When did you first become interested in art?

I’ve always loved drawing. I became more interested in art during GSCE and A Level but I really found my passion within illustration and collage art in Uni. It’s a dream to make a career out of it!

How would you describe your design style?

Definitely surreal. Surrealism has become my passion, its the whole idea of life remixed.

What inspires you?

Most of the time quotes inspire me and I play on that, in particular things to with psychology, memory formation and perceptions of the mind. Ever since I went to a seminar where Graham Rawle was speaking about vintage magazines such as ‘good housekeeping’ I became fascinated with these; the style, the typography, the makeup, there was just something so captivating. Since that I’ve been scavenging through family members photo albums dating back to the 50’s and I’ve gotten a lot of material and ideas from these.

What is your favourite piece in your collection?

At the minute my favourite piece is ‘Falling in love.’

Is there any artistic talent in your family?

My mum is very creative, she is great at textiles.

What is the journey you take to produce your work?

I have found the most important thing for me is to research and collect materials, whether it be magazines, newspapers, photos or found objects. At the minute I’m working on emotions and I like to begin by researching and writing down words, phrases, ideas. I then scan images and objects into my computer and create imagery using a mixture of photoshop and illustrator in order to create my final image. I find I’m at my most productive at night for some reason.

What made you want to be a part of Art Rookie?

It’s a great platform because it enables us designers to simply focus on designing and not worry about printing, manufacturing, postage etc which is a huge weight off especially when you are just starting out and everything seems so daunting!

When you’re not creating masterpieces what do you enjoy doing?

Probably being far too honest here, but binge watching Netflix and cooking!

Have you faced any struggles getting your work noticed?

I don’t feel like I have put myself out there enough. Honestly I think it has been a combination of doubt and not having a sense of direction or clear purpose which led to me feeling rather demotivated. One thing I have learned in this past year is that there will always be excuses as to why you ‘can’t’ get work done but you need to find a way to rise above all that to stop blocking your creativity with negative thinking. I feel like now I am highly motivated and I hope to be a lot more successful in the coming year with getting noticed, challenging myself and working on collections.

Where would we find you hanging out in the UK?

I currently live in Northern Ireland, although I have friends from Uni dotted around the UK so we travel back and fourth to catch up.

What makes British talent different than elsewhere?

I feel like it’s a little more quirky and playful and I love that diversity that brings.

What are your plans for 2016?

I aim to produce lots more work, build an audience and challenge myself.

What inspires you?

I love bright colours, I rarely create a design that is black and white. Animals and nature, I also enjoy creating designs for friends and family… from cup cakes to lion’s!

When did you first become interested in art?

All my life I liked drawing, I wasn’t actually ever good at it until I left school.

How would you describe your design style?

I would say it has a screen print look with a dash of 1950s ads and a twist of satire.

What inspires you?

News, everyday life, tv, politics.

What is your favourite piece in your collection?

The most successful piece is my ‘give your ego some likes’ piece, but my own personal favourite is difficult to choose, it would be like choosing your favourite son or daughter.

Is there any artistic talent in your family?

Yes, all but my father. I married an artist/teacher and our children are very good at art, much better than I was at their age.

What is the journey you take to produce your work?

Lots of thinking, sketching and working out colours, and that’s before I start the art.

What made you want to be a part of Art Rookie?

I wanted an out let in the uk. Some of my work is really only for a UK audience and the humour I have in them would be lost on any other nationality. ie the custard creams illustration.

When you’re not creating masterpieces what do you enjoy doing?

I go to a Taekwondo class twice a week and my family keep me busy.

Have you faced any struggles getting your work noticed?

Oh god yes. I’ve been freelance since 1996 and worked in many styles. I developed my current style in 2009 and it has only really got noticed 3 years ago.Up until then it was a struggle, but I put the hard work in and took the criticism and knock backs.

Where would we find you hanging out in the UK?

I don’t hang out anywhere. I don’t come to London much nowadays and I have never done an exhibition. I just spend my time at home with my family in Yorkshire.

What makes British talent different than elsewhere?

I think there is brilliant talent all over the world but British talent is special. I think it be our eccentric way of thinking or our urge to create.

I don’t really plan anything, but I would like to get my work published.

http://www.artrookie.co.uk/johnholcroft

When did you first become interested in art?

The artist at home has always been my father, so I can say that somehow my interest in art was stimulated by him. Over the years then, attending art schools in Italy, I had the opportunity to increase my culture and this helped me a lot in the realisation of my works.

How would you describe your design style?

Pop Surrealism.

What inspires you?

I always find the inspiration in the trips I make. Traveling opens up your mind and makes you able to learn about other cultures, to see new landscapes, it is always something extremely stimulating.

What is your favourite piece in your collection?

