With a passion for all things hand-drawn, Laina Deene creates warm and soothing work

In Laina Deene’s ideal making environment, she’s “covered in paint and pastel dust”. With a love of pencils, gouache, pastels and more, she’s passionate about the hand-drawn look and feel; even when time restraints mean she has to work digitally, she’s intent on recreating an analogue aesthetic. This dedication has resulted in a truly warm and soothing portfolio, full of organic brush strokes, enigmatic characters and pleasing, earthy colours.

Laina’s pieces are overflowing with trees, lakes, hills and flowers, so it’s no surprise to hear that nature features as one of her biggest inspirations. In tow with this infatuation, Laina often finds herself returning to the fond memories she’s made in such landscapes, transmitting them into her works too. “I find it hard to move on from good memories or places that had an impact on me, so those are usually the themes that come out if I start drawing or painting without a solid plan,” she says. Books and writings (especially those of Natalia Ginzburg, Max Porter and Banana Yoshimoto) are also of great influence to Laina for their deft storytelling and resonance. If you’re looking for a moment of calm reflection, look no further than Laina’s work.