Suzanne Woolcott Q&A
SUZANNE WOOLCOTT X SANTORO LONDON Q&A
The original Gorjuss artist Suzanne Woolcott has expressed her emotions and feeling through her artwork. They all showcase her striped socks and charming girls in snapshots of their own tiny worlds. Here at Santoro, we create and license these artworks all over the world in order to deliver YOU the most incredible, magnificent Gorjuss items!
We asked you what you wanted to know about Suzanne and her artworks, so we have brought some light to your curiosity...
Why do you think that Gorjuss is soo loved worldwide?
'I still can’t believe the reach my artwork has. Around the world, it’s really humbling to hear how connected people feel towards Gorjuss. Thanks to Santoro and lots of licensed partners its reach is bigger than it’s ever been. I hope they offer something different to people like me who feel like they don’t connect to that sweet ‘princess’ type of happy ever after.'
Where do you find inspiration to draw the lovely Gorjuss dolls?
'Inspiration can come at any time! For me, it often comes when I’m listening to certain kinds of music. Sometimes it’s just the feeling of the song, or the powerful lyrics and the memories they bring up. Every painting has a meaning - some of them very personal. I think it’s important to recognise that inspiration isn’t just fully picturing the finished product in your mind, it can also be a little ritual that simply helps you get in the right headspace.
Something else that does prompt my decisions when I’m painting is if I hear a particular turn of phrase, or an idiom. ‘A Lion’s Share’ is a recent example of this kind of ‘inspiration strikes!’ moment, representing Leo in the Zodiac range.
‘Into the Ocean’ was inspired by the Blue October song by the same name. The deep meaningful lyrics in their songs always spark something within me. After seeing them live in Glasgow, meeting them, and hearing the story behind this song, sure enough another painting arrived! Blue October has inspired many of my paintings, including ‘My Tree is Special’, so to anyone suffering from a bad case of art-block, I would personally prescribe their album ‘Argue With A Tree’!'
Where did your idea for these beautiful Gorjuss girls come from?
'I was always an artist, in a way. If you’d have asked me when I was wee what I wanted to be I would’ve said so. But I was an artist who couldn’t draw. I showed talent and a love for art at a really young age but it was never encouraged. I couldn’t go to art school due to the lack of support and so I taught myself how to draw and paint in my early twenties.
As I gained more independence I started doodling non-stop. It took a while for me to settle on my current style. Always listening to myself, hearing what bits I liked and didn’t like. My skills grew and grew, until eventually I could capture that elusive girl on the canvas. The girls come from me, chasing a feeling in my head.'
Do you have a favourite Gorjuss girl, or one you feel most proud of?
Each painting is connected to me. I express myself in each painting so it’s always kind of the current painting that means the most to me. It’s usually the most related to what I’m currently going through or feeling. They will mean more things to me when I look back than they will to anyone else. They’re tied to intimate facets of my life that I’ve moved on from, and can look back on like a little auto-biography that only I can read.'
Why are there no drawings of blonde girls?
'What I usually say is: because they are all representative of me in some way, I tend to give them darker hair to reflect that. But there are some girls with lighter hair out there. I have nothing against other hair colours. Maybe there’ll be more!'
Are there any plans to release more merchandise in England please?
'We at Santoro are working on many new collections for Gorjuss, with development plans running into 2023 already! So please do watch our social media sites for new roll outs. We hope to secure new collaborations soon for the UK market, in order to widen the breadth of products available here.'