Ziggy Nixon

Now That I Think About It

2011-10-26T18:22:00.011+02:00

An Interview with Dante DeStefano

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click any image to enlarge

My interview with Dante DeStefano (noting up front that she is indeed a lady of the female persuasion) started back in March of this year. We traded a few correspondences back and forth and she kept me nicely updated about her progress! So gold stars all around for any foreheads that want them (I have to always buy the extra large bags full of same for my dome but still have one or two left)! I would also like to confirm that I actually wanted to publish this a few weeks back and that the awesomely timely publication right before Halloween is unrelated to anything. Yeah.

I did begin to feel a little guilty though as she mentioned that even though she was appreciative of me ‘taking the time to really thoroughly research my work and background’, that in some ways I had thrown her for a bit of a loop. I don’t know, but I guess from my ‘side of the table’, I just begin to get nervous when someone says ‘hm, never really thought about that before and now you’re keeping me up nights wondering what it’s all about really.’ Okay, I’m paraphrasing, but Dante did say that I’d given her a lot to think about and all I can say is that when that happens to me, I’m up for days with a migraine.

But I guess it was a good experience for all of us, even if my typical bang-on-your-door-until-you-open-up style was supposedly more in depth than any other questionnaire about her art and career that she’d answered before. Dante did say that was cool with her and that actually, after starting the interview she said the process helped her make some changes in her presentation and focuses (focusi?), that is, on her website and other places.

Anyway, I hope that the process did indeed turn out to be beneficial to her – not that her work needs it for sure because she totally rocks. And I think we’ll all learn something, too, which is nice! So let’s get right down to it, shall we? Yes, let’s!

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Welcome, Dante! Before we even get started on the whole art shtick, I have to ask : I’ve been lucky in the past to spend a few fantastic weeks in Florence (Italy) and the surrounding areas. With that in mind: how did you come about receiving your fantastic yet historically interesting first name?
Hi Ziggy! Oooh, I’ve been to Florence, too. It’s gorgeous. My dad is from Italy, so I get to go see my family there occasionally.

Anyway, “Dante” is kind of an interesting name. For starters, I’m a lady. I like having a boy’s name. My art isn’t always very feminine, so people expect male artist a lot of the time. I kind of have an androgynous mind.

Also, “Dante” means “enduring”. It’s a strong name. I like to think that I can go through Hell and back and totally kick ass doing so.

OK, thanks for letting me get that out of the way. Can you tell us then please what you’re working on now (or more accurately stated, when we’re actually doing the talking bits)?
I’m working on my freelance illustration assignments and I’m excited to begin working on a new series of paintings for a show at Kai Lin Art gallery in Atlanta called “Monsters 2.0”, opening in September. It’s the sequel to the first “Monsters” show that opened that time last year. I’m also touring around and tabling at different festivals and conventions in the Southeast. The next big con I’ll be at is Dragon*Con here in Atlanta. You can check out my blog to see where I’ll be at other upcoming shows.

Also, I’m working on a comic book series called “Ragbone” about the adventures of a 1920’s ragtime jazz band of skeletons in a fun and spooky netherworld inhabited only by other skeletons, ghosts, and demons. I have the first five issues planned out. It’s a labour or love and I work on it in between working on my freelance projects and other jobs, so the first book is still in the early stages of development.

What about your background and what led you to where you are today? How about your earliest and current inspirations?
Like most other artists, I loved drawing and making things as a kid. My old brother, Nic, was also an obsessive drawer and he really helped fuel my love of art, comics and cartoons when we were growing up together.

As a kid, my favourite comic was Walt Kelly’s ‘Pogo the Possum’. I was never really into superheroes and villains, but I loved humorous stories and oddball comics. Having said that, I naturally love so many of today’s true stars including Jeff Smith (‘Boneville’), Doug Tennaple (‘Ratfist’), Jamie Hewlett (‘Tank Girl’ and ‘Gorillaz’), Ralph Steadman (he of ‘Gonzo Art’ fame!), and Rob Schrab.

Also, I’ve got to say that Tom Waits is my biggest overall creative influence! I’ve been listening to his music since I was 8 years old and can still remember the daydreams that I had while enjoying his music. I’m also very influenced by literature by authors like H.P. Lovecraft and I’m a total film nut. I love any story that can scare the pants off of me (which is not easy to do) or broaden my imagination.

Later on, I attended SCAD-Atlanta for a couple years in Sequential Art and ended up transferring to graduate from Portfolio Center’s illustration department. I learned a lot from both schools, but I have to give it up to my teacher Gary Weiss and friends at PC for paving the way and ingraining the good work ethic that I have today. Without them, I think I’d still be clueless. I love comics and cartoons, but I also love classic painters, impressionists, golden age illustrators, and plein air.

Most recently, my biggest creative influences have been my friends. It feels so awesome to be able to say that because it’s true and it’s great to have some of my favourite artists and people in general as creative support. Some of these friends have been there since I was at PC. Some of them I met later at festivals, conventions and art groups. They’re all amazing artists I’m blessed to have them by my side.

Now, I’ve been to Hot-lanta many a time (although I will not divulge all reasons here for same, mostly in order to protect the innocent). What’s the art scene like there?
Hahaha, honestly, I’m still not sure. We have one, but I’ve only been a part of it for maybe a year, so I’m still getting a feel for what’s going on.

Unfortunately, a lot of our galleries have closed their doors after being hit by the recession. Since that is true, I feel that there has been a shift towards small artists’ groups, studios and short term, “underground” art parties. Also, artists here are reaching out to different venues other than traditional galleries, like restaurants, cafes and boutiques. I consider this a smart move. It just shows that our artists are adaptable.

I’m very fortunate to be working with a wonderful gallery like Kai Lin Art. The owner, Yu-Kai, keeps a great eye out for emerging and local artists and his gallery is stocked with a mix of light-hearted, quirky work and uniquely beautiful, but more serious pieces.

You seem to have a pretty wide and even eclectic selection of different outlets and even materials you work for and with, including children’s media, oil painting, apparel and surface design, cartooning, and artwork for music and bands. Why do you think you are – or perhaps better said – want to be so ‘focused’ on and involved in so many different outlets?
Again, honestly, this is because I’m such a noob!

(ZN: we think – but are not 100% sure – this stands for ‘newbie’ or someone who is new at something... we googled it, and are pretty convinced that about half of the links and images we got back are NOT what Dante means!)

Right now, I’m focusing mainly on art that I sell at shows and freelance illustration. What I like to do most of all is art that is in my own style. In school, first I focused on comics, then on children’s media. Later on, I discovered the possibilities of freelance illustration and kids media.

At the beginning of 2010, I had just gotten over a round of illustration gigs that I got right after graduating. They didn’t end very well, so I took some time, without looking for clients, to soul-search and focus on making artwork that I enjoyed doing, whether other people liked it or not. This is something I’ve learned from listening to the music of Tom Waits. You’ve just got to make what feels right and the weirder it is, the better it gets. Luckily, people like it.

It wasn’t until I started listening to myself and making art for the love of it that I began getting work that I enjoyed out of it. My website is very broad and sometimes scattered because I’m still getting my name out there and trying to find my niche. As an illustrator, right now I need to display a wide range of my talents in order to get different kinds of work until I get more well known for my own unique style that I’ve begun to cultivate.

Continued in Part 2

Now That I Think About It

2011-10-26T17:29:00.024+02:00

An Interview with Dante DeStefano

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click any image to enlarge

Dante, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed looking through your different portfolios on your home page, well done! A couple or even seventeen or so questions to these:

Your different collections show a wide range of styles. Are you still looking for that ‘one’ (+/-) style that defines your work or is this something that you would rather avoid? I guess I’m asking : how important is it to you that someone sees one of your pieces and says ‘hey, now that is DEFINITELY a Dante DeStefano’?
It’s become very important. As a young artist, I’m just starting to feel comfortable in my own skin and build a body of work that is definitive of my own unique vision. The more I draw or paint, the clearer that style becomes.

Also, the clearer I can see what it is I want to focus on. I totally dig all things spooky, vintage and rock ‘n’ roll. Those things live in my heart and just seem to roll off of my fingertips onto the page.

Also, this may be a rather obvious statement: but it seems you clearly have an affinity for monsters. How did this come about?
I’ve always loved monsters, robots, mythical creatures, and weird things of the like. I love pushing the boundaries of exaggeration and coming up with odd combinations of parts to put on my characters. As a result, a lot of my sketches turn out to be monsters.

They’re my special friends. We go on adventures in my head and some of them end up on paper or whatever. I’ll also watch just about any monster movie out there. I’m a huge horror fan.

I enjoyed as well your quote about your furry (or scaly or...) friends, including what I believe is even a picture of your cat (or bat?) below:

Each of these monsters have their own personalities, so when I start drawing, I had to let them just be themselves and tell me what they look like.

What comes first with these : their personalities or their shapes, colours, appendages, catalogue of victims, etc.?
I think it’s a mix of shapes and appendage combinations.

All of my work begins with simple geometric shapes. I push and pull those basic shapes around and combine them in an interesting way until they become the start of a good creature. Then I look at what kind of creature it is starting to look like and add some features to them that maybe wouldn’t typically be on that kind of animal.

Can you walk us through your oil paint ‘rub-out technique’ for many of these works? That sounds fascinating and the imagery as well as the texture you achieve is fantastic!
Yes, oil rub is wonderful on its own, but I’ve married that technique with a texture called “mastic”. They work wonderfully together because the rub-out picks up all of the wonderful cracks and layers of the texture.

An oil rub-out begins with covering an entire surface with a thin layer of paint and then rubbing out the light parts that I want with a brush or rag dipped in oil. The layered texture is achieved with smearing mastic over hand-cut stencils and found objects.

Is it important for you to have a balance between what seems to be sometimes inorganic and organic aspects of your art?
Totally! Like I said earlier, I always start my characters and compositions with basic geometric shapes as a foundation, but I like to add lots of organic flourishes as secondary elements. I also like the final painting or product to have a rustic, handmade look that compliments the inorganic shapes. This is especially apparent in my watercolour and ink wash paintings.

Even in the shapes I like to use, I like a balance of straight lines and curves. I also love playing with common-lines and tangents to flatten out spaces on purpose. Those can be an artist’s worst enemy if you don’t know how to use them.

I’m also very impressed with your collection of design and self-made textiles. How did you get interested in the more apparel and/or fashion side of life?
I love fashion and dressing up. I’ve spent a lot of time shopping around in thrift stores. Surface design is one of the largest industries that designers with a background in illustration can get into. It’s one of the few in-house design career options that are available right now for someone with my skills.

Maybe someday after I’ve sewn my wild oats (ZN: is that even legal in Atlanta?), I’ll work at a company making surface designs as a full-time job and be able to work on my fine art and comics in my free time. Plus, pattern design is fun and lets me play around with color.

Now as a fellow Cancer, I am somewhat surprised by your... hm, let’s call them ‘special abilities’, particularly as I would think they'd be more of a 'Scorpio' thing. But can you tell us: what exactly are “lobster powers?” And without putting you and the good citizens of Atlanta in danger by revealing too much to your enemies, but how did you come about gaining these powers (and also, how often do you need to communicate telepathically with crustaceans in your work)?
As you mentioned, “lobster powers” is the ability to communicate with crustaceans. You see, I was pinched by a radioactive lobster at the Dekalb Farmers Market one day and developed these abilities soon after. I can also use the powers to call upon my pinchy-clawed friends to help me fight my enemies when needed.

Otherwise, Lobster Powers is also the name of my Tumblr blog.

Back to the real world but only barely: I read on your blog that you’ve just returned from MegaCon. How much preparation and late night hours do you spend working and getting ready for cons aka conventions? Do you attend a lot of these?
I attend Dragon*Con every year just for fun and I’ll be tabling there this year. Cons are a blast. I just started tabling at conventions and festivals last year.

MegaCon was my second comic convention artist table experience and the first time that I’ve ever travelled for art’s sake. It was a successful trip and I had a great time doing it. You meet so many awesome people at these things. It’s been a great way to get my work out to my kind of people. I definitely plan to do more. It does take a lot of preparation to table at a con, but it’s all worth it in the end.

Also, do you as a ‘displayer’ see these as a big advantage for your career or are they more along the lines of ‘necessary evils’?
Being an artist at events like these has been a wonderful opportunity. It’s definitely a big plus. It’s a great excuse to travel and form friendships with people in other places. I wouldn’t get that chance otherwise.

Growing up wanting to be a puppeteer myself (I had all kinds of felt puppets and my dad even made a fantastic full-sized ‘theater’), I was happy to see that you are also involved in puppetry. How did your involvement in this come about? Do you see any revival if you will of this art form, either from a making them or using them in shows perspective?
In Atlanta, we are very fortunate to have The Center For Puppetry Arts, America’s largest puppet theatre, museum and puppetry community centre. I’ve been attending shows there since I was 4 years old. The Centre made a big impact on my childhood.

I also attended their “puppet camp” for many years and then went on to do a short production internship in the workshop and on stage. Puppetry as an art form goes back to ancient times and will always be around in some way.

And while we’re on the subject, I was overjoyed to see that you, too, are a Muppet fan! What did Jim Henson and co.’s wonderful creatures mean to your creative upbringing?
Holy crap! I don’t know if I can express how much I love all things Muppets and Jim Henson!!

As a kid, I spent hours watching the shows and movies, reading books about the Creature Shop, making puppets, and putting on puppet shows for my friends and family. Henson and puppetry in general had a huge impact on my creativity. It hasn’t stopped, either. I still crack up while watching ‘The Muppet Show’. Nowadays, one of my favourite things about the skits in that show is how simple they are. Think of “Mahnahmahnah”. A skit like that is just made up of a nonsense song and the characters dancing around to it and it’s hilarious!

I try to convey that same light-heartedness and simplicity in my artwork. When things get too complex and heavy, I just think of The Muppets and lighten up.

Okay, time to REALLY put you on the spot : if you had to choose just ONE area to work on, what would it be and why? Conversely, are there any other areas you’d like to take a stab at (knoting the knitting reference there, knice, huh?)?
At this point, I’d have to say I’d like to focus on “fine art”.

Even though I’ve worked with a lot of different media outlets, it all boils down to three areas: art, illustration and design. They all work together harmoniously. The “art” area is basically stuff that I did without “adult supervision” or a client when I’m making it. This is the stuff that makes me really happy. It seems to me that when I focus on and show this work that I receive more illustration or design work as well.

What else have you had / do you have on your creative radar for the coming moons?
Other than Monsters 2.0 and Dragon*Con which have now ended, I want to try and find some new homes for my art outside of Atlanta. I was going to do a tour of South and North Carolina with that in mind but the con wound up taking more prep time than I expected. On my 'to do' list for sure!

I also wanted to try and be at Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Horror Weekend in Orlando, Florida in early October - as it's an event that really looks like it's tailor-made for my work! - but things were just too busy to make it. I'm looking to try and be there possibly next year though.

But I do plan on being in lots of arts festivals in Atlanta, hopefully in the coming months. So if you’re in the area, keep an eye out for me. In between and beyond all of that, I’m open for commissions and freelance illustration!!

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Dante DeStefano is a very talented young visual artist, illustrator, designer, and mad creator currently plying her trade primarily in the warm climes of Atlanta, Georgia! I’d add something about her obvious charm as well but methinks I’d suddenly feel the psychic grip of lobster claws around my neck if I did ... so I, um, won’t.

Among the ever-growing skill-set she brings to the table are her well-versed abilities with both traditional and also digital media. She skips about just as happily as can be between fine art and commercial design, letting perspectives from both worlds influence each other harmoniously. We’re not sure what that means exactly but we promise to test out various ‘enhancing substances’ to see if we feel the same way, too!

Her current main focuses are oil painting, children’s media, surface design, cartooning, and artwork for music. Dante’s work can be regularly found in galleries, including the fantastically supportive Kai Lin Art gallery! These days you’ll find her doing all kinds of creative stuff including working as a freelance illustrator, touring at comic book conventions and art festivals, and just in general honing the fine art of mad science to perfection!

Please check out more of Dante’s monstrously fun images and more at these and other links!

Homepage
Blog

Social media
Facebook
Twitter

Additional Galleries
Kai Lin Art
Homegrown Decatur
Etsy

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Dante DeStefano, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more, including the links provided above.

Timelessness Is On His Side

2011-09-26T15:22:00.011+02:00

An Interview with Bernardo França

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any image to enlarge

I think most if not all of us have a given association or affinity for a given period in time other than current day. And many times that affinity is defined through the fashion or through the music or even through the arts and crafts of the period.

I’m sure we all have friends that adore, for example, the Victorian look and no doubt have some bone-crushingly fashionable item like a good solid leather corset on stand-by at all times! Oh, such Fair(e) Maidens indeed! Others may prefer the more ‘modern’ look presented, for example, by the American television series ‘Mad Men’, which is resplendent with a stylish wardrobe full of sleek suits for the men and that ‘hi honey, your cocktail is ready and the kids are in bed’ look for the ladies of the house! Yes, those simpler day when questions like ‘Ward, weren’t you a little hard on The Beaver last night?’ garnered nary a second glance!

And still others may go for the look of a 50’s rock-a-billy / sock hop dance or the bad guy feel of a sturdy leather jacket, white tee-shirt and thick Ray-Ban glasses (which have no doubt gone up several thousand percent since then in price, even though the design and construction has not changed). Or maybe you’re like me and you’ve been fitted for that ‘soup kitchen’ ensemble that should be reaching every shore in the coming months as the world-wide economy continues to slide into irreparable collapse and depression. But I digress and politicise a bit, too (still if you do have soup, I will sell my organs for same)!

My point is simply that if you know of a Look – with the L capitalised for safe measure – then you associate not only a fashion style with same but also a feel, an atmosphere and even a yearning for what may or may not have been (or seemed to have been) a better time. And Bernardo França has achieved that with his illustration and graphic work. His sleek lines and playful yet well-constructed scenes do indeed hark back to the days of a good relaxing day at the beach, listening to the latest jazz songs from the local college radio station on your AM radio and just thrilling at the sheer joy of being alive!

