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Q&A with Millie Marotta
The colouring in craze has swept the world in the past 12 months, with illustrator Millie Marotta and her Animal Kingdom among the catalysts - and beneficiaries. Anna James speaks to her.
Anna James: How did your first colouring book come about?
Millie Marotta: One day, very much out of the blue, an email landed in my inbox from Pavilion asking if I would be interested in discussing the idea of a colouring book for adults. They had seen some of my commerical work and had bought one of my screenprints as a gift for a colleague, so they were familiar with my work. We met and I took along some sample illustrations to give an idea of my own thoughts and from there it was all systems go!
AJ: Did you think there was a gap in the market for colouring books for adults?
MM: I have always found colouring, painting and drawing to be incredibly engaging and relaxing so I felt quite confident that other adults would feel the same way, the problem being that not everyone has the time or the means to attend an art class or keep lots of art materials.
AJ: What is your background?
MM: I was working on various commercial projects as a freelance illustrator. Over the years I’ve created artwork for food packaging, book illustrations, wallpaper, textiles, homeware and many other things in between. I studied wildlife illustration at university and am a bit obsessed with the natural world.
AJ: Why do you think adult colouring books have taken off in such a dramatic way?
MM: I think the main interest lies in the books offering a really simple and accessible way for people to be creative and to de-stress. Another reason is that colouring can be a great way to take a step away from the digital world back to something much more hands-on. They also offer a great opportunity for people who would like to be artistic but feel they lack the confidence or skill to start from scratch.
AJ: How much longevity do you think the trend has?
MM: These books give adults permission to indulge in something they might previously have felt a little silly doing and colouring books have become accepted as a genuinely relaxing and worthwhile activity. Because of that I think they’re here to stay.
AJ: What’s next for you?
MM: I am just at the final stages of my third colouring book. There are a few discussions happening regarding other projects but, overall, I just want to keep making lovely things.
