Street Fashion & Fashion Photography by James Bent. All Content © 2010-2013 La Mode Outré / James Bent
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On The Street, Taipei… Tequila X Gabrielle Rose Illustration
…[W]e need this life of practical romance; the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure. We need so to view the world as to combine an idea of wonder and an idea of welcome. We need to be happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable
- G.K. ChestertonHi Gabrielle, you live over in the States in the San Francisco Bay area? How is life over there?
Life’s pretty good, James! I live in Oakland, just across the bay from San Francisco. Northern California is so beautiful. I feel really lucky to be able to live here.
According to your profile on your portfolio you’re predominantly a self-taught illustrator/artist. Has it been an interesting journey of development in that case?
Sometimes it feels like it’s been a long journey. I wonder if going to art school would’ve sped me along a little bit, but I can’t say that I have any real regrets about not seeking out a formal art education. I think it’s allowed my style to develop organically. Most of what I’ve learned has been through experimentation or trying to mimic styles and techniques of artists I admire, especially when I was younger. Imagine me at age 14 sitting in my bedroom copying Aubrey Beardsley illustrations! That was the start of my “art education”.
An interesting part of my development has been that all of my networking happens online, which I think would be different if I had attended art school or taken more art classes at some point. A huge part of my art world is more virtual than real. It’s mind-boggling.
Overall I think learning on my own has been beneficial to me. I don’t know how I would’ve held up under critiques in a formal setting. When grades are involved my Type A personality takes over and probably stifles my creativity a bit.
How would you describe your style with regard to your work? You work a lot with watercolor, is that right?
Watercolor is my favorite medium, especially when paired with wet or dry ink. I used to be afraid of wet paint since it can be hard to control. Being a perfectionist it took me a while to get up the courage to start adding color to my line drawings. Using watercolor has encouraged me to experiment, to be less rigid in my technique. Lately my style has become much looser. I apply a spontaneous watercolor blob onto wet paper and then draw on and around it. I get a lot of joy from the painting process and sometimes make watercolor blobs just for the sake of watching paint move around on wet paper. While my technique has loosened up, I’m still interested in the same subject matter that’s always interested me. Fairy tales and children’s stories inspire the content of my art, and for that reason it usually depicts something fantastical or mysterious.
At the moment you’re not working full-time with your illustration and art, but do you think you’d like to take that step in the future?
I really would like to take that step, and I think I get a bit closer to taking it every month that goes by. Last year I left a fulfilling teaching job of four years so I could work closer to home and have more time for art (I especially wanted more time to develop the business side of my art), but I know I won’t be satisfied until it’s the only thing in my life. So, sorry job, your days are numbered.
And do you have some goals or dreams with your art and illustration, perhaps any projects you’d love to complete?
I’d love to get my prints into more brick-and-mortar stores. RAG Boutique in San Francisco carries my prints and pocket mirrors and that’s been a rewarding experience that I’d like to replicate. It’s been a while since I’ve participated in an art show, so that’s something I hope to do this year. And a personal project that I keep putting off is to create a series of illustrations of my favorite Grimm’s fairy tales. Too many ideas; not enough time!
Finally, is there a particular quote or saying that really defines who you are and what you do?
…[W]e need this life of practical romance; the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure. We need so to view the world as to combine an idea of wonder and an idea of welcome. We need to be happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable
- G.K. Chestertonby La Mode Outré
13 Apr 2012
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