Artist: Booie & Ben

Tell us about yourself? Where are you based?

My name is Laura Staniford, the artist behind Booie & Ben. I am 38 years old, the mother of two children and I am based in Brisbane. I started Booie & Ben five years ago when my second child turned two. I wanted to have a creative outlet alongside being a mother of two. This really started as a passion project and I had a really strong vision from the beginning to create an artwork collection that really showcased Australian Flora and Fauna in a contemporary, classic and calming way. I wanted to design artwork that seamlessly fit into beautiful Australian homes.

.How would you describe your creative style and mediums used?

My creative style and skills were really formed through my career as an Interior Architect. I worked for Adelaide University for many years where I worked on large scale concept designs for their infrastructure projects. Many of my design concept projects for the University were initially drawn up by hand using my computer (or mouse to draw with). Through this practice, I learnt to become quite creative and passionate with digital drawing and quickly fell in love with drawing and creating digitally.

My artwork has evolved over the years, and so does my experimentation into different mediums which has led me to expand into working with acrylics for special release collections.

The inspiration for my artwork designs are heavily influenced by my love of nature walks, my curiosity for contemporary Australian architecture and design trends and my love for creating harmonious and calming colour palettes.

What do you love about your work?

I love that my artwork can provoke a sense of calm and softness, and intrigue when hung in a space. The artwork is not imposing or dominating, which is what I really wanted to achieve through my now recognisable artwork style.

Who and what inspires you?

I think we are so lucky in Australia to have so many spectacular artists. I am constantly inspired by so many talented artists. One of my favorite Australian artists is Ken Dome – I love his unique take on Australian icons and his use of vibrant colour. through his one-of-a-kind designs.