Saara Katariina Söderlund described herself as “a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and bird lady from Finland.” Focused mainly on birds, her gouache paintings are inspired by things she sees through the window as well as things she daydreams about.
“Birds are so fascinating,” she exclaimed in an interview with Flow Magazine. “There are so many different species, and the spectrum of colors, shapes, patterns, and sounds seems endless. I also find age-old mythologies behind birds interesting. In so many cultures they have been used as an explanation for countless questions.”
“One of the best things about the illustration process is doing research for projects,” she adds. “It’s so much fun to read up on a potentially completely unknown subject and figure out how to make it work as an illustration.”
Living in the countryside, where she shares a space with her husband and two dogs, she spends her free time embroidering or running around with her binoculars and watching birds. “I love birdwatching, especially in spring when the migrating species arrive back to Finland,” she admits. “My favorite place to watch them is by the water, so I guess that’s why aquatic birds are the most dear to me, but actually I love all birds. I’m definitely a bird lady.”
Follow her work on Instagram.
