We're very excited to share that from now on, every issue of Oh Comely will feature a guest illustrator. For this issue, Bristol-based Harriet Lee-Merrion took the reigns; her work graces the pages of Issue 24, which is out now. 

Harriet's work is controlled, dreamy and metaphorical, featuring moments from inner life and human consciousness. Inspired by the issue's theme of Lost & Found, she produced this wonderful original drawing depicting species that have become extinct in Britain, as well as the illustrated bust below to go alongside our writers' piece on happiness. 

Lost: Lycaena dispar butterfly, Clytra laeviuscula beetle, Cystopteris Alpina, Arnoseris minima. 

Here's a short extract of editor Rosanna Durham's conversation with Harriet: 

How do you describe your illustration work?

My work is minimal and I use limited colour palettes. Really, I just use a very fine architect’s pen and ink. I make images out of things that aren’t tangible. I try to come up with visual metaphors that don’t illustrate the subject directly but still let feelings through.

Are there any artists who you consider to have been an influence on your work?

Ukiyo-e prints from the Japanese Edo Period, which lasted from the 17th til the 19th century. There’s a beautiful, floating viewpoint in that work and that comes into my illustration quite a lot. It’s an isometric perspective where you feel like you’re looking down on the image. I also like Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli‘s work, and Frida Kahlo too.

Your pared-down and minimal style makes your illustration distinct. What led you to that aesthetic?

I went away to Finland in my second year of studying illustration at Falmouth. It was purely a fine arts university with just sculpture, printmaking and painting—the main pillars of fine art, and no graphic design or illustration. There I specialised entirely in printmaking and spent half a year just doing etchings. Now I work in linear design and with not much colour, so that’s probably how I got there.

Issue 24 is out now - you can buy it here or subscribe here.