HATTIE STEWART: THE PROFESSIONAL DOODLE-BOMBER

We had a chat with Hattie Stewart the professional ‘Doodle-Bomber’ about her work  and Lacoste L!VE project.

When did you first discover your creative talents?
I don’t believe I ever thought of myself as talented, I just loved to draw from a young age and over the years it changed, developed and grew.  My mama can truly be credited with pushing me down the illustration route however as at one point I was indulging in the idea of studying Graphic Design or Fashion Design, photography, but she reminded me that my real passion was to draw.  I realised also at that time my illustration didn’t have to be restricted and I could play in these fields and use these platforms but no matter what the crux of it all is that I would always be drawn back to pen and paper.

How did you get the idea to start reworking magazine covers? 
It was in 2011 when I worked part time in a bar. I saw a picture of Lily Allen on the wall and started to draw on it and it went from there. When I first began doing the covers a couple of years back it became a play on the photo bombing term. Invading someone else’s space in a but tongue in cheek way – adapting what I saw around me into my own world and vision.

Is there a particular magazine that you find works best for your cover reinterpretations?
There isn’t a particular magazine that works best, it’s really dependant on who is on the cover (Miley is basically a human charicature so always fun to draw on), then the layout (head shots are always a lot better to play on), and then my mood I guess.  Covers I think would be great canvas’ turn out rather bland or unfocused and then others I thought would be difficult turn out the strongest. Considering all of this I just never have a plan.

What inspires you to keep going and how do you keep yourself motivated?
Working from home can either be a motivational challenge or a challenge of not knowing when to stop, step back and have some down time. I feel it’s best to take a day or two off to focus on personal projects or get out of the house! I work from home and whatever my mood is and whatever the project requires dictates how I work. Sometimes I work on the floor, sometimes my desk, sometimes in silence and sometimes whilst watching documentaries and TV series. I love watching documentaries based on any genre or character as I think the journey is more inspiring than the final outcome. Trying to understand someones own experience helps me to define my own.

How would you describe your style?
Suggestive and tongue in cheek in nature with playful undertones.

Who and what are your main influences?
My friends and peers. I also love Kate Moross, she knows what she can do and the skills she has and to me she understands opportunities are limitless, you find them yourself and you build. I also love the work of Quentin Jones. She has such a unique and commanding style and seems to me to have a very direct vision and understanding of her work which I greatly admire.

What soundtrack do you like to work to?
My housemate found this radio station on iTunes called Jammin 105 I listen to a lot. They are based in New Jersey and play loads of classic funk and soul. I also love to listen to Greatest Hits albums – just recently had Tina Turner on repeat.

What artwork do you most identify with?
I think the piece that has resonated with me the most over the years is Pauline Boty’s My Colouring Book, 1963.  The piece to me is stunning and heartfelt. She connects the written word to symbolic imagery into a piece that is incredibly honest and expresses raw emotion with deliberate intent that doesn’t exclude you, it makes you feel those emotions yourself where it becomes a personal piece to the viewer also. The bottom middle of the piece that shows a cold yet calm room accompanied with the words this is the room I sleep in and walk in and weep in and hide in that nobody sees….colour it lonely please is something so beautiful to me it resonates deeply.

Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
In some ways yes, but I think the word ‘ lonely’ isn’t the right word to describe it – If you are self-employed, working from home you have to enjoy a certain amount of solitude and your own company. All in all it’s about creating and trying to maintain a life work balance and figuring out what works best for you both in your professional and personal practice. I’m gonna end with a quote from almost famous here “I always tell the girls, never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you always have fun and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.”

What do you dislike about the art world?
Pretension I guess but this can come in any field. I generally try not to focus on the things I dislike and instead focus my energies on the things I do.

What artist or artists inspired you?
Everything and my friends of course. I try to take inspiration from anywhere I can. I actually have an inspiration blog superhattiehattie.tumblr.com that shows exactly what inspires me and what I love.

How did the project with Lacoste L!VE come about?
They contacted me a while ago about its #NewPerspective campaign, which I saw as a natural fit with my work. The idea of my drawing on covers and re-examine their purpose, I feel lent itself in a really interesting way to the idea of having a ‘new perspective’ on what you see around you.  I like the idea of encouraging everybody to use their imagination to find new perspectives on familiar people and places, capturing their everyday from a different angle.  I loved working with them and hope we get to collaborate more in the future.

If you could choose a dream commission what would it be?
Working with Beyoncé.