So join me for a partially nostalgic yet totally amazing journey to South America to meet this talented and very passionate young artist!

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Welcome Bernardo! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, please, and also your background?
Hello Ziggy! First, I want to thank you for having me. Projects like yours are a thrilling initiative for the art-lovers world.

In terms of my upbringing in the art world: my family were all architects, including my mom, my father, and sister... and myself, too! Plus, I was born in Brasília – Brazil’s capital which has featured for many years some of the highest achievements in Modern Architecture and Urbanism! You really have to understand just how Modern Architecture – especially throughout the 1950´s and 1960´s – was such a big deal in Brazil!

So you can say I was under influence of modernism since I was born! But it was only recently (something like 3 years) that I got became more ‘intimate’ with what I guess you could call my Modern Cartoon style – I remember the visual impact it had on me after a friend introduced me to some of the work of the UPA (United Productions of America). From then on, I just could not stop loving, studying and researching its revolutionary designs.

Bernardo, your style is a lovely reminder of the ‘nouveau art’ or modern illustration greats from especially the 1950’s and 1960’s. Why were you so drawn to this style?
Ah, about the Art Nouveau: my first memories go back to when I was a young kid in my house. My parents had some paintings (also poster-art and mirrors) with art from late 19th century – early 20th century. And in this fantastic little collection of theirs were works by Alphonse Mucha, Aubrey Beardsley and Eliseu Visconti. And later it would be these same artists, this same style and this same period in art history that would bring me to search for what I call the highest level or sense of elegance.

That’s an amazing collection of influences! Have you had other specific major influences in your development as an artist?
I could go on forever mentioning those who have influenced me and of course continue to influence me! There are just so many amazing artists that have touched my life!

I would like to acknowledge several and even divide them up a little if that’s okay: (ZN – fine by me, if everyone promises to look them all up themselves!)

Modernists: UPA Studio, Eyvind Earle, Mary Blair, Walt Peregoy, Peter Arno, Jim Flora, Ronald Searle, Ziraldo (Brazil).

What I call ‘Elegance artists’, obviously then from the realm of ‘fine art’: Joseph Leyendecker, Charles Dana Gibson, Alphonse Mucha, Robert McGinnis, Erich Sokol, Rene Gruau, Alceu Penna and J. Carlos (these last two are Brazilian artists).

And like I say, there are many artists from today that inspire me as well! I definitely have to highlight the names of two Frenchmen – Pascal Campion and Matthieu Forichon – as well as the Japanese illustrator Tadahiro Uesugi.

In fact, these artists are so important to me that I keep a running list of my influences (especially those that are animation related) in the ‘links’ section on my blog! Check it out!

How about your training specifically in illustration? Were you always interested in being an illustrator and/or designer?
I’ve illustrated or let’s say drawn since I can remember. But it was only when I hit my final semesters in Architecture school that I realised it was to become my goal in life.

In terms of training, well, I’m pretty much self-taught! True, it takes a lot of practising and studying. I do my best to focus on what works well with a certain artist’s approach and incorporate this kind of understanding in my own artistic development.

Wow, so you actually studied architecture in college! I did like your statement that you ‘did not pursue the profession because (you) left everything for a torrid affair with (your) mistress - Illustration.’ What made you make the leap from the very ‘organised’ world of designing buildings to want to pursue ‘drawing’ instead?
That’s an interesting question. As I was finishing up my degree and getting ready to graduate – especially right up towards the end of my studies – I began to realise that a life in Architecture wasn’t a future for me.

It’s just for me – as an architect – I saw that the ‘drawn lines’ had a very complex process before they became actual parts of a built environment. In addition, this line – in the world of the architect – is further subjugated to politics, to other architects (if you have superiors), to ‘nosy’ clients, and more! I also knew that my lines could be subordinated even to the construction workers mood that day of work! And realising this was a lot for me to accept!

Not to mention that an architecture project takes months (or years!) to be accomplished. Again, I just had this realisation that my drawn lines could take a long, long time to become a final product!

However, working as an illustrator, I get to see the final product almost simultaneously as I do it. The best part for me is still that I get to exclude many of the middle-men throughout the process. It goes to an artist-client system and the time then until my line is ‘built’ is so much quicker!

I have to say though, that even if I didn’t pursue a career in Architecture, I wouldn’t change my education and experience for anything. The education I had was designed to provide a very ‘complete’ formation for the students – to understand a project as a whole and to see how the big picture would be brought together by different elements (processes).

Still, it saddens me that I see Architecture is distancing itself academically from Fine Arts, where it was born. Only a few colleagues were close to drawing while my time in school. I still think of Architecture as the highest form of art, as it is the closest to people’s everyday lives, but I hope it never loses it’s connection to the roots of Fine Arts!

Looking at other forms of great art, it is apparent that music also plays an important role in your both your daily life as well as your illustration work, where you have pieces showing great classic rhythm and blues plus jazz performers and yet also hip hop and even punk. What are your music tastes and how do they influence your artwork?
Like the great Bob Marley says: ‘One good thing about music / when it hits you, you feel no pain’

I know it isn’t pain for me like Bob is suggesting in his lyrics, but when the music hits me, I certainly feel something! And it is positively overwhelming. 95% of my drawing time, I’m listening to music and I love to pay homage to the artists that bring me to such a joyful state.

In fact, my research has become such a great part of my life and its mostly directed to these two fields: graphic-art and music (I’m a movie enthusiast as well). And with the Internet today, one have access to the most beautiful cultural things ever created, ranging of course from images of the world’s best paintings to an endless stream of great music!

For example, I can only imagine for example how hard it was for a European 19th century artist to put his hand on a print from a Latin-American artist. So, in my life, the Internet has turned out to be an endless source of knowledge. And for me, it’s like Dub music ideology: ‘Everything is out there for you to use it, to arrange the elements in your own way!’ And I truly apply this to my personal work.

I love instrumental music (especially to work), and ‘black’ music in general (Soul music, R'n'B, Afrobeat). Plus, I just loooooooove Jamaican music produced between the 1950’s through the 80’s, as well as Jazz , Funk, World Music (Balkans, Mexican...), Hip-Hop from the golden era (90’s) and great Brazilian music.

For me, I just feel music really helps to set my mood right. For example, if I’m doing a piece that tells a story about a suffering but hopeful lady, I wouldn’t think twice to illustrate it with a Dinah Washington tune. It puts me in the right mood and the right frame of mind to capture it perfectly!

Continued in Part 2

Timelessness Is On His Side

2011-09-26T14:41:00.015+02:00

An Interview with Bernardo França

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any image to enlarge

Bernardo, even at this relatively early stage in your career, your work has already been featured in a number of magazines as well as for books, calendars and much more. What has been your favourite ‘outlet’ so far for your illustrations?
I really enjoy seeing my illustrations in books – I just feel books have this everlasting feeling behind them.

Magazines are a cool place to publish, too. It spreads your work and your name very effectively – even though magazines are somewhat of a dying media today.

Is there a different way of displaying your work that you have NOT had a chance to explore as much as you’ve wanted to so far?
You know, I’d really like to do murals. I feel like murals are an exponentially cool way of combining and expressing art and architecture – or really art and any space. I love how a mural can completely change a whole environment.

Speaking of your work and how it is exhibited, I very much enjoyed reading about the ENOX Expressions 2011 where the artworks of 40 artists were distributed all over Brazil, including ‘especially bar toilets – the best place for art ever’! That is so funny! How does it feel to have your work displayed in such a ‘unique’ location for art? Do you have any advice for anyone trying to enter the ‘art in toilets’ market?
I actually made a mistake with that quote where I said ‘especially bar toilets’. In fact, ENOX Expressions artwork were destined ONLY for bar toilets! But I have to say, bathrooms are the best – sometimes the lighting on these rooms is better than in renowned galleries!

In this case, ENOX placed the different art directly in front of, well, your ‘station area’. So while you were busy doing your ‘business’, you had plenty of time to check out the art. This project took place simultaneously in many, many toilets nation-wide including in bars, malls, and restaurants.

But you know, when I sell a small original art-work, I in fact usually suggest they hang it in their toilet! Its great marketing strategy actually, because many people use the space (= rotation!) and they have private time to appreciate it - hehehe. I guess that’s my advice for those who want to enter 'art in toilets' market.

Looking at your style in more depth, in addition to the line-work, I am especially drawn to the often understated coloration. How do you approach the colour selection for your pieces?
I’m really not that educated when it comes to colouring. I feel I still have a long way to go with that. Ha, maybe my signature ‘understated look’ is a reflection of my lack of knowledge! I don't know.

The only thing I’m really, I guess, logical about is how to use colours to (re-)enforce the message of my drawings, for example, to point out something that I want to be evident. Again, the important thing is the message behind the illustration – that’s what must be prioritised.

You also have some more abstract work in your on-line portfolio. What attracts you to this type of expression?
While I'm drawing, I'm also constantly tracing 'option lines'. Sometimes ‘the right line’ comes out with the first stroke of my pen; but other times I have to really work at it, sometimes it seems for an endless number of times until I find ‘the one’ for which I’m looking.

I find the result of this construction process fascinating and very often incorporate this to a final art-work. Using these ‘guidelines’ and when you add them all together, it may create what looks like an abstract piece; but they are actually a way to get to a figurative model. For me anyway, it’s just a way of seeing it differently.

I’m interested in some of your different ‘projects’ including that you exhibit quite a large number of ‘sketches’ and even character studies. I would think that this must be difficult if you are afraid a piece is not finished or perfected.

As such, why do you like to display your work in this more ‘unfinished’ form?
Sketchbooks are a great chance to really understand the thinking process of an artist. I believe – as many other artists do – that a sketchbook provides a look into that time when one really frees himself to create.

My sketchbook production is very prolific, but having said that I think I like to display them to show ideas that sometimes are destined to stay in an everlasting ‘unfinished look’. The key is to let it all out – and many times, my friends and fellow artists will comment on something they liked. Or even better, they’ll point out something that wasn’t clear or didn't work out for one specific piece.

In addition, I’m curious about your ‘Friday Girl’ illustrations. How did you get the idea to illustrate a different ‘femme fatale’ each week?
Friday-gal was me trying to have some sort of weekly contract or assignment that I agreed to with myself. It’s really a way of having some built in discipline. I love drawing women so I figured it would be perfect for this exercise. Something that with time could generate a series that would fit together even if the pieces themselves might be very varied.

Sometimes I don’t get a chance to be as creative as I’d like to be with this, probably because I’m busy with work. But other times I do try to come up with a different approach to an image. So I keep learning that way – and this personal growth is indispensable.

These illustrations are also interesting in that they’re not limited to just ‘girls in hot bikinis’ or other pin-up types, with some being quite full-figured and Rubenesque in their beauty. Is it important to you to vary the type of woman you are illustrating?
Again, I don't think I vary the pieces as much as I would like to. I definitely have to work more on that. But hell yeah it's important to have in your personal repertory as many girls as possible! After all, every woman is unique!

Still, as I said before it depends on the story you’re trying to tell. Sometimes for an illustration, emphasising a certain quality of the body – like is the lady slim as a twig or round like a ice-cream ball – really adds to the message you want to pass on to your viewers! And no matter what, the girls are all beautiful!

Having said that, do you have your own preference in terms of what body-types you illustrate?
My eye - or let's say my mind's eye - differentiates between what is true beauty compared to ugliness very easily. Luckily, for me, this beauty comes in many, many different ways and forms - so I couldn't say I have a preferred type. And me? Well, I try to fall in love everyday - sometimes more than 4 or 5 times a day.

You’ve mentioned having a keen interest in working on background illustration, correct? Is there a big animation industry to work with in Brazil?
Yes, I really have a strong desire to work as a background artist for animation. Works of professionals such as Eyvind Earle, Walt Peregoy, Jules Engels, Paul Julian, Bob McIntosh, Lew Keller and Mary Blair (old schoolers) and from today’s production Scott Willis, Kevin Dart, Dan Krall, William Wray and Drake Brodahl are such a great influence over me.

But the problem remains that the animation industry is VERY small in Brazil - it just isn't encouraged. In fact, Brazil lacks places to train and build these professionals. Even illustration - there's not one University with this as a major degree here.

For me, I think that drawing per se in Brazil is always associated with a type of ‘inner self-involvement’. This really saddens me, because we have so many really amazing talents down here. But most of them will never do what they want for a living (draw, animate ...) and will probably have a shitty job they hate for the rest of their lives.

But, if my dream comes true and everything works out according to plan, in the future I'll open and be responsible for operating some sort of graphic school here. This is my destiny!

I’m curious then: are you promoting your work more in South American markets or internationally?
I live in São Paulo – the third largest city in the world. Here is the place for new professionals to break-through. All the big agencies and publishers are here! So just to physically be in a city where you fit in professionally is a great start (this gives you self-promotion already).

In addition, besides my website where I try and keep my portfolio as updated as possible, plus the de la burns blog, I put my work on Facebook and try (struggle) to use Twitter with update notes and good references. I believe it's crucial for a up-and-coming professional to use all means of social media possible - since it's a dog-eat-dog world and no one is going to do your marketing for you!

Still, looking at your question, I also know that I'm a relatively new professional (3 years now)! I’m still trying to establish myself as a valuable artist here in Brazil - but I definitely want to bring my work overseas! I visited Europe for the first time in June and July of this year, where I arranged some meetings with possible clients and artists who work I enjoy. It was a great experience!

Beside that I try to keep contact with artists from all over the world (especially animators) like California, NY, Toronto, London, Paris. It's such an immense joy for me to have the opportunity to talk to another professional. And it’s a great group, as it seems that they're all willing to talk art and help out in any way they can.

So what’s next then for Bernardo França, the architect-turned-illustrator that likes to fall in love each and every day?
Clearly, I want to make a living with my personal work. I know I have a very long road to travel where I need to continue drawing – incessantly! – and also keep researching and executing as much as I can!

I am indeed aiming to become a well-know resource in any area where music and illustration meet! Or maybe even become really as an artist well-known for his women ... but not in a womaniser way!

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Bernardo França is an illustrator with a unique flair, his work being often understated but certainly not underrated! Originally from Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, he currently resides in the bustling Metropolis of São Paulo, Brazil.

They say you can learn a lot about a person from their taste in music, and if you happen to check a very limited list of Bernardo’s favourite albums of all time, you’ll see artists such as The Beastie Boys, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bob Marley, Cypress Hill, House of Pain as well as a host of great Brazilian acts. What that then truly says about Bernardo, we’re not entirely sure, so we’ll just go with eclectic and very open-minded!

His passion for his art, the world in which he lives and all things beautiful in their own unique way – as interpreted through the eyes, the ears, the touch and more – is very evident in all of his illustrations! It’s a joy to follow him via social media as he always has AT LEAST a fun teaser sketch to share or perhaps even a simply coloured yet exquisitely lined illustration to propose! A rising talent from a wonderful area of the world that will no doubt have many years of great success to come!

Please check out more about Bernardo at these links and social media connections!

Website
Blog

Twitter
Facebook

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Bernardo França, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more, including the links provided above.

With The Fresh Excitement Of A Child

2011-09-06T16:16:00.016+02:00

An Interview with Rob Colvin

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any image to enlarge

It’s that time of year again where the weather is most likely beginning to take a sharp turn in the direction in which it’s ‘supposed’ to be going for, well, this time of year. Now, unless you’re still hiding in your storm shelter owing to the A to Z collection of natural disasters the world seems to be throwing at everyone, you may have even had the chance to step outside and take in a breath of fresh (+/-) air: maybe first thing in the morning at sunrise or as the sun sets at night. Let’s just hope you do get a chance to step back and marvel at the surrounding world for a few moments!

For some, this means enjoying the stars over a valley, for others the great man-made monuments of a large metropolis. Maybe you’re enjoying it by just aiming your camera out your kitchen window once a night to see how things are shaping up for the coming season or maybe you’re just trying to catch a cool breeze as it makes it’s way across whatever small personal space you might have to put a plant or two out. There are so many beautiful places to enjoy: to capture as images, to share and to wonder about on our planet. And hopefully – in the midst of all the stupid things we humans like to participate in and get distracted by – there is at least this one thing we can all share in.

Rob Colvin has enjoyed the nature and the sheer magnitude of some awe-inspiring views for his whole life. Coming from the uncanny and even sometimes alien-looking areas of Utah and the surrounding regions, he started as well a few years back capturing views that many of us have only SO FAR (come on lucky Lotto!) found to be breath-taking through the world of the Internet or Television. But with his sharp eye for design as well as his unique take on the geometric shape of his work – sharpened by his several years of experience in graphic illustration found today in some awesome stock pictures – he has gained a well-earned reputation as a fantastic artist! We are very pleased at ZN HQ to have a few moments to share with Rob:

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Welcome, Rob! Can you tell us a little bit about what you’ve got on your ‘to do’ list these days?
Well, Ziggy, I've been busy painting. You see, an art gallery in California recently contacted me about showing my work. It's the well-known Just Looking Gallery.

The gallery is located in San Luis Obispo in California. They represent several former illustrators, like me. So obviously, it's a great opportunity that I’m really excited about!

What sort of interesting tid-bits can you share with us about your background and what led you to where you are today?
Art has always been my inspiration and passion, even though I wasn't the most talented artist in my high school. In fact, I wasn't the most talented artist to graduate from Utah Sate University in 1984.

In fact in college, I noticed other students were much more talented as pure draftsman. They had a natural ability to look at something and render it exactly how it appeared. On the other hand, I excelled in design and composition. I made a conscious decision then to build on my strengths.

I stylized and simplified the world as I saw it. I focused on shape rather than detail. My work has evolved over the years and my drawing skills have improved, but my sense of design continues to be a hallmark of my work.

