Illustrator and graphic designer, Sophia Bishop introduces herself and experiences of being a local artist.
Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit of your story.
I’m Sophia, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Queenstown!
I create illustrations that celebrate women living their best lives. I focus on calm scenes, and I aim to show diverse women and creative pursuits in my illustrations.
Explain what you do in the simplest form.
Last year I was living in the UK right before the COVID 19 lockdowns hit. We were stuck inside for months on end and I had a lot of spare time in the evenings, so I would just draw. I’d just invested in an iPad, so started to draw digitally and share my work online.
What was the most challenging part about setting up your business and how did you overcome it?
I moved back to NZ at the start of the year, and decided to move to Queenstown after falling in love with it a couple of years ago while here on a road trip. The biggest challenge I’ve had since moving to Queenstown is finding local printers for prints and screen printing studios. I always want to have the most sustainable option too so this has been a challenge. I’m still looking!
What is your dream project?
A dream project I have is to illustrate a children’s book or a cookbook. My second love is food and I would love to have the chance to tell a whole story visually.
Illustrations by Sophia Bishop
What inspired you to pursue your artwork?
I ended up drawing every single day for a year. While in the UK I had some incredible collaborations with a women’s co-working space, a vegan handbag company, and an eco-conscious blog. I love to work with small businesses that are focussed on doing good in our community.
What sets you apart from other artists?
I love to create work that people can connect with or see reflections of themselves in. My aim is to be the most sustainable option for buying prints to decorate your walls with. As designers it’s important that we are aware of the entire lifecycle of the work that we produce.
Name a local artist(s) that inspire/s you.
A local artist that I’ve recently discovered who inspires me is illustrator, Jade Barclay, from Wild and Salty Studio. I love her work and her ethos. I’m also inspired by the photographer Sophie Bayly, she creates beautiful portraits and images that capture the soul of Queenstown.
What is an artistic outlook on life?
My artistic outlook on life is: If it makes you happy, keep on doing it! Art and illustration can be whatever you want them to be. There’s no such thing as “bad art”. I love creating abstract art just for fun and to let loose when creating an illustration feels too daunting. I also love the quote by Andy Warhol “Don’t even think about making art. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they like it or not. And while they are deciding, make more art.” This quote has helped push me though creative block many times.
Where can we find you/r artwork?
You can find my work online at sophiadesigns.co/illustrations or on Instagram @sophiarose_design.