We’re honoured to have benefited from her unique vision, and grateful that she so enthusiastically accepted to answer a few questions about herself, her art and her inspirations.
How would you describe yourself, as a person or an artist?
My name is Amélie Lehoux, I’m a graphic designer and illustrator from Montreal. I enjoy experimenting with collage, traditional mediums and digital tools. The interplay between shapes, colours and textures is at the heart of my work.
What drew you and/or led you to illustration and graphic design?
I’ve always been passionate about art and design. I spent most of my childhood drawing. My father is an industrial designer who mainly works from home, so I sort of grew up around design work. After obtaining a diploma of college studies and a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from, respectively, the Cégep du Vieux Montréal and Université du Québec à Montréal, I started working as a freelancer.
Can you tell us about your creative process? How do you get started on a new project or overcome a creative block?
I keep a sketch book and consult it when I’m looking for ideas. When I find a sketch or an idea that I like, I experiment with traditional mediums like collage, paint and ink, and then I work on it further digitally. When I experience a creative block, I try to take a step back and get out of my own head by doing other things, like going for a walk, reading or cooking. Ideas often end up coming to me that way.
What do you like to draw inspiration from? For example, what are some of the things that inspired the work you did in collaboration with BonLook?
I try to gather inspiration everywhere, particularly from music, movies, fashion and poetry. For BonLook’s website, I wanted to create bold illustrations with an intentional simplicity, reminiscent of the eyewear’s elegant minimalism. I played with contrasts in terms of colours, compositions and textures. To create the Pride Month displays, I drew inspiration from the 70s to create warm and welcoming illustrations.
* Take a look at our About us and Where to start pages!
Who are your favourite illustrators these days? Do you have any IG accounts to recommend?
There are so many! Here are some of the illustrators/artists/photographers whose work I love:
Charlotte Ager
Carlota Guerrero
Kenesha Sneed
Erin O’Keefe
Sophy Hollington
After a year of lockdown, did you notice changes in your approach to creating art or choosing projects?
The last year made me understand the importance of making time for myself and to slow down. As a freelancer, the dividing line between my work hours and free time is often blurry. I tend to work on several projects at once and to use my free time to reflect on future projects. I am gradually learning to set boundaries and allow myself some distance.
What does a day in the life of an illustrator look like?
I don’t really have a typical schedule. I work during the day and the evening in equal parts. What I love about being a freelancer is to be able to build my schedule any way I want. I split my time between creating, managing my business and managing my online shop.
Check out Amélie’s work via her Instagram or all over BonLook.ca!