You state up front that your ‘art is about play’ and that if you’re no longer having fun with your art, then you’re ‘being way too serious’. With that in mind, I’m always interested to know how artists are wired to get that nagging (screaming?) feeling that they ARE being too serious? Do you have an internal or external ‘early warning system’ for this, you know, something along the lines of ‘well, when the dog stops playing with me, I know it’s time to take a break’?
Boredom! That's my measuring stick. That's when the passion and fun disappear.

You’re right though: it's a difficult thing to maintain a fresh look at the world. Serious routines and easy habits produce sameness and sameness leads to trite boredom. Experimentation is the answer, but with experimentation there is always failure. Trying a new approach exposes your vulnerabilities and insecurities! The road to discovery is scary, but it can open your mind to possibilities you haven't considered.

As children, we have boundless imaginations. However, we tend to lose the ability to play as we get older. We seek security and avoid risk. Stepping out of our comfort zones isn't easy, but if we approach it with a sense of adventure and play, it can be quite fun. You have to give yourself a license to fail.

How do you feel a professional artist such as yourself can maintain their sense of play without perhaps going so far as to ‘endanger’ their reputation or even becoming trite in what they release?
Yeah, there's always that worry as an artist. That if I step outside my usual style, it will confuse my audience. People will think I've lost my touch. I try not to let those ghosts haunt my studio.

I think we need to step over the edge sometimes, in order to maintain our edge. I've been stuck in enough ruts to know they can be more uncomfortable than change.

Speaking of play: what was the impetus behind your very public ‘blogging’ of your sketch-book images? How has sharing this – at least what I consider to be – ‘intimate behind the scenes’ view into your creative process affected you most?
I started that sketchblog on a whim. I saw it as an opportunity to have fun, even though it turned out to be a little more work than I imagined.

I completed an 80 page sketchbook in about 72 days. Some days I didn't have the time to work on the book, some days I was able to finish 3 pages at a time. It took a lot of energy and creativity to maintain it over time. My intention was to continue with another sketchbook, but I felt like it was becoming a performance with too many self-imposed expectations.

Looking at it a bit differently: do you think it has or could affect how your audience views your work or you as an artist?
If anything, the sketch blog expanded my audience! Those already familiar with my work got to see a more playful, less serious side of my creative process. Perhaps some people familiar with my work were confused by the direction, but the benefits outweighed any negatives in my mind.

Obviously, nature plays an important role in your work; well, not only nature, but the specific Western-slash-Rocky Mountain environments around you. I even find this to be so ‘apparent’ – perhaps because these specific views are so unknown to me except through the world of art – that it reaches a level one might associate with other artists from the ‘region’, not the least of which would be Georgia O’Keefe.

Okay, now with that long-winded introduction to my question: How has your physical location influenced your growth as an artist over the years?
I grew up surrounded by the mountains of northern Utah. The mountains have always been a source of awe and wonder to me. I can look at them again and again with the same fresh excitement I felt as a child.

More recently, the red rocks of southern Utah caught my imagination back in 1989, when we took our family on a trip to Moab. I thought then that I wanted to paint that landscape, but I had no idea on how to go about it. Ten years later an artist friend of mine, John Berry, introduced me to plein air painting. We painted in Arches National Park, in southern Utah. After that, I was hooked.

The scale of the land has also always fascinated me. It's all so monumental, so big! And I've tried to create that monumental feeling in my paintings. Sometimes I think I'm successful, sometimes not as much.

How do you think your art would differ if you were based, for example, in the valleys and canyons of New York?
I think cityscapes would be an ideal subject matter for me, because of the scale and geometry. In fact, I want to pursue that direction at some point in the near future.

Changing bytes for just a moment: you proudly posted your first, all-digital illustration back in July 2010. How has this ‘new-found’ technique affected both your creativity in terms of vision and also how you approach a piece?
I avoided the idea of creating art on the computer for years. It was just that all the computer generated art looked so mechanical and cold to me. It lacked that human touch.

Later though, a good friend, Will Terry introduced me to a technique in Photoshop that looked just like the dry brush technique I had used for years as an illustrator. Up to now, at least, I've mostly just played around with it, you know, just experimenting to see what can be done. It's been a thrill to play with and I have completed a few commissioned illustrations digitally.

Other than that I haven't had the time to do more. I'm sure more will come of it as I move along. Two of the pieces I did just for fun were, "Nice Robot" (above right) and "They Eat Humans Too" (here, left). With these two pieces I stepped away from my conceptual approach to illustration and tried my hand at Pop Surrealism, with a humorous bent. I was quite happy with the results.

Do you foresee an eventual stage in your career where digital work ‘replaces’ all other techniques?
No, I love paint too much. There's just something magical about the tactile experience of moving paint around to create a picture.

A quality digital print from a computer doesn't even compare to the satisfaction of having a one of a kind, tangible piece of art with its rich paint and textures. Perhaps in my old age, if I'm too arthritic to move a brush, I'll do it all on the computer. Hopefully, though, that will never happen.

I did want to ask you: what’s up with all the robots? Were you attacked by a rogue toaster as a child or...?
It started with my first tin robot as a kid. You've probably seen those retro robots that were made in Japan back in the 50s and 60s? They're collector’s items now. I got one as a gift around 1964 when I was 4 years old: it made mechanical noises and had flashing lights. It also scooted along the floor and smoke floated out of it’s head. It was awesome! I've been fascinated with robots ever since.

Continued in Part 2

With The Fresh Excitement Of A Child

2011-09-06T15:37:00.016+02:00

An Interview with Rob Colvin

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any image to enlarge

Rob, looking at other ch-ch-changes over the years in terms of your career, from your on-line bio I was interested in particular to read:

‘At the age of thirty-nine Rob began to pursue the idea that his art needed to be more than the production of images to meet market demands, so he shifted his focus to fine art, painting the landscape he loves.’

What happened at this magical pre-40 time in your life to re-evaluate your approach? Or did I just answer my own question?
I think what happened is that I had spent sixteen years of meeting tight deadlines as an illustrator. Being an illustrator is great, but you're always creating something to meet the client’s needs. So, I wanted to break out and do something for my own creative sanity.

I wanted to try my hand at oil paint, noting I'd been painting with acrylics since high school. It was a good change for me, simply because the nature of meeting illustration deadlines and having to ship artwork overnight (back in the age before computers and scanners) was perfect a quick-drying medium like acrylics. I had done a few assignments in college with oil and I wanted to explore the whole approach further. Plus, painting landscapes really interested me.

Also - and at the risk of riling up yet another interviewee - how in YOUR eyes does the classification of ‘fine art’ distinguish itself from what you were previously producing?
Like I said, illustration requires you to create art for a clients needs. With fine art, you have the freedom to go your own direction, experiment and try new mediums.

There are many wonderful illustrators that I admire, they do amazing art! I don't have any hang ups with fine art verses illustration. There is trash and beauty in both fields.

In your fantastic interview with Anastasiia Kucherenko, you describe your love of ‘shapes and the effects of light on shapes’ and that you ‘see geometry in everything, the patterns, the lines, the shapes and the subtle colour shifts.’

How do you think your – for lack of a better word – focus on the geometrical view came into being?
Perhaps it was the experience of seeing the Peter Max illustrations of the 1960s, (you know, like the ones he did of the Beatles), but I remember loving the simplicity and just the general design. Also, all throughout high school I really admired the work of Don Weller. He's a master of design and drawing.

Both artists simplified the world – for me at least – in a fun and playful way. Their use of flat shapes and design really influenced my work through high school and college. One of my favorite pieces in the 70s was a portrait of Elton John that Don Weller created for a Time Magazine cover.

Your interest in form and the often monumental views you paint seem to strike a balance somewhere between different art worlds, including impressionism or even cubism. Were these important ‘styles’ that may have influenced you? What do you think has been your most important influence to-date?
Yeah, cubism has been a big influence in my portrayal of the land. I don't follow the pure philosophy of the cubists, but I enjoy the visual tapestry I can create by breaking the world up into shapes.

My favorite post-impressionist would be Cezanne, he made modern art possible. But it's hard to say which artist has been most influential on me. There are so many! The great Canadian painter, Lawren S. Harris is one of my heroes. I love Maynard Dixon. I think most people familiar with their work would see their influence on me. Ed Mell is also an influence.

With that in mind though, if we look at the recurring ‘themes’ that have appeared in your work for commissions, for sheer illustration purposes or your fine art, one wonders: what is Rob Colvin’s signature style? Do you even want a recognizable style?
I think being put in a niche is like falling into a rut. It can be claustrophobic as an artist. I'm uncomfortable with the idea that I must do things certain ways because that’s what people expect out of me.

I value freedom in my work over an adoring audience. In my mind, my work has a clear consistency: the way I see the world is similar, whether it's a robot or a red rock. I want to show in my works a combination of strong design, soft edges, monumental scale and my sense of color! I want of all of these to shine through.

You’ve mentioned that you loved to draw as a child and that your parents encouraged your artistic interests. Let’s turn that around slightly: do any of your half-a-dozen offspring show a similar interest? Is Dad as encouraging as his parents were or does he shout out instead ‘oh no you don’t, you’re getting a real job!!’ (Trust me: both my parents were design school graduates and in our house it was VERBOTEN!)?
My oldest daughter earned a degree in graphic design, after doing it for a couple years she went back to school to get her masters degree in accounting. She's a very talented designer, but she decided she wanted something a little more “stable”.

All three of my sons have a talent for drawing, but none have chosen to follow in their father’s footsteps. I've never pushed it; I don't want them to think they have to be just like me.

Looking at a very fun - and hopefully, very profitable - aspect of your work: how would you compare your approach to one of your mountain scenes to producing "stock illustration" as you might find for sale on ‘Illustration Source’?
Much of my stock illustration was created for clients over the years. But since I retain copyrights, I've been able to place them on-line for resale. It’s only been in the past ten years or so that I've specifically created illustrations for resale on stock illustration sites. This usually involves an idea that I come up with that might fit a trend in the marketplace.

I enjoy doing them, but I find much more satisfaction in creating landscapes.

Continuing to examine the business side of the, uh, business for a moment: as a prominent American painter, your work is featured across the nation in several fine galleries and also by those individuals or corporations that have purchased your work. How then has the business of promoting your work changed over the years from the ‘physical’ world of galleries to pushing your wares via the Internet?
The Internet has evened the score in so many ways. There are so many opportunities out there.

When I started out, I had to have a portfolio booklet and promo flyers printed. I had to go to the library or news stands to gather information on potential publishers and periodicals worth pursuing. I had to call art directors to set appointments to show my portfolio, (if they had the time.) Before fax machines I had to send my sketches overnight via Fed-ex. The final art was shipped overnight as well. I often shipped my portfolio overnight for job bids. But again: the digital revolution has changed everything. I can have my portfolio in front of someone on the other side of the world instantly.

With that in mind, does an artist today need to ‘design’ if you will images that not only look good ‘up on the wall’ but also on tee-shirts, greeting cards, stickers or even calendars to name a few? Are these focus areas for you or is it more ‘the nature of the beast’ these days?
No, I just like to dabble all over the place. My interest is in creating passive revenue streams.

That's what stock illustration was for me when it first came into being. It provided me with a passive income so I could pursue other directions. Stock illustration was, and still is, condemned by the elitists of the illustration world. I saw it as inevitable.

And sure: I could either stand on the sidelines and whine about the changes in the marketplace – or I could do as I chose to do and that was jump on board and enjoy the ride. The Internet continues to change how art is bought and sold; all we can do is learn how it works and pursue the opportunities.

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Rob Colvin is a well-known American artist that has been both crafting conceptual illustration for over twenty years as well as producing scores of amazing paintings of landscapes and more! His overall sense of design, geometric form and the use of imagery combine to create a very unique and stylized look and his work has appeared in a wide variety of media internationally.

Oh and you can even get some of his more playful stuff as a tee-shirts, too! Just sayin’!

Rob grew up in the beautiful Wasatch Mountain community of North Ogden Utah. It was there that his creative spirit was encouraged and nurtured by his parents. Thanks to their loving support as well as the added influence of some outstanding teachers and artistic heroes of the time, he knew his life’s occupation would be art. And despite rumours to the contrary, he not only graduated from Utah State University in 1984 with a degree in illustration but did so with a darn fine grade-point average as well!

After some 16 years or so of battling deadlines and the multitude of the other ‘fun’ aspects of being a professional stunt driver, we mean, illustrator, he later began to pursue the idea that his art needed to be more than the production of images to meet market demands. It was then shortly before the tender age of 40 that he shifted his focus to fine art, painting the landscapes he always loved and at which he still marvels to this day. He is now a highly sought after artist, known for his strikingly beautiful compositions that sensitively express the form, scale and beauty he sees in some of the most magnificent places on our planet.

Rob’s studio is located in his Morgan, Utah home. He enjoys working from home and the freedom it has given him to spend time with his wife and six children.

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Rob Colvin, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly. Kindly note that some images used for this article are listed as 'archived' (= sold) and are only included for the purpose of expanding the provided gallery.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more, including the following:

HomepageBlog
Sketchblog

Online galleries:
Fine Art America
Red Bubble
Stock Illustration Source

How Cleo Got Her Groove Back

2011-08-16T19:16:00.015+02:00

An Interview with Mike Maihack

Page 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any picture to enlarge to full size

I think the most telling description of Mike Maihack’s work came from a recent discussion on his Facebook page. Mike had just posted a ‘quickie’ sketch portrait that he likes to release every now and then just to whet the appetite of his flock of fans. One colleague responded:

‘Is this your morning sketch? I love it! But... I hate you sooooo much right now!’

Granted, it was said very much tongue-in-cheek (and perhaps with some weeping, too? No, wait, that was me...), but what was being said is simply that Mike makes what he does look easy. Wonderfully, enticingly, ecstatically easy! It’s like taking golf lessons for years and never breaking par, then taking out a younger colleague to try it one day and he winds up being the next whoever-is-the-next-Tiger-Woods.

And it’s this ability to make these ‘amazing shots’ that he shares look so easy that has garnered Mike a huge number of fans and that he continues to be a favourite of all at any number of comic-cons, illustration displays and of course his very well known collections and also web-comics!

We’re very pleased then to bring you this interview with one of our own favourites of the past moons!

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Hi Mike, welcome! Before we start, I have to ask from where did the name Cowshell come? And do you pronounce it ‘cow shell’ or ‘cow’s hell’?
Hi Ziggy, thanks for the invitation!

That is a great first question! And I have a completely uninteresting story for it. There was a project back in college where I needed to create a name brand. I’ve always loved cows and at the time I was throwing spirals into practically everything I drew. So I drew a spiral, placed some cow spots in it and called it a Cow Shell. It was magic!

Then, for whatever reason (probably laziness), I decided to keep using it. Now it’s on my tax forms so I guess I’m stuck with it. I really wish I had thought of something like ‘Mega Quantum RoboDragon.’

Can you tell us then, please, a little about Mike Maihack and how he got to be the popular illustrator that he is today? What were your biggest influences from childhood to now?
Popular? Haha. I don’t know about that. I just like drawing. And watching cartoons. And reading comics. So all my influences spawn from those things.

I’d have to say though that animation has been and continues to be my biggest influence. I devoured all those 60’s & 70’s Disney animations growing up, when it seemed like the greats Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas and Milt Kahl were animating almost every character. Even though it was talking animals for the most part, those characters were as real to me as anything else on screen. Or off-screen for that matter. ‘Robin Hood’, ‘The Sword and the Stone’ and ‘The Jungle Book’ still remain some of my favourite films.

Eventually, I also of course I discovered comics, like ‘Calvin and Hobbes’, ‘Far Side’, ‘Outland’ and eventually the X-Men. I had very little interest in drawing an actual comic book though until I picked up this old Bone trade that collected the first six issues. It was the one that had Fone Bone stepping on a rock and looking off into the distance with a map or something. Hm, now that I think about it, I loaned it to someone who moved away back in high school and never got it back. Dang!

It is kind of depressing because that is the book that pretty much started me on my career path. Again, it was such a character-driven story and the art was this amazing mesh of comic strips, animation, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and everything else I was into. I fell in love with Thorn and that was that.

I find your style unique in that (at least for me) it balances very fine pen-work with a subtle, maybe even often simplistic (not right word, I’ll work on that) way of depicting both every day and more complex or even fantastic scenes. Now that may sound like I’m trying to slap a ‘manga’ label on your work, but it’s not that. How would you describe your style, say, if you were writing an introduction for promoting your work to a general audience?
It’s funny you mention Manga because I just starting reading it last year. I mean, I’ve been watching anime for years but manga is an entirely different vehicle.

But what I’m resonating with, besides the dynamic storytelling, is what you said: this balance between incredibly fantastic situations with everyday life. I mean, looking at things like going to school or what to eat for dinner. I love that!

Even my favourite X-Men comics were the ones where they were all hanging out by the pool or playing baseball. It’s one thing to take all these crazy characters with all these extreme personalities and pit them against the Juggernaut or something, but when you place them into a real world situation—something anyone can relate too—well, that’s when the character dynamics really shine. And that to me is more interesting to read than say, ‘having to defeat the evil super villain or else the world explodes.’ But in turn, you need those impending world exploding events to make the ‘everyday’ stuff that much more enticing. It’s a balancing act.

Miyazaki is a master of this. The scenes in ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ where the girls get to have these unreal adventures with forest sprits only makes the scenes where they are dealing with her ailing mother that much more powerful. Or in ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, where even though she can fly and has a talking cat and all this other awesome stuff, the real drama lies in whether or not she’s going to deliver pies on time. I love that stuff.

Sorry, I’ve gone completely off topic. But I’d say that’s the gist of what I want people to get out of my work. The fantastic mixed with the mundane. If the result ends up being a little absurd, then that’s all the better. But hopefully it comes off kind of sweet as well.

