Interview with an Illustrator : J o n a s C l a e s s o n

Interview with an Illustrator : J O N A S   C L A E S S O N

I'm thrilled to kick off this new series by introducing readers to Jonas Claesson, freelance illustrator and owner of Shopscout.com.  I've been following his work for a while now and I love when one of his illustrations pops up on my Instagram feed.  His playful and graphic style features everything from hippy-dippy surfing moose to dreamy campsites under watery skies. With clever titles like Global Roaming for an illustration of campers hitching a ride on a swimming polar bear, his work delights and arouses the mind.  Originally from Sweden, Jonas now lives in Freshwater on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia.  Before moving to Australia to complete three years of industrial design school, he spent three months in Portugal (studying Portuguese) and completed a year of art school in Sweden.  In 2005, he was awarded Best Eco Design Concept at Interior Motives Design Awards for his creation of a modern VW camper.  In addition to drawing on a regular basis and running a business, Jonas is getting ready to launch his first children's alphabet book of surfing animals.  I was very excited when Jonas agreed to an interview since he's a pretty private guy - not to mention he's a tad busy.  Check out what he has to say below, and don't forget to scope his impressive collection of art at shop.jonasclaesson.com!

Global Roaming

How did you get started in illustration?

I always liked drawing from when I was really young. I used to make my own comic books with my best friend growing up.

What are three words to describe your art?

That’s hard to say about my own stuff… Adventure, Animals, Surf?

What are the primary tools you use to create your illustrations, starting with most used to least used?

Pencil

Pen

Paper

Erasr

Scanner

Computer (Illustrator and Photoshop)

What type of environment do you work in?

I work from home, so mostly from my kitchen table or desk.

Walk us through a typical day.

I wake up, feed the cats and walk down to the beach to check the surf and drink coffee with my girlfriend. If [the surf] is good, I usually go in a bit later.  Otherwise I go home and read emails and work.

What is success to you?

To be happy with what you have, while still working hard towards your goals.

Would you mind sharing what some of those goals are?

One of my short-term goals right now is to finish the Surfing Animals A-Z book and get it out before Christmas.  Other than that, I just want to keep having fun with the illustration thing and hopefully grow it as a business at the same time.

Was there ever a time when you wanted to give up on being an illustrator?  If so, why and how did you get over the “hump”?

I never really gave up on it.  I just focused on other stuff.  I worked for Billabong for four years as a product designer and also started a web business which turned into Shopscout.com.  I also did some illustration projects, mostly working with a Swedish brand called Nord.  I think a lot of the current momentum I have [with respect to my current art] is thanks to the time we live in.  Instagram is a huge part of it for me.

You have nearly 23,000 followers on Instagram!  How long did it take you to reach such a large audience, and what are your tips to other artists who are trying to grow their reach on Instagram?

 

I started to put things up probably 2 years ago… The only tip I have is to draw everyday, put it out there, and see what happens.

Winter Mornings

What are three important qualities an illustrator must have to succeed?

Persistance

Creativity

Happy with failing

Can you explain what you mean by “Happy with failing?”

Sounds a bit strange maybe.  It's like the concept of failing forward… I think for me it is important to create things kind of fast and imperfect and then release it instead of overthinking it - to understand that failing is part of the process. Does that make sense?

It definitely does!  What single piece of advice would you give to others who are trying to make a living as an illustrator? 

Draw something every day and share it with the world.

Speaking of the world, what made you move from one side of the it (Sweden) to the other (Australia)?

Me and a couple of friends wanted to combine studying at university with surfing, and for that it is hard to beat Australia…

Black Sea

What's your favorite thing about surfing? 

Pretty much everything. The beauty of all the elements coming together when the waves are good. I love surfing when there is no wind and it's raining - which I did today. 

Do you have a favorite break?

Aussie Pipe – I just went there with a friend for a couple of days on a camping trip.  It was amazing.

Favorite board?

A Chopper from Yoshi.

  

What about a favorite Pandora station?

Fionn Reagan

What would you recommend a traveler to see while they are in Sweden?

