Meet the multitalented Hannah Hurrle.  She is a multimedia artist, an illustrator and a musician.  She has been producing experimental electronic music under the name ssshheee for five years and recently started writing and illustrating a blog to document her journey as an artist and illustrator.  The blog, Catazoa ("protozoa" meets "cat"), features recent work, a fun "How To Draw" series, and the start of many helpful tips for artists just starting out their careers.  Below you'll find some cute animations, smooth tunes and some insight from their creator.

See more on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  

Eyes
Audio: "The Look of Love" (artist unknown)

"I have a feeling this will always be one of my favorite animations. What I like about it is that it is simple and effective at delivering an idea. 

One thing I've learned that applies to both art and music is that everyone has within them a certain style, or a certain way of seeing things, and that no matter how simple of an idea something is, that style usually shows through. The trick is not to over think it, or cover it up with styles that don't fit who you are."

Taurus Constellation

"My birthday was this month. I was born on the cusp of Taurus and Aries. I'm not sure If I completely believe in astrology, but I don't not believe in astrology. 

I definitely love the idea that the position of the planets and the stars in the universe affects our lives through some type of "force" that we haven't scientifically discovered yet. I mean, of course they do! Why not? Let's leave some magic in the world."

Myron S. Kauffman Animated Quote

"I wanted to express my passion for growing plants in an animation. When I found this quote, I felt a connection with its message of hope. I have much respect for it's original writer, the late Myron S Kauffman. 

I wrote a short blog post about him around the animation, but I enjoy the way he is described in this book review by Annie Gottlieb better (2025-09-05). "Modern Jewish Mother". New York Times."

www.catazoa.com

It has always been my dream to be a full-time freelance illustrator and multimedia artist, so years ago I started pursuing a tech school education in business and marketing. I needed to solve the problem of how to (realistically) fit my talents into the world around me.  I think it's working? Is it working?  Get in touch!"

Hear more on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Facebook and Mixcloud.

​"Speaking of passion, I recently released a collection of tracks that I've been working on for a few years. The album is called 'The Bridge. 

​The working title of this album was always "Glass Bridge", because I wanted to emphasize the anxiety and fear that come with making big changes in life. Its hard to cross those bridges, sometimes. Glass bridges, especially. 

Making art and music can feel like exorcizing the different types of energy that enter your life. There is something really therapeutic about it. That's what it does for me. It lets me get my truth out. Not only in an incredibly cryptic, but also hopefully, in a way that other people can relate to."

"The art for The Bridge was inspired by a creative Christmas present from my boyfriend. He bought me one of those instant cameras that you can use underwater that had already been used.  The real present was the mystery of what could be on the photos. It was a pretty fantastic gift. 

After getting the photos developed, I cut out my favorite underwater gradients to make a series of collages by hand and then digitally in Photoshop.  The result was four pieces that resemble something you might see glowing in the background on an episode of Star Trek Next Generation, and if this is true, that is exactly what I was going for. 

I'm beginning to notice that a lot of my creative choices are closely related to my life experiences."

roll and fragment. your head is not
yours anymore. the second you see
the rotary motion, your skin grows
into something violent. something
that defies the existence of scars.
your life is a 4x3 movie; fixed and
static but free from motion sickness.
your heart is a carousel, not going
anywhere. your boneless, tiny hands
are touching all those photographic
memories popping out from your
eyes. now your life goes negative
as its default mode. fragment. roll.
memories are fluid, blurry, lucid
dream in disguise. film noir. your
head is no longer yours, but still.

Fumbalinas Spring/Summer 2016
​The Collection:
Statement accessories with a kawaii kick!  The newest collection from the Fumbalinas range explores a series of feminine statement pieces and iridescent wonders. Available online at fumbalinas.co.uk,  pieces range from one off creations to ready to made to order items.

Jodie Cartman
The Designer, Maker:
Fumbalinas: A one-woman operation using an amalgamation of styles to create a range of couture head wear and accessories. Rooted in the fantastical and the flamboyant, a Fumbalinas garment always consists of an elegant edge and a touch of the surreal. Fumbalinas chooses to re-use and recycle objects from the antique, obsolete and every day, breathing new life into old curiosities as she weaves them into the intricate designs of her collections. As well as her own seasonal collections, Jodie creates commissioned pieces for any occasion as well as providing workshops for events, private parties and corporations, the latest event having taken place at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. 

​I trace the lilac veins across your face
Sugar on my foaming tongue, 
A lemon-drop, dissolved.
On a bench we look out at sea, or was it a river?
I forget now.

The thought of you, at the window
The ticking of trains on repeat.
In this city, the streets are embroidered
With neon, bulbs like sequins
Blue, green, violet, red.

There are young boys racing 
A supermarket trolley down the street
Singing sickness rocks my belly. 
My innards clasped in skin
Pale meat in pink lobster shell.

I am underwater
In a silver swimming costume, tarnished at the hip. 
Looking down a hall of mirrors, 
I crack my eye wide-open, spilling
Vessels like metallic streamers at your feet. 

I take your hand on the Ferris wheel
From here the whole city, tangled in light
Collapses all around us.
A world tossed upside down and inside out,
A snow globe in September.

My swollen mouth aches
For the words that line my pockets
Like foil tickets, confetti, smithereens. 
Purple paper-cuts like battle scars
Each one for everything I could not say.

