Sit Down With Our #090 Featured Artist

Åse Balko

Instagram / @asebalko
Featured Artist / #103 ScrawlrBox 

Drawing has always been an important part of Åse Balko’s life. She enjoys working with watercolours, markers, coloured pencils and acrylics, but she constantly returns to fineliners and patterns. Her pieces are rarely planned out in advance, and her process has a calming and meditative effect, with the patterns unfolding as she works.Åse studied graphic design in high school and went on to study culture history, art history, and media and communication at Stockholm University.

She currently lives in a small town in Sweden with her husband, working in communication.

Do you have a preferred marker nib you tend to use?

I tend to get caught up in details, so I often choose the smallest possible tip on the pen I use.

What is your favourite way to use a pen?

I enjoy drawing patterns and since my motifs are often quite small and detailed, I prefer to work with fine liners. Fine liners are also preferable if I want to colour a pattern, the lines create clear boundaries between different colours.

Is there a dream combination of products you love to use?

My favourite combination is fine liners in combination with either a brush pen or marker.

What are your favourite things to draw?

I love drawing patterns. The process itself is both satisfying and relaxing. I rarely know what a pattern is going to look like in advance, I let the motive evolve as I work

Do you have a designated space for art?

I have a study with two desks. On one table I have a computer and printer and on the other is for my drawing projects. But, despite this, I often sit on the sofa in the living room and draw.

We love your colouring book, Hidden Creatures. Such an original concept, where did you get the inspiration for this?

Thank you very much! My editor and I came up with the theme for the book together. For me, the theme was perfect. I usually started with a pattern and then looked for an animal that I could hide in the pattern. Sometimes I did the opposite: I first found an animal with a beautiful pattern and then I recreated the pattern around the animal. I found that I worked on ideas during the night, so if I stayed in bed for a few minutes after waking up, I often came up with several good ideas that I could work on later in the day.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

No, not right now. I have another full-time job, so I must plan carefully if I can take other jobs alongside my regular job

Do you work in a sketchbook? If so what is used for? General testing or generating ideas?

I have a sketchbook, but I rarely sketch out my ideas. I draw my designs directly with a fine liner.

How did you first establishyourself as a professional artist?What were your first steps?

I have always been creative and have enjoyed painting throughout my life.But since 2016 I have been drawingdaily. It started with zentangles and mandalas, which led me to patterns. Drawing patterns is a constantrepetition of the same shape, so I have been practising a lot on drawing different types of shapes and lines. The exercise has trained my ability to draw.

When you are not creating, what do you enjoy doing?

We bought a country cottage a few years ago which led to new interests like growing flowers and vegetables. The cottage is also the perfect place to spend time with friends and family. Before we got the cottage, we enjoyed travelling to different countries. We still travel, but now we also include Sweden. Sweden is an amazing country with lots of cultural historyand beautiful landscapes