Stockholm and the surrounding islands plus Lappland (the north). 

What are some websites you visit on a regular basis?

Coastalwatch (surf forecasting) and Facebook L

What is something new that you’ve recently learned?

I am trying to learn to paint with watercolour at the moment…

Milky Way

What is your personal motto?

I don’t really have a motto, but I like this quote: 

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain

Besides drawing and surfing, what else are you passionate about?

Good coffee, food, travelling and good TV series.  (His favorites are Breaking Bad, Fargo and Narcos.)

I love the Wilderness (hence, wilderlis).  I know you must love the wilderness too based on your work.  Why?

I love being outdoors. It makes me calm and charges me up. I love the ocean and the mountains.

Whale Shark

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To see more of Jonas's work, check out his Instagram and Facebook! If you are a fellow illustrator and are interested in being featured on wilderlis, drop me a line!  

Pepper the mouse

Hey ya'll.  I finally decided on a name for my mouse... Pepper!   I named her for her black freckles which make it look like someone sprinkled pepper on her nose!  (I actually still need to add the freckles, along with her signature black and white tail, to these illustrations.)   In other news, did you know that it's National Dessert Day!  To celebrate, Pepper and I are both treating ourselves to ice-cream.  :)

Studio Spotlight No. 2 - Gretchen

meet  G R E T C H E N

Hello again!  Today I'm excited to give you a peak inside a very cheerful studio which also happens to belong to one of my very talented (and busy) sisters.   Gretchen is a wife and mom to two sweet kids, a part-time employee for EOS Worldwide, Next Level Performance and Envision/Mind Vine Press (really neat stuff if you're an educator or parent to school-age children); and basically a professional DIYer.  I also call her the baby whisperer because she is SO GOOD with babies - including mine.  Micah and I got to visit her in Michigan a few weeks ago.  Take a look at her comfy and colorful work space and listen to what she says are her work space necessities.

1. Wall art: I'm constantly going in and out of my office during the day and I love walking in and seeing colorful artwork, prints, photos, DIY projects, etc.  One of my favorite artists (besides wilderlis, of course) is Katie Daisy.  I have a few of her prints in my office.  I also love to see scripture on the walls.  It's a good reminder of what's important in life!

2. Pens/pencils/notepad: I make lots of notes and lists, so paper, pens and pencils are a must.  I like switching out the colors while I'm writing.  When you work for three different people, it helps with organization.  (And sometimes I like to doodle while on conference calls... but shhhh.)

3. Blanket:  In the fall/winter, having a warm blanket in the office is a must.  Michigan fall mornings can be cool and winters downright frigid.  I love throwing a cozy blanket over my lap.

4. Ear buds: For all those conference calls!

5. Comfy chair: I spend a lot of time in my office so a comfortable chair is important.  Mine is old and not the prettiest but it works great!  I can lean back too when I need a good stretch or to rest my eyes. ;)

6. Washi Tape: I like to have lots of washi tape on hand for old fashioned birthday cards and packages, labeling and hanging pictures up.  I found a great selection here!

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I couldn't resist snapping a few other photos of Gret's colorful house and DIY projects while I was in Michigan.  Check them out below.  And don't forget to sign up for email updates if you'd like to see new posts!  Thanks for stopping by!  

"Lis, lis, lis"

I complain about the DUMBEST stuff.

The baby woke up fifty times last night!  

I ordered my taco salad thirty minutes ago! 

The floor is dirty and I JUST vacuumed!

The taco salad one was seriously ridiculous.  On my way home with the food, I went over what I wish I had said to the owner about 20 times.   "Excuse me ma'am, you really ought to apologize when my to-go salad comes 40 minutes after I ordered it."  "I've seen six - SIX - people get their food that ordered after me."  "How long does it take to make a stinkin' taco salad?!"  "I will NOT be coming back here."  

