Last year in Buenos Aires, the lockdown started in March and at that moment, I was very distant from the illustration because of the stress that the changes in everyday life and the home office work presented for me. I wanted to prepare a series of illustrations for a contest, but I was really lost and I didn’t know what to draw or tell in this artwork.
Fortunately, my dog was by my side during quarantine, and walking around the neighborhood with him was the highlight of my days; especially in the morning when it was very quiet and we could see the different types of birds and dogs that live around our block.
So, when I needed to start the project, the inspiration came from my pet; he is a mixed-race dog, but he looks a little like a Daschund because he has the same color and is small. He’s very funny and he lets me put costumes or hats on him. He always remembers me of a song that I used to listen when I was a little girl, from a songwriter called Maria Elena Walsh whom is very special to me; the song is called “el show del perro salchicha” and it’s about a dog that uses a sailor hat and is caught in the beach by a seagull for feeding her pup, fortunately in the end, he escapes.
I think that anything can be an inspiration and how everything connects can be surprising. Music is always present when I need to find inspiration, and can be a great kick start for a story, it also helps me to concentrate. I really like to do portraits of musicians that I admire when I don’t know what to draw.
Whenever I’m lost, I try to find things that make me feel good or bring back good old memories, like from my childhood. I believe anything can be used as an inspiration, but it is really important that what brings that inspiration makes you feel good, makes you have fun. In my case, those things can be my dog Lalo in a funny hat which makes me instantly laugh and can trigger ideas or elements that relate to one another and allow me to create an image.
So I really believe that inspiration can be found all around us, we just need to take the time to observe and take the time to do it every day until you find it.
