It’s been such a pleasure to get to know Jane Heinrichs this month. Jane is an artist living in beautiful Cape Town, and her darling illustrations have stolen my heart. That bicycle print especially! (How gorgeous would it be as part of a gallery wall?) Jane’s blog is a celebration of the main loves of her life: art, travel, family…and love itself! She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me earlier in the week, and her responses are so fascinating! I’m in awe of her boundless creativity and artistic skill. So now, without further ado, let’s get to know the lovely Jane Heinrichs a little better!
1. What inspired you to begin writing your blog? Were there any other blogs that inspired you to start your own?
‘ I actually started my blog when I was studying for my masters degree in illustration. All the students were meant to keep an online journal of their progress through the course. I found that I loved it! I loved interacting with people from all over the world and being able to share my illustrations and my travels.’
2. What three words do you feel best describe your blog?
‘ Whimsical, Encouraging, Imaginative.’
3. Do you have a vision for what you’d like your blog to achieve? Or are you happy to just see where it takes you? :)
‘ I love blogging, but it’s never been my number one goal in life. Illustrating children’s book is my absolute passion, and I have lots of visions for what I’d like to achieve in that! :-) Blogging is something that keeps me from getting lonely when I work in my studio. It’s all about connection for me, meeting new people and learning new things.’
4. What do you draw on most as inspiration for your beautiful illustrations? Do you ever get ‘artist’s block’? (and is that even a thing?)
‘ My inspiration is everything I see around me, mixed with my wacky imagination. Sometimes I do feel “blocked;” it’s never a lack of ideas (I have more of those than I can handle), but rather a lack of enthusiasm or energy. Sometimes I feel like I just can’t “get it right” and then I know that I’m tired and need a break.’
5. Tell us a little about your darling illustrations! I think they’re so lovely! Do you have a favourite, or is each an equal labour of love? And roughly how long does each one take?
‘ I could never pick a favourite illustration, I love them all for different reasons. But, a definite crowd pleaser seems to be “Lighting the Sky” the little girl and her giraffe putting stars into the sky.
Each illustration takes about a week. First I sketch the idea very roughly, then I neaten the sketch, then I draw the ink lines, then I start painting. It’s the painting that takes the longest. I tell my husband that I spend my life watching paint dry!’
6. You’ve lived in so many different countries and cities, it’s incredible! What are some of the best things about living in Cape Town, your home at the moment?
‘ I was very worried about moving to Cape Town, as I loved London so much and I didn’t want to leave. But being here has actually been amazing. The natural world is so astonishingly beautiful, there’s so much to draw inspiration from. And, life seems to move at a slower pace; I seem to get more done in a day!’
7. What do you love to do in your spare time? (when you aren’t painting, or drawing, or being otherwise amazingly creative!)
‘ I read, read, read, read. I spend time with my family. I go for walks. I take adult beginner ballet classes (It’s fun, but I’m not very good!) I also love watching movies.’
8. And now, let’s finish off with a round of ‘desert island discs’! If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring with you? You can choose two albums/CDs, two books, ingredients to make two dishes, and one luxury item.
Oh dear, I hope it’s a pretty island! For albums would bring Murry Perahia playing Bach’s piano concertos, and anything by Diana Krall. For books, I’d take The Little Prince and Pride and Prejudice. For ingredients I’d take eggs and milk to make scrambled eggs for breakfast and the makings for cheese burgers. I imagine it might be nice to eat cheese burgers on a deserted beach staring at the sunset, don’t you think? Is moisturizer or sunscreen a luxury item? I’d definitely need those. And, I’d have to sneak along my sketchbook and basic art supplies. I’d go insane if I couldn’t draw!
Thank you for your responses, sweet Jane! It’s been a pleasure having you here! Click here to head over to Jane’s blog, and here for her Etsy page!
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