Micah was staring at me in his little mirror from the back seat, looking slightly amused.  It wasn't until I got home that I realized how ridiculous I sounded.  I was nursing Micah and flipping through Facebook when I read an update from my friend Sonja.  Sonja and I met in 2005 when I was first stationed in San Diego.  She was a Reservist and, quite frankly, a ray of sunshine in our all-male office.  She was kind and cheerful and worked more than any other Reservist I knew.  She spent tons of her own time and money to manage a Coast Guard program that educated children about the importance of keeping the ocean clean.  We would go from school to school teaching kids about recycling.  Somehow, she got me to dress up in a dolphin costume.  I remember one kid running up to me, grabbing my dolphin head and saying "I see you in there."  (Yea, scary!)  One day, when we were driving our unit's F250 between a bunch of cones during an emergency vehicle operator course, she said "I have the perfect guy for you." Oh boy.  She tried to set us up a handful of times.  We finally went on a date a few months later.

Sonja and I

Fast forward ten years.  I married the guy.  She married Jesse, and they now have two beautiful kids with a third on the way.  Presley is Sonja's second child and first daughter.  She was born with a very rare skin condition called Congenital Melanocytic Nevus.  A large pigment based mole covered her lower right leg and foot when she was born and needed to be surgically removed to reduce the risk of it becoming malignant.  The process of removing the nevus involved numerous surgeries including inserting tissue expanders into her upper thigh to grow new skin, then cutting out the nevus and tucking her lower leg into the newly expanded skin.

A few months ago, when Presley's lower leg had been tucked into her thigh for the second time to try to grow new skin over her leg, her foot became infected.  By the time the doctors realized what had happened, it was too late.  Presley's foot was amputated the next day.  Presley is 18 months old, has undergone 16 surgeries, and is now waiting for her first prosthetic.   She wants to walk and is still trying to understand why she can't; yet she is also one of the happiest little girls I've met.

Presley (aka ladybug)

Still smiling!

There are other stories like this.  Just last week, I met a little boy from Hawaii with a defective heart who had a stroke when he was just six.  He's now living with the heart of a 27 year old.  His favorite animal is the dolphin.  My friend, who happens to be a dolphin trainer at Sea World, was so happy to offer him and his family one-on-one time with Sandy the dolphin.  (Thank you Jarrell!) Even though the little boy had a hard time expressing his excitement verbally, you could see the glow in his eyes.

Then I think about the 27-year-old who donated the heart...  And I think about my friend Katie who died of cancer when she was 31.  And my husband who lost his father when he was young.  And my cousin who took her own life after battling depression so deep that no one but her will ever understand.  And a 9-year old girl in Kenya who was caned when she refused to marry a 78 year old man.  The list goes on... just look at the news.

I am SO lucky.  Why them, God?  Why me?  I have NOTHING to complain about.  Nothing.

Micah woke up fifty times last night.  (More like four times.)  He. Woke. Up.  He's alive!  

I had to wait for a taco salad.  It was fresh.  It was delicious.  It was easily affordable to me.  It was big enough to feed four and I ate it all!     

The floor is dirty.  MY floor, in MY kitchen, in MY house, that protects the things I love most! 

Lis, lis lis.

On October 17, several of Sonja's sweet friends are holding a fundraiser to help offset the tremendous medical expenses that Sonja and Jesse have accrued.  It's called the Ladybug Benefit.  I created two pieces of art that will be auctioned off along with a whole bunch of other stuff!  If you are in San Diego and want an invitation, please let me know!  If you aren't and are interested in reading more about Presley's journey, giving a donation, or simply praying for this family, check out their gofundme page!  And when you hear me complain about dumb stuff (because it's going to happen), listen for a bit.  (Everyone needs to blow off steam sometimes, especially new moms.)  BUT if I carry on too long, please gently remind me that happiness comes when we stop complaining about troubles we have and offer thanks for troubles we don't have!

Auction items!

My first give-away!

I love a good quote.  They're meaningful, often beautiful, and succinct.   (I guess that's what makes them quotes.)  When I was spring cleaning last week, I found a stack of journals I kept all through college and beyond.  They were filled with dried flowers and ticket stubs and musings on God and outer space - but most of all, they were filled with quotes.   Here were some of my favorites back then that I still love today.