Before we get to your latest awesome comic, ‘Cleopatra in Space’, I wanted to ask you about a couple of your longer running previous offers, including ‘Cow & Buffalo’ (your creation and art) and ‘Parable’, which if I understand correctly, was or is a collaborative effort:

First, what is the current status of these ventures? ‘Cow & Buffalo’ seems to have ended; or will the closing promise of ‘to be continued’ be realized? And will ‘Parable’ continue as well now that Volume 1 has been released?
I always intended to get back to ‘Cow & Buffalo’; but now that it’s been almost two years I feel kind of bad about putting that ‘to be continued’ on there. Haha. But I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that we’ve seen the last of them. I mean, those characters are a part of me. I used to describe ‘Cow and Buffalo’ as two sides of my personality having conversations with each other. It would be incredibly sad to find out I’ve become completely sane and have no more conversations to draw about.

‘Parable’ on the other hand was a massive undertaking, and I had a lot more time on my hands at the time I organized it. I guess we’ll see if another one happens. There are already a handful of stories already done for a second volume. I even fully pencilled twenty-four pages that I’d like to see finished someday.

‘Parable’ seems to have ... well, sorry, the best description I can think of is that it has an intriguing ‘mission statement’. What was the impetus behind putting this collection together?
Well, as a comic fan and a Christian, I was frustrated with what I was seeing out there as far as Christian or faith-based comics go. Not even in terms of quality, but in the material being delivered. Like the Christian music scene of the 80’s, everything was derivative of something that was already out there in mainstream. There were good intentions, but very little on the side of creativity. But there were exceptions, like Royden Lepp’s excellent ‘David’ miniseries, and I thought, ‘This can be done.’ It’s just hardly anyone was doing it.

What was your role in getting ‘Parable’ started and up and running?
I brought up the idea of it on the Flight forums a while back (this is back when there were two, maybe three Flight books out at the time). There were a lot of like-minded artists on there so I thought it would be a good place to get some honest feedback.

It wasn’t actually my intention to do something like Flight, or even a printed anthology. I was actually thinking of maybe a website with cycling stories every now and then. But somehow the idea of doing an anthology got brought up anyhow and I ended up editing it. My role was then really more or less selecting the artists and making sure the book stayed on the path I envisioned for it.

I’m really happy with how it turned out, but the whole ordeal was a huge learning curve. If we do end up doing another volume, I would do certain things differently and hopefully end up with an even stronger book as a result.

Your collection of books that has been published is also very impressive. What has it meant to you as an artist to have these works put into book form vs. ‘just’ having them appear on the Internet?
I don’t know. I don’t really see much of a difference.

For me, the comics remain the comics whether they are on a computer screen, on paper or on an iPad. Where it changes is the timing within the actual story. ‘Cow & Buffalo’ worked as a serialized webcomic because even though it had these long, inane story arcs, it was essentially a gag-a-day strip. It was easy to only read one page at a time and not lose too much of its integrity.

I think ‘Cleo’ on the other had suffers a bit since I’m asking readers to essentially wait a week to sometimes find out a response or reaction between the last and first panels of each page. Which maybe isn’t fair to the comic or the readers but I think many of them have adapted to that sort of timing. And I appreciate their loyalty more than I can put into words. But I do think Cleo works better as a whole and that’s where it’s nice to see it collected in print or as a digital download.

Continued in Part 2

How Cleo Got Her Groove Back

2011-08-16T17:48:00.033+02:00

An Interview with Mike Maihack

Page 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any picture to enlarge to full size

Mike, we’ve been looking at your different offers, including comics, books and prints, and much more! However, it seems that your newest venture, ‘Cleopatra in Space’, which is gaining more and more new fans every day, is a significant change of pace. What was your inspiration behind this comic?
Pretty much everything! But for now I’ll just say it’s kind of a love-letter to science fiction, including ‘Star Wars’, ‘Star Trek’, ‘Buck Rogers’, and all those really awful films the MST3K guys would make better for me!

But I was also itching to write a strong, identifiable female protagonist. Those who follow me on the various social networks know I’m a huge fan of characters like Batgirl, Kitty Pryde (shown below), Veronica Mars and others! So, I wanted to contribute in my own small way to that excellent batch of characters. I think we’ve actually come a long way in entertainment where female action heroes are right on par with – if not more exciting – than their male counterparts.

Cleo’s a blend of all those fictional and non-fictional woman in my life – including a healthy sprinkling of their faults so that readers are able to watch her grow. My hope is that younger readers are able to grow along with her but at the same time also someone they can look up to.

And of course, now I have an excuse to draw cats all the time!

Congratulations are also in order in that ‘Cleo’ was named ‘the webcomic list’s’ Best Character for 2010! Hurray!! What does this kind of recognition mean to you both professionally and privately?
Well, it’s great! It means I’m a step closer to actually creating what I stated above. But what means the most is that Cleo had fans out there who actually took the time to nominate her. That’s an awesome feeling!

How do you plan out each episode? Is the writing for the entire series done? Also, as you’re releasing a new ‘page’ every Monday, I’m just curious how long each mini-episode takes to complete?
In terms of Cleo, her journey is pretty much planned out. I know where she came from, where I’m taking her, where she ends up and all the little ways in which these events in her life connect. Now granted, most of this is in my head. Haha. But it’s still pretty concrete.

My writing tends to be pretty fluid in that I know what points A, B and C are but the little details in-between I leave open enough to let the story develop and breath how it needs too. Dialogue and action sequences are often written on the fly on the margin of whatever page I’m drawing.

After the first story-arc, which ends with Chapter 3, I have the next four or five arcs roughed out and then some events beyond those arcs that need to happen for the final pages to work. I intend on taking this series to a lot of places and really fleshing out the world in which Cleo finds herself in. I’ve often said I have about ten years of story charted out which is fairly accurate.

Unfortunately, at its current page-a-week time-frame, ten years could wind up being the rest of my life. It only takes me about a day to draw a page and another to colour it. But since Cleo isn’t really a giant money-maker for me, I have to apportion the rest of my time with work that actually supports my family. Maybe that’ll change one day.

Where would you like to see ‘Cleopatra in Space’ eventually wind up (full length comic, made for TV movie, YouTube fan video, etc.)?
Um… on people’s bookshelves? Haha.
(ZN: yes, haha... oh, look! I’ve conveniently included the covers for Volumes 1 and 2 here!!)

Seriously, I’m drawing a comic for the sake of a comic. The most I can hope for is that people are still reading it long after I’m gone. Although as I delve further into the story I’m realizing there are some things in my head that I just CAN’T DRAW – but I know WHO could!

To that end, I would not be opposed to seeing ‘Cleopatra in Space’ as an animated series or something. You know, getting a chance to work with a team of people who would be very able and talented to contribute and enhance story ideas. Creating new characters, drawing better vehicles and more. That would be wonderful! But it’s not my ultimate intention. I just want the story to be told the best way possible.

A YouTube fan video would be pretty rad though.
(ZN: methinks this is what the call in the business a hint, as in hint, hint, bloody hint!!)

How about the work you do as part of various art and webcomic collectives, including DrawerGeeks, Lunchbox Funnies and Spacedock 7? Is there a different kind of energy you get from working in or with these teams?
Well, we’re not really working together so much as supporting each other. I think more than anything it just forces you to keep putting out awesome work to keep up with the rest of the group. Most of the other creators in those groups are friends of mine, so it’s just cool to be able to have a collaborative space that we can share our work with others.

Cats obviously are near and dear to your heart. My favourite is easily ‘The Catastic 4’ (shown here), as I grew up on the latter years of the Kirby era and beyond! How do your cats influence your work?
Mind-control.

Now I think it’s safe to say that you spend if not a lot then a good deal of time at ComicCons, both promoting your wares as well as keeping the faithful alerted to your latest releases and projects. How important are these events to your work?
I think what I look forward to most is simply seeing all my fans stop by my table. Putting a face to those that comment or follow me on Twitter of even those who I’ve never heard from before who stop by and tell me how much they are loving ‘Cleopatra in Space’. It’s such a recharge.

And of course I love seeing all my comic creator friends who I only get to see at these shows. But ultimately these shows are what financially fuel my ability to create comics. I’d have a hard time justifying turning down a few non-comic jobs otherwise. So it’s business during the day and hanging out and catching up at night.

Looking again at ‘Parable’, you make the importance of your faith in your work and life very clear. What role or even responsibility, if any, do you think that you as an artist hold in reflecting these core beliefs in your work?

Please forgive me for prying, but it's just I'm interested in knowing from your perspective, with some of the titles out there – ranging from your typical Wolverine, Punisher or Hellboy story-line to even something like ‘Sin City’ or ‘Kick Ass’ – is it even possible to find content in line with what you’ve created with ‘Parable’ within the covers of mainstream comicdom? (I am also curious to discuss this as I remember only too well the scare in the early 70’s that led my mother to getting rid of my ‘first’ collection of comics.)
I do think that a person’s faith is going to enter their work whether they’d like it to or not. It’s just part of who we are and if we aren’t putting ourselves into our work, it’s going to feel hollow. And readers are an intelligent bunch these days. They are going to tell if you’re holding back on something. Or even going against something you’ve already indicated you believed in.

Now that being said, you also need to serve your story. So I’m not saying ‘such and such character has to believe in this because such and such creator does to.’ That would be ridiculous. For example, even though I’m very open about my Christianity, it doesn’t mean it holds a place in ‘Cleopatra in Space’. In fact, later in the series I’ll start to show how important the Egyptian deities are to the events circulating the story. Granted, their existence goes completely against the monotheistic core of Christianity; but the main themes of ‘Cleopatra in Space’, faith and destiny, are still two very strong components of my belief.

In other words, don’t let your characters speak for you. Let them speak to you and then guide them to where you think they belong.

I’ve asked this question to other peers that have published on-line comics, but where do you see the comics industry as a whole going concerning print vs. electronic media?
It’ll go to electronic media. It’s inevitable so the industry better get around to embracing it.

But print isn’t going to completely fall the way of the dinosaurs. I know because there are still people – and younger people – like me out there. It may surprise some but, with the exception of a few I can follow weekly, I personally don’t read a lot of comics online. I generally wait for an old-fashioned biodegradable version to become available that I can flip through before I turn off the lights.

That may make me sound like an old man, but that’s just how I‘m used to reading stuff. No electronic device will ever be able to compete with the smell of pulp and the ability to ‘zoom’ into a page with merely a thought.

There’s also the collectable market, which every few years or so has another boom. I don’t know though; maybe that’ll transition into original art instead. But once devices like the iPad and Kindle become as common as cell phones, I don’t expect monthly periodicals lasting much longer. Trades will be here to stay though.

You’ve offered lots of fun goodies in the recent past, including of course books, commissions, prints, post cards and more! Where or perhaps better said via what medium would you like to see your work pushed in the future?
A video game. I want someone to make me a ‘Cleopatra in Space’ video game. Even though I would never have any time to play it!

What’s next for Mike Maihack?
Well, there’s a baby! People (mostly my wife) tell me that’s a pretty big deal.

There’s also a few possible things on the horizon but most of which I can’t talk about yet. One thing that did recently get announced was ‘The Jim Henson Storyteller’s’ anthology that Archaia is putting out. I did some colour work for that.

But mainly I’m going to keep focusing on Cleo and making sure she keeps blasting her way through space. Right now the comic is on hiatus while I get enough pages done so the story can update twice as much next year. But Chapter 3 is really exciting. Can’t wait for people to start reading it!

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Mild-mannered Mike Maihack was edujumacated and grajiated from the Columbus College of Art and Design! He spends his time drawing pictures of cats, superheroes, space girls, combinations of all of these or just about anything else he can think of that might involve a giant pink heart or serving tea. Not being a tea drinker, I can’t vouch for that last bit, but the others definitely rock!

Among his accolades – which I think is also a flavour of tea – Mike is the editor and art director of the Christian comic anthology, ‘Parable’. In addition, he is the creator of the all-ages webcomic, ‘Cow & Buffalo’. You’ll also find Mike’s contributions on a fairly regular basis as a member of many art and webcomic collectives such as Lunchbox Funnies, Spacedock 7 and Bristolwhip.

As mentioned, he’s been privileged to have also been a contributor to anthologies like Jim Henson's ‘The Storyteller’ and the Eisner and Harvey award-winning ‘Comic Book Tattoo’. Currently, Mike remains hard-at-work bringing his sci-fi epic, ‘Cleopatra in Spaaace!!’ to life. When he’s not doing the illustration thing, he likes lots of movies with his wife and two Siamese cats down in far too hot and humid Tampa, Florida, USA.

Be sure and check out all of Mike’s work and plethora of services, including his con schedule as well as details for commission work, at these exciting links:

Website
Blog
Gallery

Store

Twitter
Facebook

ZN also highly recommends just cruising through the Google Images listing of Mike’s pics and getting lost in a world of terrific fantasy and more!!

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Mike Maihack, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!

More Than Just A Moment Shared

2011-07-29T11:08:00.020+02:00

An Interview with Joanna Barnum

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click any image to enlargenate

Okay gang, I’ve got to do a ‘thing’ here before we get started with the Joanna Barnum interview!

DO NOT WORRY: the kids do NOT have to leave the room! Especially if you're like me and need them to stay and explain stuff to you.

Since I’ve been getting to know Joanna and her talents, I’ve had a song that always enters my mind and gets stuck there, often for days at a time. And the only way to get such a repeating track out of the echo chamber between my ears is to play it - even on endless repeat until it goes away on it’s on! Or whenever the other voices get loud enough to drown it out...

So bear with me, please:

Now, many of you are no doubt going ‘huh?’ or even ‘where’s my sandwich?’ by now. Why this very well known track by the fantastic U2 you say? Well, if you’ve had the opportunity to go to one of their MUST SEE concerts, you know at this point, Bono usually invites a young lady from the audience up on stage to do a little belly dancing with him. And guess what? In addition to her talents at putting ink and paint and more to paper, not to mention the other creative outlets she has displayed over the years, Joanna is a very capable belly dancer! So you begin to see how my brain – well, there’s no better word for it - ‘works’, eh?

But I don’t want to hear any catcalls from the peanut gallery, understand? I know for a fact that belly dancing is not only a very aerobic, taxing and difficult to master art-form, but the performers are also often allowed to perform with swords or other sharp pointy things. So zip it!!

And so, with these mental images planted firmly in your mind (oh and plants will figure into all this as well), I am proud to present the terrific Joanna Barnum!

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Welcome, Joanna! What are you up to these days?
Hi Ziggy, thank you for your interest in my work!

Right now*, I'm in the middle of getting ready for a show at a local nature center. It's going up in mid-May, I've only known about the opportunity for about a month, and I'm trying to create mostly new work for the show...so although I tend to be a fast painter, things in the studio are a little harried right now!

The show will be at the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, MD from May 18-July 30, 2011. It's a two artist show; I'll be sharing the gallery walls with nature illustrator Rebecca Clark.

In addition, in late 2009, I painted a portrait of Charles Darwin and luckily it was recently featured as a “chosen” illustration by the American Illustration annual. This portrait has enjoyed a lot of popularity online in terms of blogging and print sales. I'm using the Darwin piece as a jumping off point for a larger series of illustrative portraits featuring other famous biologists, naturalists, and conservationists.
(ZN: don’t forget as well that the Darwin design shown here is currently up for voting and pre-purchase registration at Kickstarter!! Pledge now! )

I'm also working on my piece to contribute to Girls Drawing Girls's Volume 4 art book, which happens to have a nature theme.

(*ZN : our sincere apologies to Joanna, who broke all records in getting back to us with her answers back in April and just happened to hit a rather full publication schedule!)

Can you tell us a little bit about your background please and what inspired you to become the fantastic artist and graphic designer you are today?
I grew up in White Plains, NY (a suburb of NYC) as an only child, with a few close extended family members nearby. I had what I'd describe as a fairly ordinary, positive childhood.

I've enjoyed drawing and making things for as long as I can remember, and my family has always been encouraging of whatever I've wanted to pursue, including going to art school. I guess I've always been kind of dorky, weird, and shy...I guess there's often a connection between being kind of weird and being artistic in some way! (ZN: yep! Hi Mom, hi Dad!)

I was a good student all around in high school and could have chosen between lots of different fields if I'd wanted to. But when it came time to choose a college and I really thought hard about it, I couldn't imagine being happy in any field other than the visual arts. Sure, I could have been GOOD at other things - and no doubt more financially successful by pursuing them - but I had and have still no passion for any pursuit that compares in any way to how I feel about my art.

In terms of my ‘formal’ education, I earned my BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art, which has an amazing illustration department. Both the faculty and the other students there were incredibly inspiring.

Today, I identify as an illustrator first and foremost, even though I guess I'm more of what you’d call a creative ‘jack of all trades’. I do as much illustration work as I can get (which is never as much as I want!) but I'm still working hard to build the illustration career I really want to have. I got into painting commissioned portraits at first because it's something artistic I could find clients for, but it's become a real love for me, and now I'm trying to develop an illustrative focus on portraiture as well.

I’m also curious about the art and design scene in the Maryland area where you are. Is there a large ‘colony’ of fellow conspirators in the region? Or is a lot of this limited – if at all – to either the DC or Baltimore areas?
Parkville is just inside the Baltimore beltway, so I'm connected to the arts scene in Baltimore. That's where most of our galleries and events happen, but there are also other arts councils, etc. scattered around the state and I try to keep up with opportunities wherever I can find them.

I love that the Baltimore creative community is kind of offbeat. We have the Fluid Movement water ballet group here, we're home to the Visionary Art museum and its kinetic sculpture race, and we have an active neo-burlesque scene. Baltimore is big enough that venues and projects can gather momentum, but small enough that it's easy for anyone who has the will to display their work or join a performing arts group.

Jumping right into the deep end of the pool, your work has been included in various collections of ‘erotic’ art; however, despite this all-encompassing label, I find that the pieces I’ve seen so far are – how to put this – somewhat ‘tamer’ (more reserved, less pornographic?) than many of so many offers seem to be today. What is important for you – or what do you look for – in terms of capturing ‘Eros’ in an image?
I have a strong traditional background in life drawing from the figure, and a lot of my work has focused on mythological subject matter. It feels natural for me to include nudes in those works much in the same way the nude features heavily in classical and Renaissance mythological artwork.

