Clara Dudley is a multidisciplinary creative based in Dublin, Ireland, but originally from San Francisco, California. Inspired by a wide range of art styles – from folk art, botanical illustration, science fiction, animation, graphic novels, vintage children’s books, – she works in graphic and web design, illustration, and copywriting/editing for print and digital media.
Clara also shared details about her newest project, SITUATED magazine, and went through the impacts of the pandemic in her career.
Enjoy the read!
1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where you are from, your background, etc.
I am a Dublin-based designer, illustrator and art director, originally from San Francisco. I have lived in Dublin now for nearly 6 years, and have had a fantastic experience getting involved with the creative communities here. I have worked on a wide range of projects in my professional/freelance career, such as visual identity and typography, layout design for print, hand/analogue and digital illustration, art direction for photography, web design, editorial design and creative writing.
My college degree is in Feminist Studies, which was a critical theory-centred academic field. This continues to impact how I re-frame and analyse current issues – politics, global events, etc – and informs my creative approaches and work ethic. After college, I went to New York and worked in the service industry and for a freelance photographer/documentarian. Later, I studied Graphic Design in Dublin and pursued illustration on my own, and have been working in the field since 2017.
2. When and how did you first start making art?
As far back as I can remember, drawing and painting were my favourite activities. It always made sense to me and I was always excited to try new art media and techniques. I was lucky that it was encouraged by my family, and also by the local culture I grew up in. San Francisco is, historically, a place that embraces creativity and individuality, so I was inspired by the local design and public artworks of the city growing up.
There is also a strong DIY spirit there, and one would regularly see hand-drawn artwork and a celebration of low-tech and ‘crafty’ art styles around the city which lives on despite all of San Francisco’s rapid changes over the years. This really is the backbone of my illustration work, and I often look to California as a wealth of visual culture and art for inspiration.
3. How would you define your artistic style?
For personal work, I like organic shapes and imagery that stays close to the subject while integrating symbolism or iconic designs. For my client work, the artwork would depend largely on what they’re looking for or what the need is, but it’s always fun to let your style shine through everything you do.
4. What or who are your inspirations? Where do you take your inspirations from?
My inspirations range hugely because I’m interested in so many different creative media: fine art and painted portraiture, graphic novels and comics, Swiss typographic design, street art, DIY and punk, the post-rock music genre, folk art traditions, documentary and experimental film, journalism, poetry, botanical illustration, and science fiction, amongst others.
5. What is your creative process like?
For personal artwork, I develop pieces when I find the inspiration. It’s an image or concept that hooks you, and then applying that to a composition that will really engage or interest the viewer, as well. I usually use references to assemble a composition, develop and hand-draw the illustrations in my style, then digitize the sketch and digitally colour the work. I like to add in some digital illustration flourishes as well on some pieces. For editorial and writing work, the content is really about what interests me, and I support that with strong visuals to make it more engaging.
6. How do you see the local art scene?
I think it is really community-oriented and open. I was really grateful for how easily I could put myself out there and get involved with the Dublin Comic Arts Festival (DCAF), the Artfully events, and other art markets. Social media also is a great way to boost local and fellow artists. I find people here really supportive and creative. I also like seeing how the communities overlap – production, design, illustration, photography, crafts – and how they complement and support each other.
7. What are the biggest challenges for you as an artist in the current world scenario (covid-19 pandemic) and how did you manage to adapt to this new reality?
For me, at the start of the pandemic, it was the immediate loss of much of my freelance work, which really impacted me financially, but I was lucky to have a part time in-house design job to keep me afloat. I was able to reduce my outgoings as much as possible and used my extra time as a gift – an opportunity that hadn’t presented itself before. I could slow down and was able to focus on writing and personal projects, and think about the kind of work I want to make in the future.
8. Can you tell us a bit about your latest projects?
During the first lockdown in 2020, I launched a web-based project called SITUATED Magazine, which is an online editorial project featuring both original writing, as well as curated galleries, freely available re-printed articles, and playlists. The topics cover art and culture, environment, health, history and first-person perspectives. This project is intended to develop quality, thought-provoking, freely accessible content for the virtual era. You can view it at www.situatedmag.com or follow on Instagram/Twitter @situatedmag.
More recently, I am now working for an agency as Junior Art Director; we direct creative ideation for events and employee engagement projects for companies like Google, Adobe, and Tik Tok. I work with my team on developing concepts for these projects, and on graphic design and illustration work when executing these. A new kind of project for me in this position is illustrating artwork for animated videos, which is an amazing way to see your art come alive!
9. Any new plans/projects for the future? Could you tell us a bit?
I’d like to further develop my creative writing and editorial design, work more with SITUATED as a platform for engaging content, and get back to my roots: hand-drawn illustration.
I’d like to return to some of my earlier creative work from secondary and college education which explored experimental video art and sound design, and possibly work on vocal tracks for music projects.
I am also on the volunteer Committee for the Dublin Comic Arts Festival (DCAF), supporting the ongoing operations of that festival, and I really hope to see it flourish in the future. It’s a beautiful community that I’m so grateful to be part of, and I just hope all the amazing grassroots arts projects out there will really survive and thrive post-pandemic.
10. Where can people find more about you and your work?
My portfolio can be viewed at: www.claradudleystudio.com and my magazine site can be viewed at www.situatedmag.com