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau 

"No one has ever become poor by giving." Anne Frank

"In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." Albert Camus

"Happiness, not in another place, but this place; not for another hour, but this hour." Walt Whitman

I still love to collect quotes in my journal; and pinterest has made it even easier!   I'm always looking for new ones to add to my collection and illustrate.

Now to the fun part!  Follow me on instagram (@listhewildflower), send me your favorite quote and tag a friend.  If I pick your quote to illustrate, you will get a free 8x10 print of the illustration!  You can send as many quotes as you like, but you must tag a NEW person for each quote you send.  I will announce the winner on Saturday, October 17th!  Happy quoting!!

Exhale

I feel like I've finally exhaled after holding my breath for days.  Let me explain.

I was recently selected for a 6 month position with the Coast Guard.  It would advance my Coast Guard Reserve career and keep me relevant if I ever go back to federal employment.  It's also close to home, I'd be working with great people, and I'd be doing something to help others.  Seems like a no-brainer, right? I asked for a few days to think it over.

I had the support of my husband no matter what I decided to do.  That's a wonderful thing - though in some ways, I felt added pressure - like it was entirely on me to make the right decision.  I struggled for days.  My practical side said take the job!  It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.  It's great for your career!  It's money!  And, yes, I thought it: it'd be a break from being home with baby M all day every day.  #momguilt

The other part of me felt heart-sick even thinking about going back to work.  No matter how tiring it is sometimes, being home with M is also a once in a lifetime opportunity - one that many women never have - one that I love.  I tried to imagine how it would feel to drop him off at daycare that first day, wondering who would wipe the drool from his chin, or sing to him, or comfort him when he cried.

Don't get me wrong.  I have no issues with childcare.  I know it'd be hard those first few days, but once we found our routine, I'm sure everything would be fine.  It's simply based on my desires right now.  I want to be the one to wipe the drool from his face, to make him laugh, to watch him try to use his hands for the first time.

There's another thing too.  You see, my dream is not to be a stay-at-home-mom - though there's nothing wrong with that!  My dream is to be a working artist/illustrator/designer with the ability to control my own hours (which will allow me to be with my children more than a 9-5 job would allow ).  I think I've been dreaming about wilderlis since before I went to bootcamp 14 years ago - before it had a name - back when I used to make home-made greeting cards and sell them to my mom for a quarter.  I don't want to lose that momentum.

So what to do? I happened to be drilling (doing Coast Guard Reserve work) in the Bay Area right before my decision was due.  After explaining the situation to one of my mentors, he said something that resonated with me.  There is no "right" or "wrong" choice here - only a "good" or "good" choice. 

Later that evening, during dinner with a couple buddies, I asked them what they would do if they were me.  It was probably the 10th time I'd asked that question in the past two days (and I received an array of responses from both women and men), but something about what my friends said that night gave me peace for the first time.  While I couldn't really understand why (peace that passeth all understanding), I believe it was God answering my prayers.

This morning, I respectfully declined the position.  There are still moments when doubt creeps back in, especially when I question how I'm helping people by creating art (I believe that question will be answered one day too).  But then, I look at little M and know I will never regret this decision - drool and all.  :)

F A I T H > W O R R Y

l, lis.

Fall!

Fall is here!  To be precise, she arrived at 4:21 yesterday morning.  Apparently San Diego didn't get the memo.  It's still unusually warm here and I don't see any orange or red on the trees! Maybe because they're mostly palms. ;)

Luckily, baby and I just returned from a week in Michigan where traces of autumn are already visible...  Pumpkins for sale on the side of the road, golden mums beginning to bloom, orange and red-fringed leaves, and of course pumpkin-flavored everything!

We had such a good time during our visit that I barely opened my sketchbook.  But I did take lots of wilder-esque photos plus some shots for an upcoming Studio Spotlight!  You're going to LOVE how colorful this studio is! I did. (Check it out next week!)