It is both a thing of beauty and I feel it helps to emphasize the archetypal nature of these stories. The body as well as the face has great expressive potential and can be used to convey passion and emotion in the general sense, not just the erotic. I'm happy to have these pieces welcomed into compilations of erotic work, and I enjoy that element of their nature, but that's not the only element at play for me.

Because so much of my work has celebrated the female form, I was welcomed into the Girls Drawing Girls collective about a year and a half ago. The group is focused on pinup artwork from women in the animation and illustration industries. Being a part of the group has pushed me to start exploring the “Eros” element more blatantly, and I've been having a lot of fun with it. In general, I think the work coming out of the group is about women's own celebration of themselves not as erotic objects but as complete beings with agency and unique attributes worth admiring.

Speaking of ‘GDG’ – not that I’m looking for yet another opportunity to plug their latest collection known affectionately as ‘GDG Volume IV : The Way Nature Made Her’ (order your copy today!!) – you also recently scored both an annual calendar appearance as well as getting to do their recent ‘Hoity Toity Art Show’ poster! What has being involved in this team meant for you and your career?
The ladies who run the group are not only amazingly talented artists themselves, but are also very driven to find and put together unique, exciting opportunities for all GDG members to participate in.

The opportunities that have opened up to me through participation in the group, both as official group activities, and through networking with the other women in the group, have been just astounding and I think have helped to push my career up a notch in the past year.

You also seem to have a keen connection to the world of fantasy. Can you explain a little about your fascination with this type of imagery and how it relates to your artwork? Is this more escapism for you or do you, too, walk the way of the macabre and sinister?
I grew up a BIG fan of fantasy and science fiction. Even as a very young artist, I wanted to paint dragons and unicorns, and I learned that that sort of work was usually considered “illustration,” which is what first started me down this road. As I matured, I fell in love with illustration as a concept, and branched out quite a bit. But I've managed to maintain a strong focus on mythology in my adult artwork, and I love getting illustration assignments that fall into the fantasy realm.

Having said that, I do think my work is different in style from the traditional look a lot of fantasy work has, like the sort of thing you'd expect to see coming out of Wizards of the Coast, but the fact that it's different has appealed to the indie publishers I've worked with. Painting someone else's invented worlds and creatures is ridiculously fun, and yeah, it is escapism to a degree.

It's not super intellectually heavy; it's just FUN.

Continued in Part 2

More Than Just A Moment Shared

2011-07-29T10:12:00.030+02:00

An Interview with Joanna Barnum

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click any image to enlargenate

Joanna, I’ve really enjoyed going through your different galleries, great stuff!

I am curious though how you got involved in either ‘culinary illustration’ or even your ‘wildlife illustration’, where you’ve featured not only recently extinct animal species but also plants and fungi?
I love science, and I love the natural world, and preserving it is very important to me. I also have a strong aesthetic attraction to food and plants which I can't quite explain. I love painting these little jewel-like moments.

I also collect objects that are shaped like food or plants, which drives my husband crazy.

Now unless my eyes are getting worse than I thought, it seems that most if not all of your works feature watercolors & acrylics, pens & inks, colored pencils and a few other ‘traditional’ techniques. In other words, you work mostly by hand, correct? Do you ever include digital methods in your work?
I'm primarily a watercolorist, and sometimes I combine other mixed media elements with my watercolors. I'm definitely traditionally focused. I mainly use Photoshop to clean up my work after I scan it into the computer, but I also use it to rearrange traditionally created elements when I do design work, like logos.

For example, I'll paint lettering by hand, but it might take me several attempts to get all the letters the way I want them, and they might be all spread out over a sheet of paper mixed up with false starts. I'll scan that in and then rearrange the individual letters digitally.

I like my final pieces to look like they're traditionally created even when I've used Photoshop as a tool.

Your portrait collection also features some really well done pieces, including both ‘free-style’ and commissioned works (or even this lovely self-portrait)! But I’m curious (also because I may try this to help pay some bills soon): do you find it more stressful painting a person or someone’s pet? I know what I would answer!
When I'm painting a commissioned portrait of a person, it is a little more stressful than if I'm working on a portrait for an illustration or for my portfolio, because what's most important to most private clients is that the portrait be a) very true to life, and b) flattering. When I paint someone's pet, I actually have more freedom and can be a little more expressive, because the client is less likely to say “oh, the nose is too big, and what's that crazy red shadow you put under the eye?”

I would say that after sampling a large number of your works that there is a distinctive ‘Joanna Barnum’ style, where I really like what is written on your home site namely that your ‘style is loose, expressive semi-realism, executed in a combination of watercolor and mixed media.’

Can you describe a little what it’s taken to establish this in such a way that people will indeed look at your work and say ‘hey, that’s a Joanna Barnum!’? Putting it a little differently: do you hope or is it your target even that when someone is considering a commission say ‘hey, Joanna Barnum’s work would be perfect here’?
It's funny, because I spent a lot of time as a student, and I still spend a lot of time fretting that I don't have a distinctive style to my work. So it's nice to hear you say that you think I do.

Having said that, how important do you think it is for an artist to establish such a distinctive style? Does this have any negatives to it, namely, is it ever restrictive to you?

When I was in art school, a lot of my professors were really big on emphasizing that “style isn't important,” because I guess they didn't want us to get prematurely or even artificially locked into a surface look before really developing ourselves as artists. In some ways, though, I think they took it too far to that extreme, and it was a bit of a disservice.

I've found that the most marketable illustrators have a really clear look to their work, and often a strong focus on a certain genre... and as I mentioned, I've grappled with that a lot. I still feel like I'm not really sure what my work looks like...but I guess it's always easier to look at another artist's work and be struck by its distinctive look. Sometimes it's hard (or impossible?) to see one's own work for what it really is.

What is the ‘Rooney Gooney’ project? How did you get involved in that?

Rooney Gooney is a self-published educational children's book I collaborated on with a local retired doctor, Charles Bush. I've always wanted to work in children's publishing, so when an opportunity came along to work through the process on a self-published project, with an author that was actually willing to pay me for my work (which is pretty uncommon, if you peruse the classifieds section of Craig's List for any big city), I decided to go for it. It was a wonderful learning experience.

I had a lot of hypothetical knowledge about working through character development, dummy book, final illustrations, and layout for a children's book from my education at MICA, but I had never actually been through the process start to finish for a whole book.

I also learned a lot about how to put together something for print-on-demand publication through Lulu.com. I'm excited to use both those skill sets more in the future.

You’ve also created some very interesting dolls and/or ‘dragon scarf puppets’, jewellery, decorative items and more! Is the more ‘craft’ oriented side of your work a big part of your future plans or is this something you just do on occasion to mix things up a little?
The more crafty stuff is mostly a hobby for relaxation, although it's great when I can sell some of it to boot.

I really like anything involving making things with my hands: painting, sewing, embroidery, crochet, cooking,

baking, gardening, you name it. Mostly small scale, intuitive type things.

However, I'm not good at building stuff - I'll generally pass on anything involving math and/or power tools!

Now before I let you go, I must ask you one very important question: as someone who is by their own admission a little bit shy, how did you get involved in belly dancing, even to the point of (gasp) performing in public?
Belly dance is enjoying a huge surge of popularity in the United States. I had a lot of acquaintances that were involved in it. I took a class at a local community college because I hate to exercise, and I thought it would be a fun way to get moving. I ended up falling head over heels in love, for so many reasons.

I have since discovered that dancing is about an ephemeral moment shared with a live audience. It's exhilarating. Apparently, there was a performer hiding somewhere inside me waiting to come out.

And in the case of belly dancing, this form of expression is based in the social dances of the Middle East, and it's truly a dance of the people...there are belly dancers of all ages and shapes. It's been exciting learning a new way to express myself, and it was really scary at first because I'm used to creating my work in private, and then putting it out there for consumption when it's finished.

Right now I'm a member of a troupe that started out as a student troupe, but that I think has slowly been evolving to a more professional level, which I guess is on par with my personal progress as a dancer. It started out as a hobby, but I'm a pretty intense person, and I have trouble doing anything halfway if I love it enough to do it at all.

I keep saying that I don't want a second creative job, but it's become important to me to work toward dancing on a professional level. I guess it’s a point of personal pride, so we'll see what happens there.

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Joanna Barnum is a bright young illustrator and portrait artist whose work has appeared in books, magazines, and games, as well as in several juried annuals of fantasy and other types of popular illustration. She holds a BFA in illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art, plying her craft primarily in the areas of fantasy and children’s illustration. In addition, her observational figurative work can be found regularly at local galleries and festivals. Her distinctive style has been described as being ‘loose, expressive semi-realism’, which she creates using primarily a combination of watercolor and mixed media.

Joanna grew up in White Plains, NY and currently resides in the Baltimore, Maryland area with her husband Mike who continues to show amazing patience in terms of his wife's odd collections. Among her many other interests, Joanna lists needlework, costuming, baking, camping, and volunteering as a board member and coordinator for the non-profit organization that runs Playa del Fuego, a regional Burning Man-inspired event.

Please check out more evidence of Joanna’s 'evolving' talents (I’m sorry, I thought I could get through this without using that pun) at the following links and galleries:

Website
Blog

DeviantArt gallery
Etsy shop

And of course, be sure and follow the fantastic exploits of the ‘Aubergine Belly Dance Troupe’ at either their homepage or as a fan on Facebook!

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Joanna Barnum, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!

Nothing Beats a Good Designer!

2011-07-09T10:31:00.017+02:00

An Interview with Ian Leino

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any picture to enlargenize

I’d better get a move on with today’s introduction. No, it’s not because I’m in a particular hurry nor is it necessarily because of the letters the faithful have been sending me lately that can be, um, politely summarized as ‘for the love of humanity, will you just shut up and get on with it?’ (Okay, Mom, I get it! Don’t make me de-friend you!)

No, it’s mostly because if I don’t get it in gear our guest for today, the one and only Ian Leino, he will undoubtedly be releasing another 2 or 3 designs before I’m done!! And trust me, I’m checking back every few minutes as it is to make sure I’m as au jour as I can possible be (that means dressed from the waist up, right?).

Ian is what one could call a prolific artist and designer person. Now, I know I’ve said that about others that have graced these good e-pages – including colleagues in the same genre such as Chow Hon Lam, Jared Moraitis, John Sprengelmeyer and Nichole Lillian (shameless plugs, I love ‘em! Thank you, CostCo!) – but Ian is busy with a capital Oh Boy! If he’s not pushing his tee designs at Threadless or other fine retailers, then he’s busy helping judging others’ designs, all for good causes and valuable cash prizes! And if he’s not busy putting out another great newsletter (subscribe now!) about what’s he’s sending your way soon, then he’s carrying tons of packaged loot to the post office to mail away! And a lot of that may include the very generous give-away’s that he offers on a regular basis. Have you subscribed yet? Hello?

Let’s put it this way: in the vernacular of my ‘people’ (howdy y’all!), Ian simply ‘churns the stuff out’. And yes, to answer your next question, I have churned butter the old-fashioned way, so I know of what I speak. I’ve also milked goats, but I can’t provide any more details to that owing to the pending legal proceedings. So like I’ve been trying to say for much too long now, let’s get on with the interview and meet this talented fellow.

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Hi Ian, welcome! Let’s start off with a favorite standard: Can you tell us a little bit about Ian Leino please and how he became, quote, ‘a graphic designer and illustrator currently living in Asheville, NC who specializes in design for the entertainment and apparel industries?’
Thanks for the invite Ziggy! Me? Well, I'm just a nerdy guy in his early 30's who's equally at home in a fine art museum or the action figure aisle of the local toy store.

I graduated with a degree in fine art and computer science, and took a job doing graphics for a local news station. I'd never touched Photoshop before, but luckily there wasn't that much actual work to be done! So I used the rest of my time to go through every Photoshop tutorial that I could find online, and slowly taught myself how to use it.

From there I took a job at a film and video company, at first doing still graphics then eventually working up to motion graphics, compositing, and editing. At that point I also started doing freelance work on the side, and my enjoyment of music and entertainment drew me to those sorts of projects and clients.

I’d also be interested in knowing more about your life as – hang on, let me list all these – an amateur chef, a bassist, home-brewer, oh and also the bits about owning both a jeep and a pug. Are these in some way all done simultaneously or how does that work with your graphics business?

I love food and music, but have no real formal training in either. I'd like to think that if I weren't a designer I'd be a chef or musician – but in reality I'd probably be a computer programmer (which was my original college major).

Concerning the beer thing, two years ago I was introduced to home-brewing and found that it was a great way to be more involved with the process behind something that I truly enjoy. I find it really fun to experiment with new styles and recipes, and I've found that quite a number of my friends are incredibly appreciative of the end result.

The jeep has been invaluable in traversing the snowy mountain roads of the Appalachian mountain region of Western North Carolina in the winter! Oh and our pug Norman has the very important job of ensuring that I always know when the delivery guy is here by announcing his presence with an excited round of barking.

You have some really great works already out and about. What were your influences that helped you develop your style?
I still don't think I've developed a signature style, as I have too much fun trying on different looks for each project. I enjoy the challenge of finding the one look and/or style that I think best communicates the core message of the piece.

The great thing about being in this sort of work is that everything that I enjoy at any stage of life can become an influence - everything from Looney Tunes cartoons to video games to beer labels.

Ian, you are of course very well known in the world of custom tee-shirt design. In fact, when we started talking, you were listed as the ‘best seller’ on the TeeFury site. A few questions if you don’t mind about this aspect of your work:

First of all, your work appears on several different sites as you show in your ‘printed apparel’ listing. Why do you submit to so many sites? Or do they – as in the other sites – approach you once one site takes off with a design?

A lot of that stems from trying to find the right market for certain designs. For example, some of my best-sellers at TeeFury would never have been printed elsewhere, and some of my Threadless designs that have been reprinted multiple times might not have even registered on other sites.

But you’re right: having a design that really hits at one site is also a sure-fire way to get emails from lots of other sites, as everyone is looking for good artists and potential big-selling designs.

What do you think it takes to succeed with a design and get it printed?
Like with any form of artwork, strong ideas and refined artistic skills are incredibly important; but finding the right audience that really connects with your work is equally important.

Some of that comes from time that I’ve spent building relationships and investing in communities; and some of it is sheer dumb luck. Since I can't control luck, I tend to rotate my focus between the other three depending on my current mood – that is, refining ideas, practicing new art styles, or spending time connecting with communities.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve talked to some of your peers in the recent past and am just curious if the group of designers in this market is relatively close or is it more of a situation where you share mutual admiration for each other but not necessarily Christmas cards?

A huge percentage of the friends in my circle are people that I've met through various online design communities, most of whom do at least some work in t-shirt design. For my part, I'm terrible about forgetting to send cards of any sort, but yes, I did actually receive Christmas cards from several other artists this year!

I think the Internet has really changed the nature of communication and affected all of our relationships in the process. I have several online friends who I've only met once in my life (or never at all) that I talk with daily, while I may go weeks or months without seeing some of my good friends that live here in town.

To take this thought a step further: do you feel like you’re in competition with these other designers – even the ones you may ‘know’ well – or is it really focused on pushing yourself to come up with a great design?

I'd say on some level, all designers are in competition with each other but in a more positive way than that concept is generally perceived. I mean, without competition, the first caveman who grabbed a smoking ember from the fire and left a charcoal mark on a wall would be hailed as the greatest artist in human history; the creator of the wheel would have had the pinnacle of modern transportation forever; our concepts of art and communication and technology and beauty would never have advanced and society would be in pretty lousy shape.

I think we're all competing with ourselves, but it takes the work of others to show us how our own work measures up. A person on a desert island who makes a spear is pretty impressed with himself … until an aircraft carrier cruises by.

I’m also curious about your ‘available designs’ section. Are these designs that you feel strongly about that haven’t yet found an outlet or where do they fit in?
Exactly. After completing them, there are a number of designs I've created that I enjoy and that I think could work well as a t-shirt but I just haven't found the right home yet.

Also, when I'm contacted by companies looking for designs, it gives me a way to point them to one central repository of all of my currently available designs, rather than sending out PDFs that may soon be out of date as new designs are added and old ones are sold.

Continued in Part 2

Nothing Beats a Good Designer!

2011-07-08T18:17:00.024+02:00

An Interview with Ian Leino

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any picture to enlargenize

Ian, continuing on about some specific designs: I really got a kick out of your piece titled ‘Ironic Slogan’, which in good British seems to take the piss out of the tee-shirt design industry. Was that your intention and if so, were you aiming it at certain design trends or really just having fun with everyone’s’ work including your own?
That's precisely what I had in mind.

It seems like a dozen new online t-shirt shops are founded every day, and most of them are based on the same general formula. I thought then that by creating a design of the formula ITSELF that has been behind so many other designs I was doing a sort of tongue-in-cheek end-run around the entire industry. I enjoy humor in all forms, but have a special appreciation for meta humor like that.

If I had to choose, I’d probably say my own personal favorite design of yours is ‘I Wish I Were’ with the ‘devil’ making snow angels (I shouldn’t say this, but it really speaks to me!!). Can you please walk us through how a design like this comes to ‘be’ from concept to finish?
That design started out as an element of a larger design that was titled “A Cold Day in Hell”. I wanted to show a picturesque snow-covered scene in Hell with a number of rather cute and playful demons enjoying a variety of wintertime amusements from skiing to ice skating to snowball fights. After it was done though, the aspect of the design that people responded to the most was the one demon making a snow angel! So I decided to focus in on that one character to create a stronger impact.

I think we all like the opportunity to step outside of ourselves occasionally and try on different personas. Whether it's wearing a costume at Halloween or even dressing up for a fancy dinner - the way we see ourselves affects how we act. In re-working the character, I wanted to portray the idea of a dark and powerful creature taking a moment to act out of character and enjoy a bit of playing in the snow.

