Q and A with Jo De Ruiter

Illustrator Jo Deruiter answers some questions for Lincoln Art Scene! Jo is currently exhibiting at InVitro Gallery Lincoln in the Hybrid exhibition.

 

A few years ago I was studying Graphic Design and Advertising at Buckinghamshire University. But as the course went on, I found I missed painting terribly, and wished I’d done an art or an illustration course. So after graduating, I began painting again and eventually (when i gained my confidence) decided to do a Masters and I’ve just finished. It was a Masters in Design, specializing in visual narrative (I graduate officially in January). It’s been one of the best years of my life, and I’ve felt I’ve grown as an illustrator and really developed a personal style.
 

 
I love working with dip pen and ink, and watercolour. I find using an old mapping pen works best for me, it can be quite unpredictable, scratching and spraying when I’m not asking it to. It creates more exciting marks and adds a new unintentional dimension to some of my work. Watercolours tend to soften the image. The size of my illustrations tend to be small enough to stretch the paper, but big enough to create big splashes and splots.
 
I’m inspired by life’s little curiosities. I love nothing more than sitting in one of Lincoln’s tea shops and drawing the passers by (or the people in the shop if they don’t notice me). When people are unaware they are being drawn, they are so natural, and much more interesting to draw. I love old buildings with character, poky little windows, rotting doors, uneven beams. I also can’t get enough of industrial buildings, pipes and chimneys are two of my favorite things to draw, and feature a lot in my work.
 
People who influence me… well, Shaun Tan, Dave McKean, Emily Gravett, Alexis Deacon, Korky Paul, Oliver Jeffers, Sara Fanelli, Ralph Steadman, Lisa Evans and Lane Smith are just a handful of illustrators whose work I adore. I have a constant growing collection of picture books that are pieces of art in themselves. I find the relationship between words and pictures fascinating, the words tell you one story, while the pictures are telling you another.
 

I’ve always been fascinated by the world of fairy tales, I find the antiquity of the tales dizzying. For my major project I decided to write a tale of my own. It was to be a contemporary story, but still honoring the traditional fairy tales of yesterday. So I wrote the tale of the ‘Toymaker and the Toy’. It’s a story about a lonely Toymaker who creates special little toys from the things that the townspeople throw away. But nobody buys his toys, they only buy the cheap plastic reproduced toys from the big red factory at the top of the hill. But the factory comes to life and begins to destroy the town. The tale tells of how the Toymaker and one of his little Toys defeat the factory, and come together to rebuild the destroyed town, creating a more individual and inspiring one. The paintings shown in In Vitro are from the tale.

 
I decided to exhibit in In Vitro as it showcases the work of young contemporary artists in the area. I’m always inspired by the work shown in there, and was excited to be exhibiting there myself.

Thanks to Jo for a great Q and A! To find out more visit www.joderuiter.co.uk . The InVitro Hybrid exhibition runs until the 31st October, to find out more about the exhibition visit www.invitrogallery.co.uk.