‘I love the colour palette of childhood’: Sadie Levine on her imaginative artwork
Sadie Levine, Con-Ed ’23, has been expressing herself through playful, dreamlike illustrations since she was in high school. Her work is driven by an expression of childhood memories reimagined in her sketchbook.
Her process, while simplistic, results in extremely original prints that Levine sells on RedBubble. She also showcases and commissions her art on her Instagram page, @sadiesartthings.
“My work is mainly an expression of childhood memories and it’s something I do to make myself happy,” Levine told The Journal. “I love the colour palette of childhood.”
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After completing a rough sketch, Levine goes in with pen. Adding colour is the final step in her creative process. She strays away from the harsh tone of red, opting for colours that mirror the childlike wonder of her illustrations. Other than adding in coloured background on Photoshop, her work is done entirely by hand.
Levine described the community of artists on Instagram as a gateway for artistic inspiration and new ideas.
“A lot of my inspirations I found through Instagram,” Levine said. “It’s a great way for artists to showcase their work and be seen.”
Levine noted Manjit Thapp, a UK-based illustrator known for her bold, colourful illustrations and combination of digital and analog artistic techniques, as one of her primary inspirations.
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“I also follow a lot of children’s book illustrators,” Levine said. “Oliver Jeffers writes and illustrates children’s books, and I really like his work.”
Levine has recently become involved with a number of creative platforms at Queen’s, including becoming an official illustrator for MUSE and sitting on the Editorial Board for Ultraviolet, two arts-based magazines.
The business side of her artistic journey is casual right now, but Levine hopes to transform it into something more concrete after graduating.
“When I graduate, I’d love to turn this into a real business,” Levine said. “Right now, I’m just doing it for fun.”
