Michelle Turton, a floral and geometric enthusiast and illustrator, creates work in the UK. Bright, colourful artwork of famous people we love. Her clean, pop style has seen her work rise in popularity and we can’t wait to see more of her amazing work.
Hey! Please introduce yourself and what you do!
I’m Michelle Turton a freelance illustrator based in Birmingham, UK. I specialise in portrait, travel and lifestyle illustration.
Tell me a little bit about your current project.
I’m currently working on some private commissions and editorial pieces.
What are the pros and cons you find daily about your practice?
I love what I do, I work from a home studio so there’s no nasty commute and to a certain extent I can determine my working hours. The biggest pro is that I have a good work/life balance. I love being around people and being freelance can be quite isolating so I may look to get a studio space in the future.
When is the best time to work to get those creative juices going?
I’m best in the afternoon between 12pm and 8pm.
What is it about your practice that you find so exciting and keeps you hooked?
The variation, I currently divide my time between freelance illustration, creative workshops and digital marketing so no two days are the same. In addition there’s always something new to learn, a new way of approaching a project, a new skill or technique to try. It never gets old.
You print with us here at theprintspace, what is your go to paper of choice?
It’s got to be the Hahnemühle German Etching 310gsm heavyweight etching board. I love it.
What do you like the most about using this paper?
It’s just like a really thick watercolour paper. The ink saturates into it and looks as though it’s been painted directly onto the paper, I’ve even had people mistake prints for originals.
If you could experiment with any other medium, what would you choose?
All of them, there’s too many to choice from. I love oils, watercolours and inks but would love to do more with aerosols and spray cans for large scale work. I’ve always enjoyed Chicha poster artwork from Peru so would love to get involved with that.
Where do you get your daily inspiration?
Books, music, films, interviews and YouTube namely for The Infinite Monkey Cage and Joe Rogan podcasts.
What makes you wake up each morning feeling pumped to create some new work?
The same as above. Exercise and meditation. I meditate each morning for ten minutes which really helps keep your focus and balance. I can’t recommend it enough!
Are there any artists/photographers/writers/filmmakers or musicians where you have in mind when looking at creating new works?
I’ve always liked Dave McKean and Gerald Scarfe, I admire them greatly but am not sure they’re a direct influence on my work. I also love Canada the duo of directors and creative production company, their aesthetic is ridiculously good but I’m not sure they’re ‘in mind’ when I create my own artwork.
What are you currently working on that you just can’t get enough of?
Floral and geometric patterns, I’m obsessed.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to make a career out of your given practice?
It’s not easy and can be pretty scary at times but work hard, have faith and be kind to people.
What’s next for you?
I’m actually off to Lisbon for the Nos Alive Music Festival and then in August I’m going to Peru for one month to visit family and hopefully I’ll catch up with Chicha artist Elliot Tupac http://www.elliottupac.com
You’ve been a user of thehub for a while now, what paper do you use when you sell your prints?
I’ve just started looking into this and would definitely continue to print on the Hahnemühle German Etching paper.
Website:www.michelleturton.com
Instagram:@michelleturton
Twitter:@michelleturton
