Laurel Pettitt

IT WAS PRETTY dark by the time I visited Laurel Pettitt in her home studio last Novemeber. I remember worrying about the lack of natural light and whether I’d get a good photo. But as soon as we got to talking, time sort of flew by. Isn’t it great when this happens? ︎

Laurel is an illustrator based in Norwich, and it was her comic, Soothe Shore, which first drew me to her work. Its gentle yet light-hearted tone made me curious about whether it is part of a bigger body of work. At the time of meeting, Laurel just went back to studying, and as a result, much of our conversation revolved around creative writing and telling stories. 

Q: How did your illustration journey begin?

I grew up in the countryside in Suffolk, so I was outdoors in nature all the time and loved people-watching. I was always doodling and creating stories. From observing the environment and watching people being silly, I felt like I was finding characters for my stories. Eventually I went on to study art and illustration, and started leaning towards narratives and picture book illustration. I'm currently doing a Creative Writing MA at UEA here in Norwich.

Q: How has that [studying creative writing] been?

Pretty hectic. I have too many ideas and have to do lots of reading. It’s been 10 years since being a student before I felt like I wanted to study again. I have always loved reading, I work part-time in the local library, so I’m surrounded by books and stories. However, my illustration and comics have taken a bit of a backseat while I study. I’m trying to keep everything in balance with deadlines for my studies and also with my agent.

Q: I really love your comic, Soothe Shore. Can you tell us more about it?

Sure! The comic is inspired by Peanuts and also compassion-focused therapy. It came to me over a year ago, and it is loosely based on a small town in Wales that I remember from my childhood memories - a safe, rejuvenating space that one can keep returning to. The characters of the comic are children in this town, with elements of magic and humour. I love to capture how kids see the world so seriously, but also want to include an element of play and lightness. 

Q: What is your art process? What comes first when you're working on comics or picture books?

It depends on the idea and format. For comics, it’s usually the visual image that comes first and then the characters. But with picture books, I tend to write first before deciding how it would look.
I usually do the linework by hand in pencil or pen, just to retain the feeling and textures. Then I’ll scan it in and colour it digitally. If I already have an idea and the time, it can take about two days from initial sketch to final art piece.

Q: Who and where do you draw inspiration from?

I love comics by Jillian Tamaki, especially Skim and Super Mutant Magic Academy. Eleanor Davis’ How to Be Happy. I love the pencil linework of Crushing by  Sophie Burrows . In terms of fantasy stories, it’s the writings by Terry Pratchett, or The Grammar of Fantasy by Grani Rodari. 

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
Apart from my studies, I’m currently working towards picture book ideas for the Book Fair in London. I produced something last year, a comic called ‘One Summer Night’. One of the characters is an Elephant Hawk Moth, and it gave me an idea of zooming in on moments in nature and seeing how it can contribute to a bigger story. I'm hoping to see if any publisher might potentially want to go ahead with such an idea.

Q: What are the challenges you’re facing at this point in your art journey?

Hmm, I wish I could do more riso prints or I had more studio space. I used to sell prints but I got out of the habit. It’s tough because buying prints feel like a luxury. But honestly, the real challenge is the lack of time and how tired I am. Also, ideas that used to come so easily years ago, are just more difficult to come by.

I think I also have quite a complicated relationship with social media. It’s a bit of a struggle for me. I do it so haphazardly and it’s easy to dwell on the negative aspects, but there’s also a lot of positives like meeting new people and discovering new things.

It’s hard to describe but my time with Laurel felt very grounding. After a whole day of rushing around, it was a much needed time to pause and enjoy a conversation about art, stories and the quiet, magical moments in life.