Wellington based graphic artist Sarah Maxey has a style most of us wish we had. From award-winning work on literary books and working on the Nice Work brand with fellow Wellingtonians Sarah has got mad skill, we quickly catch up between jobs.

Have you always been into graphic art? What’s the journey been so far?

I’ve always been a drawer, ever since I could hold a crayon, and I’ve never stopped. I opened my first publishing company at the age of 11, in a treehut in a walnut tree in the back yard, where I wrote stories on an old Remington typewriter, designed the covers and handstitched the spines. Very limited editions, none of which have survived, sadly. I studied textile design at Wellington Design School, but almost immediately got into book design (after a short stint as till jockey at Unity Books). I worked for various publishing companies in NZ, before landing a plum job as graphic designer at Bloomsbury Publishing in the UK. Since returning to NZ I have run my own graphic design studio, offering a complete publication service: from design & illustration, writing & editing, through to print management and production, winning numerous awards for book design in the process.

© Victoria Birkinshaw

From bespoke stationery, to limited edition prints to publishing books… what is your favourite and why?

My first and greatest love is handlettering, and I’m busy carving out a niche providing handlettering for packaging & identities, often for other design houses. A recent high-point was being commissioned by the New York Times to draw some type to accompany their regular column ‘On Language’, and being included in their group show in New York alongside such type luminaries as Ed Fella, Paula Scher, Marian Bantjes & Jessica Hische. I’ve recently had two really challenging commissions from the City Gallery Wellington, one to produce the drawing ‘I did this instead of going out‘ for the Courtenay Place lightbox series, and the other for a huge type installation on the wall of the Hirschfeld Gallery. I’m also getting some interesting private commissions for handlettering, including designs for a classic yacht restoration, and various architectural features in home renovations.

What’s the main inspiration behind your illustration style? Wellington weather got anything to do with it?

Words and letterforms are my main inspiration. I have been preoccupied with drawing letterforms from a very early age, and I still find it endlessly inspiring. I also have a great love and fascination for language, for nuance and meaning and hidden meaning. Wellington weather is more of a damn hindrance than anything else. I said that through gritted teeth…

Wellington is cool, it has a natural creative energy thats hard to describe and different from many other NZ cities… whats in the water down there?

Maybe it IS the weather. You have to be tenacious and hardy to withstand it, particularly the wind, and maybe that has become a defining influence over the creative energy here. I’m guessing of course, but maybe there’s something in that. Perhaps we have to put our heads down and bury ourselves in creative endeavour to block out the horror of the elements…

What’s your favourite product on endemicworld.com?

My life has been an endless search for the perfect handbag. I think the Paris House Bebe Tear Drop Bag is getting pretty close. While I save up for that, I could be very content with Miss Ellie’s Miracle Tote Bag.

Thanks for your time Sarah and we’re all looking forward to seeing more of your work on endemicworld.com soon.

When endemicworld.com launched back in 2007 F3 Design from Christchurch were behind us from day one. We have seen their famous guywire bracelets go far and wide to places like New York, Te Kuiti and Tokyo. Today we talk to brother and sister Ella and Pippin Wright-Stow about their journey so far and what the design scene is like in Christchurch.

What is F3 Design?

Ella + Pippin – F3 Design is a platform for creation: homeware, furniture, architectural, exhibition and graphic design. An umbrella that allows us to indulge our design ideas in a digestible and practical way to allow others the opportunity to experience and attain them for their own homes and body adornment. And on a less serious note but equally as important… fun is pretty essential to the whole operation here!

What is it like working with your brother/sister? Who’s the boss?

Ella + Pippin – Ella thinks Pippin is the boss.. and Pippin thinks Ella is the boss!!  It’s great working with family, we know each others strengths and weaknesses and we can use this to our advantage. A successful business hinges on knowing your shortcomings and where you excel… for this reason working with family means we have an advantage over many other business partnerships.

Your range of products vary from tea towels, to art collabs with photographers through to decking out event interiors. How did you end up doing such a wide variety of creative work, what was first?

Ella + Pippin – We are versatile in our abilities and interests, and between the two of us we have an array of skills that allow us to tackle a wide variety of projects. One project or product leads onto the next project or product… each taking seed from the last,  giving us a new idea and direction for the next.  We are often surprised at the types of projects that arise such as our latest design project for the International Antarctic Centre. We definitely did not see ourselves making icebergs as part of our business, but it’s a nice change and challenge, and definitely keeps us on our toes.

What is your most popular product and do you do commissions for individual requests?

Ella + Pippin – Our most popular product/products are our Guywire jewellery range. Guywires have been in production for many years now and are developing a great customer base and seem to be a great conversation starter when someone spots a guywire on the wrist of someone they don’t know! The Guywire range has grown and evolved over the years to accommodate the requirements of the modern guy and gal, and can now be found throughout New Zealand, and parts of Australia, as well as online through the great guys at endemicworld.com!

Increasingly we do quite a few furniture and shop fitting commissions. These usually stem from customers who have seen and enjoyed our products and general aesthetic. Customers often really like one of our tables, for example, but need it slightly smaller to fit their space, or in the case of larger commission design jobs, such as a current job for Underground Coffee Company HQ, we design pieces to fit into their space.

Last time I was in Christchurch was for University back in 1999, it was a quiet town, what’s the design/creative scene in Christchurch like 10 years on?

Ella + Pippin – The Creative scene is Christchurch is small but robust.  There are some great leaders and big thinkers here that are making huge in-roads into helping Christchurch creatives come out of the woodwork and entice new ideas, productions, activities and design into the path of everyday viewers and participants. Christchurch is a small city that needs some big characters and innovative thinkers to keep the creative momentum going, and I think we are starting to see the outcome of this with some great design, artwork, and arts and dance festivals here… long may it continue!

What’s your favourite product on endemicworld.com?

Ella + Pippin –  We really like the thatch stuff, and think the Zoe Ikin jewellery is great, especially the lightning bolt necklace.

Hey thanks for your time guys and filling us in on the Chch scene at what makes F3 tick. Visit F3′s quality NZ made goods here.