Lois O’Hara is a Brighton based artist creating varied and exciting new work across printmaking, design, installation art and moving image. This year, Lois has created two gargantuan, site-specific murals in the seaside city of Brighton. The first of these is the Colourful Crossing, a public art Installation commissioned by Brighton & Hove Council - a bright rainbow design which flows across the promenade near the West Pier. The second is the UK’s first Art Court designed in Lois’ ‘Wavey’ style. The Art Court was unveiled in September at Saunders Park and has been a huge hit with locals.

We’ve been working closely with Lois on a new greetings cards range titled ‘Waves’. We felt that Lois’ vibrant, flowing style would work perfectly on a range of greetings card, and we’ve designed the series of 9 cards so that each design flows into the next. We caught up with Lois to find out more about her design process and background.

What are the influences behind your unique aesthetic?
My work is all about capturing movement. The motion reflected in the sea’s waves and sound waves both play a part in my visual identity. I also like to play with the idea of how I can capture memories, so even though my work is colourful and playful, it is also quite personal.

Can you describe your design process - from the initial idea to finished piece?
My design process varies depending on the job. With murals I will always decide on the colour palette first. With some projects I will screenprint random textures and shapes to get a feel for the design by hand. Other times I will form compositions on my laptop. I’m a perfectionist so I never feel like the job is complete.

You’ve worked in many different mediums such as textiles, video, print and more - do you have a favourite medium or do you prefer to react depending on the project?
I don’t have a favourite medium, my favourite thing is being able to juggle lots of different techniques and processes at once. Sometimes if I’m painting during the day, I will work digitally at night if I have more than 1 project on at a time (which makes it hard to price!) My work covers many areas of design so I am kept on my toes.

What advice would you offer to budding artists and designers?
One important bit of advice I would give to young upcoming artists is to remain persistent. I’ve learnt that work hardly ever comes to you. When opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.

Thanks to Lois for giving us a peek behind the curtain! You can keep up with Lois’ work over on her website and instagram. And check out our ‘Waves’ greetings card range in collaboration with Lois here.