They may be fairly new to the Art Wow family, but they have definitely made an entrance… they are Bite Your Granny! This married in real-life duo of James and Simon create unique kitsch designs based on our much loved pop culture and celebrity icons, and all with their unique design twists. Bright, kitsch and a little bit pop-arty, their designs are a modern twist on the typical celebrity portraits, all with some added extra personality, and silliness!
Here’s what they had to say about Bite Your Granny…
Please tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your name? Where are you based? What does a typical day look like to you?
We are Simon (the blond Speccy one) and James (the dark beardy one)! We are married (to each other) and live down by the seaside in Brighton and Hove. A typical day for us involves lots of getting our foster kids up, ready and off to school and college, then we can start getting some orders packed from our website and maybe if we are lucky, we can try and get some designing done. And maybe even clean the house before the kids are back and our peace is shattered! Only Joking (slightly)!
How would you describe your style of work?
We think our style is bright, a bit Kitsch, a bit poppy and definitely a bit silly.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given in life?
The best piece of advice we’ve been given is ‘Buy the best one you can afford!’ – to quote Simons Mum.
What inspires you?
Pop culture, counter culture and car boot sales inspire us!
Is there a piece of artwork on Art Wow that you are most proud of? Why?
We are pretty proud of the ‘What Would Dolly Do?’ and ‘Get Into The Groove’ pieces we have on Art Wow, just because people seem to love them and it always makes us happy when we make people smile.
If your artwork were music, what would it sound like?
If our artwork were music, it would probably sound a bit like a 1960s Japanese Girl group singing a mashup of the Sex Pistols and Dolly Parton, with a sprinkling of The Spice Girls.
What artist, past or present has inspired you?
Yayoi Kusama is an artist who we find super inspiring as we love a pop of colour and some randomness.
Who are your biggest influences?
Our biggest influences are our parents – really they are! And Pat Butcher!
What was the last gift you gave someone?
Simon gave James a nice pink Swatch Watch
How did you get started as an illustrator?
James did a fine art degree in sculpture and Simon is super creative. It’s actually Simon who does most of the drawing, and James then puts things into a finished format
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
If we were animals James would be a Bear and Simon would be a budgie. For some reason that just fits.
How did you develop your distinct style? Was it an experimental process?
We developed our style by doing lots wrong and starting again. Trial and error is great. We both also have loads of retail experience so we’ve always had a vision of what we wanted to make ourselves and what would sell. A few tweeks and turns later, and Bite Your Granny was born.
What have been your biggest creative challenges to date?
The biggest creative challenge is finding time to be creative, while juggling life!
In one word, describe how art makes you feel.
Glorious!
