Artist, illustrator, author, and crafter Susie Ghahremani describes herself as a “hermit with wanderlust”. Born and raised in Chicago, she’s currently based in San Diego, California, where she happily spends her time painting, drawing, crafting and tending to her pet finches and cat. She also runs an online Etsy store, where she sells handmade and functional objects featuring her original artwork as well as original paper goodies.
A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, her illustrations combine her love of nature, animals, music, and patterns. “The evolution to my particular style came in trusting what I’d do naturally, rather than forcing it to be something conventional,” she relayed in an interview with Culture Crux. “Using colors I like rather than the ones that are realistic. I think I’m always refining my work and style as well, so it’s an ongoing evolution.”
In addition to illustrating for commercial and editorial clients, she has illustrated children’s books and has been awarded and recognized by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), American Illustration, the Society of Illustrators New York, and the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles.
And when it comes to her creative process, Ghahremani admits that it varies depending on the work itself. “Sometimes I have a little sketch in my sketchbook that is the perfect fit for a painting, so I’ll just jump right into the foreground and fill in the background as I work,” she says. “Other times, very precise sketches are completed and I transfer them in chalk to wood to paint compositionally. Other times, I’m just winging it as I work, beginning with a background. I primarily paint in gouache on wood. Yes, all those complicated little patterns are hand-painted one by one.”
Take a look at some of her playful creations: