In this blog post, we tour Al + Imo's dreamy coastal bedroom, located on the Surf Coast of Victoria. They've taken us on an amazing visual journey that will have you dreaming up a new bedroom arrangement right away. When it comes to styling your bedroom, the key is to invest in décor that's easy to care for and pleasing to the senses.
This stunning bedroom does just that, by featuring a combination of earthy linen sheets, Al + Imo's custom timber furniture and our retro Flower Power Rug by Gale Switzer. The beauty of this rug is that it can be easily reversed to recreate a whole new feeling as Imo's has captured so perfectly below...
Here's what Imo had to say:
To shop their beautiful custom furniture and see more creative content like this, click their website below!
Al and Imo Handmade - Custom timber furniture on the Surf Coast
Our second artist interview is featuring the incredibly talented Maggie Stephenson! Maggie is a Polish / German illustrator based in Florida. She is so well known for her fun, vibrant and empowering illustrations. In this interview we discuss loving pets, how following your true passions can lead to creating a dream job and a balanced lifestyle, and some inspiring tips on how to turn your passion into a career!
What does a day in the life of Maggie look like?
Maggie: Getting up early, lots of coffee on the back porch with my husband as our dog Lady plays. That’s the time when I like to sketch and play with color. I’m most productive early in the day, so I like to take advantage of that window when everything is still “fresh”. A trip to the dog park, so Lady can play. Catching up with my son, some snacks, answering emails, invoicing. After my morning sketches, I don’t usually get back to creating until about noon. The afternoon is spent creating, emailing, meetings. Many breaks in between to play with Lady, take care of my son, food, coffee, family time. Normal life stuff mingling with work. Working as a freelancer, I don’t have a set routine and I’ve accepted that as my norm. I like to balance family life and work as much as possible. In the evening I love to spend time cooking, a walk if it’s not too hot (Florida can be brutal in the summer) and finally winding down watching some tv, puzzling, talking.
That sounds like the perfect balance. What breed is Lady?
Maggie: Lady is a doberman and she’s just over 3 years old. She’s the biggest baby you could ever meet. Loves her stuffed animals, cuddles and time outside. I do most of my work from the back porch, so she can run around and chase after lizards and other critters. My husband works from home too, so between the two of us, she’s always entertained which is such a blessing. We have many nicknames for her. Liesel, Lay Lay, Lady, Winslow, Lufthuhn… list goes on. She knows them all but doesn’t always like to listen haha
Haha so cute, we love the nickname Winslow! Where did your love and passion for art and illustration come from?
Maggie: Art has always been a big part of my life. When I was a little girl, artistic tools were always available. Painting was my go to activity, which my family highly encouraged. Later on in life, art as a hobby was predominant. It never occurred to me that I could pursue it as a career also. In my early 30s, I found myself at a crossroads, not knowing where to go in life, unsure of what career to pursue. I suppose the only thing I was confident in was art, so in my mind that was the only option. Once I made the decision to focus on art as a career, it sparked my artistic passion more than ever before. I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I love for a job. It keeps me motivated.
Wow that is a really inspiring story, and a great reminder to everyone that a new passionate career path could be just around the corner. Who were your inspirations that led you down the path of becoming an artist?
Maggie: I would say my work is heavily influenced by fauvism, cubism and traditional illustration. Artists I have followed for a long time are Matisse, Picasso and Hundertwasser. I adore their use of color and shape play. You can find a little bit of all of the above in my style.
Did you find it hard to discover/create your own recognisable style? If so, what helped you?
Maggie: I think each one of us has a unique style within. I don’t think it surfaces over night though. It’s through playing with it, trying new things, practicing daily, is how it’s formed. The more you practice, the quicker it develops. Some are lucky and happy when they find their voice and stick to it. I wish I had it in me to just stay in one place and be satisfied with where I’m at. I love to explore though, try new things, push forward. The constant evolving and moving forward is super exciting to me.
What has been the most exciting project to work on so far?
Maggie: There’s several in the making that I can’t speak of right now but I can tell you what makes them so exciting. It’s the people I get to work with. No matter how fantastic the job, if there’s no good people connection, I don’t enjoy it. I’ve been so lucky to get to work with creatives that are not only crazy talented but the kindest human beings you could imagine. That’s what really makes a job fun.
What are 3 things you’re most grateful for that life in this industry has afforded/allowed?
Maggie: 1: Connecting with people I normally would have never met. 2: Teaching me patience and perseverance. This can be a tough field to be in. Rejection, unanswered pitches, scratched projects, fluctuating income, crazy hours are all a part of it. It teaches you to brush off your shoulders, pick yourself up and move on. 3: The freedom to work from anywhere and any time. Being in control of my own time has been so amazing. I love the flexibility and ability to balance personal life and work.
And how good is the balance that freedom allows! How do you get into your creative groove?
Maggie: A good cup of coffee, some music, sunshine and go! Sometimes it’s that easy. Other times when I’m not “feeling it”, I just let it go and wait until I’m feeling creative. There’s no magic formula. You just have to learn to go with the flow and at your own pace.
A coffee nearly always does the trick! What are 3 tips you could give young and inspiring artist out there who want to turn their creative hobby into a career?
Maggie:
1: Most importantly, don’t question your abilities and don’t compare yourself to others.
2: Don’t let creative ruts discourage you. If you find yourself hitting a creative block, ride it out. Inspiration will strike again and you’ll come back refocused and with more clarity to tackle future work. Keep going, moving forward and don’t be afraid to try new things. It’s all part of creative growth and you will be grateful for it.
