Designs on the stars

The works of a Shannon designer have been top sellers in some of America’s best-known shops. Her designs can be seen on everything from laptops to skateboards to plectrums. Nicola Corless spoke to Louise Carey.
Her designs adorn the walls of college dorm rooms across America. They have been featured on objects as diverse as canvases, signs, posters, bags, mugs, sporting equipment and computers. Indeed people from her hometown might even have passed them in any of the major US retailers, Walmart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kirklands, Kohls, Marshalls, Gordmans, TJ Maxx, AJ Wright, Garden Ridge or Winners.
With their references to iconic symbols, Louise’s works are contemporary, colourful, fun and hugely successful.
“I really love that I can express myself creatively through my designs. Working as a designer, it allows me this incredible freedom to just have fun with colours and patterns and textures and words. It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” she said.
Born in Limerick, Louise moved to Shannon when she was four-years-old. Since then art has always been close to her heart and a pen or paintbrush close to her hand.
“My parents divorced when I was nine and my dad moved to Canada. My mom stayed in Shannon and eventually remarried and now I have a younger brother and sister, David, who is 16, and Shauna, 14. Growing up, I loved anything creative, whether it was drawing, painting or music. My mom was always very supportive and encouraged me to pursue my passions,” she revealed.
Louise’s career path is unusual for the times in that her design skills are entirely self-taught. She left school after completing her Junior Certificate in St Patrick’s Comprehensive School and didn’t go to college. Instead she opted for a series of jobs with sidelines fronting a number of rock bands, helped by her professionally trained voice.
“I started working immediately after leaving school. I worked in a few factories; call centres; a restaurant in Shannon; and an insurance brokers in Limerick.
“The most well known of the bands I was in would be the Shannon-based rock band, Streetcrab, which I fronted when I was 20. We played all over Ireland and released a CD in 2001. After that I fronted a couple of other bands in Ireland and Canada,” she said.
It was this foray into the music world that began her career in design.
“I started experimenting with graphic art when designing flyers, posters and CD covers for bands I was in,” Louise said. Her first project was to make a flyer for her friend’s band before setting up her own website.
“I started my first website when I was 24 selling my original designs on apparel and accessories. This indirectly helped my career a few years later,” she revealed. A chance Internet posting in 2007 launched her now rocketing career.
“One day while on MySpace I saw that American film writer and director, Katherine Brooks, had posted a bulletin asking for ideas on how she could raise money to help fund her new movie, Waking Madison,” Louise outlined.
The Inis Sioda woman responded, suggesting that she would create an online store for her and design merchandise to help raise money to make her movie. Katherine loved the idea and Louise went on to design websites, marketing materials, investor packages, promotional posters, and edit video diaries during the making of the movie.
The film was completed in 2009 and will be released next year. It stars Elizabeth Shue, well-known for her roles in Karate Kid, Cocktail, Back to The Future II and Leaving Las Vegas; Sarah Roemer from The Grudge 2; Will Patton from Armageddon, Entrapment and The Mothman Prophecies; Hustle and Flow actor Taryn Manning and Frances Conroy from television series Six Feet Under.
While visiting Los Angeles, Louise met the vice-president of design and product development at Artissimo Designs, one of the largest manufacturers of wall decor in the US. This fortuitous meeting lead to Louise designing exclusive artwork for Artissimo Designs, that they licensed for various wall decor products.
Despite working with stars, her career high to date has been having best sellers in the major retail stores in the United Stated. So what keeps the 29-year-old graphic designer grounded?
“I still have so many more ambitions for myself. I’m incredibly grateful and proud of the successes I’ve had so far, but I dream big. So honestly none of this ever really goes to my head because I’m too busy thinking about the next thing. But I definitely do enjoy going to stores in the US and seeing my art being sold on products such as wall decor, bags, mugs and laptop covers,” Louise disclosed. She even admitted that she gets some pleasure from occasionally Googling herself and seeing her art on websites the world over.
“It is pretty insane when I think about all the things that have happened in a relatively short amount of time,” she stated, but added that there is one thing in particular that keeps her feet tethered to the ground. “My family and friends would kick my ass if I ever got an ego – so that helps too,” she said.
Currently in the US, Louise is working on a new series of designs with more of a fine art style.
“Much of my work has been focused on a younger demographic, so I’m excited to create things for an older and more sophisticated audience,” she explained.
Looking to the future the Clare artist is ill inclined to limit her options.
“Someday I would love to have my own brand designing everything from jewellery to clothing to home decor. Forget Ballycasey… I want my own store in Beverly Hills,” she concluded.
Louise’s artwork is now published as posters by Sagebrush Fine Art Publishing in Utah and distributed all over the world. Her posters are sold on 40 websites including, Amazon.com, Art.com and Allposters.com.