Artist Collaboration: Interview with Jillian Goeler

Jillian Goeler is the latest artist we’ve collaborated with in our limited-edition Joanie Gallery series. To celebrate the launch of a range of tees and sweatshirts featuring Jillian’s designs, our Brand Director, Lucy interviews the artist to find out more.

For our next instalment in our Joanie Gallery series is Manchester, Connecticut-based illustrator and lettering queen, Jillian Goeler. An avid dog lover, a big fan of the great outdoors and someone who nerds out to anything involving musical theatre, she loves playing with a mix of minimalistic shapes and retro illustrations and lettering, while putting a modern and whimsical spin on everything she creates. She gravitates towards a muted ‘70s colour palette, peppered with quirky smiley faces and a whole lot of stars.

We adore Jillian’s fun, colourful art style and are so excited to finally release these collaboration pieces into the wild! Our Brand Director, Lucy had a chat with Jillian for a little more insight into her life, inspirations and the work she creates…

Jillian Goeler - @jag.ink

“Hi Jillian, tell us a little about yourself - your set-up, your life. Where are you today? Set the scene for our readers.”

Hey there! I am an illustrator working out of my home studio in Connecticut, USA - and by home studio, I really mean my living room! I've got my coffee on the desk and my iPad open and am ready to start drawing for the day. I love to move around throughout the day as I work so I tend to hop from my desk to the couch to the deck and sometimes the grass - the beauty of being able to draw straight on my iPad! I'm surrounded by my houseplants which bring me so much joy and my studio pal is my sweet dog Freddie who hangs out with me when she's feeling particularly needy.

“You’re from Manchester, CT? We’re from Manchester, UK! Tell us a little about your hometown? Have you ever been to the UK? We’d love to have you round!”

I'm actually from Canton, CT! My hometown is a little farm-y, a little suburb-y outside of Connecticut's capital city. There's not too much going on, but I love it for its proximity to trails, rivers, beaches - any kind of outdoor scenario you're looking for can be found here. It's a pretty classic New England town with an old railroad building and a mill on the river. Quiet and scenic!

I have been to the UK! I spent a summer during college in London with a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. I was a theater major so of course we had to visit Shakespeare's birthplace! And I saw every West End and fringe show I could manage in just a few months. I have been back to London since then, but I'd always love to go back to see more of the UK.

“You illustrate for lots of interesting brands and TV shows, is it a full-time career or a side hustle?”

Illustration is a full-time career for me! It started as a side hustle but has majorly transformed in the past few years and I feel so lucky to be here drawing and collaborating with cool people (like you!).

Kirana Tiger Hear Me Roar Slogan Sweatshirt, Fenella Oh Fudge Slogan Tee

“We love your amazing landscape illustrations, tell us more about your love of the great outdoors. What draws you to nature?”

So much! I really love just the feeling of being outside in sunshine. And the vastness of the outdoors blows my mind - there's so much out there and it all just does its thing whether we're watching or not. I also love the variety of landscapes - from those sparse deserts to flowery meadows, leaves and mushrooms. I love drawing minimal, wonky shapes and a lot of little details, so I'm naturally drawn to those landscapes where I can draw big flowy mountains and lots of little blades of grass or flowers. And of course, the colors in nature are awe-inspiring. It's impossible to fully replicate them, but you can't stop me from trying!

“Your use of colour is beautiful, those desert shades and retro colours convey such a warm ‘70s vibe. What is about the era that keeps you going back in time? What is your favourite colour to use?”

It's so hard to put my finger on exactly what draws me there - I think it's the textures and the free spirit vibe. I love really gritty, grainy texture overlays and muted color palettes. Lately I've been loving a burnt orange or mustard yellow but I go through different color phases pretty often!

“If you could travel back to one moment in time, one place - where/what would it be?”

Oh wow where to even begin! I'd probably say the Summer of Love, Haight Ashbury and/or late ‘60s early ‘70s NYC. It'd be pretty rad to pop into an authentic late ‘70s/early ‘80s roller disco too! I know we romanticize the ‘70s sooo much and in reality it probably smelled pretty bad haha, but I draw so much inspiration from that time period -- which actually mostly stems from when I first saw HAIR on Broadway in high school. I'm so pleased that era's aesthetics and fashion is coming back so I can fully lean into that side of myself.

Titania Outta The Woods Slogan Tee, Drew Wildflower Slogan Tee

“A lot of your inspiration is drawn from music and lyrics too, what’s your jam?”

I have sooo many jams it's impossible to choose! I grew up on the classic oldies - Dylan, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, the Beatles - and those are still big sources of inspiration. But some days I'm jamming to Broadway showtunes. Often, it's Harry Styles or Orville Peck or some chill folky vibes like the Avett Brothers. And sometimes it's Bowie, Queen, Elton John. Depends on the mood but music is definitely a massive inspiration for me.

“If you could steal the wardrobe of one person - past or present - who would it be?”

Oh can we do fictional folks? I'd steal everything Alexis wears in Schitts Creek.

“Complete the phrase: ‘There’s nothing I love more than...’”

There's nothing I love more than a warm, sunny morning with a cup of coffee and my dog. Simple pleasures for sure!