ELLIE STONE / LSAD GRAPHIC DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS
19:12
Talk me through your second-year final year project:
My work for my class exhibition was inspired by the gender pay gap. This topic was very important for me to communicate as it angered me that despite the hard work I've put into my education I face doing the same job as my male counterparts and be paid less. It is unfair that women gaining the same qualifications as men are being underpaid and it occurs in every sector. We've seen it recently especially amongst the acting community where leading actresses are standing up for themselves and demanding the extra pay they deserve, especially if they have more screen time than their male counterparts. By reading these stories, I was inspired by the concept of how the man is handed the envelope where traditionally a woman received a bouquet of flowers.
Do you find that LSAD (Limerick School of Art & Design) give you free rein to develop individually as an artist?
I think my lecturers figured out early on that some people within my course prefer photoshop and photography yet also know that I’m a pen to paper kind of girl. Whenever we talk about concepts, one lecturer would discuss potential methods of creating something, whereas another would come around to us individually, allowing us to work using the skills we feel ourselves are our best. Our lecturers are not afraid to push us, to encourage us to try something new. They know us well, especially our strengths and weaknesses. LSAD feels like a family, I’m always exchanging jokes with my lecturers. You’re not just a number to them. They’ll even email you if they come across an artist whose work would benefit your project.
Do you find Instagram as a platform is the most helpful to showcase your art?
Yes, the fact that people can see your work in progress and the app allows you to upload videos on your stories. It’s very simple to to navigate, so naturally then it’s easier for people to find my work. You can then tag authors, I’ve done some fanart of books and in turn it’s very easy for the authors to then share your artwork with their followers. Again, with hashtags, if I search #ink, for example people looking for tattoo inspiration will follow me then. So definitely, Instagram as a platform is the best for artists, there are tools on the app that enable me to slightly brighten the image. I don’t drastically change any of the photos, but the fact the app has all these features for you whereas Facebook has the most basic of editing tools.
Do you find people take advantage of freelance artists?
Oh definitely, for instance, a girl from America wanted to use my work on shirts and I was really excited about it. We talked through some logistics and wrote up a contract where it stated that the artwork would remain my own. Then a few weeks later I got a message saying that she was unable to pay me due to medical bills and would have to delay working on the t-shirts for a few weeks which I was totally okay with. So, there's often people are reluctant to pay for artists' services However, for me, that’s only one percent of the same. Most people want to pay me for my services, want to support freelancers. I don’t charge too much anyway, for example, if I have existing materials I won’t charge for that.
When someone commissions something from you, do you have a process for putting a piece together?
I try to meet up with people, as they usually have a clear image in their head of what they want. I try see into their head, use reference photos. It’s better to talk to them in person. It does depend really on what they’re looking for. Once I talk to the client, I go away and do research for a few hours to see what’s out there and make changes to it to give it my personal stamp. I’ll do several initial sketches and send them on, to see if myself and the client are on the same wavelength.
What hopes do you have for your art?
I love doing colouring pencil and ink sketching, despite studying graphic design in college. I hope to do exhibitions with that part of my work in my own time. I’m still undecided about where exactly I want to go in the graphic design world. Branding and packaging is an area that really interests me, maybe helping local businesses as they’re the companies that need it most! I’d like to help them build up their brand. Using my creative skills to make a business better. I’m constantly passing shops and find myself thinking ‘Oh I’d love to change their logo’
In the future would you prefer to do more freelance work or work for a company?
I think I’ll work for a company for the first few years, just to get that experience. For example, Here Design in London. So, I’d like to build myself up first, create a portfolio with work from the company and maybe then set up my own design studio. The great thing about working for a company is that you still could do freelance as long as it doesn’t interfere with the company’s work. For example, if someone came to me and asked me to draw a tattoo, I could.
What is Ireland’s design community like?
Two conventions I know of are The Future which usually occurs at the end of the year and Offset which occurs in March. They held talks from experts from all over the world, speakers from Pentagram, a huge design studio. Limerick is up and coming for design especially when it comes to working for small businesses. For example, I love the Spice Vintage logo. More and more people are realizing that individuals are drawn to aesthetics. The students from LSAD are integrating themselves within the city, creating a community. It’s interesting to see the artist's work in local businesses e.g. Tom Collins, sign painter, one of his commissions was for Enzo’s Café.
Do you find you channel your emotions through art?
Now that I'm older, I like to say things through my pieces. For example, flowers are really important to me. I learned the language of flowers in a book, that's why I mainly draw them. Recently I did a drawing of a faceless girl, after the rape trial in Belfast I was angry and wanted to represent the girl involved in the case. I don't usually make my art political, I tend to do it in a quiet way but I might get into it a bit more now. I'm usually a very positive person so I think my work reflects my positivity.
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Many of Ellie's pieces featured in this post are available to purchase, so if you're interested, contact her via Instagram:
Talking with Ellie about graphic design was so lovely, I'm a huge fan of her work. I hope you'll take the time to visit her Instagram and take a look at her pieces. This is the first artist I've interviewed so I'm excited to do more!
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