I love equally all of my arts and I couldn’t sincerely choose.

Is there any artistic talent in your family?

My father is a painter and an archeologist.

What is the journey you take to produce your work?

I produce my work especially at night but I have my inspirations in the day. I never leave my place without my camera and I take portraits moving around my town. This is the way I populate my arts.

What made you want to be a part of Art Rookie?

Being part of a community of artists like Art Rookie is, for me, a great opportunity to make my work visible. This community appealed to me with an innovative vision of art, something that matches mine, thus I am very happy to become a part of it.

When you’re not creating masterpieces what do you enjoy doing?

I like to travel, as soon as I can I take the plane to unknown destinations. Besides this, I love visiting museums, wandering around markets, going to the theatre, having a glass of wine with friends, sharing the everyday life with my partner.

Have you faced any struggles getting your work noticed?

Yes, make a living with art has always been a very difficult thing, but the trick is not to get discouraged, never give up and hard work.

Where would we find you hanging out in the UK?

Newry, a small town in Northern Ireland where my family lives, and London, a city I deeply love.

What makes British talent different than elsewhere?

Their peculiar style which is a lucky mash up within classic elegance and eccentricity.

What are your plans for 2014?

I’d like to finally open my own studio.

http://www.artrookie.co.uk/natt

When did you first become interested in art?

I was always drawing when I was younger, I loved drawing cartoon animals and our fridge was covered with them! It was secondary school where I developed a real passion for drawing, particularly when I got to my GCSE’s and I would spend hours studying the intricate details in faces, animals and plants. From then on out I knew art and drawing was going to be a major part of my life. I then attended Camberwell College of Arts for university, and it was there that I became very interested in print design, and taught myself how to create the patterns you see in my work today.

How would you describe your design style?

I would describe my style as realistic and detailed. I primarily focus on creating pencil drawings, though I do also enjoy painting. I love creating patterns for fabrics and wallpapers, but portraiture is also a passion of mine.

What inspires you?

I’m predominantly inspired by the beauty in nature; plants, foliage, flowers, animals… the wealth of variety in the natural world is endless and ever changing. I have also just recently returned from travelling around South East Asia, where I gained a lot of inspiration for my patterns from the bright and vibrant culture I experienced. Another fascination of mine is people and their expressions of everyday life; if I see an interesting face, I have to draw it. Fashion is another inspiration to me, I love keeping up to date with styles from the runway and current fashion trends.

What is your favourite piece in your collection?

I have an obsession with Pandas, so I would have to say the Panda, panda, Panda pattern! But I also really love the feather pattern, it formed a part of my final project at university so it’s a sentimental piece of great importance to me.

Is there any artistic talent in your family?

Yes, my mum makes beautiful wedding dresses, my dad is a carpenter, my sister is a buyer for Topshop and my brother a musician! So yeah, I think we are all quite artistic.

What is the journey you take to produce your work?

When I have been inspired to create a pattern, I begin by studying the subject that has inspired me; be it a leaf shape, flowers, the detail in an animal’s coat… I then map out the idea for the pattern and begin to hand draw its structure. From there I scan the drawing to my computer and edit it digitally, playing around with colours and so on, before finally making it a repeating pattern.

What made you want to be a part of Art Rookie?

Art Rookie is such a fantastic platform for young designers. It’s like an online exhibition of unique and striking art work. The site is really supportive in promoting designers and getting their work out there for the world to see. If it wasn’t for Art Rookie there would be an entire world of beautiful art work people might otherwise never be able to find.

When you’re not creating masterpieces what do you enjoy doing?

I love running and keeping fit, and I’m actually currently training for this years London Marathon (running for the Bone Cancer Research Trust) I also have a keen interest in live music and socialising with my friends.

Have you faced any struggles getting your work noticed?

I began promoting my work as the Charlotte Jade brand in January of this year, so I’m only just starting out but I have noticed how important it is to try and make your work stand out and be recognised given there are so many talented illustrators and designers out there right now. Social media platforms are a great help, such as Instagram, Twitter & Facebook as they give young designers a chance to build a following and get their work noticed. Social media, along with the support of Art Rookie has really helped me these past few months.

Where would we find you hanging out in the UK?

I’m based in North London, but I have friends and family dotted around the country so I’m always travelling around visiting people.

What makes British talent different than elsewhere?

British talent is unique, original and bold enough to push to limits. There is such variation in British talent which makes it so interesting.

What are your plans for 2014?

I launched by business in January and have seen a lot of success so far, so I plan on continuing my efforts to ensure further growth and development, as well as hoping to increase and broaden my client base as the year goes on. I’ll continue to build on my portfolio, experiment with new styles and techniques and create more patterns with the view of turning these into wallpaper.

www.artrookie.co.uk/charlottejade