Where are you located:
Lafayette, LA
What do you make:
Books, Art, & Design
Part time or full:
Full-time artist, but also a part-time professor and occasional art teacher!
3 words that summarize your work:
Art, Stories, Magic
A typical day in your life:
Get dressed, get coffee, get to work — which is my home office/studio, so a short commute. Make a daily list (with check boxes because I feel so accomplished when check things off!) Work on the most creative tasks first because my brain is best in the morning and afternoons get crazy! Evenings on the sofa with a sketchbook or a good novel and my dog at my feet and a cup of tea are how I love to end my day!
Your favorite color:
Baby poop green and hot pink
Best compliment you ever received:
“My friend Maurice would have loved looking through your sketchbook.” — Author/Illustrator, William Joyce, referring to his friend and famous children’s author/illustrator Maurice Sendak!!!!
Favorite place on earth:
New York City
What inspires you & your work:
Attending musical performances or museums brings me to a place that I can’t describe. While there, ideas just flow — circling around my head, begging for attention. Stories of powerful mythological women and magical beasts appear like mirages ready to leap onto the pages of my waiting sketchbook.
Dream gig:
My dream is to work on a musical production based on one of my books. Most of my stories revolve around music and I’d love to help design sets and costumes and see my ideas come to life!
The best part of what you do:
Illustration is where my heart lives. I’m happiest when I’m drawing!
The most challenging part of what you do:
Marketing myself is what comes least naturally to me. Luckily I worked at an ad agency for a while and soaked up a little bit of knowledge there. Even though I enjoy talking with people, selling myself is definitely out of my comfort zone.
Where can we buy from you?
Life Designed in Louisiana Gallery has prints available or I can be reached for commissions or collaborations at denise@denisegallagher.com