You’ve also done some exciting work for the ‘music industry’ including print projects, promotions, calendars (for both Black Eyed Peas and KISS – well, one out of two ain’t bad!) and more. How did you get ‘in’ to these outlets, which I would think would be really competitive and tough to achieve?

My work for the music industry was actually my first step into the world of free-lancing. I lived in Mobile, Alabama at the time and got some very small projects for Integrity Music, a Christian music label that was in town. I slowly worked my way up and eventually landed bigger projects with better budgets, and they remain one of my best clients.

Between client projects, I started working on tee-shirt designs for sites like Threadless; but before I was ever printed through any of those sites, I used those designs as a portfolio to apply for t-shirt design jobs that I found online. And actually "Ironic Slogan", that you mentioned earlier was what landed me a gig with a band merchandise company doing a couple of car-related designs for Kid Rock. That company was very happy with my work, and kept giving me more projects - mostly shirt designs but also magazine advertisements, calendars and other print jobs.

Also, you’ve even had a few shirt designs make it all the way to sales for The Beatles! Tell us a little how that project came to be?

Once I completed the Kid Rock designs, they tried me out on a few other bands like The Doors, Bob Seger and ZZ Top. After that they approached me about doing some retail designs for The Beatles. I was thrilled to have the opportunity, but intimidated by the sheer volume of Beatles designs that already existed!

After working through a number of concepts I eventually pitched them 2 designs, one of which was approved and eventually sold through The Beatles official store as well as a number or retail outlets.

In terms of your ‘non-Tee’ offers – again including promotions, branding and others – how do these differ to you from either a design approach or even end satisfaction perspective?

These other types of projects allow me to stretch different creative muscles, and keep me from becoming a one-trick pony.

To make a musical analogy - lots of musical artists create 'side' bands in a totally different style from their main band. They may still love their major creative outlet the most, but it's important to be able to create and express ideas that may not fit in with that mode. Print design, apparel, branding and the occasional web work all allow me to take a different approach to a creative challenge, but they offer the same sense of satisfaction when I feel I'm able to communicate the central message of the project - whatever the project is.

It seems that a one man ‘show’ as it were in the active design industry is a busy, perhaps even often laborious task, referring to one picture you posted of a HUGE pile of shipments to be made. How do you balance these ‘operational’ aspects vs. getting the time you look for to be designing, sketching or just in general using your creative talents?

It's a balancing act, for sure, and there are times that a huge workload on one side causes the other to slip a bit. When I have several client projects in the works, it may take me a few extra days to ship orders.

For the most part though, they're fairly complementary. My brain can only work on creative concepts for so many hours at a time, and I find that taking a little time to deal with some of the business side of things often gives me just the break I need to feel refreshed and ready to delve back in to design work.

Even when things start to pile up, I try to find ways of getting things done without bursting from overwork - maybe talking to clients while I'm driving to the post office or folding shirts at night while I watch a movie.

Looking ahead, in what direction would you like to see your business go in the coming moons? Is there a specific area in the design or illustration fields you’d like to get into or even do more work in?

I just finished up my first ever movie poster design and I'd love to get into more of that work! I'd also be interested in working directly with bands on album covers, posters or other projects.

As for long term goals, my sister is a costume designer in the theater, and I think it would be really interesting to collaborate together on creating a full apparel line one day.

Having said that: what’s next for Ian Leino?

Well, I've just released several more products through my shop, plus I'm really enjoying the big response my Facebook fan page has been receiving! Also, in the next weeks and months I have some designs coming out on at least three different websites.

I'm a big sci-fi fan, and I've donated over 50 of my popular "Serenity Sake" shirts and glasses to this year's "Can't Stop the Serenity" program, which shows screenings of "Serenity" all around the world, with all profits going to Equality Now and other charities.

In non-design news, I'm excited for summer so that we can finally put the top down as we drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway! Oh, and I’m definitely looking forward to an Italian vacation that my wife and I are planning for the early fall.

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Currently plying his trades from his wonderful surroundings of Asheville, NC (please visit today… and spend all your money while you’re there! My tax refund will be glad you did!), Ian Leino has received critical acclaim from far, wide and any other dimensions you might want to add. As an independent graphic artist, he’s worked with a broad range of regional and national clients as well as well-known brands, including famous bands, and much more. His work on a wide variety of projects is available for your viewing pleasure on his homepage and also via his social media links.

Ian is perhaps best known for his apparel designs that have created a fanatic following that awaits each new design with glee. Seriously, when he runs a freebie contest, his Facebook wall looks like the mosh pit at a Green Day concert (ha! I knew I could get a plug in for these pics!!). His different designs with often poignant or socially relevant themes have been picked up for production by a number of the most popular and competitive online sites including Threadless, TeeFury, DesignByHumans, Woot and many more. Check ‘em out today and also be sure to stop by his shop for out of print designs and other merchandising fun!

Links (ha, get it? Like sausage... never mind...)

Homepage
Shop (direct orders from artist)

Facebook ‘fan’ page
Twitter

Flickr gallery

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Ian Leino, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!

D is for Design - But It's No Trap!

2011-06-20T13:48:00.013+02:00

An Interview With Designer Brandon Peat

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any picture to enlargify

Brandon Peat always seems to be smiling. For example, looking for various images including a potential profile picture to use, I found him doing something fun or goofy like kneeling before Imperial Stormtroopers (‘these ARE the clever guys we’re looking for! Rebel scum...’) or smiling with friends or family. Heck, he even illustrates himself sporting a whimsical smile – as well as a killer beard and fluffy full head of hair (yes, I notice these things... more and more, sadly) – for his homepage or other self-promotional pictures.

And why shouldn’t he be smiling? Along with being a relatively new father (‘Three-Peat’!), Brandon is also having fun as a relatively new freelance graphic designer who is making in-roads in several areas. He’s got an exciting portfolio up to enjoy, he offers a wide range of skills and services, plus he has some ‘just for fun’ (+/-) projects going on with some pals that will keep him a mainstay of some of the more popular ‘cons’ for years to come!

You’ve probably heard of Brandon already without maybe quite knowing it. He – and his talented wife Emma – recently made a big splash on the Interweb scene with their ‘A is For Ackbar’ alphabet book designed for their son. Although not an official income-generating project by any stretch of the imagination, it certainly struck a cord with many folks who seem to drive a non-ending industry of Star Wars based memes and cross-over tee-shirt ideas. But having said that, it was / is obvious to us that Brandon’s talents go way beyond this ‘educational exercise’.

As such, we’re happy to present this young man’s work and stop and have a chat with him on his way ‘to the stars’... oops, we did it again, huh? Blast it, it must be a trap!! Aaarrgh... let’s force our way onward, OK? Groooaaannn...

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Welcome Brandon! Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on these days and your background please? What inspired you to become an artist-slash-designer?
Thanks Ziggy, good to be here!

As always, I’m working on a little bit of everything – a website design, a tattoo illustration, the GUI for an iPhone app, and of course updates to my own website and portfolio.

In terms of my background, I had always been interested in art, but it wasn’t until late high school that I decided to pursue a career in graphic design.

Design was the most interesting form of art, to me – you’re trying to make it aesthetically pleasing, yes, but you’re also trying to convey a certain message or work within a set medium. It’s art-based problem solving, which means it’s a far less subjective discipline than “fine” art. There are bad solutions, good solutions, and maybe even one best solution, which is a very appealing and motivating idea to me.

Jumping right into the Grade A, Parental Unit type questions: What prompted you to incorporate yourself as an independent ‘LLC’ agency and return to freelance work? You decided to do this relatively quickly after your experience as an Art Director and Interactive Developer at a local ad agency, didn’t you?
Yeah. I was hired a few months after graduating college at an ad agency in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I worked for them for two and a half years while doing a little freelance on the side from time to time.

I decided to go full-time freelance for several reasons. Greater creative freedom was definitely the driving motivator, as was greater upward mobility for both my career and salary. You see, I had been hired as a print designer, but during my tenure there I did a lot of on-the-job learning and moved into a multimedia designer/developer role – a far more valuable and marketable position. However, the agency didn’t seem to have long-term plans for a multimedia department and I didn’t foresee any opportunity for a raise or promotion. That was December 2009, when the American economy was at a pretty low ebb.

Conventional wisdom would seem to argue against quitting your job at such a time. But I perceived (correctly) that with the economic downturn, individuals and corporations would re-evaluate their established advertising and design strategies, and look to trim their budgets however possible. A poor economy is actually a great economy for freelancers, because we can operate at a much lower cost than larger agencies – a very attractive selling point for cash-strapped businesses.

So I went into business for myself on January 1st, 2010. I officially incorporated fairly quickly after that – though I hadn’t initially thought about doing so. The primary impetus was tax season. Self-employed individuals are required to file quarterly returns, so when I took my first freelance quarter income sheets to my accountant, we looked at my projected income/expenses for the year and he advised me to incorporate.

If you’re doing even halfway decent on income, incorporating as an LLC could save you several thousand dollars on your returns, plus you only have to file annually. I would definitely recommend that any self-employed individual meet with an accountant and see how best to hang onto your income!

I’m curious as well how you best promote yourself as a ‘jack of all trades’? Is there some trade-off in terms of being able to offer so many services vs. being seen as a ‘specialist’ in a given area?
That’s the stigma, yeah – the old adage is that “a jack of all trades is a master of none.” But I don’t think that holds true at all in the design world.

Graphic designers, by the nature of our job, have to be multitalented, able to work with different mediums, styles, and content. Our goal is to develop a unique look for each client, after all, so we don’t want to be good at just one thing. Every designer who went to college for print-based design is already skilled in a wide variety of disciplines such as layout, illustration, logo development, and photography. And though web and multimedia are different mediums, they operate on the same principles as any other area of design, and are in ever-increasing demand. In this day and age, a designer who doesn’t at least have some basic multimedia know-how risks being left behind.

As you mentioned, I do promote myself as a ‘one-stop shopping’ design destination. That’s because I have a very diverse skillset rivalling what you might find across a typical ad agency. I’m well-versed in traditional design disciplines such as illustration, logo and brand development, and print layout.
I also specialise in multimedia ventures such as website design and development, and even video/animation with such programs as Flash, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro. I am a skilled writer/proofreader and am completely comfortable meeting with clients or giving presentations, having been an award-winning member of my high school and college speech teams.

The reason I can successfully operate as a one-man operation is precisely because I do have such a wide skillset “in-house.” I don’t advertise a service that I don’t in turn specialise in.

When you have a client that may need more than your current skill-set allows you to offer, do you ‘shop out’ to other professionals in the area or within your networking base?
Absolutely, though this doesn’t happen often. Whenever possible, I will learn whatever is needed to win the work and make it shine.

This past Thanksgiving, your ‘career’ took a very special turn as you and your wife added ‘parenthood’ to your list of achievements! Congratulations! How has becoming a first-time father at least started to affect your creative process or work, if at all? Granted, I know the lad isn’t perhaps old enough to start using your pens to create wall murals (just wait!!), but still...
Since I work mostly from home, being a dad is both awesome and difficult. I love love love being around for so much of Tycho’s early development, helping to take care of him, etc., which is something that a lot of day-job dads can’t do.

On the flip side, that means I have to focus on my work with the distraction of a crying – or even worse, an adorably cooing baby – which can be very tough at times. You definitely get a lot more adept at multitasking and doing work with just one hand.

It was also during the ‘run up’ to Tycho Maximus’ birth (what a fantastic name!), that you and Emma developed together the project that has undoubtedly gained you the most exposure, namely, the ‘A is for Ackbar’ alphabet collection (fans, you MUST click on the image that starts Part 2 to see all the characters in their full fantastic glory)! Now I don’t wish to beat this well-documented project to death, but just humour me with a couple of questions, please:

I understand that you did the sketching for the project, with your talented artist wife doing the ‘conversion’ into Illustrator. How often have or do the two of you still collaborate on at least design projects together (noting that, yes, I understand the mechanics behind at least the parental collaboration bit...)?
Haha, yes. My wife, Emma, is also a graphic designer, and it’s great being married to someone in your discipline – they don’t just empathise with your stresses, but actually understand them. It’s also nice to have a knowledgeable expert under the same roof as a sounding board.

Of course, two opinionated artists won’t always see eye to eye, and we have very different design sensibilities. So there’s bound to be occasional head-butting. It’s also the reason Emma and I don’t directly collaborate together as much as we simply consult each other, like we did here as well on this ‘Cowboy Bebop’ picture.

We’ve discovered that art is the one thing we will argue about. In fact, we argued so much about how to execute the Ackbar project that it almost didn’t happen! But you learn how to overcome disagreements like that in marriage, or at least you should.

Continued in Part 2 ‘The Empire Strikes Brandon’...

No wait, that was Part V, wasn’t it? I never could follow that...

D is for Design - But It's No Trap!

2011-06-20T13:09:00.013+02:00

An Interview With Designer Brandon Peat

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any picture to enlargify

Brandon, looking some more at your widely covered ‘A is For Ackbar’ project, some folks have included all of these pics, from Ackbar to Zuckuss, on their own sites or even in their Flickr catalogues, etc.. Is that cool with you or do you feel like that’s going a bit too far? Oh and despite temptations, I’m not going to do quite that much ‘borrowing’...
It’s all good. Once you put something online, it’s out of your hands. I expected the images would wind up on other sites, and as long as they left the disclaimers stating where the illustrations came from, people can find their way back to my site.

The good thing is that with all the publicity, our authorship of the images is pretty well documented, and people won’t be able to pass these off as their own work. Still, there’s a reason we didn’t release the hi-resolution source files!

Getting back then to other, perhaps non-Star Wars related issues:

I really enjoy your portfolio of illustrations, very nicely done! Again though, you offer a variety of pieces created in very different styles. Is this something you try to do to show your range of skills? Or does your selection have to do more with personal preferences? For example, I’ve been comparing your more digital works like those above to your various ‘Rad People’ portraits.
I guess it’s a little of both.

Working in a variety of styles and mediums keeps it interesting for me, and I do feel that certain styles work best with certain subject matter.

Brandon, now that you are running your own agency as an official LLC 'entity', do you ever find yourself getting bogged down with ‘management’ issues? I mean, do you ever find the project planning or even financial aspects to be frustrating?
Oh, most definitely. I’m the sole breadwinner for our household, supporting my wife and son with my career. So I definitely take the business aspects seriously, but they can be very time-consuming.

I’ve found that I have to allow an average of 10 hours per week for administrative stuff. That includes invoices, estimates, client meetings or correspondence, portfolio or website updates, researching potential clients, printing and mailing art orders from my online store, and more – all stuff that I don’t get paid for but still needs to happen in a timely and regular manner.

Additionally, I can’t control when projects arrive on my desk – or, often, when they’re due. So I might have almost nothing to do one week, followed by a crazy week where all my clients have new jobs with fast turnarounds. You learn to make good use of the downtime to deal with the managerial stuff, so that when the work hits you have time to take care of it.

Flexibility is key – freelancing has actually prepared me pretty well for being a father!

Considering this, you’ve also mentioned that you are ‘gearing up’ for a big business push in 2011. What do you have on tap to see this through?
So far I’ve been largely targeting my local market in Fort Wayne, which has treated me well and given me a solid first year of business. This year I’m looking to expand into nearby markets such as Indianapolis, which has a lot of great design agencies I’d love to work with.

What about the ‘Rad Project Discount’? What are your targets with this promotion?
Yeah, that’s the other half of my new business push. Most of my work is with agency clients and in the multimedia realm, so I’m looking for smaller clients with creative print design needs. You know, folks like bands that need album design, authors needing book cover illustrations, etc. The fun and creative stuff!

Historically, I’ve usually given these sorts of project a cheaper rate anyway – I’m simply making it official. You can learn more about the discount on my website at

http://www.brandonpeat.com/me/raddiscount.html .

You once stated in your blog that ‘the difficult thing about being a graphic designer is that a lot of your work never sees the light of day’. How has dealing with either the rejection or even lack of even an opportunity to show your work changed – if at all – working freelance compared to the company environment?
In an agency environment, several designers are usually generating ideas for the same job. These ideas are reviewed and refined within the art department, then with the account executives, and finally presented as options to the client. In an ideal situation, that means the client is only seeing the best ideas. In practical application, it doesn’t always work that way. It can also be difficult not getting to communicate with clients directly, but having to present concepts through the AE’s.

Personally, I much prefer working one-on-one with a client. It simplifies the working method immensely. Now, rejections do seem much more personal in this sort of client relationship, but so is the praise for a job well done.

The reality is that graphic design is a principle based on rejection – rejecting bad ideas at every step of the process, hopefully resulting in the best final idea and product. It’s easy to get an ego when you feel you’re on a hot streak, but it just takes one client to bring that all crashing down. Learning to deal with disappointment is a crucial skill for any designer, agency-employed or no.

Now, I’m going to put you on the spot: you’ve worked on some obviously fantastic illustrations, as well as logo and brand development, print layout, and multimedia projects, just to name a few. But if you had to choose, RIGHT NOW, one area you’d like to focus on, say, after you’ve just won the Megabucks lottery: which one would it be and why?
Ooh, good question.

I love the multimedia stuff and it definitely pays the bills, but I’d have to say that my first love is definitely illustration and print design. If money wasn’t a concern, I would totally be an eclectic illustrator.

Finally, looking at your current ‘to do’ list :

What’s the current status on your ‘War of Eternity’ project that you are – or at least were – working on with Christopher Arndt?
The War of Eternity is a sci-fi/fantasy universe that Chris and I have been working on for a very long time. We self-published the first novel in our series, which we were very proud of, but gradually realised that it wasn’t going to take the story in the most compelling direction for future instalments.

So the project is currently on hold as we further brainstorm the overall concept and storyline. It’s definitely happening, but it’s a back-burner project to our respective careers and lives.

Is that the same as ‘Black Rose’? Or is this another ‘not really fantasy but kind of, yeah’ project you’ve got going on?
Yeah, Black Rose is another reason that Eternity is on hold!

