“It’s perfectly, imperfect.”
Liv Lee’s description of her art is spot on. At first glance, her take on fruit, plants and animals are fun. But the more you look, the more you find. It sounds obvious but there’s buckets of personality and an unique expression that shines bright.
“I find my paintings are all very bright, bold and wonky… all imperfect and wobbly in their form,” Liv explains.
Liv’s illustrations and paintings fit like a hand in a glove with Matso’s. And that’s why Liv is the artist behind the new look cans for Matso’s Hard Flavours. Her take on the fresh fruit that’s inside the can, is the perfect look for the can design.
“It’s fun, it’s bright, it’s summery. It’s summer in a can. It was a fun project. It’s already in the realm of what I do, with the fruit, bright colours and exciting elements. So it was fun to do. We wanted something that fit the brief but was different to what was out there.
“It’s so cool. I’ll never get used to seeing my work in stores. It’s surreal.”
While Liv’s art has taken off over the last few years, a pencil and a brush weren’t always her tools of choice.
“I’ve always been creative, and I’ve fostered that for as long as I can remember but it’s always taken different forms. I used to sew my own clothes. I went through a stage of silversmithing, so making my own jewellery and rings. I also did pottery and woodblock carving, so I’ve taken a long road to get where I am.
“I started painting when I had my baby in 2019, so any nap she had, I found myself picking up the paintbrush and painting non-stop. That was when I was able to have that time to creatively explore, and mixing my painting with the digital side of things. That’s when I really fostered my style that I’ve got now. I started putting those paintings out in the world on Instagram and it resonated with people which was great to see.”
So, what’s the inspo? For Liv, it’s pretty simple.
“I want to make people happy. If I brighten someone’s day, or put a smile on their face, even just one person that’s my job done. That’s what I want to do, make people happy, that’s it.”
Matso’s new look Hard Flavour cans are available nationally at independent bottle shops and venues.