ARTIST CHIT CHAT with Brook of Brook Gossen
What inspired the Ostrich Party print?
Ostrich Party was born from a little drawing challenge I participated in a couple of years ago. I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone creatively, and drawing challenges are a really great way to do that. I would never have thought to draw ostriches otherwise!
When you sent your print look book to JRC, did you expect them to pick this one?
I almost didn’t send this design through - it was part of a little animal collection I had put together for kids, and I was going to take out the entire kids section so the lookbook was more manageable - I have a LOT of designs! But... at the last minute I decided to leave it in, because who am I to decide what’s for kids, and what isn’t? And here we are, with some cute and playful ostriches to wear on a fabulous range of JRC clothing.
What does a day in the life of Brook Gossen look like?
Like Groundhog Day haha! Now that my kids are older I get up around 7/7:30, come down and have a nice cup of tea and scroll insta, reply to messages and comments and check my emails. I try and get in some morning drawing most days if I’m not too busy, because it’s good for my soul. At around 9am I walk upstairs to my studio and check my weekly desk calendar (Bon Maxie’s of course! It’s the best) to see what I need to be working on for the day and get started. Around 11 am almost every other day I take some time out to stretch and do some home pilates, or go for a walk. Some weeks I’m much better at that than others though... 😬
Then lunch with my husband as we both work from home, before heading back up to my studio to get back to work. Lately I’ve been working on a packaging design project for a chocolate company in the US, but my freelance work is quite varied - it always involves drawing though, and then playing on my computer to make it all print ready.
I check in with the kids when they get home from school and make another cup of tea or now that it’s getting warmer, and lovely iced tea and back to work until 5:30 or so. I tend to do some boring admin in the afternoon before trying to get a little more time to create just for myself and not for clients.
Then it’s the usual getting dinner ready etc etc but after dinner, and I’m settled in on the couch, if we’re not binge watching a tv show, I’ll usually pull out my iPad and create and play. I can be a bit of a night owl and lose track of time while drawing. It’s definitely my happy place! Then same again tomorrow….
Then lunch with my husband as we both work from home, before heading back up to my studio to get back to work. Lately I’ve been working on a packaging design project for a chocolate company in the US, but my freelance work is quite varied - it always involves drawing though, and then playing on my computer to make it all print ready.
I check in with the kids when they get home from school and make another cup of tea or now that it’s getting warmer, and lovely iced tea and back to work until 5:30 or so. I tend to do some boring admin in the afternoon before trying to get a little more time to create just for myself and not for clients.
Then it’s the usual getting dinner ready etc etc but after dinner, and I’m settled in on the couch, if we’re not binge watching a tv show, I’ll usually pull out my iPad and create and play. I can be a bit of a night owl and lose track of time while drawing. It’s definitely my happy place! Then same again tomorrow….
What is your favourite piece from the collection?
Definitely the shirt and shorts combo! I love that it’s like a comfy little jumpsuit. Seriously, the fabric is so soft and lovely, I could wear it every day.
Coriander - yay or nay?
Yay all the way baby and I cannot understand anyone who doesn’t like it! I definitely tend to use a LOT of it even though only us adults in the house like it and the kids all think it tastes either like dirt or soap. I don’t make them eat it though, but do try and get them to try it again from time to time…
