Claire Rollet

I've always enjoyed drawing and so I thought that I would try selling some prints one weekend.

No I didn’t but I did study fine art at Kingston University.

In the Alps in France. Have you watched ‘The Returned’ TV series? That's where I grew up.

I live in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. My husband and I are both freelancers so we thought to grab our fortunate circumstance and make the most of it by trying out life abroad for a while. I now love it here, the pace is relaxed and to have so much water around is great fun from skating on canals to swimming in them. Of course cycling was also a major drawing point.

I have a wooden nutcracker on my desk, does that count? Otherwise I am not a pet person I'm afraid.

I see the beautiful Amsterdam architecture with all its interesting details, I hear the constant chaining and un-chaining of bicycles and the tram dinging it's bell every so often.

Well, someone whose work I've always loved is Edward Gorey. His story lines are fantastically wicked, I never tire of them and I love his dark line work as well.

I go for walks around town and keep my eyes looking up. I love architecture and history, Dutch buildings have lots of tiny beautiful details which can tell a lot about the past.

I love to sew and cycle.

The personal project I'm working on at the moment actually. I'm putting together an exhibition of my drawings of interesting buildings of Amsterdam. Of course the entire city is to draw but I'm loving looking into the history behind it all as well.

I'd love to document time passing on the architecture of a city/neighborhood. To draw several times the same buildings say every two years or so. Not just the important ones but also the shabby looking ones, they've all got something to tell.

My style is figurative so for me I decide to edit reality in order to direct the eye of the viewer.

I always admire the work of great graphic designers like Christoph Niemann for example. His illustrations of ideas are succinct and beautiful as well; my work is the polar opposite, I document reality. So I appreciate his talent.

All of the line work is hand drawn just not on paper anymore. These days I draw directly on my Wacom tablet into the computer.

I find the avant-garde art movements that went on in Europe in between the two world wars really interesting. They were cross disciplinary and a fascinating reaction to those times.

To find what you love and keep doing it.

I go for walks in the city. There's so much to see, I find it stimulating.

Absolutely. It's about doing things that give you joy.