Holy moly, I'm SO excited to welcome you to the whimsical world of Cheryl Orsini. We've teamed up with Cheryl, an incredibly talented Sydney illustrator, to bring you a "migh-tea" gorgeous bunch of goodies.
Cheryl's dainty, pretty and oh so intricate illustrations have come to life in our new enamel pins and fabulous hand fans. Did someone say teacups and finger buns?! My nostalgic heart is bursting at the seams! I have a sneaking suspicion you'll love these as much as we do.
Let's go and have a chit chat with Cheryl...
RO: So Cheryl, tell us a little bit about yourself?
CO: Well, I’m an illustrator and picture books are my true joy. I’m pleased as punch to have illustrated over 60 books and counting, working with some of Australia’s best publishers. I also paint a great many peg dolls, portraits, murals, maps and just about every item in my pantry.
I long to be thought of as ‘controversial and edgy’ but I’m more often described as a good egg with a frightfully keen eye for a straight line.
RO: Wowzers, 60 books! That's impressive. We are so thrilled for this collaboration - moving from books into products. Which product are you most excited to see?
CO: I'm in love with the little picnic basket pin, I’m totally obsessed with miniatures. I love nothing better than dabbling with modelling clay and making tiny things - some would call it procrastination, I call it research.
RO: So where do you find your inspiration for all your gorgeous illustrations?
CO: Lately I’ve been inspired by the most ordinary things. Lockdown taught us a lot about making the most of what we have to hand. In my case it was the contents of my pantry. On a recent trip to New York I took some fantastic photos of supermarket shelves and the wonders that they hold.
RO: Do you ever struggle with finding that inspiration and igniting that creativity? And if so, how did you get that spark back?
CO: Argh, all the time. It’s a solitary pursuit to illustrate all day and it certainly can be hard to focus up and get the job done. I do three things, in no particular order:
Dance it out - something jazzy will do the job.
Model it out - bust out the clay / peg dolls and get to making miniatures.
Walk it out - with a notebook and a couple of coloured pencils.
RO: You've worked on A LOT of wonderful projects. We won't ask which one was your favourite, but do you have any fun stories that you can share with us about your collaborations and creative process?
CO: I don’t know if it’s funny but it’s quite peculiar that as a picture book illustrator you may not meet or even talk to the author. In one case, I had illustrated six books with an author before we had our first phone conversation.
RO: Lastly Cheryl, tell us something we’d never guess about you?
CO: I have one hand that is significantly smaller than the other - like a clock!
Thanks so much Cheryl for having a little chat with us! We've absolutely LOVED getting to know you a little better and collaborating to create these gorgeous new goodies.
YOU CAN CONNECT WITH CHERYL HERE:
Website - cherylorsini.com
Instagram - @cherylorsini