Whoa, Nelly!
Zombies, Cannibals, and Blood Lust Bambie?
Abi Daniel is Out There. Waaaay Out There.
Whether mixing inks at Bearded Lady print shop or crafting logos at Hoarsefly Design & Illustration, Abi Daniel is constantly refining and reimagining her creative output. You’d never know that illustrator/designer Abi Daniel started her career drawing zombies, wookies, and spaceships, as a concept artist at Sony Online Entertainment, as much of her work now has a broader, more ephemeral appeal.
After leaving Sony to find her own creative voice, she discovered that she really loved printmaking and etching. She eventually met and married designer Josh Chalmers in Austin, Texas, who runs Bearded Lady, a screen printing shop. She now helps him run the print shop and does client work under her moniker, Hoarsefly.
Daniel says that one of the many perks of running a print shop, includes collaborating with other local artists. “It’s a fantastic avenue to form relationships with creative peers, and it’s a busy, productive working environment. I’m continually surrounded by very talented people who are working hard on their projects, and are stoked about the process. It’s a very positive, energetic vibe, and I think that’s possibly one of the nicest things about my life these days,” she admits. In addition to hosting workshops, Bearded Lady also has a gallery space to display the works of local artists.
At Hoarsefly, clients primarily Daniel to design logos, t-shirts, posters, and packaging because of her unique, hand-crafted sensibilities. A recent project for Pint House Pizza in Austin, required her to create large, linework illustrations on wood paneling. She drew at full-scale, taping sheets of cover stock together and tacking them to the wall. “I got really big and gestural. It was refreshing to work that way … and oddly, fast,” Daniel says. She then photographed the different elements, and finalized the placement and overall layout in the computer, projecting the images on the wall. She then painted the two murals directly on the walls, each measuring 7 x 10 feet. Getting the lines and details just right, took her hours to complete.