@bloiingselly

Instagram: @bloiingselly Tumblr: bloiing.tumblr.com Cragocollective: cargocollective.com/EllyMaddock

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

Hey, I’m Elly. I’m one of the many London based creatives, but I’m originally from the rolling hills of the West Midlands. I make lots of colourful stuff.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

To me, I feel like my aesthetic is ever-changing. But whenever I take a step back and look at it all collectively it's just so obviously done by the same person with a particular taste. I’m lucky to have quite an identifiable style. My works key features are playful patterns, colour and humour. I always want to try new things out but these three main elements tie them in, regardless of how different the actual content is.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I’m always drawn to black pen and paper first. Although the constant hunt for the perfect pen is a bit of an ass ache. I’m an opportunist buyer so I can never really remember where I’ve picked up these random pens and I go through cycles of only being able to draw fluidly and naively with one particular pen that I bought months ago when I was somewhere random in London. The struggle is real. Perhaps I should switch to the readily available HB pencil.

4. What is your artistic process like?

Well, there’s gonna be a randomly sourced black pen and some paper present. The ideas process changes for each subject matter. If I want to draw a portrait, I get an idea and then google it. I literally just search “person eating a burger” or “unusual looking model”. I like that my drawings are always off, photorealism is not a thing I can do, which I’m happy about. So the more bizarre the pose or facial features, the better. When it comes to my collages and print designs that’s where it gets more playful. I’ll create some kind of motif and just play around with it until its looks/feels right. Which is very rarely how I had originally envisaged it to be.

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

Instagram is an absolutely incredible tool for artists. I’ve discovered so many talented artists through it. So to be honest my Instagram feed is a massive point of inspiration for me. Other than that I guess my imagination is pretty on point with churning out random ideas. I see patterns everywhere, so obviously they seep into my sub-conscious and just jump out in broken up ways. I’ve also had to force myself to allow time to do nothing. And I don’t mean sitting at home watching films. I mean going to a café purely with the intention to sit and daydream with a pen to hand. Public transport and cafes are where I get a lot of my creative ideas.

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

Anyone who knows me knows that I regularly bring up how rubbish my memory and attention span is. But with art, I can focus. I can spend hours editing an illustration on Photoshop. But equally, if I’m in a particularly hyperactive mood, I can change my art process to suit it by making a simple collage repeat that can only take 10 minutes. For me, art has endless possibilities. I love it, it is my main focus in life, it is my passion. I don’t really know how it’s changed the way I view the world because I’ve always been interested in art. I’ve always been observant in a visual way. I won’t remember what I did last week but I can remember the colour combinations and motifs on some of the walls in Vietnam from when I visited in March.

7. Where did you study?

I studied Surface Design at the London College of Communication, UAL. They’ve since stopped running the course I did, which is a massive shame.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years? Working in an agency?

Yeah, I’m not much of a planner. I have a few reasonably thought about ideas for the future, none of which involve working in an agency (not that I’m massively against that, would just have to be a good fit). I’ve always wanted to buy myself a van and convert it into a mobile screen-printing studio so I can go to festivals and hold workshops. Or perhaps buy a van to live in, with a detachable printing trailer to go on the back. POSSIBILITIES! I’m soon going to have my own studio and I’m planning to create a bit of an online empire for soft furnishings and accessories. Let's see how that goes first.

9. What about in ten?

33

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I’ve been told multiple times in the past that my work makes people feel ‘happy’. And to be honest that’s pretty great. I would love to be given the opportunity to work on a big scale. I’ve done a few installations and the entire process is just something I love. Contrasting functional objects with bright pastels and simple repeats really makes ME happy so if I could do that in public spaces and be able to continue to make others feel happy, that would be sweet.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

BROCCOLI. I bloody love vegetables. And meat. And mayonnaise. And I’m trying to not love sugar (chocolate) so much but shit me he’s a sneaky sweet guy. Other than food, I like… water…  knitwear, cycling, clouds, dogs and big earrings. Yes.

12. Favourite book?

The Cloudspotters Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. I have an obsession with clouds.

13. Favourite genre of music?

I always answer this question with “ermm funky stuff…?”. Listen to Guts and you might get what I mean.

14. What are your hobbies?

ARTY HARD YEAH.

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

Marine Conservationist, Wildlife Photographer, Adventurer…