Elisabeth Dunker is the lead designer and creative director at Fine Little Day. Her style comes from a love of nature and craftsmanship and is rooted in a naive visual style, and several of Elisabeth's designs have become true Fine Little Day classics.
Fine Little Day started as a blog in 2007 by artist and photographer Elisabeth Dunker. She studied for a master's degree in design at HDK – the School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg, Sweden. After the blog was launched, it wasn't long before snapshots from Elisabeth's everyday life became beloved by readers all over the world.
Today, she works best from a corner of her home. Despite having worked as a designer for a long time, she still has no fixed routine or specific way of working. A walk, a visit to the flea market, or aimlessly scrolling on her phone is where she finds inspiration.
She draws and paints using various techniques such as acrylics, watercolors, and crayons. But one thing is certain: she rarely paints or draws on white, unused paper. It has to be something dirty, already used, like an envelope, a cardboard box, or a piece of fabric, otherwise she gets stuck.
For Fine Little Day, she creates patterns and images that have been turned into designs on posters, cushion covers, stationery, textiles, and much more. Scroll down to read a short interview with Elisabeth and discover some of her classic motifs for Fine Little Day.
Q: Who is Elisabeth Dunker?
A: You tell me.
Q: What drives you to create?
A: Because I have to make a living, but also because I have a strong need to express myself.
Q: How do you prefer to work?
A: Freely, undisturbed, preferably without a clear context and definitely without pressure.
Q: Which artist inspires you in your work, and why?
A: I don't have any particular artist that I can point to. I am most inspired by so-called other art, folk art, and children's art. I also get inspired by visiting flea markets and walking in the woods.
Q: Name an artist you would like to meet.
A: Someone kind, self-taught, and passionate.
Q: Name a favorite project or design for FLD with your name on it and explain why.
A: “Väva spis” (Weaving Stove) for Hemslöjden in Skåne, which gave us the opportunity to delve into their fantastic century-old archives and collections of handicrafts. In collaboration with local artisans and small-scale producers, we developed a series of unique objects inspired by the archives. The aesthetics of folk art and crafts have always appealed to me. It was a truly uplifting project, and also a tribute to craftsmanship and women's history.
Q: Do you have a dream project?
A: A new project similar to the one we did with Hemslöjden would be wonderful, preferably with Hemslöjden again. There is a lot of unexplored material and potential in those archives.
Follow @elisabethdunker_fld on Instagram
"There is a strong connection between health, healing and art, and the fact that the benefits of artistic activities are not just in your head is a good reason why I enjoy what I do so much."
- Elisabeth Dunker
