Featured Artist: Laura Holley of Lawz Drawz

When Coburg artist Laura Holley first painted a local pub as a thoughtful handmade gift for a friend, she didn't dream it would turn into the thriving creative business it is today.  Today, Laura's illustrations of Melbourne's most iconic and beloved pubs and buildings are stocked in a number of hand-curated designer retailers across Melbourne, her artworks have been reproduced on everything from jigsaw puzzles to chocolate packaging, and her time is now almost exclusively dedicated to commission work.

Trendy bars may come and go, but pubs are woven as tightly into Melbourne's cultural iconography as trams and laneway cafes, historical landmarks each with their own unique characters drawn from decades of being a focal point for the surrounding community.  With the strong emotional ties we create to these beloved meeting places, it's no surprise that Laura's illustrations are so explosively popular.  It's fitting that her artworks have become a part of the local landscape in their own right - her illustrations can also be viewed around the Coburg and Brunswick areas as large scale murals and even wrapped around public bins due to some recent community projects.

Read on as we interview her about her upcoming projects and the ins and outs of life as a busy mum of two with a thriving creative practise.

Tell us about your journey towards becoming a practicing illustrator. Are you self-taught, or do you have formal training in the creative arts?

I studied Fine Art (Printmaking) straight after school, but dropped out after first year, and went on to study photography. I had a great career in events, but it was all consuming and I couldn’t see myself doing it forever. In terms of drawing, I’m definitely self-taught. I always loved making funny cards and creating things for friends, but never realised it could actually be a job!

Has your upbringing or cultural background influenced you creatively?

My mum is an artist, so I grew up in a house full of art materials. She was very encouraging in all of my pursuits, probably none more so than when I decided to sell my own artwork. She did all of the research into printing for me, and even put me on to Image Science!

What draws you to illustrate the iconic venues and buildings around inner-city Melbourne?

I started drawing my friends favourite pubs, cafes and homes for their birthdays around 10 years ago. For me it was no big deal – I just thought of something I could draw that held some significance to them, but their reactions were so amazing, it’s what really made me want to keep doing it. Seeing this from my friends, I knew that other people might also get a kick out of having their local pub on their wall.

You must have accumulated a wealth of historical knowledge about Melbourne’s most iconic buildings and their histories. Are there any pubs, venues or places that are especially interesting or close to your heart?

I’ve always lived around the inner north, so that’s where the majority of my work comes from. Sometimes I go down a rabbit hole looking for images online if I’ve missed something in a photo or it’s not clear on Google Maps. When The Woodlands in Coburg was commissioned a couple of years ago I was amazed to discover that it had its own racetrack back in the day!

I was recently lucky enough to work on a series of illustrations for the MIFF film, The Lost City of Melbourne. The film tells of Melbourne’s desire to become a modern city in the 1950s, which resulted in the destruction of many grand buildings. Close to home, two beautiful theatres have been replaced by ugly supermarkets on Sydney Road and I just can’t look at them the same way anymore.

As a small creative business owner, I imagine that connecting with people within the community has become a fundamental part of your practice. What has been your most rewarding experience as an illustrator?

I hadn’t done many markets prior to Covid, but I’m really enjoying them now - with a stack booked in the lead up to Christmas. Having such a unique subject matter encourages great conversations. People love to chat about their connections with the venues, and there are some pubs that get a laugh every time.

What have been some challenges you’ve faced running your own illustrative business? Is there anything you wish you had known when you first started?

I find running my own business a lot less stressful than working for someone else. I learned a long time ago not to be a perfectionist, which I feel helps a lot. The biggest challenge for me is finding enough hours in the day. I work hard and fast because that’s what you have to do with little kids banging on the door. I now outsource bookkeeping, design and have an assistant who helps with general admin, website and social media, which is a great.

What would be your dream creative project or collaboration?

To see my artwork on a tram or a beer can… or lots and lots of things! I’ve got a whole list of dream clients…

As a busy mum and freelance illustrator, every day must look totally different to the next. Do you have any rituals or routines to help you manage your time or get into the creative flow?

The kids are still little, so I’m very reliant on daycare. I generally plan my tasks the evening before a work day, estimating how long each task will take and schedule my time around this. I even try to download all my podcasts the night before so I don’t waste time searching for them. I always have a few projects on the go, so I like to tackle the tricky bits in the morning while I have the most energy, and do the easy bits like colouring, printing or admin after lunch.

Developing your practice into a thriving business can be a sticking point for a lot of aspiring artists, but you’ve managed this within the relatively short time span of a few years. To what do you attribute your success?

I quietly launched my business in 2017 while I was still at my day job, about a year before my son was born. I knew that I never wanted to go back to a traditional workplace so I was incredibly driven to create a steady income. I worked around nap times and nights/early mornings and trapped under a sleeping baby – just another perk of the iPad. My daughter arrived one month into Covid and that’s when things really ramped up. My planned maternity leave was put on hold thanks to everyone being stuck at home staring at bare walls, dreaming of going to the pub. That’s when Places of Brunswick and Coburg artworks were created and turned into puzzles. Looking back, this was such a massive undertaking with a newborn. The artworks themselves take around 50 hours, then I had to source suppliers, samples, packaging etc. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I still pinch myself when I think that people pay me to draw pictures – it really doesn’t get much better than that!