Black Rose is an independently-published comic book series. It depicts a fantasy world entering an industrial revolution, a world facing war between the magic-using nation of Ishtakar and the steampunk country of Athelica. The series follows a brother and sister through the tumultuous evolution of their world.

Though technically a fantasy story, Black Rose is not a high fantasy – there are no elves or dwarves here. Our goal is gritty realism and believability. To use some famous examples, it mixes the rich world-building of high fantasy such as Lord of the Rings (ooh, great segue to show Brandon’s illustration of JRR.Tolkien below!) with modern, character-driven storytelling like that of Battlestar Galactica.

The amazing art for Black Rose is done by our good friend Aaron Minier, who brought Chris and me onto the project to co-create and write. Chris is the primary writer, while I do the editing, lettering, and all the print and web design. The comic will really be shifting into high gear over the next couple of years and we’re very excited about where it’s heading.

You can learn more about the project and purchase issues and art direct from us at

http://www.blackrosecomic.com

or even via our Facebook fan page!

And finally finally (or ‘Finally: The Final Chapter’), where would you like to see your business or especially your art heading in the near and/or distant future?
You know, I’m very happy with where I am right now, both career-wise and artistically. I’ve always been very critical of my work, and feel like I’m only just now getting good at the subtle nuances of design.

I was recently offered a full-time in-house design position at a software company and went through several phone interviews with their staff. They asked me what my dream position would be, and I found myself having to think fast, because in truth I already had it. I politely declined the position.

The one thing I want to avoid is complacency. I always want to learn new skills, I always want to improve my work, I always want to meet new clients. I’m incredibly lucky to be able to do this for a living, let alone work from home, and I hope I can keep doing it for a very long time in the future.

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After two and a half years as an Art Director and Interactive Developer for a prominent Fort Wayne ad agency, Brandon Peat did the craziest thing you can think of in an economic downturn and decided to quit his job! However, this allowed him to return to his roots as a freelance designer eventually incorporating himself as an LLC. He already has an impressive client list and range of awards to his credit, not to mention that he’s a regular at comic ‘cons’ to plug at very least his on-going collaborative work with the title ‘Black Rose’!

Brandon brings a wide range of skills plus several years of on-the-job industry experience to the table, as well as knowledge of new and emerging technologies. Among his myriad of talents, he specialises in illustrative design and interactive Flash development, though he has experience in just about every imaginable area of design, enjoying being able to bounce between them as the job requires.

Please check out Brandon and his work at the following links, or drop him a line at brandonpeat@gmail.com. He’d love to hear from you and - if he’s not currently busy changing a diaper - have a chat!

Links

Home
Blog
Store

‘Black Rose’

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Brandon Peat, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!

A Long Way From That Shy and Anxious Kid

2011-06-03T10:17:00.015+02:00

An Interview With Artist Lianne Booton

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any picture to zoomify

I find myself empathising a great deal with Lianne Booton. True, we both live a rather long ways away from where we ‘grew up’ (ha!). And yes, we both can share rousing tales of the joys of being ‘legal aliens’ in countries that claim to have First World policies about same (do it by the book, huh? Please...). Plus, I also have to admit that I take an equally nuclear bomb throwing attitude about insect infestations in my home! But alas, I must stay calm and remember my spiritual upbringing! Yes, that latter odd saying will have meaning if you keep reading...

A lot of why I feel a bond with Lianne has to do with the fact that she – in her own words – sees her ‘artwork as a romp down a country lane; on one side are fields filled with horses, badgers, and small animals getting along fabulously. On the other side are disembodied heads and a palette comprised of colours that look suspiciously like bodily fluids.’ In her case, this is an apt metaphorical description of her artwork and imaginative expression (in mine, it is a good literal description... well, the bits with the bits that is). Lianne also confesses that her ‘favourite things in life are music, soft animals, and the look of terror on someone's face when (she) shows them a piece of artwork’ she’s just finished. Granted not your every day target in the world of freelance; but again, I recognise the screaming if not the resulting eventual satisfaction of a job very well done!

And finally, it is with a sincere giggle and a respectful guffaw to read about how one art ‘community’ bulletin described her work as being ‘the kind of things that if they were on a school folder they would land (her) in counselling.’ And they did, too. So, dear readers, if you are ANYTHING like me, you’re thinking now: wow, this is somehow I’d like to get to know better, maybe even let her baby-sit the kids!! With that in mind then, join me in another enjoyable journey down New Zealand way to meet this unique and talented artist:

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Hello Lianne, welcome! What are you working on these days?
Greetings, and thank you for the invitation! I have my coffee and sandwich, I'm most definitely prepared...

Let's see, currently I'm working my little freelance gig of producing magazine covers for Craccum, which is Auckland University's student magazine. I'm also working on a comic for a collaboration with a buddy in Canada. The comic revolves around the adventures of a pickled onion that escapes a jar at a supermarket and has an existential crisis, it's a pretty deep plot for something I came up with at 4 a.m. over a gaming session and not sleeping for 36 hours.

Other than that, I have a lot of friend's birthdays coming up, which may or may not be related to some really awesome paintings I'm working on!

Can you tell us a little bit about your background please and what inspired you to become an artist?
I'm originally from Birmingham, UK, but I consider myself a New Zealander. I moved when I was 19 in a rather undignified rebellion that left me disowned from my family for a while, but then I overcame my disease of being a teenager and it's all better now.

In terms of my art ‘career’, I've considered myself as a freelance artist for around 8 or so years now but I had always kept myself to working for a small circle of people. It's only now that I've decided to put myself out to the world, so you've caught me on the start of my real journey as an artist, and it's been pretty exciting so far.

As far as I know I was always an aspiring artist, I had books I had drawn in at age 2, just little doodles of helicopters and robots and things, but the desire has always been there. Being a creative sort doesn't run in my family, but both me and my brother ended up with that spark; he's a musician though. Other than that, I'm a computer geek who loves gaming, 8-bit music, and t-shirts with witty slogans.

Some people would say I have qualities similar to a dog, but they're not really on about my loyalty and devotion, they're on about the amount of hair I shed everywhere.

You mention that you are a ‘self-taught artist’. I love to ask the artists that say this what that means for them personally as everyone seems to have their own unique ‘flavour’ for this description!
Ah, well this will probably be a depressing answer, but here goes: I grew up in a very poor area of the UK, so wanting to be an artist is not something people generally did. For a lot of kids they were lucky if they actually got as far as college; most just left school at 16 and went to work in the first terrible job they could get.

I never wanted that for myself but I thought it went against everything my parents wanted for me. So I just kept my head down at school and did my work, and kept art as a very personal thing. Back then I never really thought about being a professional artist because I had absolutely zero confidence in my ability. I felt somehow that I would be a disappointment, so I never showed anyone my drawings and I never fully participated in art classes because I was too anxious.

When I was 14 my family got their first dial-up modem and I was introduced to the Internet, which was still a very nerdy thing to use back then. I spent a lot of time in IRC (ZN: = ‘Internet relay chat’... I had to look it up [yes, because I’m too old]!) and over time began showing people my crude but detailed MS Paint drawings. Then my dad picked up a copy of Photoshop 4 and an entirely new world opened up to me. I used the Internet to find tutorials (which were difficult to come by back then) and taught myself how to digitally paint.

From there I realised I had a huge amount of knowledge at my fingertips and just started teaching myself new skills. By age 16 I had taught myself HTML, CSS, 3D modelling, Flash animation, digital painting, how to compose music, and some basic programming skills. I still envy the motivation and drive I had back then where I would happily shut myself away and be constantly working on little projects like games or animations. But I recognise I was a kid and all those projects were probably terrible. Still, luckily my desire to learn has remained: I like the sense of achievement it brings! For example, I'm currently teaching myself Python, and have been learning about 3D sculpting.

And while we’re on the subject of teachin’ and learnin’ and ‘stuff’, how in the name of the Great Gatsby did you manage to fail art?
Well, I'm sure this will resonate with a lot of younger artists out there, but I went through an anime phase. Unfortunately, it was whilst I was in college and I did the whole silly rant about how it should be perfectly acceptable to draw half cyborg catgirls for art presentations! It's deeply embarrassing now and I am glad I eventually dug myself out of that hole.

Another part of my lack of success in art is owing to the fact that when I wasn't drawing half-cyborg catgirls, I was making really disturbing things for my projects. I remember studying Francis Bacon and making a pop-up book of grotesque animal torture for an end-of-year presentation. I think I actually got sent to a counselling session for that. Despite all that nonsense I don't really regret failing art or not going to art school or getting a degree.

I did actually apply for art school and was offered a position, but when I went to the interview I was asked whether I enjoyed lino printing... HOWEVER, I hated lino printing with a passion! I told the interviewer that, to which he responded I would have to "pretend to like it or get out". To me that spoke volumes about what I was in for if I ended up going there... so I walked out.

Once I finished college, I didn't know what I wanted to do and hastily applied for a position in a 'film technology & script writing' degree. I was there for about six months but wasn't eligible for a student loan or help with fees, so I had to drop out. That's when I decided to travel and came to New Zealand for a few months where I absolutely fell in love with the country. I eventually returned back to the UK but knew I wasn't going to stay there much longer.

Looking back, I do think that the kind of artist someone is at a school age and the kind of artist they become in adulthood is vastly different: you kind of need all these assorted little life experiences to shape you. I would consider going back to school in the future, but not because I feel a degree is going to help me in any way. It'd be more to fill in little gaps in my art knowledge.

Lianne, you seem to be a well-journeyed person (gosh, I hope that isn’t an insult in any of the English ‘dialects’ you’ve learned over the years). How do you think your sojourns through a good deal of the English (+/-) speaking nations of the Earth have affected you most, including as a person and as an artist?
My travels have pretty much shaped who I am entirely, even more than going to art school or getting a degree could ever have.

I grew up in a Buddhist household – which is always something that makes people laugh if their perception of me is my on-line persona only! I view my travels as a decade-long journey of growth. I've uprooted so many times that I don't really have any material possessions to my name; in fact, right now all I have is the contents of a small suitcase, a hard drive with all my art on it, and some art supplies that I've had for years. It's a pretty liberating feeling to just go wherever you feel you need to go and kind of stay off the grid and observe the world.

My reasons for moving were always depression, since unlike a lot of artists I simply can't produce anything when I'm depressed. My art has never been a reflection of who I am as a person, so depression just muddies the whole process. So I'd run away and try and find my inspiration again, and there would always be a hard lesson to learn along the way. When I moved to New Zealand it taught me about making dreams a reality. Moving to Australia taught me about independence and trust, and moving to Canada taught me about confidence and acceptance.

I came back to New Zealand feeling like I was whole, and ready to settle down and focus on my artwork and make a career out of it. As an artist the experience has allowed me to break down a lot of mental filters that can shape your pieces. I try not to worry too much about what's socially acceptable and I don't neuter my ideas as much anymore. It no longer really bothers me too much if people look at my artwork and think I'm a bit mental. I'm not going to waste my time censoring myself online to the point that I sound like background noise.

You’ve lived in Auckland, New Zealand since 2002. What is the art scene like there?
I'm starting to learn the art scene is not as small as I initially thought. It does feel like a very hidden world though, but there are a lot of things in New Zealand that feel like well-kept secrets. The reason I actually left NZ before was because I just felt there was no opportunity here for me, but I've adjusted my position on that now. I do think Auckland needs more galleries catering to emerging artists and people who don't really fit the traditional mould of landscape/nature artists, which this area is big on.

In comparison, I never really experienced the art scene over in the UK; however, when I was over in Vancouver, I was blown away at the art community there. One of the most amazing moments for me was sitting in a high rise with a collective of artists, graphic designers, architects, and advertisers, and having a 'drawing club'. We'd have a theme for the evening and pull a random subject out of a hat and we all had to draw whatever we got. And in that particular moment, it wasn't about how well people could draw, it was just that air of creativity permeating the room. It was inspirational.

I'd actually love to see some similar get-togethers in Auckland, where people can just leave their egos and anxieties at the door and have some childlike fun creating silly things.

After you returned to New Zealand late last year that you apparently realised that you wanted to pursue being an artist seriously, rather than, quote, ‘just drawing silly pictures for my friends’. What happened then? Did some sort of epiphany occur or perhaps even a mystical light appear?
Ha ha, that's pretty accurate actually! I was in Canada for two years and there were times where my mental strength was really tested. I had to think about what sort of person I was compared to how others saw me.

I went there very stupidly at the start of the recession and watched people's careers falling apart. Vancouver has a huge artist community but it was very difficult meeting students who were just realising their design degrees were not going to be helping them anytime soon. As I said before, when I was in Vancouver, I met some amazing folks, from advertisers, to professional artists, and so many more. I then realised I couldn't live my life stuck in my own head with my insecurities any more.

Soon, I couldn't afford living in Vancouver anymore and moved out to a tiny little town called Osoyoos, which is out in what is known as 'Canada's only desert' (ZN: why not visit the nearby ‘Anarchist Protected Area’ today? I kid you not...). When I was out there I didn't have access to the Internet for a few months, and when you're living out in the middle of a desert you have a lot of time to reassess what's going on in your life. You stand out in the middle of fields and mountains and you realise that creativity is the essence of life. It's something that we should be sharing with the world, not hiding away in closely guarded sketchbooks.

Continued in Part 2

A Long Way From That Shy and Anxious Kid

2011-06-03T09:36:00.020+02:00

An Interview With Artist Lianne Booton

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any picture to zoomify

Lianne, in Part 1 during my rousing and chair-gripping introduction (acknowledging that most people are thinking ‘must escape, must log off’ when I go on like that), we talked about some of the interesting descriptions that have accompanied your work and portfolio so far. Based on these inputs, my first question then to these is simply: ‘why?’ Are you intentionally going for a kind of shock effect or is that just an expression of how your imagination rolls?
The country lane metaphor that you quoted is exactly how I see my creation process. I don't ever try and hide the fact that I do draw some pretty weird things alongside relatively benign pictures, but it's important to note that those images aren't a reflection of my mental state. Hence describing it as a neutral road winding through what is just harmless scenery at the end of the day is perfect! You look at it and you say 'oh that's nice' or 'why does this exist' and that's it.

I do have a very dark sense of humour though, so I wouldn't be surprised if it sounds like a shock tactic. To me though it sounds a lot more calming than describing my creative process as drowning in an endless ocean of haunting visages! On the other points though, well, the counselling thing actually happened... and I think a good friend of mine put it best when she said "Lianne, we all know your concept of cute".

I really do enjoy watching the facial expressions of my friends when I show them the stuff I make. For example, I was recently sitting in a local park drawing with someone and the topic of Dungeons & Dragons came up, particularly the really ridiculous monsters. I decided I wanted to make up a really ludicrous D&D monster and hid behind my sketchbook scribbling away. I drew a half-scorpion, half-elderly lady holding a bowl and spoon and labelled it the "Puddingiver" and gave it a back-story. I'd rank those kind of confused stares I get as being just as awesome as baby laughter is to parents.

How did your fascination with ‘slightly demented’ and ‘quirky and unsettling pieces’ arise?
I fully place the blame on this onto British Comedy. I absolutely love some of the old abstract humour. A lot of my friends know I have always had an unbearably sad crush on Vic Reeves who is a very bizarre artist and talented comedian. I grew up watching shows like ‘Big Night Out’ and ‘Shooting Stars’ which has some really weird artwork and puppets (my favourite being a commander with a giant boiled egg for a head and a very long tongue for *ahem* impressing the ladies).

Aside from that I really enjoy outsider art/art brut. I also like the works of Henry Darger, Louis Wain, and H.R.Giger. Other than art influences, I enjoy bizarre movies, where of course David Lynch gets a mention! There's something wonderful about seeing artwork that's untamed and ignores all our perceptions and expectations. I think in broader terms, I just enjoy people who simply don't care what everyone else thinks, no matter what area of life it shows up in! It's a very attractive quality in my eyes.

Having said all that, do you think that you have developed your own definitive style (singular) yet? You know, something that alerts everyone that, yes, here is indeed another bona fide Lianne Booton piece to enjoy?
This is something I'm still figuring out for myself. Unfortunately, I realised that those half-cyborg cat-girls do a real number on forming a style. I do think I'm getting there though. My picture "Don't Worry" – shown here – is what I would consider close to ‘my style’. Having said that, I'm still young and I don't foresee giving up art anytime soon unless I get into a tragic combine harvester accident and lose both hands! So I have a long time to develop and refine my style.

I can tell my artwork is still maturing though because there are huge leaps every year, even for me looking at it month-to-month, in terms of my skill and techniques. I have no idea really where my art will be at next year in terms of whether I’ll have a new found love for painting or get into speed painting landscapes, or go back to those marvellous doe-eyed cyborgs (just kidding).

Speaking of recognisable styles, do you even want to accomplish that?
Definitely! I don't think it's as important nowadays to establish your own style though. You're competing with so many other talented people that's it's impossible to not run across something similar.

For example, I use Facebook to network with artists mainly, and it's definitely shown me that nobody is as unique as they think. The most common style I see are people who are very obviously inspired by Mark Ryden! And I was, too, until I saw how many people were doing it.

How are you promoting your work? You’ve just opened a very nice-looking new website and are listed among others in the Pink Noise directory; however, it also seems you’ve tried perhaps with less success in the past with sites like Flickr or even your own blog?
I'm still in the process of learning about self-promotion but I can imagine things like interviews help quite a bit!

In addition, Pink Noise is a very important platform for me. I was directed to Pink Noise by a friend, and in turn Pink Noise directed me to a very good blog that laid out exactly how to go about marketing yourself online. From here I realised I needed a website to start with so I quickly got that sorted out. I also have a Facebook fan page which I regularly update with art and my adventures. Aside from that I have profiles on a fairly large number of art-sites like Redbubble, Artst, Society6, Behance, Everycreative, and the NZ-based creative community forum, Big Idea.