3: Don’t let likes, dislikes, rejection, opinions interfere with your confidence. Sometimes what you create is not for everyone and that is ok. Being firm in your confidence is key to success. Don’t let anything come in between your passion and your vision.
Three really important tips to remember in order to keep growing and chase your dreams! Do you have any other cool or creative hobbies?
Maggie: I love to cook. To me it’s a form of art in itself. Picking fresh colorful ingredients, trying different spices and techniques. When I have time, I like to turn cooking into a fun event. Listening to music, sipping some wine. It’s therapeutic and such a great way to wind down after a busy day. Bonus is, it gets me away from screens for a while, which is so important. Eyes need a break too.
We have seen your amazing artwork evolve and transform over the years and we are so keen to see what more Maggie Stephenson has to offer, is there anything big and exciting on the horizon?
Maggie: So many exciting projects that are a beautiful medley of multiple collaborations and ideas. I am not at liberty to disclose them yet but very very soon!
If you could leave us with a fun fact, favourite quote or advice, what would it be?
Maggie: Fun fact: When I was a child I wanted to be a cardiologist. The only problem was I didn’t like school and I faint when I see blood.
As far as advice, just keep going and don’t let anything distract you. If you believe in yourself and your goals, you can do this if you keep going!
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Easty is one of two artist that begun the journey of Always Sunday with us. The idea behind Always Sunday is to connect with artists from around the world and promote their talent by displaying them on our high quality rugs to be enjoyed by all.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ella, better know by her alter-ego "Easty", and got to know her a little better. Easty is from Sydney, NSW, Australia. She is known for her super unique dreamscapes illustrations, telling stories and expressing herself through her artwork. We were extremely stoked when Easty agreed to collab with us and create the two designs which now feature in our first collection of artist designed rugs.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
EASTY: My name’s Easty and I’m a dork with a pen.
What does a day in the life of Easty look like?
EASTY: I don’t really have much of a routine, because I find them kind of difficult to stick to. A usual day will generally include a trip to the post office, a surf, lots of art, and at least three coffees. I try to work from my home office, but the chilly weather has seen me working from the couch more than I care to admit.
We can definitely relate to working from the couch haha!
Tell us, how was your alter ego “Easty Beasty” discovered?
EASTY: So its kind of a long story, but at the time, all my friends lived in the inner west of Sydney, while I lived in the eastern suburbs. My best friend admitted one day that she’d been calling me the “beast from the east” and it was around the same time I’d started toying with this new style that would eventually develop into my Easty style today. I felt like the name kind of worked, so I coined Easty Beasty, and here we are.
We think it's a very fitting name, it definitely stands out along with your unique style!
Where did your love and passion for art and illustration come from?
EASTY: I’m not sure to be honest! I’ve just always done art in some way or another for as long as I can remember. My Nana was an incredible oil painter, but only started very late in life. I’m sure my ability came from her in a genetic reasoning, but it’s always been so innate I’m not sure I can identify and specific sources.
Who were your inspirations that led you down the path of becoming an artist?
EASTY: No one specific comes to mind, but people inspire me to keep doing what I do every day. Whenever I see anyone doing well in their craft, it always pushes me to want to do better.
So true! Seeing someone else so passionate about their craft sparks a wave of motivation. Did you find it hard to discover/create your own recognisable style? If so, what helped you?
EASTY: Finding my Easty Beasty style was actually borderline accidental. It all just came out one night when I decided to stop saying no to the ideas and just let it all happen, and refine later. In terms of evolving that style, I feel a great deal of pressure to continue to grow and develop my style, which is really difficult. It takes a lot of just showing up at your desk each day and putting in the work, hoping something will come through.
How do you get into your creative groove?
EASTY: Sometimes I actually find it suuuuper difficult. I almost have to trick myself a little bit and tell myself I’ll only do a little bit of artwork and I don’t necessarily have to finish anything. When I’m lucky, I spring out of bed with a real lightning bolt of motivation - but only when I’m lucky.
How good are those days!? How do you spark creativity when you are stuck in a rut?
EASTY: I often find that all it takes is shaking up what you consume. Read something different, explore a new topic, or take another route. I also find that listening to artists talk passionately about their craft is incredibly inspiring, in interviews, podcasts or otherwise.
What has been the most exciting project to work on so far?
EASTY: It’s just about to be announced! I can’t tell you exactly what it is just yet, but stay tuned!
Oooh super keen to hear the announcement! What are 3 things you’re most grateful for that life in this industry has afforded/allowed?
EASTY: I think I’m just really grateful that I’m able to share how I feel through my art, and being able to connect with people. Being able to work for myself is also such a privilege. It’s not lost on me that I’m doing my dream job that I had as a kid - I feel incredibly lucky.
What are 3 tips you could give young and inspiring artist out there who want to turn their creative hobby into a career?
EASTY: I don’t know if I have three solid tips to give because I’m definitely still starting out as well, but in my really small experience, I feel really confident about confidence. You have to back yourself, kind of like with a fire in your belly, and you’ve gotta just believe you’re gonna get there - you just never know how. But I’m still very much early on in the process too, so I don’t know what’s ahead. Just gotta trust your instinct and go with it, and hope for the best.
Love it! Do you have any other cool or creative hobbies?
EASTY: I surf and play guitar both very very badly. I also ride horses!
Are there any new and exciting projects on the horizon you can share with us?
EASTY: There are actually a bunch! I have to keep a few of them on the quiet for now, but I can tell you about my one-night only exhibition at the Goodspace Gallery in Chippendale on the 21st of July, featuring 35 pieces of my art.
Guys if you're around, go check it out! If you could leave us with a fun fact, favourite quote or advice, what would it be?
EASTY: Your gut knows what's up - trust it.
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