Creative Conversations – Gillian Dinh

The Marker - Gillian Dinh

Gillian Dinh started her business, The Marker by Gillian Dinh, just two years ago but she’s already amassed quite the collection of fans – myself included. She is a hand lettering artist from New South Wales who creates everything from bespoke hand-lettered names to wedding invitations and wall art. Gillian is super talented and I’m so grateful that she took part in this week’s Creative Conversation. Enjoy!

When did you first realise that you wanted to pursue a creative career?
I’ve always known I’d work in a creative industry as it’s been a passion of mine since I can remember. I’m an Artist by trade, but self-taught Designer and Letterer. I think it first clicked when I would constantly practise my signature in order to perfect it. During high school and university, I almost always re-wrote my study notes if my hand-writing appeared even the slightest bit messy, I was an absolute perfectionist when it came to that.

What artists do you admire most?
With lettering, design and murals in particular, I admire the works of Claire Foxton, Georgia Hill and Gemma O’Brien. But I’ve always been inspired by Australian Photorealistic artist, CJ Hendry since day dot. Her work encompasses so much beauty with seemingly simple hatching and scribbling techniques. It honestly blows my mind how someone can capture such intricate detail so accurately using a single medium and technique. She’s perfected her own unique style and sold an art piece to Kanye… which she presented to him in person! I mean, c’mon, she’s my idol on that achievement alone!

What is the hardest part about being an artist?
The fine line between inspiration and comparison.

What advice would you give to someone contemplating a creative career?
The creative industry is a great big world! So don’t wait. The time will never be right, and you’ll never be completely ready. I took the dive because I thought I’d much rather take risks than live my life with regrets.

What project or design that you created are you most proud of?
I’m proud of all my works, but I’d probably say my ‘All Night Dancing’ mural at The Grand Hotel, Wollongong is my favourite so far. A lot of blood, sweat and tears (literally) went into that project. The harder I work, the more rewarding the end product is. I hand-lettered the design, and due to projector failures I had to hand draw it onto the wall and then hand-painted it. I never realised how much patience and resilience I possessed until that particular project.

What are your words to live by?
Great things don’t come easy.

If you could be anywhere else in the world where would you be?
On the Amalfi Coast devouring olives, cheese, cured meats and drinking wine. Sign. Me. Up.

Follow Gillian on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

[Image credits: Alana Taylor Photography and Gillian Dinh]

The art of Paul Maguire

Paul Maguire is an artist from Sheffield in the UK. I was initially drawn to his black and white abstracts (no surprises there) but after browsing through his portfolio, his work with oil an acrylic are equally as expressive and bold. Check out some more of Paul’s art on his website and pop over to his store to grab a giclée reproduction of his beautiful work.

The art of Paul Maguire
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The art of Paul Maguire
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The art of Paul Maguire
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The art of Paul Maguire
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Instagrammer of the week #032 – Jenny Sjodin

Jenny Sjodin is an illustrator, story teller and graphic designer from Stockholm, Sweden. I really like her graphic style. The use of different textures is such a good way to add extra dimension to a piece. She recently created images for the UNHRC, depicting the lives of refugees and they are so beautifully done, so respectful and dignified. She’s definitely someone you should follow.

Follow Jenny on Instagram and while you’re there, add me too!

Instagrammer of the week #029 – Svabhu Kohli

Svabhu Kohli is a visual artist from India who creates amazingly detailed naturescapes. His multi-layered images use different textures to unify elements and it’s this ability that makes his art all the more mesmerising.

Make sure you follow Svabhu on Instagram.

A post shared by Svabhu Kohli☄ (@svabhukohli) on

A post shared by Svabhu Kohli☄ (@svabhukohli) on

A post shared by Svabhu Kohli☄ (@svabhukohli) on

A post shared by Svabhu Kohli☄ (@svabhukohli) on

(Image credit: Svabhu Kohli)

Instagrammer of the week #018 – Noel Shiveley

When I was in primary school I had ridiculously neat hand writing. I was obsessed with being neat. I borrowed the creatively titled Lettering Book (this is a more modern version) from the library to learn different typefaces and I’d spend ages making sure each letter was spot on. I was at the top of my hand lettering game as I transitioned into high school. Unfortunately I soon learned that bubble writing and swapping full stops for love hearts was frowned upon in high school. It was heartbreaking to realise that legibility was more important than creativity. Five years of scribbling notes killed my creative game and I never hand lettered again. So when I see the work of someone like Noel Shiveley I get super jealous and I ponder what could have been.

Noel is an amazing hand letterer from Colorado Springs who creates pin worthy pieces of art including those that fit into my favourite subgenre – poignant-and-inspirational-phrases-over-grand-landscapes. Follow Noel on Instagram and prepare to be wowed.

(How’s your hand lettering game? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook)

A photo posted by Noel Shiveley (@noeltheartist) on

A photo posted by Noel Shiveley (@noeltheartist) on

The Art of Maud Vantours

I am in awe of the amazingly beautiful paper work by French artist Maud Vantours. Her work is multi-layered paper cut perfection and has been used in editorials, advertising and set design for a number of luxury brands. I really like how fluid shapes become when layers are involved. It’s interesting to note the use of different coloured card stock to provide the 3D equivalent of shading.





(Image source: Maud Vantours)

The wonderful world of Elsa Mora

I was browsing through the site of an amazing artist –Elsa Mora today. I read her bio and discovered she came from less than ideal beginnings. I absolutely love the way she described her determination to create a better life for herself. She did it by using her imagination.

“I was able to imagine a better destiny. I made it happen, day after day, inside my head. I wrote that imagined world down in diaries, I drew it, I painted it, I modeled it in clay and plasticine, I sang it out loud in the bathroom, I day dreamed about it. That imaginary reality became my project, my experiment, my secret love, the only one thing that I could count on because it was all up to me. Everything else failed me but not my imagination.”

Thank you Elsa, for sharing your work with the world.

1. Inner Landscape.
2. Three levels.
3. Frida Kahlo inspired necklace.
4. Bee miniature paper sculpture.
5. Secret anatomy of a young girl.