Dogs on skateboards or fluffy haired cats wearing funky headphones. In the world of Odile Ferraille anything can happen! Hailing from Nantes, France, artist Odile creates cuteness with simple line-drawings. Her art brings lightness and her brand new collab with Face This is literally in-line with this! We spoke with the artist about her Face This drop. So read on and get to know the story behind our June drop featuring artist Odile Ferraille.
Face This: Can you tell us something about your cultural background? Where did you grow up? Did you always like to draw?
Odile Ferraille: I come from a small town on the west side of France, by the sea. Both of my parents were teachers. My dad was very passionate about Bande Dessinée (Franco-Belgian comics) so I grew up surrounded by comic books and developed my own interest in graphic novels and illustration. I would already spend a lot of time drawing on my own or with my best friend.
Face This: Is there one drawing that you can recall from your childhood? What was it about?
Odile Ferraille: The first I can recall is a painting made in kindergarten. It was mostly stains and splashes, but I remember it being praised by the schoolteacher and feeling very proud.
Face This: Are there specific moments in your life that made you decide to become an artist?
Odile Ferraille: I’ve always been into graphic arts, but becoming an artist has been a slow process more than a decision! I’ve made more and more room for drawing in my life, until I could quit my daily job and try to make a living out of illustration.
Face This: Why art – what moves you to do what you do?
Odile Ferraille: I love the research, the experiment, the freedom and the fun of it.
Face This: Can you pinpoint one of your artworks that means the most to you and tell us why/what it represents in your journey?
Odile Ferraille: Mimi et Momo, an illustration which represents my beloved cat & dog. I think I managed to capture the essence of their personality quite well: Momo’s happiness and Mimi’s disdainful look. It was also the start of a very cool project, a book coming up soon!
Face This: What has been the most surprising or unexpected outcome from your work?
Odile Ferraille: I worked for a coffee brand and was invited to an award ceremony in a palazzo in Rome. My artwork was displayed in the palazzo, surrounded by old paintings, tapestry and marble floor. It was pretty unbelievable!
Face This: Who/what are you most inspired by?
Odile Ferraille: The pets and the people with cool styles in the streets, the funny-looking objects in my home, the birds and the flowers in the garden.
Face This: What is one thing you do regularly, a simple ritual or hack that brings you joy or elicits a sense of self care?
Odile Ferraille: During summer, sea bathing makes all of my problems go away instantly.
Face This: What’s next? What are you up to next – the near future and any longer-term plans?
Odile Ferraille: A book and plenty of cool collabs. Otherwise, I’d like to keep experimenting with painting and watercolor.