AN INTERVIEW WITH EMMA AHLQVIST

1. some of your illustrations are based on novels.  we're huge bookworms, so are wondering who some of your favourite authors are and why?  how does literature serve as a creative prompt for you?
 
I have a strong interest in literature and I love working on design and illustration projects that is inspired by fiction. When I illustrate a book I like to focus on the atmosphere or theme rather than a specific scene. One of my favourite books that  inspired an illustration project a couple of years ago is White Noise by Don DeLillo. I love the humour, the dialogue and how it reflects on postmodern life. I also read a lot of Swedish books and I don’t know if many of them are even translated into English. One of the most originally beautiful books that I know is Sweetness by Torgny Lindgren. It is a story about two brothers who no longer meet or speak. They are both very ill and dying and hate the other one with a vengeance. The language is extremely considered and beautiful at the same time as it describes things that are so repulsive that you almost want to put down the book. It would be a great challenge to illustrate.
 
2.  we see you have a graphic novel coming out in 2016.  can you tell us a bit about it?
 
The title of this book is still to be confirmed, but it is a story about a girl who has recently finished school and still lives at home with her dad and sister in a small town in the middle of the forest. She spends a lot of time writing on her blog and dreaming of being discovered by someone. She wants nothing more than moving away to a big city. It is about mundane, everyday life, and how we all think we need to grow up to become something special. I didn’t actually know what a blog was when I was the same age as the character but I guess it is still inspired by my own experiences growing up in a small village in the south of Sweden. I am self-publishing the book and I will start selling it at ELCAF in London on the 10th of June as well as on my website. Keep your eyes peeled.
 
3.  you're also a photographer - what is your favourite camera?  what sorts of objects/subjects catch your eye?
 
I love to document places and environments, focusing on the unexpected details. I think I often photograph things that are overlooked or considered ugly by most people. I am currently working on a photo book about Sweden where I am juxtaposing idyllic nature scenes with photographs of industrial areas. I have also recently started to get into food photography and I even started a food blog because I love cooking, eating and photographing food.
 
I mainly use old school 35mm film and currently my go to camera is an Olympus om20.
 
4.  there is a spectacular illustration called "wild trump" on your website.  what are your thoughts on donald?
 
That illustration was too easy to draw because he is a real life caricature! Donald is terrifying, and he’s just going wild in politics. He is not following the rules and unfortunately it is working for him. When he started his political campaign a lot of people were laughing at him and thinking of him as a joke. Now we’ve all started to get a bit scared, I think that he is so dangerous because he knows that he can do and say anything and the people that vote for him will not care, he will still have their votes.
 
5.  let's speculate.  you can create anything for anyone.  what is your dream project and why?
 
That is a very difficult question. The first thing I though of was that I would just like to create my own graphic stories. As a designer I often work for or collaborate with other people. It is really fun to be part of a team and it pays the bills but in between that I want to work on my own projects where I’m the boss. Saying that, there are loads of jobs I dream of, such as working as a graphic designer for film. I love the work that Graphic Designer Annie Atkins did for The Grand Budapest Hotel and getting a project like that would be absolutely amazing.

Orllyorlly is a Japanese artist, currently studying illustration at University of the Arts London in England.  We first found her online moving picture book and were mesmerized.  Her creations are intricate, vibrant and beautifully unsettling.  They remind us of the sort of sci-fi, fantasy and horror we swoon over - that which is not dominated by violent action and masculine heroes, but that is intelligent, complex and challenging.  We asked her to tell us a bit about herself and her art.  Here's what she had to say:

Illustrating = visualizing stories

Illustrating is similar to visualizing stories.  Plots form in her mind by being exposed to subjects.  Often, these imagined worlds are then combined with her own philosophies, experiences and emotions.  Her works seem scientific in that they convey subjects objectively.  At the same time, they are deeply personal, revealing the darker corners of her mind.

Process and materials

These stories sometimes form suddenly and sometimes require extensive research.  Orllyorlly sometimes sketches several times, makes 3D objects, writes poems and keeps a diary for inspiration.  She uses a variety of materials and styles according to subjects, but her favourite are colour pens, for their detail and vibrancy.

Subjects

As subjects for her works, she tends to choose people, especially children and women, to express emotions.  She also prefers to leave facial expressions blank so that viewers can imagine their own stories.  This is largely influenced by her Japanese background, where it is common to avoid expressing emotions openly, and rather let others in only through subtleties.

Interests

Orllyorlly is interested in emotions (specifically, the darker spectrum), conflict and psychedelic imagery.  She enjoys reading novels, films and watching TV dramas that depict their characters' deep emotional movements.  As for content, her tastes are diverse, but she especially enjoys crime, social issues and mental health.  She also likes history and culture, especially Ancient Egypt, India and Japan.

Contact
Website, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, 

​Crying in Colour

I’ve never seen you cry in blue,
even now that you are free to wash your food with salt
before consuming. You never cried
in streams or drizzles either but as tiny glaciers of crystalized
emotion, hoping I’d sit long enough 
for them to dissolve. You never tried
to cry in colour – I told you once that was too simple.
You cried for me in pages, in shards of teacups I marked up
with lipstick. You cried them out like beads and
left the day I came to love the search for them more
than I loved decoding your sadness.