Avril Kelly

Bonjour, Avril Kelly! Dublin-based illustrator Avril has been drawing since she could hold a pencil, and loves reading, visiting museums, having picnics in the park and drinking tea. Oh, and she’s ‘a little bit quirky’. Read on to find out more…

Tell us a little about yourself…
I am an illustrator based in Dublin and moving to UK very shortly. I’ve just finished a four year graphic design course where I discovered my love for illustration. I have a particular soft spot for combining different elements like collage, textures and patterns together.

What are your inspirations?
I take inspiration from the people around me , the places I’ve visited and the things that interest me such as books, music, old records, vintage postcards, nature and anything else wonderful you can think of.

What’s your favourite piece of work you’ve produced?
I think my favourite piece would have to be a book I designed called ‘A Selection of Lear’s Quirkiest Limericks’. It was my final year project so I decided to design and illustrate something fun and amusing. I chose some of my favourite limericks by Edward Lear. They were first illustrated in the 19th century and was customary at that time for limericks to be accompanied by an absurd black and white illustration so I reckon it was time for an updated colourful version. I illustrated my limericks using lots of colour, pattern and collage to create a more fun, contemporary look and this has been my favourite overall project so far.

Who’s your favourite ‘creative’ in your chosen field?
Liselotte Watkins was one of the first illustrators I researched in college and I really liked her portraits that were really graphic and beautiful. She also uses a lot of pattern which I like using myself so her work really appealed to me. Lauren Child’s childrens’ books are really something amazing and Beatrix Potter is an illustrator I’ve loved since I was young. So hard to choose just one, there are so many wonderful creatives out there that are so inspiring to me.