Featured Artist: The Nonsense Maker
Welcome to the whimsical world of The Nonsense Maker, a two-woman team designing and producing delightful old-world style illustrations on everything from picturesque greeting cards to fine art prints from their little studio workshop in Brunswick.
Inspired by her personal adventures in and around the quaint laneways of Melbourne and cosy vintage bookshops, each unique illustration is a flight of fancy born straight from artist and creative entrepreneur Emily's eccentric alter-ego.
With each piece taking anywhere from 5 - 50 hours, Emily's finely-detailed illustrations are delicately hand-drawn in ink, then digitally coloured in a style inspired by old-fashioned etchings from classic books like Alice in Wonderland. Books are a ripe source of inspiration for Emily, so much so that she and Sidonie designed their market presence around the cosy and nostalgic feeling of a quirky vintage book store.
Emily isn't a print or art reproduction client as she prints everything in-house, but has purchased inkjet paper from us for many years so she is a friendly and familiar face at Image Science. You can find Emily and Sidonie selling their wonderful wares at most of the big Melbourne craft markets, so keep your peepers peeled for their stall (or follow them on Instagram for info on their next market appearance) and make sure to stop by and say hello to these lovely ladies!
Where and when did your creative proclivities begin? Have you always been an illustrator or did you start your career on another path?
I have always been interested in illustration and design, although I was originally fascinated with fashion illustration. This led me to study fashion straight out of high school, which is where I first met by business partner and fellow Nonsense Maker Sidonie!
A few years of study and a couple of internships later I decided that the fashion industry wasn’t for me. I went to live in London for 2 years which inspired me to develop the illustration style I use today.
How did you meet Sidonie, the second half of your two-woman team? What was the catalyst for your business partnership?
As I mentioned we met in fashion school when we were just 18, but we didn’t become business partners until a few years down the track. When I returned from London I decided I was going to try and do this illustration thing for real. Sidonie was studying business at the time so I asked her to help me with a few things to get started. Over time I needed more and more help, and she became more intertwined with my work, until eventually we both just knew she was as much a part of The Nonsense Maker as I was.
What does a typical day at the Nonsense Maker studio look like? Do you have routines set in place, or is it a sort of inspired chaos?
A day in the studio typically involves all the regular small business things - checking emails, making and packing orders, that kind of thing. I always try to have at least one full day of drawing too so I can create without distractions.
Having said that, this routine more often than not goes out the window when we have markets to prepare for, or little surprises/disasters/opportunities pop up, and the chaos takes over!
How do you manage when creative block comes a-knocking? Do you have any rituals or tricks that helps you push through to the other side?
Sometimes I spend whole days wandering around my apartment and trawling Pinterest trying to come up with ideas. I used to feel like these days were a waste of time, but I’ve now learned that this is all part of the creative process and not to beat myself up if inspiration doesn’t hit right away. I just keep at it until I get an idea.
Where do you find inspiration for your whimsical illustrations? Do all the characters you create have their own stories and personalities?
I take a lot of inspiration from the world around me and what is happening in my life at that moment. My illustration style is also very inspired by the whimsical illustrations in old-world storybooks, like Alice in Wonderland.
All of my art prints do have a story behind them. When I’ve finished each piece Sidonie and I sit down and I share with her the emotions and inspirations behind the artwork. She then turns my words into a little poem which we include with every art print for our customers to enjoy.
Here’s a question for the business-savvy member of your team – what marketing and promotional techniques have you found most effective for success in selling your artworks?
Over the years we have tried loads of different marketing techniques – paid advertising, press releases, SEO, you name it! None of these have ever worked quite as well as doing markets and sharing our story in person. We have learned that showing we are a small two woman team helps our customers connect with us.
We take a similar approach to our social media. We often post videos of ourselves being silly in the studio so our followers can see the real people behind the brand.
How do you create a truly positive and memorable experience for visitors to your shop that helps you stand out in a crowded market? What makes the Nonsense Maker unique?
We have created our market space to have a warm and inviting vintage bookshop feel, which we think is quite unique! My illustration style is heavily inspired by vintage storybooks so it felt like an obvious choice. Luckily we love what we do so you can also be sure we will be smiling when you visit our stand.
Tell us a bit about your creative process and how you approach each new artwork. What are your favourite tools and drawing implements you always find yourself reaching for?
My creative process really depends on the piece. Some drawings reflect my mindset at the time, for example The Lighthouse was drawn during lockdown and is very much a reflection of the isolation I was feeling then. Other pieces are inspired by my everyday life, or a certain aesthetic I was into at that moment. These ideas usually sit in my head for a while, slowly forming, until I have a chance to sit down and play with it.
What do you believe has been your biggest challenge since starting your creative business? Are there some things you wish you’d known when you started working as a full-time illustrator?
There hasn’t been one big challenge so much as hundreds of constant smaller challenges. One thing I have learned is that things don’t always go where I expect them to. When I started out I never imagined greeting cards would be such a huge part of the business, but our customers loved them so much that we decided to lean into it.
These days we are quite good at adapting our business to go with what is working. Had I known from the beginning how necessary that is I wouldn’t have been so hard on myself when things didn’t work out, and let go of failed projects more easily.
What makes you the most proud of The Nonsense Maker? Are there any lofty goals or milestones you hope to reach in your career as an artist?
Sidonie and I are both SO proud of our little business and how far we’ve come. Being able to financially support ourselves by doing what we love is a huge achievement and we feel very lucky to have made it to this stage.
One day we hope to expand overseas and make The Nonsense Maker an international brand. As an illustrator I’d love to collaborate with another artist on a joint project one day.
What’s next in store for the Nonsense Maker? Are there any important markets, projects or product releases looming in the near future?
2023 is shaping up to be our biggest year of markets ever! You can find us at The Finders Keepers Market and The Big Design Market later in the year, and no doubt a bunch of smaller local markets too.
As always we have new cards being released, and our 2024 calendar too. One project we are excited about is a limited re-release of the Alice Cards series, which we are printing on some awesome rounded-edge photo cards we got from Image Science a while back - watch this space!
To stay updated on artist news, markets and new product releases, follow the The Nonsense Maker on Instagram at @thenonsensemaker. For all other enquiries and to shop their wide range of prints and products, head to their website at www.thenonsensemaker.com.au.
