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“Strokes of pixie dust, painted in glimmering gold — bringing to life fluttering wings as magic unfolds;
Galloping through the night is a girl on her trusty steed, illuminating the sky with bubbling dreams;
Venture into heavenly realms, where you will find enchanting mysteries alongside magical friends.”
Hailing from France, Maud Bihan is an illustrator who captures the enchantment of mystical realms where beauty unfolds.
Immerse yourself into the illustriously charming world of Maud, follow the blossoming friendships and majestic colours. This new collection features enchanting wonders and an ensemble of charming radiant characters.
Read on to learn more about her enchanting creative process, her experience transitioning to creating art full-time and more!
Hello Maud! We’re really excited to be collaborating with you for the first time and welcome to Mossery! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi, thank you so much for having me! So, I am a french artist and I worked for a few years in the publishing industry, as a children’s book illustrator. But in the second half of 2020, I decided to try to focus more on my own projects, and not to take as many freelance projects as before.
We’re very excited to be working with you! This will be the first time you’ve collaborated with Mossery on a collection of Book Covers, what was the creative process like?
I would say pretty much the same as usual. And this is something I absolutely loved about this collaboration! To be able to work on an illustration just as I would do for my own project.
Most of the time, I start an illustration by browsing a lot of images, as if I was feeding the creativity. This way, it’s easier for me to picture and assemble things that can spark something, even if it’s just a detail. I immediately draw a very loose thumbnail with the idea, then take a step back and move onto another one.
When the time comes to sketch one idea more properly, I go back to my thumbnail, and I get new references. This way, the more I go into the drawing, the richer it is. It’s a very fun step because I let myself add whatever I want without being restricted by an image too clear from the beginning.
Painting goes pretty much the same way, very loose at first then slowly adding details without a perfect plan in mind. This way I can have fun during the process because I am not expecting anything from it, and so I don’t pressure myself too much on a certain result.
In this new collection, it emphasizes exploration and endeavoring into fantasies. What do you wish our users to experience and feel with this new collection?
I don’t really know… I guess I hope that people will feel as much comfort as I felt while painting those illustrations. Like a cozy, warm and soft place.
The two new covers carry so much detail to the characters and their environment, is there a story that you went for while creating these covers?
I always try to tell a little story through my illustrations, but it is not really something I clearly think about. More something that comes while drawing them, as if I was following a path, sometimes it’s very natural, sometimes it’s more sinuous but it always leads me somewhere.
There’s this magical realism to your art that showcases the beauty in everyday things, do you think you weave yourself into your art?
This question got me thinking for a while to be honest because I’ve never seen my work this way. I guess that being very far from an adventurous person in my life, I tend to see a lot of poetry and beauty in the tiny things.
From all of the art and illustrations you have made, what is the most sentimental/valuable artwork that you resonate most with?
I would say a piece from last year called Mirror (did I mentioned I was very bad at naming my illustrations?).
It’s a very personal illustration, where you can see an old lady meet a young girl through a mirror. And it mostly talks, for me, about how I hope I’ll love the person I’ll grow into. But also, I hope to be able to look back and smile at the person I’ve been.
From an illustrator in the children’s book industry, how would you describe your journey as/transition to an independent artist?
Working for the publishing industry was very challenging for me. I had the chance to work on wonderful projects, I’ve learned a lot and I don’t regret anything. But it was draining. Physically, mentally and regarding my creativity. To the point I think it led me into a serious burnout.
I had the chance to be able to take my time and get slowly back into drawing. Learn how to enjoy it again, and it was a long journey. But I eventually found a way, and I even felt strong enough to try to work by myself. And so far, it has been wonderful! I’ve discovered so many things about how I work, because I can take the time and enjoy all the process. And I am very amazed by all the support I never thought I could get. And of course, all the opportunities it brought me! I am grateful and happy about that decision.
This may be a cliche question that you hear often, however what made you decide to pursue art as a career instead of a personal hobby?
I don’t really know, I’ve never thought about it that way. I had the chance to be able to go study drawing and illustration after high school and I’ve never really questioned the “why”, it just felt right at the time.
As an artist, what is next in store for your future creative journey and what are your hopes and wishes for your future self as an artist?
I really want to keep exploring personal work, but I would also love to meet new people and artists through small collaborations.
Also, for a while now, I really want to get back into children's book illustration, so this is my big dream project, write and illustrate a book, all by myself. I’ve already started, and I am learning so much, this is very exciting! I hope I’ll be able to pull this project out.
For all those artists who wish to transition into art full-time and as a professional career, what advice would you give them to ease the transition?
Ohhhh this is hard! But I think the most important thing to me is to find joy in what you do and remember why you’ve started the journey in the first place.
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Maud Bihan is a French artist inspired by fairytale magic, poetry and mysterious wonders that is narrated through her illustrations. Find her on Instagram here.
These beautiful and radiant Covers, Gleam & Nimbus, are now available for Planners, Notebooks, Sketchbooks, and Twinbooks. Maud Bihan Art Prints and Notepads are now available too!
Browse the extended collection here!
Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram at @mosseryco in your pictures or unboxing clips when you receive yours, we’d love to see them!
