getting to know... Moira Millman

Hello and welcome to this week's 'Getting To Know...' post! This week the wonderful Moira Millman is sharing a little bit about herself with us - yay! Moira has been working as an illustrator since she graduated in 1992, and has worked (and continues to work) with a very impressive list of clients. She also sells her gorgeous hand-printed Gocco prints in her beautiful Etsy shop here. And why not take a peek at Moira's blog here to see what she's been up to! Thanks Moira for alowing us to take a peek into your world...

image and design copyright Moira Millman 2010

* Where do you find inspiration?
I think my love of the 1950's is one of my main inspirations, I've been very drawn to that era ever since I was a teenager and collect all sorts of things from the 50's up to the 70's. That whole period was a fantastic time for design and I love old pottery, packaging, books and other ephemera and these quirky little collections inspire my work.  I'm not a minimalist by any means, although I think I may have reached collecting capacity now as our shelves are heaving!
As well as my commissioned work for magazines I've been doing more personal work lately.  I've always liked coming up with witty ideas using wordplay and doodling in my sketchbook and I've been enjoying turning these little ideas into prints. Selling my work online is a new area for me as I've always concentrated on the commercial side of illustration but it's something I'm hoping to expand on...

* Tell us something about where you live...
I'm originally from Devon which is a very southerly part of the UK, a popular holiday destination and famous for its lovely hilly scenery and cream teas: scones, jam and local delicacy, clotted cream!  After graduating I spent 10 years living in London and now I live in one of the flattest parts of the UK, the Fens.  This area was originally underwater before it was drained in the 17th Century.... good job because I'm not much of a swimmer!  I live in a small town which is surrounded by farmland so it's not unusual to be stuck behind a tractor when you're going out somewhere!  Being so flat, this region is also known for its big skies, lovely sunsets and plenty of cyclists.

* Do you have any pets? Tell us about them...
I have a greedy grey and white cat called Alf who we adopted from the RSPCA 4 years ago, we don't actually know his real age but recently he's been getting a few more grey hairs! (like the rest of us!) and he's calmed down a lot.  When we first got him he was a bit crazy, climbing up on shelves, the fridge and wardrobe and he has been known to knock pictures down from the wall to get our attention, broken glass everywhere!  For all his quirks we love him to bits!!

* You share a studio with your husband, what are the pros and cons of working so closely with your partner?
Well we have shared a studio for a long time so we don't really have anything to compare it too. We used to both work in a tiny box room which was a challenge especially as I can be quite untidy!  We now have a bit more space which is great but my end of the studio is still a lot more messy than my husband's!  I'm lucky to have the window near my desk which looks out to the garden, a nice distraction. It can be hard working at home alone and for me it's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off and for a second opinion. Maybe you should ask my husband though, he keeps threatening to put up a partition!! ha ha

* What is your guilty pleasure?
Ooh probably watching too much rubbish on the tv!  I love quality dramas especially Mad Men but I can sometimes be found immersed in a 'made for tv' cheesy movie or old episode of Columbo!
I also eat far too much chocolate, I only eat the 70% dark stuff and I tell myself it's better for you than milk chocolate but my expanding waistline will testify against that! Well curves are all the rage don't ya know!!

images and designs copyright Moira Millman 2010