Clean lines are such a joy to me. If I’m stuck or having a bad day, or I’m frustrated with a commission (or the world in general!), putting my thoughts down on paper always makes me feel better. “
Despite all the tinkering and fine-tuning that goes on there, her main sketches remain surprisingly beautiful. The casual observer won’t notice any wrong lines or out-of-place patches of color. Sure, there are some rough sketches in the final pages, but the diversity of this thought space feels like a complete, self-contained work.
Use this space to be creatively free. The sketchbook serves as a meditative stage separate from her other endeavors, especially her commercial commissions, Stewart. Looking back at the old sketchbooks, now filled, is like a time capsule documenting her entire career and a receptacle for Stewart to store ideas that may require more revision than she currently has the patience for. A sketchbook is a raw space full of potential, bringing a sense of freshness.
“My brain never knows if an idea will work until I draw it,” Stewart said. “A clean line is a joy to me. If I’m stuck or having a bad day, or I’m frustrated with a commission (or the world in general!), putting my thoughts down on paper always makes me feel better.”
This freshness earned Stewart much acclaim and commercial success. Her clever cartoonish doodle style, innocent, cunning, bold and elegant, has attracted numerous commissions from enviable brands and creative collaborators. For example, her style graced the packaging of Wacom products, defined House of Holland’s tailoring, illustrated the poster for the Noel Coward revival of The Old Vic starring Andrew Scott, and can be found on the pages of the same magazines she once graffiti-bombed.
In addition to pursuing art as her daily career, commercial projects provide Stewart with opportunities to learn from other creators and showcase her work. “There aren’t that many galleries in London that promote my type of art,” she says.
Creativity cannot be boxed or placed within strict boundaries. When inspiration strikes, I just do whatever I want. I found it all very exciting. “
The main difference between her personal practice and her business practice is process. The former is done directly on the photo using a Persian pen. Feeling the space, feeling that line that brought her so much joy and satisfaction, is integral to bringing about the dynamic quality that gives her best work a sense of life. Business work by its nature requires rapid and sometimes sudden change. So it’s much easier to keep the process digital, “which can lose some of the magic,” she says, but that’s what happens when art meets the practicalities of strict deadlines and fickle brand managers.
Whatever the purpose of her creations (e.g. graffiti bombings, commercial commissions, collaborations with friends, interactive installations in art galleries), Stewart ensures that each project has a boutique feel. When a potential project arrives in her inbox, she gauges whether a spark of an idea pops into her head.
If ideas flow, good results usually come from them. If that feeling, that inspiration seems lacking, then it’s probably not a good fit. Our goal has always been the freedom to explore creatively without restrictions, boundaries or guidelines.
Stewart advises: “[F]orcing or trying to control anything, your thinking and work will suffer – well, that’s certainly true for me. Everything is very unstable. Creativity cannot be boxed in or put into tight constraints. When inspiration strikes, I just do whatever I want. I find it all very exciting.”
My brain never knows if an idea is valid until I draw it.”
Things have slowed down a bit since shelter-in-place became the norm earlier this year. With an established illustration practice, self-isolation is easy to achieve. However, the unexpected emotional burden required some compromises and adjustments.
“In those moments, I wasn’t able to release pent-up energy with friends and family, which meant I was forced to engage in a form of self-medication that I didn’t ask for,” Stewart said.
However, sheltering in place provides some space for pause and self-reflection. All that time alone allowed Stewart to figure out what she really wanted to do. Without the drudgery and rigmarole of pre-self-isolation, she was free to explore ideas she didn’t have the time and space to fully inspire. “It wasn’t all productive and easy, but I was doing okay,” she said.
A strong workflow always drives her forward. Stewart never elaborates on an idea for long. In her younger years, she would complete one project as quickly as possible and then move on to the next, developing her art at a rapid pace. Although time has diluted this impulse, her desire for the next iteration of artistic creation still underpins her every creative endeavor.
Going forward, Stewart hopes to continue to expand her practice. Illustration will always be her primary focus. But her passion may lead her to collaborate with animators (similar to the work she did for Kylie Minogue’s “Sexercize” music video), photographers or other craftsmen. Or, maybe, dive into painting.
“I don’t just want to paint an illustration on canvas. I’m still experimenting and I don’t want it to become boring,” she said. “I haven’t found anything that calms me as much as painting, though. Sitting down to paint is a therapeutic and meditative process, and deeply personal. I love it so much, it’s an impulse and passion that will never leave me.”*
This article originally appeared as a cover feature in High Fructose Issue 56, which is now sold out. Support what we do and subscribe to our next print issue here Thank you for reading our article!
