Although you may not know her personally, there’s a decent chance you’ve seen the illustrations of Francesca Boyd-Barrett, a.k.a. Franmo. A native to Mother England, she now lives and works in sunny Los Angeles. By day she’s an Art Director for a tee shirt company, and over the last several years she has seen her designs printed on countless tees sold at retailers like Urban Outfitters, Delia’s, and F21, to name a few. Seriously, girlfriend has done a lot of tee shirts. In her spare time she continues her craft through collaborations and personal work, and has devoted special attention to her pet project, Desktop Lover. It’s a great site where you can browse really cute desktop wallpapers for a variety of screen sizes, and download any of them completely for free! Did you hear that? Free surface design! Check it out and test one of those bad boys on your desktop – that is, as soon as you’re done reading Francesca’s hilarious interview below. Scroll down, there’s more!
AW: Where do you like to find inspiration?
Franmo: Nature is inspiring. I go hiking a lot which clears my head and chills me out.
I’ve always loved fashion from every era including current trends and I’m heavily into that.
I also spend a lot of time on blogs which is a pretty extraordinary source for inspiration. Although the internet is awesome it isn’t as all-encompassing and exciting as getting out in the real world.
AW: Describe your style in three words.
Franmo: Quirky. Scruffy. Weird.
AW: Do you have a favorite theme you like to follow within your personal work?
Franmo: I love funny and silly art that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I love comic style art also, simply because I don’t have the patience for that shit and I’m in awe. David Shirgley is pretty awesome in every way. I love Will Sweeney‘s attention to detail and Neckface because of his drawing style and fucked up nature of his art in general. There are many other artists I love also but I don’t really have one favorite in particular.
AW: If you could choose any designer or artist to collaborate with, who would it be and why?
Franmo: Fuck I really don’t know. I would love to collaborate with anyone who is super talented but who’s style is completely different from my own. Those are the best collaborations I think because the results are exciting and unexpected.
Collaborating with a fashion or shoe designer would be kinda rad. In my day job, I’m an Art Director / designer, for a t-shirt company, and it never gets old seeing your art as a wearable piece.
AW: What do you like to do to unwind when you need a break from work?
Franmo: I’ve been getting into movie and TV show watching. I never really was a TV person and I”m feeling a bit like a couch potato these days, but it’s fun. I love Dexter. Who doesn’t though?!
Again, getting out into nature is also something great for unwinding which I do almost every day. Squirrels make me laugh. They make strange noises too.
AW: If you won the lottery today, would your job, your art, or the process you use change in any way?
Franmo: I’d probably spend about one month shopping for clothes and shoes. Lame I know, but it’s true. Then I’d get bored, so maybe I’d go to some exotic country and explore. Then I would come back and live like a trust-fund baby in an overpriced loft somewhere, painting and getting high all day. Seriously though, I would really love to get an MFA in art or illustration. I would probably write and illustrate children’s books, not caring whether or not they got published. Maybe I’d work towards getting a solo show so I can drink free wine. The possibilities are endless.
AW: Indeed, Franmo, indeed they are.
All images courtesy Franmo and Desktop Lover.
If you’re an artist and would like to get involved with Desktop Lover go here for more details.