About Creative Florence – The Happy Inky
After spending 25 years working as a graphic designer, one day, in 2016, I woke up and decided to follow the whisperings of my inky soul. I wanted to be an illustrator. And I wanted to illustrate wonderful, magical books for children.
Drawing, painting and inking have always made me feel complete and happy, and now I’m on a mission to share my happy work with the children (and their grown-ups) who need it the most.My books and prints touch upon the difficulties I’ve experienced, but in the most hopeful and positive way, while the characters I create all have very special messages to deliver.
My work is fun and mischievous with the ‘yep, that’s Flo!’ sense of humour that has carried me through the tough times. ‘Why can’t a sausage dog have mustard socks?’ is the kind of thing I’ll ponder, as I doodle and sketch and come up with new ideas. I love to play with colours and textures and mark making and have discovered my own unique mixed media technique, which I apply to all the work I do.
My imagination has been my saviour, and I want to encourage children to be guided and comforted by the power of theirs too. If one small person can find solace, hope and encouragement in the work that I create, then my inky stories have done their job!