Billow Studio

INTERVIEWED BY Lindi Brownell Meiring

Illustrator Carinè Müller is the talent behind Billow Studio, a creative practice based in Cape Town.

We caught up with her to find out more about her intricate nature-inspired illustrations and what’s next on her agenda.

When did you start illustrating?

I can’t remember when I started drawing – it must have been pre-school when everyone starts drawing. But I remember my one friend used to draw incredible viking boats in primary school. I was intrigued by their detail. He must have been only four- or five-years-old (and definitely inspired by Viki the Viking). I used to love seeing him spend time on one drawing when the other kids just made a bunch of colourful happy stuff. That made me consider my own drawings more I think.

I didn’t study art because I didn’t think I was good enough, although I did study art during high school – it was the only subject I got a distinction for! I loved Art History and went on to study Publishing and did my Honours in Visual Studies so I could be as close to the Art Department as possible. It was the one course that had all the same (theory) subjects and I loved doing research-level Art History because I am fascinated by ancient history and culture – I always wanted to be the female Indiana Jones. It was a bargain because I got to study film and English as well. I painted (mostly the ocean) for a couple of years after high school but then really started illustrating when I moved to Cape Town in 2008.

What inspires your illustrations?

First and foremost, the ocean. The ocean continues to teach me, without it I wouldn’t have a fire to fuel creativity. I am inspired by structure in nature – how bigger things that seem chaotic are made up of organised smaller parts to create a bigger whole that seemingly has structure. I like how nature can then break it apart again. Take, for instance, a wave or a cloud. This is how I decided on my company name – Billow. I also like how nature can overwhelm man-made things given time and patience. Look at how wind can dance with a curtain. This is what Billow means to me. My subject is the natural world. I am fascinated by natural history. I think the subject that I have explored the most is definitely the ocean in my oceanscape oil paintings and fish. I have illustrated a lot of fish in my life!

What do you love most about being creative?

I love being immersed in the process because it forces me to think – it’s like therapy and meditation rolled into one. Not only that, but it teaches me patience. I love to work with ink and I mostly do pointilism with a 0,05 point archival ink Sakura pen, small things that create a whole and require a vast amount of patience to create.

I’m investigating using natural mediums such as flowers to create pigment and I have a crop of Indigo growing on Kogman & Keisie Organic farm in Montagu that I have big plans for if I can only find the time! I love sculpture and hope to explore more of that in future, and I want to delve into the world of brass as I’ve only really worked with wood before. I would love to combine wood and brass for a future project I have in mind. I used to make oil paintings of the ocean and since I have a better workspace now I am planning on hauling out the brushes again – I miss the smells! I also work on surfboards from time to time. I am planning on reviving my stationery line Return To Sender in the near future. I’m enjoying experimenting with new techniques and mediums and the process inspires me greatly. It’s wonderful having the opportunity to use different materials and that is probably what I love most about the creative process.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

I’m playing with breaking down patterns and structures found in nature and painting fragmented, fractal versions of it. I’ve always been inspired by Fibonacci – which reflects how perfect nature is in itself. The way that man influences nature in a negative and destructive way is explored in my new work too. Somehow even after being tainted by mankind these structures and patterns stay beautiful. Nature will always prevail.

Crop of new work in progress, 2017

For more information about Carinè’s work, email [email protected] or follow Billow Studio on Instagram or Facebook for the latest updates.