Dreamy and detailed, Laura Bonanno’s practice is inspired by the 1970s, woodlands and Gilmore Girls

“As a child, I grew up with a lot of friends, but if I have to think back to those days, I can definitely say that drawing was my best friend,” says illustrator Laura Bonanno. Her work – detailed, genial and psychedelic in tone – has a sense of coherence at its heart, a quality in harmony with Laura’s personal character. “I’m a very organised and accurate human being,” she says, “and I need order inside and outside my artwork.” 

Her orderliness, however, far from dominates the rhythm of her work. Instead, Laura’s adolescence takes hold. “In my illustrations, I really want to preserve that childish, dreamy, fun and colourful aspect, thinking about the past, in accordance with that little girl who couldn’t even imagine her incredible future,” she says. “Now I’m proud to say that I’m working with important magazines and newspapers, blending creativity, psychedelic shades and attention to detail.” The magical quality of Laura’s illustrations reveals the complementary, albeit eclectic, inspirations behind her approach – specifically, 1970s, books, woodlands, John Alcorn and Gilmore Girls. “If you mix these things all together, you have me!”, she says.

She also has a pretty distinctive approach to colour. “Finding the right shades for an illustration is really challenging,” she explains. “I usually use a well-defined palette with few colours but I’m always looking for different combinations,” adding – “I’m a sucker for you, pink.” But, she knows she can typically find colour inspiration in the environment that immediately surrounds her. “Sometimes everything you need is on top of your desk, stuck in your childhood home, or on your granny’s jumper,” Laura ends. “I start from here, to create my world of magic and reality.”