Quizzing the Creatives: Hattie Newman
Inspiration can come from pretty much anywhere, but when I have a little bit of time I love to dip into my Google reader and admire the latest posts on some of my favourite blogs. Creatives from all the over the world and covering a spectrum of fields are all just a click away, and are amazing sources of inspiration.
Each month I am going to be 'quizzing' inspiring creative people, finding out more about how they live, work and play, and where they find their inspiration. Hattie Newman, a talented London-based set designer, agreed to be the first featured creative, so let's hand it over to her.
How does a typical work day pan out for you? I cycle to my studio in Stoke Newington, East London at about 9am. I usually spend the day cutting, gluing and painting or at my desk emailing, researching and planning. All the while I'll be drinking pots of tea and eating too many biscuits. Every so often I spend the day with a photographer, photographing my work which is always a pleasure. If it's sunny I have a picnic lunch in Clissold Park with a friend or an assistant. I leave the studio about 6pm unless I'm really busy, in which I case I will probably stay later.
Where do you turn to for inspiration? I'm constantly drawing and collaging in my sketchbook. I love sticking in interesting things that I find which might trigger an idea later on. I'm always inspired by London and my studio which I share with four brilliant Creatives. The TV programmes I watched growing up have definitely had an influence on how I see the world – especially The Muppets, Postman Pat and The Clangers.
What has been your most interesting project to date?
Probably the Fedrigoni Mountain Project – I made them a couple of years ago now but it was brilliant to collaborate with a paper company… I literally had mountains of paper to play with! They invited me to create an installation to show off their range of papers in their London showroom. Fedrigoni's Paper Mill is located near Verona, Italy, and surrounded by the Dolomite Mountains. This inspired me to make a mountain range, around which I built little paper scenes like a mountain village, monster footprints, and a crashed aeroplane. It took me about 3 weeks with the help of graphic designer Alex Ostrowski. We named each mountain peak after the names of the white papers and twelve intrepid illustrators were invited to visualise an imaginary exploration of the paper slopes, resulting in an exhibition of their discoveries. It was probably the longest I'd ever worked on a single project and the results were worth all the hard work!
The ultimate song to work to? I usually work to the radio or a podcast but when I need an energy boost in the afternoon I've been known to play the Trololo song by Eduard Khil. It makes me laugh every time.
Best part about what you do? I get to make a mess and nobody tells me off for it!
What would be your dream creative project? I'm originally from the Devonshire countryside – when I was growing up I would dream of living in a metropolis, and I spent hours drawing maps of imaginary cities and building them out of Lego. Now I live in a big city, I find myself obsessively drawing nature! Right now, my dream project would be to make a 3D map of Devon, a bit like Weatherman Fred Talbot's floating weather map. People would be able to walk around it like a miniature village and maybe it would inspire people to visit Devon!
Favourite city in the world? London…I've only lived here for 4 years but I love it and can't see myself leaving for a long while. I find it a really inspiring, colourful and interesting place to live. There's always something exciting to do and I love the history and architecture. I've visited the Museum of London three times already this year, it's amazing!
Where is your favourite escape? I studied in Bristol and I love going back there for a long weekend to stay with friends. It's also an inspiring city and much more relaxed than London. And of course, my parent's house in Devon is the ultimate place to cut myself off from the world and delight in the great outdoors.
Favourite way to spend a Saturday? Having an 'Inspiration Day' with a friend and my sketchbook. I would jump on the London Overground and travel to see the Victorian dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park, or catch the DLR line to Greenwich to go to the Planetarium. I always find the DLR line fun, it feels like a roller coaster (a very slow one) if you manage to get a front seat. From Greenwich I would catch a Ferry into central London and then a bus home for tea.
What was your most memorable meal? That's a tricky question because I can think of lots, I love food! The most unique meal I ever had was at a special food and music event called 'Late Lunch' curated by the band, Kotki Dwa and experiential designers, The Robin Collective. They served bacon vodka and glow in the dark sandwiches in a basement styled like a French Cafe. It was totally bizarre but a real treat for the senses!
Hattie Newman is a set designer and imagemaker based in London, producing work for various clients including Royal Mail, Cadbury, Sony, Louis Vuitton, NSPCC, Honda, GAP, Conde Nast, GQ, The Times and The Guardian.
You can follow her on twitter, tumblr and check out more of her work on her website.
