Safari 3x3 - Multicolor (R)

Sion Lee’s artwork is among some of the most colorful, bold and fun designs I ve encountered. He’s just come out with a new series of Safari prints perfect for Nurseries and kids’ rooms or anywhere in dire need of some color and fun! Sion was cool enough to answer a few questions about his new series, how he got started and what to look out for next.

See all of Sion Lee’s art on Imagekind.

Heisenberg the Hippo

Where were you born, where do you live now, any other background info?

I was born in Las Vegas and currently live there now. My earliest memories of art were scribbled on the back of old restaurant menus my dad would bring home from work. He’d staple them into giant 30-page stacks which I would regularly fill up with random sketches of animals, robots, vehicles, and other doodles. This habit for doodling continued all the way into my college years, where I would spend as much time drawing in the margins of my class notebooks as I would taking notes. However, I opted for a more practical approach to my schooling and ended up with two engineering degrees. After graduating I designed websites for a living, but repeatedly found myself drawn to the idea of creating my own art.

In early 2007, I decided to follow my heart and try my hand at producing and selling artwork under the name Ubiki. It’s taken several years to get to a level of self-sufficiency — I continued to do web design and founded several of my own successful online ventures in the meantime — but I can say that 2010 is the year that my art finally turns into a full-time endeavor.

Greta the Giraffe

How would you describe your work?

My design style can be described as fresh, fun, and modern. I’ve always loved clean, minimalist artwork with bold, simple colors. It’s a combination that I’ve found to be uniquely suited to nurseries and children’s rooms.

Rousseau the Rhino

What processes and techniques do you use to create your work?

My artwork is purely digital. I’ve found the mathematical precision of vector art to be a perfect match for both my minimalist and engineering sensibilities. However, it still permits a tremendous amount of creative freedom, which appeals to my more expressive and humorous side.

Cathy the Cheetah

Are you a full time artist?

Yes, and a recently minted one at that! I’ve created several successful websites in the past, including Indiepublic (a social network for independent artists), Cuteable (a daily blog of cute product finds), and PadStyle (an interior design blog). However, I transferred ownership of my last site earlier this year and am now a full-time artist.

Zappa the Zebra

Any notable accomplishments?

The bulk of my accomplishments heretofore have been from my previous ventures — I am a published author, have been featured on The New York Times, and was selected as one of PC Magazine’s Top 100 websites for 2009.

However, my single proudest accomplishment was hearing from a close friend about his little girl, Elyse. Every day, Elyse wakes up to my artwork and says hello to the characters in them name. Realizing that my art has a positive impact–however small–in a child’s life makes all the time and energy I put into my artwork worth it.

Ella the Elephant

Where can we find more info and keep up with your work?

The best way to keep up with Ubiki is to visit my blog at http://ubiki.com. I update it regularly with not only my latest art pieces but nursery decor tips, artistic inspirations, and the daily goings-on of running an art business.

Georgia the Gazelle

What artists inspire you? Do you have their website links?

Oh my…I am inspired by literally hundreds of artists! I’m inevitably going to forget a few, but my favorites are Frank Chimero , Olly Moss, Noma Bar, Johnny Cupcakes, Simone Legno, and Orla Kiely. Every single one of them is a master of their own craft and intensely prolific–traits which I deeply admire in anybody, artist or otherwise.

Leon the Lion

Do you have any upcoming artwork in the pipeline?

Yup, I definitely do! My brand-new Safari line with nine characters is just the tip of the iceberg as I plan to release a new line every few months. Here’s a quick sneak peek at just a few of the new themes I’m working on: Farm, Forest, House Pets, and Jungle. For more information and the latest updates, please be sure to stop by my blog at http://www.ubiki.com!

Woody the Warthog