Rosie Pink is an illustrator and self-professed 'sentimental girlie', creating warm and reflective artwork born out of a never-ending appreciation for colour, nostalgia and the little joys in life. Through vibrant and comforting illustrative work, Rosie has built a large online community who resonate profoundly with her words and visuals, and has collaborated with the likes of Adobe, Sony Pictures, Kenneth Cole, Sharpie, Vans, CASETiFY, Live Nation and of course... Stormy Knight!
A percentage of profits from the sale of our Rosie Pink support cards are donated to OTR, a mental health social movement by and for young people aged 11-25 living in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
We catch up with Rosie to chat about positivity and creativity...
What three words would you use to describe your illustration style?
Cosy, comforting, cute!
We love your colourful and uplifting designs - what role do you think colour plays in your work?
Thank you! I use colour in a very instinctual way and usually just go with whatever feels right at the time. But I love to think about the psychology of colour, and find it really interesting to look back and see what colour palettes I've been drawn to during certain eras of my life, and in specific illustrations. I also love the power of colour in influencing our moods. I always aim to make my designs vibrant without being overpowering, so I often use bright colours paired with more muted or pastel tones – my goal is always to make my artwork feel comforting and calming, while still hopefully bringing a colourful hit of dopamine!
What do you love drawing most and why?
I love creating characters that are repetitive within my work, such as the little pink character with big ears, which appears in this collection. I find so much comfort in drawing the same character over and over, in different scenarios, because they eventually just feel like a part of me, and that then adds another layer of sentimentality and authenticity to my work. I also love drawing scenes, as I imagine them all being part of a bigger story, and all being part of this idealistic dream world that lives inside my brain. I love thinking of all the little details to include in them – like what pictures are on the wall, what's the view outside of the window, which flowers are in the vase, what objects are left on the table, etc. It's all in the details!
Mental health and positivity mantras feature heavily in your work - do you think art has the power to help people?
100%, I believe this with my whole heart! This is why I think it's so important to prioritise the creative industries because we NEED them, so much more than people realise (but that's a can of worms I won't open!). In terms of my work, I get so many lovely messages every week telling me my work has resonated with them in some way. The words I use in my artwork are always taken directly from my journal or my notes app, so are very personal to me, so it's really amazing and comforting that other people resonate with them too. It's a constant lovely reminder that no one is an island and we're never as alone in our feelings as we often worry we are.
Which is your favourite card out of this collection?
I think the 'Better Days Ahead' design might be my favourite, as this phrase has popped up a lot in my artwork over the past few years, so it feels very sentimental to me. It's a simple reminder to hold onto when life feels dark, because no matter how difficult something is, it will never stay like it forever, and it will inevitably move along with the ebbs and flows of life. As Ronan Keating once said, life is a rollercoaster, you've just gotta ride it.
You mentioned that OTR is a charity that's close to your heart - would you be happy to share any of your experience of OTR with us?
I actually had therapy with OTR throughout 2019, which was one of the hardest years of my life, when I was struggling with severe PTSD. I was so grateful for it as I was pretty fresh out of university and there was no way I'd be able to afford therapy. It brought me so much solace every week and I felt in such safe hands, and I can't express how much I needed something like that to hold onto tightly during such a turbulent period of time. To this day I still often think about the care I received from OTR. It really made my world feel a lot brighter and helped me restore the compassion and care for myself that had been damaged.
You're based in the amazing city of Bristol - what are your top spots in this city?
I LOVE Bristol! I lived here for university and tried out a couple of other cities in the UK in the years following, but always knew I'd move back one day. It has a magnetic pull! I adore the harbourside – I live close to it so it kind of feels like a garden to me, and there's such a specific magic that exists there on summer evenings. I'm usually hanging around there or Wapping Wharf because there's SO much good food there – my current favourite is the veggie sushi from Seven Lucky Gods. Ashton Court is my go-to place when I want to escape the city and lie in the grass with a book. And for shopping, it's got to be Gloucester Road. The longest road in the city, and it's literally just full of gorgeous independent shops – my favourite Sunday activity is treating myself to an iced oat latte and a croissant, and browsing my way through all of them!
Who would you send a 'just because' card to?
Maybe an obvious answer but I would send it to my partner. We live together and sometimes when you live with a partner it's easy to forget to show them you care in gift-giving ways. But so often, we'll leave little notes for each other around the house or order each other something cute to arrive as a surprise in the post. These small gestures brighten up our days and act as reminders that we're grateful to have each other. So I would give a Just Because card to her, to remind her that I'm glad that she exists. It's always important to let the people you love know that you love them!
