I’ve loved drawing since before I can remember. Mostly, I’d use it to explore my understanding of the world, and to capture things that were important to me. It is now becoming my chosen career path, and true passion in life.
As a child, I was quiet and studious. I had a fascination with what was seen and unseen, and the many complex layers of reality. Drawing from my mind, my dreams, and my imagination, were just as important as observing the natural world right in front of me, and as my art developed, I found these levels merging to create a style that hopped between the lines of reality and fantasy – capturing the character & soul of a piece as well as creating a pleasing visual.
I grew up in the English countryside, with illustrators like Beatrix Potter (‘Peter Rabbit’) and Cicely Mary Barker (‘Flower Fairies’) as early inspirations. I have since sought out living in places of scenic beauty and historical depth, across various parts of England and Wales, to create the perfect backdrop to my art.
My path into Illustration comes from my love of books, and storytelling. My favourite subjects at school were English, History, and Psychology, all of which document the lives of people and their internal and external experiences. I would use this knowledge to inspire my art, and often illustrated my academic notes, essays, and any books I was reading.
Initially, I wasn’t convinced I could make a living out of drawing alone, so I went to study Design & Animation at University, obtaining a First Class Degree in 2008. Learning about the subtleties of how things move, and creating my own short films, added a huge new dynamic to my practice. In 2013, I completed an M.A in Creative Media, specialising in Illustration. Being at Art School allowed me to connect with an array of other artists, and eventually, it became less of an endeavour I kept to myself, and more something to share and develop with others. I formed a student Art Collective, which had several gallery shows, and released a publication of our work. Alongside my job in retail, I started to take on commissions and client briefs, and built an awareness of making art professionally.
I now work freelance, from my base on the beautiful Welsh Marches – border hopping physically, and creatively. I’ve had the pleasure of producing illustrations for a number of projects, including book covers, CD covers, academic texts, wedding invitations, clothing designs, greetings cards, personal portraits, and childrens activity trails, and I am presently expanding my skills into the field of character design for fantasy RPGs, which is super exciting! In my free time, I continue to create pieces exploring my love of myth, magic, and meaning, which I share on Facebook, sell on RedBubble, and have limited edition signed prints and originals for sale in my BigCartel Shop. I work primarily in watercolour and traditional media, but also occasionally enjoy incorporating digital photography and Photoshop into my work.
In 2022, I was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum, which I believe helps to inform my practice through my deep focus and propensity for visual thinking. I am taking some time to understand this further, and you can see some of my process drawings on my Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy my gallery & thanks for being a part of my journey!
Heather Malone Illustration 