Studio Visit: Lily Odette
Meet my sister, and read about her studio essentials and reference book obsession.
Hi Studio Mates,
Welcome to the first edition of Studio Visit. I really enjoy writing posts about me, myself and I, but I know way too many artists/designers to not give them some love too, right here in this newsletter! For this first one I’m making it very easy for myself; meet my sister Lily Odette.
Meet Lily
As you know by now, Lily and I grew up in a very creative family. Both of our parents are artists! Lily is only fifteen months younger than I am, so we were basically raised as twins.
It’s probably not a surprise that both of us ended up going to art school. Lily studied fashion design at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands. After graduating (2014) she specialised in print design, and worked for Vlisco and Scotch & Soda for a few years.
Currently she is based in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and works as a freelance illustrator and print designer. She created illustrations and prints for lots of fashion (related) brands like LoveStories and Lois Jeans. Her work has been featured in Blumenhaus and Flow.
I know Lily as a hard-working artist with a huge eye for detail and quality. She dresses the way she paints; vibrant, highly decorative, influenced by folk art and with a vintage feel. She never compromises on details or craft, and she doesn’t shy away to pick up a time consuming embroidery or paper cutting project. Almost everything she creates is done by hand!
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Studio Q&A
Can you tell us something about your studio, and what you love about it?
My studio is situated in our family home in the city center of Haarlem. I love that it’s very close to both the beautiful shops and museums, and the central station; from where I can get to Amsterdam within 20 minutes.
I have a romantic and maximalist interior style, so my studio is full with inspirational items that I collected over the years: vintage embroidery samples, my pattern design books and a million little trinkets. Recently I sewed some lace curtains to make it even more cozy.
My friends always ask me if I don’t mind working solo since we moved here, but I treasure the me-time as I became a mom two years ago. I just wish I had a little more time to work on personal projects. I have a lot of ideas and an unstoppable urge to create.
What are you currently working on?
Since a year I work as a freelancer for a brand that creates wax-block fabrics for the African market. I design one large graphic pattern a month; fully hand drawn and very detailed. It usually has a lot of layers, and it’s always a pretty challenging job.
Besides that I work all kinds of other projects; from birth announcement cards to brand collaborations. Currently I’m working on a personal project for a group exhibition at Het Weefhuis in Zaandijk on the 21st and 22nd of March this year.
Is there a recent project that you’re especially proud of or really enjoyed creating?
The ongoing collaboration with environmentally friendly wallpaper brand Summergray is one of my favourite projects ever. I always feel honoured when I see pictures of my wallpaper at customer’s homes, and realise that my designs play such an important role in their daily lives. I have the wallpaper at home myself, so I understand that it needs to be timeless and not too dominant. I’m hoping to add even more designs to my collection this year.
What kind of materials do you use and can you share your number one essential?
My number one essential would be Golden acrylics. It’s my favourite paint! Other things that I can’t work without are thick drawing paper, a sharp paper knife, a mechanical pencil, embroidery tools and a drawing board.
What is the most treasured inspirational object in your studio and why?
Definitely my collection of textile and pattern reference books. I have a few very special ones, like Chintz: Indian Textiles for the West (published by Harry N. Abrams, 2008).
They’re very rare. These kind of books are being sought after by pattern enthusiasts, and therefore become very valuable. I really treasure them!
I still regret not buying a book called The Collier Campbell Archive: 50 Years of Passion in Pattern (published by Ilex, 2012), when I lived in London years ago. It was being sold at a museum shop for fifty euros, which was a lot for me back then. But at the moment it’s worth seven times more!
Currently I’m on the hunt for a book on Polish folk art, but it’s really expensive and hard to find. Sometimes I visit the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam library to adore the amazing collection. It’s a very special place!
Do you have a favourite book in the studio that you draw inspiration from?
At the moment my favourite book is The Book of Printed Fabrics Volume I & II (published by Taschen, 2024).
Thank you, Lily, for chatting with me and showing us your studio! Visit Lily’s portfolio website, or follow her on Instagram to see more of her beautifully detailed work.
Thank you for reading Studio Mates. Visit my website to view my full portfolio, purchase a print in my online shop (EU/US shipping) or get in touch with my agents to commission me for a project.
Loved this and am very inspired by Lily!
This is such an inspiration! I love that she does everything analog, as I work analog too!