Meet the Designer: Interview with HG Designer Beth Logan

Meet the Designer: Interview with HG Designer Beth Logan

Beth has a new line: Buttercup Babies being released in March.
Check back soon for a Sneak Peak of her new line.
Be sure to leave a Comment on our Blog by Monday, March 12th for a free Fabric Giveaway!

HG: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Beth:
Oh boy – I get inspiration from just about everything around me. It’s hard not to. I think most creative people are like that, we’re just sponges!

I really notice this when I draw and paint characters they turn out looking strangely familiar. When I draw moose or bears, their faces often remind me of my dog (seriously!) and my bunnies seem to have the same little expressions as the baby squirrels I care for at the Wildlife Center where I volunteer!

HG: How long have you been designing?

Beth:
Well, let’s see... I’ve been drawing pretty much nonstop since I could first hold a crayon. My patient and supportive parents learned when I was just a toddler that if they wanted to keep end-papers of books, or even the white walls in our home clean, they needed to keep me stocked with paper to draw on – and they continued to do so until they sent me off to art school.

I quit my last “real job” in 1992 (I was the human version of a paint-matching computer for a small home-decor store!) and have been designing full-time ever since. I stumbled into Art Licensing very much by accident, and for the first several years supplemented that with decorative painting in people’s homes – murals, borders, and decorative treatments – and doing graphic design – logos, business cards, and such.

Then 12 years ago I narrowed my focus to just Licensing and haven’t looked back! It’s a kick for me to see my art on different products, I never lose that Christmas morning excitement when I get to see something new for the first time; I literally squeal (often scaring the animals) when my fabric samples arrive. I can’t imagine a more fun way to share my art with folks; I’m truly blessed to be able to do this!

HG: Can you give us a sneak peek into your studio (or where you work) just a pic or two.

Beth:
My studio is a tiny room in our tiny home. I draw and paint at my big desk, and spend a lot of time here at the computer. And during those few rare warm, dry days we get in the summertime in Seattle, I’ll move everything possible to the back yard and work out there.

HG: Where did you grow up and where is your home town now?

Beth:
I have lived in Seattle for almost 30 years, and have been in this teeny little house for 24 of those! I grew up just a ferry-ride away from here. I came across the Puget Sound to “the big city” (well, around here it’s that!) to attend Cornish College of the Arts, and never left. I have a real love-affair with Western Washington and the Pacific Northwest and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

HG: Pets or children??? Or both??

Beth:
We have a “furry family”. These days that’s our sweet rescue-dog, Molly, and our cat, the Fabulous Miss Flossie. Some of you might recognize Flossie from past fabric collections –she’s the model and inspiration behind Love To Craft and The Cat’s Meow. Flossie even has her own blog. She’s kind of a ham and loves the attention. Molly tends to be a little more private though. She’s a goofball around other dogs but is very shy around people and actually runs away when she sees a camera!

HG: Favorite hobbies or vacation spot??

Beth:
Aside from drawing, painting, and making stuff, my favorite thing is to work in the garden. I suppose that falls under the category of “making stuff” too! For me, there’s nothing like the satisfaction of getting out there and playing with dirt and rocks, nurturing tiny seeds and seedlings that become plants, flowers and vegetables that I can enjoy and share. I also really love cooking (I used to do it for a living!) and that’s even more fun when I’ve grown the ingredients myself!

Aside from my own backyard (I know, how corny is that?!) my favorite spot on the face of the earth is my family’s funky little cabin on the Washington coast, just a couple hours from my home in Seattle. I am a beach nut - I love the ocean and can’t imagine not living near it. Just writing this makes me want to pack up the animals and drive out there right now and dip my toes in the surf (and I’m writing this in cold February!).

HG: What Medium do you create with??

Beth:
Although all my art ends up as digital files that I manipulate in Photoshop, I start by drawing and painting everything by hand, mostly with watercolor paints and colored pencils.


For More information on Beth Logan Check out:

Website: http://www.artstuffltd.com/
Blog: http://www.artstuff.typepad.com/