Meet our guest artist Bailey Sullivan
We’ve worked with Bailey Sullivan a few times because her art is just so sweet on the eyes. Bursting with charm, colour and joy, her work makes the ordinary extraordinary through a unique use of symmetry and simple shapes inspired by folk art and florals. The award-winning Texas-raised illustrator based in Richmond, Virginia has leant her hand to everything from postage stamps to murals to textiles for clients ranging from Target to Smirnoff, not to mention the cover of a book all about Dolly Parton’s wardrobe. We asked Bailey a few burning questions.
1) Your work has a “taste the rainbow” vibe that’s so jubilant and explosive. Are you the kind of person who hates the question, “what’s your favourite colour”?
Hah, I love that description! No, I think it’s a great question and I love to hear what other people’s favourite colours are, I just don’t have a consistent answer myself. My long-running favourite colour is forest green, but I go through phases and think any colour can be lovely in the right setting.
2) Do you consider yourself a maximalist?
Hmm, this is an interesting question because my design world and my personal world are quite different. My work is very colourful and playful and can be a little busy, but I usually wear all black, have a mostly neutral-coloured home and am pretty reserved. You see some illustrators that are living embodiments of their work and I don’t think that’s really me. I suppose illustration is my outlet for maximalism, but I would not call myself a maximalist.
3) What attracts you to themes of nature like plants and animals?
I’m drawn to that imagery because my work tends to be more decorative than narrative-driven, if that makes sense. Nature and animals are two things I love a lot in my personal life so I gravitate towards using them in my personal work. I feel very lucky when client work comes along that aligns with those themes as well!
4) Tell us about working with Dolly Parton. Was that the coolest project of your artistic life so far, or do other experiences compare?
Definitely the coolest project! I remember being genuinely speechless when I saw that email come through and tossed my phone at my husband for him to read and we just stared at each other slack-jawed. Dolly’s wardrobe history was such a treasure trove of inspiration for that project. It was a dream to work on and still so surreal to see the book out in stores and in people’s homes.
5) What’s your process, from initial idea to finished work of art?
I start with black and white digital pencil sketches on my iPad. I’m not a fantastic drawer by hand but I get the sketch to a point where I or a client can look at it and get a clear understanding of the layout and concept. Then I’ll use Adobe Illustrator to flesh out the base design — this is where most of the work is done and where I experiment with different colour palettes, layouts, type treatment etc. Once I’m happy with all of that I will use Photoshop to bring home that last 10% and add in texture for dimension, shading and colour pops. I feel really comfortable with the execution process at this point — honestly it’s the sketching phase that gives me the most trouble. You’re given parameters and dimensions and from there it’s like solving a problem, which much like other fields, is sometimes easy, sometimes difficult.
6) Your work ranges from small scale to massive, like in your murals. Do you enjoy one more than the other?
It’s super gratifying to see my work large-scale, especially when I’m the one who painted it. There’s definitely something special though about the small pieces — stamps, gift cards, etc. That work is usually more accessible to larger audiences, whereas a mural can really only be experienced by being in one specific place. I love creating tangible work, so if I had to choose, I lean toward projects of a smaller scale.
7) What attracts you most to folk art traditions?
Such a big part of the folk art that I’m drawn to specifically is how decorative it can be. I love the hand painted borders around doors and adding flowers and embellishments in the wings of birds and other objects you wouldn’t see patterning on in real life. I love how hand-crafted it tends to be, and finding beauty in the simplicity of the design and in the humanity of the process.
