In the cheerfully colourful illustrations by Laura Callaghan, sumptuous patterns are placed edge to edge with one another. This creates a rich look thick with details to pour over.
When Laura creates her work, she really gives her viewers a treat. Every inch is full of bright, decorative elements, from the counter top of a diner to an unassuming vase or curtain in the background.
In a rewarding way, her illustrations are ‘heavy reading’ in a sense, with plenty to take in and take your time with.
As much as we like the scenery, we also really enjoy the characters taking their place there. As she describes below, Laura is very interested in narrative, and it’s something she adds well in the subtle detailing of the images.
She talks about this as well as other ways she is currently experimenting with visual story telling.
I’m an Irish illustrator currently based in South East London. My work is largely hand painted using watercolour, indian ink and isograph pen, and depicts fearless women in colourful environments— images that are ostensibly bright and beautiful but that cultivate some sense of mystery or unease.
I try to create entire worlds within an image, filling the page with minute detail, narrative clues and objects which invite the viewer to create their own story for the characters depicted.
I’ve undertaken work for clients such as Office shoes, Urban Outfitters, Zizzi, The Times, The Lifted Brow and the Sunday Telegraph, though at the moment I’m concentrating on personal work, particularly exploring panelled narratives and branching out into short comics.
© Laura Callaghan, 2014
