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Angie Rehe is our featured artist for March and we are very privileged to have her beautiful fashion illustrations in our office for the coming months! After years of working as a designer with the Australian Fashion Industry, Angie pursued her love for illustration and now works as a successful freelance illustrator, as well as running her own boutique fashion illustration classes.
Angie is currently exhibiting a body of works as part of the Melbourne Fashion Festival. The Art of Fashion incorporates stunning illustrations from garments within Le Louvre’s collection and is open from February 17th until March 12th at Le Louvre Boutique in South Yarra.
The illustrations are also available as limited edition prints, which are printed on the beautiful Museo Portfolio Rag. This paper is perfect to use with illustrative work as it closely resembles the smooth matte cotton rag papers often used when creating the original pieces.
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You can keep up to date with Angie on Instagram, Facebook and via her website listed above. Thanks for being our featured artist for March Angie!
Education and background:
I moved to Melbourne from a small country town at just 16 to do a year
of fine art at TAFE then studied fashion design at RMIT. I didn’t know
it at the time but that year at TAFE taught me lifelong valuable art
skills that continue to shape my work. I worked for a long time as a
designer, for various brands including my own. I was always very
art-focused though and loved to draw, taking on occasional freelance
projects while I worked full time.
Over the years it became increasingly obvious to me that I was bored with the Australian fashion industry and wanted to draw, so several years ago when the GFC hit and I found myself not being able to think of anyone I wanted to work for, I decided that was “it” and leapt into the unknown realm of freelancing as an illustrator.
Where are you based?
I live in Northcote and have my studio in my house – this is something I
love and have always done. I work crazy hours according to deadlines
and it’s great being able to just take a short walk and roll into bed
when I’m done.
How long have you been a visual artist for?
I’ve been a full-time visual artist for about 7 years, but have been drawing for a long time “on the side”.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement to date?
As a big-picture type of thing, I consider my biggest achievement to
have been taking the leap from well-paid full-time design jobs to the
great unknown of freelancing in a field I wasn’t really known in. A lot
of people thought I was crazy so I had to keep reminding myself that
life is too short not to do exactly what you want to do.
On a smaller scale, when I first had some of my illustrations printed in Elle fashion magazine, that was a major high five moment!
What are your creative influences?
Artists such as Egon Shiele and Brett Whiteley, illustrators such as
Rene Gruau, Antonio Lopez, Bil Donovan, David Downton, and many
photographers who create incredible moods in their images.
What are your favourite tools of the trade?
I love black ink and brush work – permanent ink that I can layer
watercolour washes over. I am constantly on the search for the perfect
brushes, and the perfect black pencil…Still looking. I’m also very
partial to gouache – a medium I used to loath!
How has being able to create edition prints from your originals been influential to your business?
Having a collection of edition prints shows that your images have value,
and gives people the chance to own an affordable piece of your work.
The quality is so brilliant that many people think they’re original
works, which always amuses me.
Tell us a little about your upcoming exhibition.
The idea came about spontaneously then turned into a real “thing” that
was listed on this year’s VAMFF (fashion festival) Cultural Program.
Last year I produced a series of illustrations for Le Louvre boutique in
Melbourne, and it was so enjoyable due to their love and respect of
artists, I thought why not produce a body of work based on the beautiful
garments in their store, and exhibit them in the boutique?
The work is displayed informally around the store and there is a set of my edition prints to purchase or order, including 2 massive framed prints that will now remain permanently on their walls.
What’s next?
Now that the exhibition is done it’s back to client work that has been
on hold. I also run my own boutique-style fashion illustration classes (www.thedrawingsalon.com), and the new term of classes begins next week, so I am busy!
Fine art reproduction prints are a great way of extending the reach of your art work.
We'd love to help you get started.
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Art Reproduction- Jeff R -Thanks for the profiles. I knew there would be a difference because everything I've read said there would be, but I guess seeing is believing. Even though I expected a difference I'm astonished at the difference in output quality - well worth the expense.