Shannon Adolph

Can you give us a quick introduction?

My name is Shannon Adolph, and I’m a textile artist. I create a line of illustrated and hand-printed home accessories under the brand coucou salut.

I’m originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, have lived in three countries, six cities, too may apartments to count, and currently reside in Montreal, QC.

What’s your star sign?

Aquarius

Tell us a little bit about your studio? How long have you been working here?

I rent a space in Red Bird Studios, located in the Mile End district of Montreal. I’ve been renting the space for just over a year, and love it. I live about a block away, and the ability for me to step out my door and be in my studio in less than 5 minutes is priceless. I share my studio with a fibre artist, a mosaic artist, two painters, two accessory designers, and occasionally a great dane named Greta. I love the multi-disciplinary spirit of the space – it’s inspiring to see how other people work and create. The studio itself is located in a converted warehouse, so the space is beautiful and rustic, if not a bit drafty in the winter. Eventually I would like to move to a larger spot, but for now it’s perfect!

What is your creative process? What do you currently find inspiring?

I’m a bit of a vintage nut, and find the patterns, colors and shapes of the 50’s and 60’s to be a huge inspiration. There is a simple graphic quality to the textiles of this time period that I can’t get enough of, and inevitably re-create in my work. I also derive a lot of inspiration from my surroundings in Montreal. Mile End, for instance, is brimming with abandoned vintage furniture, beautiful vine-covered apartments, kitschy diners, and amazing screen printed gig posters.

My creative process starts with a black pen. Sometimes I’ll have something in mind that I think would be interesting in repetition, and I’ll start there. Sometimes my drawings will evolve into another thing entirely - if I find an aspect of something that I’ve drawn interesting, I’ll expand on it and see where it takes me. I often go back through my old sketchbooks and work with sketches from a few months or years ago.

Once I’ve settled on a series of drawings that I like, I’ll design a pattern, and work out my color palette. I mix my inks based on what I have in mind for the design, and also the fabrics that I’ll be printing on. Screen printing makes you think in layers, and I like to incorporate my fabrics as a part of the illustration rather than just the ground for the ink. I’m a huge advocate of expecting the unexpected and taking time to play around a bit in the studio.

From your collection, what is your star gift pick this holiday?

My little swimmer dolls are the perfect little buddies for small hands, and would look adorable poking out of the top of stocking!

What are your goals and aspirations for the future?

My main goal is definitely to keep designing, printing and sewing! I would love to design and illustrate textiles full-time (I currently work a 9-5 job as a graphic designer), and have my sights set on making this a reality in 2012.