By Eleanor Burke
Mali Fischer-Levine, affectionately known as “Moleskin” by her friends, is an illustrator whose work is whimsical and nostalgic. Fischer-Levine grew up on Lopez Island, and has returned after three years of study at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia.
I caught up with Fischer-Levine one early spring day in the converted bus she’s currently living in, which is filled with her dreamy drawings, her vintage dresses and small, framed collages. Jolie Holland tunes play in the background, and as I sip licorice tea, Fischer-Levine dumps out a collection of the smallest books imaginable.
“For a while I was into making only really tiny things,” she says in her sweet and unassuming voice.
Each book is just over an inch long, bound in a colorful, probably vintage paper, and the insides are elegant in their simplicity – one tiny book has geometric shapes of varying shades of blue, a different one on each page. Fischer-Levine loves anything old or a little faded, and her love of vintage shines through in almost all her work. There is a forlorn quality to a drawing of a young woman, whose black hair fans out around her as if suspended in water, reminiscent of a fairy tale mermaid of days ago.
While Fischer-Levine is working towards getting her Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration, she has recently found a new love in collage. This is not the collage of shiny images ripped from fashion magazines and then piled high on a piece of construction paper. Once again, her style is reserved, spare in a sense, and the magazines she sources are at least thirty years old. One collage depicts a girl in a sailor suit, a few deftly placed red lines against the back ground – the colors are rich, but less saturated, lending an air of nostalgia. She mentions Hannah Hoch, a German “Dada” artist known for her graphic collages, as inspiration.
As a young artist, Fischer-Levine acknowledges that her style is ever evolving. She is critical of work from up until two years ago, and threw out everything from that earlier time period. She is inspired by artists such as, the illustrious Henry Darger who created an entire imaginary world of dreamy children and animals, as well as current illustrators like Jillian Tamaki, and Julie Morstad. A bit more curious is her love for Richard Brautigan’s book “In Watermelon Sugar.”
“It’s an imaginary world with a commune where everything’s made out of watermelon sugar; his imagery is rich,” she exclaims.
Also unique is her penchant for watching classic television shows from the 1990s like The X-Files and Northern Exposure, while she draws.
Like all creative folk, blocks do occur. Fischer-Levine is getting better and better at, “Doing a little, walking away, and coming back.”
Without the pressure of a school project to keep her focused, she is learning to find her own rhythm.
There is one place she goes if she’s feeling stuck, “It’s a book of wildflowers, photographs from the 70’s; if I don’t know what to draw, I flip through it and something comes.”
This past winter brought Fischer-Levine a new artistic collaboration- working with Milla Prince and Callie Blue of KnowledgeShare, a skill share organization aimed with disseminating local wisdom, she designs and illustrates all of the posters for the classes. It was her first time making posters for a “client,” and creating for an audience when she’s used to creating solely for herself had its challenges. Her beautiful posters can be seen on local bulletin boards around the village.
“It’s a blessing that everyone on Lopez is so supportive,” she smiles, referring to the community response to her posters. “[At Emily Carr] compliments aren’t given out willy-nilly.”
Next up on the agenda is co-curator of the soon-to-be-open store, Larkspur Quality Handmade and Vintage Goods in the old homestead building; Fischer-Levine will have prints and original drawings on display. She is open to accepting commissions and can be reached by email at mali_fischer@yahoo.com. Her work may also be seen on line at www.malifischer.tumblr.com.
