugs.  

What’s your current favourite blog or website?

I really don’t have time to surf having elementary age children and more than a full-time work. I do have a number of favourite artists, and I love to visit their sites, and see what they are up to. Here are a few faves:

Brian Cronin, http://www.briancronin.com/brian_cronin.html
Lisa Congdon  http://www.lisacongdon.com/fineartportfolio.html
Christopher Silas Neal, http://www.redsilas.com/illo.html
Jill Bliss, http://www.jillbliss.com/
Gina & Matt, http://www.ginaandmatt.com/ginamatt.html

All images are copyright Hadley Hutton/Courtesy of the artist

To see more from this artist, check out www.hadleyhutton.com