I'm also experimenting with things like advertising through Project Wonderful and also being a bit more vocal on art communities to spread word about my work. In comparison, back when I first started my blog on Tumblr, I found it to be really draining; I just felt completely detached from any sense of community. I am in the process of setting my Tumblr back up again though because I think it would be neat to keep a small record of my progress and look back on it in a year.

In general, I've shied away from blog sites because I was raised on the version of the Internet where privacy was number one and you didn't just go throwing personal information everywhere. It’s just I find that I still get very self conscious about what I write and I keep most of my ramblings to Facebook nowadays. Oh and Flickr only ever really served one purpose to me, namely, it was a place to post images before I had a website and didn't want Facebook cropping images and doing strange things to the colours. I've never explored the groups or community aspect of it, but maybe that can be my mini-project for the day.

I was interested as well to see that among your ‘digital’ methods that you employ Flash as one of your creative tools. Why Flash?
Flash has been like an old friend to me. I used it quite extensively when it was fairly new software and it was only used for monkey-punching banner ads. People said it would never be used for drawing, but I used to draw painstakingly detailed pictures in it.

However, I also used to draw with a laptop touchpad, so you can see I don't always have the brightest ideas. I only really use Flash now for pictures where I need ultra-smooth lines quickly and don't feel like yelling at Illustrator for ruining my day. I think Flash does cop a lot of flak though and it has come a long way as a drawing and animation tool.

How about your more traditional methods, including inks, watercolours, acrylics and more? Do you have a given technique that you prefer or is it merely a matter of choosing the instrument depending on the inspiration?
It's usually just whatever inspires me. I do have the tendency to have several sketch versions of pictures in different mediums so that I can choose what I think would look best. I think I definitely enjoy ink the most though, mostly because I have shaky hands and it gives me the thrill of living dangerously and not knowing if I'm half a second from tipping ink all over the picture.

I did very much enjoy the pieces you composed where you inked in images over the top of a randomly watercolour painted pattern. You mention that these were done as 'warming up' illustrations. What does that entail exactly?
I love those pictures, even though they have very undignified beginnings. ‘Don't Worry’ started out as a silly joke between me and a friend when we were up late one night mucking about on an online whiteboard. I can't exactly remember the original image but I think it involved the fairy being on a skateboard doing a flip off the nose of a huge crying head. Somehow I thought it would make a neat sketch and promised I would do a proper version. That and the crow painting were done on the same day even!

But these were the first paintings I had done in ten years! I really didn't know what I was doing and made it all up as I went along. I guess I was just warming up the brain to see what I remembered about painting. Usually for other pieces I'll do composition sketches and a lot of versions of the same drawing with different poses or faces etc. I'm fairly thorough even for relatively simple pictures.

You mention that you also enjoy writing, costume-making and creating custom-stuffed toys, having also learned how to crochet on your own. Have any of these other creative outlets yet found their way into public consumption or are these more hobbies to help balance out your creative and professional work?
Writing was my 'thing' when I was too shy about my artwork. In fact, I've been working on a book since I was 18! I have binders full of concept art, back-stories, world history, moral codes, and some pretty in-depth research to make sure all the contraptions in the story could theoretically work. It's a huge project and there was a few years where my entire time was consumed by it, but I don't feel I'm ready to write it yet.

The story is as fresh in my mind as it was when I conceived the idea, but I will need to focus on writing short stories for a couple of years before I'm confident that I can do it justice. I did write game and movie reviews a long time ago and have a published poem, so it's a hobby I've been happy to show the world. I've actually always felt I am a much stronger writer than artist, but I'm very much out of practice.

As for my other creative pursuits, unfortunately I don't own a sewing machine so my stuffed toys and clothes making remain a personal thing only. If someone wanted a custom toy though I would happily oblige of course! I did make a stuffed roadkill hedgehog for someone's Christmas present though, which was very... er... cute :) ! I really would love to sell custom-made stuffed toys though and would probably focus on that entirely if I could.

The one hobby I am extremely guarded about is music. I never allow anyone to listen to songs I make, I won't even mess around with music software if there's other people in the house. I can also play a few instruments and sing, but barely anybody knows that side of me.

For your toy creations, I understand you’re trying to incorporate recycled materials?
Yep, aside from any wool I use the toys I make are constructed 100% from old unwearable clothes, or other scraps of fabric that no longer serve a purpose. It's actually pretty fun making the toys when you don't know what textures you're going to end up having to use. I also don't use patterns so each one is unique. I produce some concept sketches and figure out the rough size of the components and in which order to attach things. Luckily I've lived my whole life 'making things up as I go along' so I'm pretty good at it now!

Looking at the piece you donated for the Christchurch Earthquake relief auction by Pink Noise: for those of us not completely in-the-know about NZonian current events, can you describe what you were trying to capture with your piece ‘Gerry Brownlee Riding a Pie’?
I don't think I was really trying to make much of a statement. I wanted to help out but I didn't have anything to donate, so I had a think about the Kiwi mindset and how they're always up for a good giggle.

Novelty items always seem to go down well on TradeMe and there was the potential of getting media attention for the appeal if it was ridiculous enough. Me and Katie of Pink Noise concocted a lot of ways to get it noticed through Twitter and emailing politicians etc. Unfortunately, we were upstaged by a giant rock that sold for NZ$60,000, which is fair enough!

Finally, where would you like to see your art heading in the near and/or distant future? Do you have any special plans on the horizon?
Well, right now I'm in the phase where everything is a new step for me. It's quite exciting really.

There's a few very interesting exhibition ideas in the pipeline with Pink Noise, where there's been talk of a sort of bleak and crazy puppet show which we're aiming to do around Christmas time. As mentioned, I'm going to be doing some work on a collaboration comic, which is a fun new thing for me since it's unfamiliar territory. When I decided to make a comic I was under the assumption that having writing and drawing skills would make most of the work easy... but I was wrong! It's actually very, very challenging and gruelling.

As for what I see for the next year: well, metaphorically speaking I'm a small sapling in a huge forest of trees with well-established roots. I'm going to be spending a lot of time figuring out how to follow their lead. A year ago I didn't expect to be successfully pursuing an artistic career. So, hopefully a year from now I will be pleasantly surprised at how far I've come from that shy and anxious kid I used to be.

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Lianne Booton is a freelance illustrator originally hailing from Birmingham, UK where she managed to eventually overcome the debilitating disease known often as being a teenager. She currently lives in New Zealand, where she lived both before and after spending a couple of years living in Canada.

Lianne tells us that when she’s not drawing, she’s quite often thinking about things she SHOULD be drawing. She unabashedly admits that she sees her artwork as a romp down a peacefully meandering country lane. Only this country lane is one of those that has on one side fields filled with horses, badgers, and small animals getting along fabulously; however, on the other side are disembodied heads and a palette comprised of colours that look suspiciously like bodily fluids. Sounds like New Jersey to me, but let’s not quibble.

Lianne has also stated that she is quite proud of the fact that she has never (?) been compelled to draw ferns or a tui coquettishly perched on a branch. According to Wikipedia, apparently The Tui (with a capital ‘T’ and NOT pictured here) is an endemic passerine bird of New Zealand and is apparently one of the largest members of the diverse honeyeater family. However, since we learned long ago not to create definitions with words we do not understipify or fully comprehindsight, we’ll leave it at that. We also do not know why (a) Wikipedia wants us to notice the pollen on the heads of said birds nor (b) why they should be associated with a coquette, or ‘woman who makes teasing sexual or romantic overtures; a flirt’... but hey, by now, even we’ve stopped reading.

Just check out the following, okay?

Links
Website
Blog

Directory listings (examples, see other links in article)
‘Pink Noise’
‘Behance’
‘redbubble’
‘Humble Voice’
‘Society6’
‘carbonmade’

Facebook Fan Page

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Lianne Booton, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly. The characters and images associated with ‘Brutemus & friends’ is copyrighted and trademarked by Chelsea Navarro.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!

Monsters and Whales and Bears, Oh My!

2011-05-16T13:46:00.012+02:00

An interview with Amanda Lee James

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any picture to giganticate

Amanda Lee James – where I’ve added ‘Lee’ because Amanda James is apparently a fairly common name – is a young lady – noting she is indeed a lady despite what you might think from a first glance of her artwork (stop giving her a complex!) – that in her own words ‘loves to draw, loves to print and enjoys fine lines and seventies-inspired colours’. Her often meticulously textured designs capture many of the amazing creatures both found on land and in the sea – or perhaps ‘just’ in our imaginations as well.

My impression of a lot of Amanda’s work is that she takes a great big fuzzy ball of shag carpet and twists it around in amazing ways to give a great big bear or other distant mammalian cousin! Her illustrations can appear to be candies combined together (even literally as you’ll see) that leaves one with the impression of floating along underwater in a classic Jacques Cousteau documentary! And who knows: maybe you’ll insist – as my son did AGAIN during the read-out check of this article – that she uses gummy worms to make her stories come to life!! Whatever you believe, you MUST make a bee-line to her site to check out ALL of these prints in large size to do them full justice!

Key is that this Portland-based (for now) artist also compliments her sublime skills and obvious talents with her uniquely deft touch as a print-maker! Now that’s definitely something you don’t see very much of these days! Ziggy Nixon is pleased to have caught up with Amanda shortly before she heads off on the next exciting stage of her personal and artistic journey!

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Hi Amanda, welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about how you became interested in illustration please?
I’ve always been interested in illustration in some form. I wanted to be an animator as soon as I was old enough to know that it was indeed people that created and drew my favourite cartoons. I also wanted to illustrate the back of cereal boxes and draw pictures for books. I’d always be trying to come up with my own little characters and making flip books and that kind of thing.

I first got serious about it when I went to college for art. I feel like it really pushed me to think about art making in a serious way. But about midway through my education, I realised that telling a simple story was more important to me than making some kind of giant political or social statement like many of my peers were into. That’s when I first began identifying with being an “illustrator”.

Later, when I got into printmaking, my interest in narrative grew even stronger because it’s naturally such a graphic medium.

Maybe it just has to do with my exposure to the artform, but ‘printmaking’ seems to be a pretty rarely practiced craft these days. How did your work in this application come about?
I didn’t know what printmaking was until I stepped into my ‘Intro to Relief’ class during the end of my second year of undergraduate school. But I quickly found out that it was a very natural fit for me!

I love making tiny marks and I love repetitive tasks. All of the process that is involved in making images-in-multiples reminded me of drawing different frames in animation. I also loved how tactile the medium was. I liked that every colour had to be done separately and applied in layers.

I think that in a world of iPhones, electronic readers and the Internet, touching paper and applying every colour individually by hand can be really refreshing. I’m also incredibly drawn to printmaking because of it’s such a social art form. I get to go to the studio every day and hang out with a bunch of fun people and make beautiful things! I’ve never felt that kind of camaraderie using other art forms.

If I understand correctly, your work is all done by hand and then you typically produce the final products by silk-screen. Do you also work with computer aided tools at all – even for assistance – or do you prefer the more ‘organic’ approach of pen and/or squeegee on paper?
All of my drawings are done purely by hand. I even use books for my reference material, rather than conduct a Google image search. This is simply because I enjoy the tangibility of flipping through the pages of books.

In the printing process, I do use a copy machine to resize some of my images. I like the ability to see my drawings in a variety of sizes and use blown up pieces for patterned backgrounds. That is the only “technology” that I use while making my prints. I try to keep it as purely handmade as possible.

Speaking of silk-screen, noting my own experiences in the past may have scarred me somewhat, but my recollection is that this can be a difficult process to master. This is true not only in terms of getting colour onto your final material but also in translating your designs onto/into the screens themselves. I would think then that with the amount of finely textured and exquisite detail in your works that this could especially be the case. Do you have to deal with issues like this or has it been a pretty successful tool so far?
I have had a fairly smooth experience with screen-printing.

In the beginning there was quite a bit of experimenting. It was hard to find the right screen mesh count to produce highly detailed images while still letting enough ink through to get a solid line. I also struggled with finding a copy machine that would consistently have enough toner to get the image to transfer correctly.

Despite those factors, I think that it performs better than any other medium for my images in its ability to hold crisp detail and print bright colours.

Is silk-screen a costly approach to reproduce your limited prints or is that manageable?
Silk-screen has been perfectly manageable for my prints. I can reuse the same screens over and over again so in large part my only costs are paper and inks. At this point it’s more affordable for me than going digital.

I also love using this medium because it doesn’t produce as much waste as etching or relief and I can use less toxic water-based inks.

I found the following statement very interesting: ‘The beauty of repetition is something I’ve constantly been intrigued by.’ Why do you think that you are so attracted to repetitive and such finely defined patterns?
It’s hard to say. As far as making repetitive patterned works, I think that I have a bit of an obsessive personality. I find repetition to be extremely comforting and meditative.

I’ve always absent-mindedly doodled little patterns. So in this body of work I’m learning to control the doodles and build up form from them. As far as repetitive detail as an aesthetic, it’s just something that has always drawn my eye.

In the same section on your home website, you said ‘... I started to question if something conventionally ugly could become beautiful if it were repeated and patterned.’ What is your conclusion so far to this ‘theory’? Do you ever have a piece where you just have to kind of break away and say ‘no, that’s not working’?
I typically always try to finish any drawing that I start because I don’t usually like them until they are completely finished. So it’s really hard to tell what’s working or not early on.

Still, like anyone I have a lot of drawings that end up “not working” and I typically just don’t end up turning them into prints. But pieces of them can become useful as backgrounds for more successful drawings. To answer your question, so far the theory has held pretty true as far as directly repeating a small and simple pattern.

Lately, I have been experimenting with random clusters of small patterns to make a bigger irregular tessellation of sorts. A lot of these haven’t been as successful but I’m still working on it.

I’m also wondering if you have an affinity for other materials that have perhaps influenced your style, ranging even from ‘classical’ wallpaper patterns or even yarn?
I’m pretty sure I have an affinity towards almost every material. I love the look and feel of different textures and objects. I like that the same shapes can look completely different depending on their materials.

The yarn-like textures I use remind me more of worms – but I suppose yarn kind of looks like colourful worms anyway. And yes, I have a strong love for classical wallpaper.

As one reviewer phrased it, your work is ‘meticulously textured’ and to me there certainly does NOT appear to be any evidence of you taking ‘short-cuts’. With that in mind, how long does it take you to create a piece? Does the amount of attention it takes just exhaust you sometimes?
A drawing will take me anywhere from 12 to 60 hours depending on the scale and how detailed it is. Sometimes – especially if I am working towards a deadline – this can be a bit exhausting but typically I find it very enjoyable.

To manage everything, I try to break the drawing up. If I feel that I am starting to get burnt out on a drawing, I switch to printing for a while. My printing process is very fast and physical so it’s really a good contrast to the drawing. They kind of balance each other out.

Continued in Part 2

Monsters and Whales and Bears, Oh My!

2011-05-16T12:58:00.026+02:00

An interview with Amanda Lee James

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any picture to entkleinen

Amanda, you’ve listed some of your inspirations as old children’s books, Japanese woodblock prints and illustrated animal encyclopaedias, as well as having an interest in creatures and places you’ve never seen. What are some of your other inspirations for your unique style? You’ve mentioned the cover of the Beatles’ album ‘Revolver’ which is what I though of right away when first seeing your work!
Funny you mention that because my mom is a huge Beatles fan! We actually had a Beatles room in our house!

In fact, ‘Yellow Submarine’ is probably one of my biggest influences for colour choices and a few of my patterns. It’s an absolutely beautiful and inspiring film for me. I grew up amongst many of their collectable figures, plates and records so I think I absorbed a lot of those colours and styles from that era.

In terms of children’s books, two of my favourite illustrators are Mercer Mayer and Maurice Sendak – but there are far too many amazing illustrators I enjoy and respect to even begin naming them all. We have this absolutely huge bookstore here in Portland that’s just a few blocks from my apartment and when I need inspiration, I just go downstairs to the children’s section and get lost for a couple hours.

Speaking of influences, am I correct in assuming that you also have a particular affinity for the sea and the amazing variety of life that it holds? I really enjoy your work here and I think that some of these pieces are among your strongest!
I love sea creatures. I think that sea exploration is infinitely more interesting than even space exploration. And for a long time, I wanted to be a marine biologist in addition to being an animator or illustrator.

I get seasick though... so I switched my focus to recreating and celebrating these wonderful creatures in my art. I also reference sea creatures frequently because stylistically they lend themselves well to my art. Sea creatures are naturally so patterned and unusual and full of artistic opportunity!

Your shop is also filled with lots of goodies. I’m curious though as to why you almost always print ‘varied editions’ even changing (slightly?) the placement of the animal or even the colour schemes?
I print varied editions mostly for two reasons:

First off, it’s nice to enhance the individuality of the print. More traditional editions of prints naturally have some variety because they are handmade, but I try to further enhance this by having a variety of placement and colour. I think that a print can be as individual as a painting and that they should be valued equally.

Secondly, I get bored making the EXACT same image over and over. Changing colours helps keep my eyes fresh and allows me to explore more in the printing process.

Last year, your design for the album cover of ‘The Angry Orts’ was picked one of the best 90 album covers of the year by redefinemag. Congratulations! How did you get involved in working with a band on this cover and how did the overall design ‘process’ differ vs. a piece you do on your own?
I got involved with the Angry Orts project through somewhat of a fluke. Their guitarist’s girlfriend played flute with me in our high school’s marching band and remembered that I did art. They contacted me and I showed them my latest work, the animal series, and we began the collaboration.

I think that the design process for this project was very similar to my normal working methods. The key differences were making more stopping points to check in with the band and taking into account that it would be reproduced digitally and that it would have to be shrunk down considerably.

I loved this project though and the Orts made some amazing merchandise out of the nautilus drawing. It was exciting to see my work in so many other mediums, like earrings, shirts and that kind of stuff.

Now I’ve got to spend a moment or two on your mixed media ‘bathroom’ set which included scale, medicine cabinet and yes, toilet. Again, if my homework is right, you made these by ‘applying’ a mosaic of different materials (Twizzlers, Lifesavers and marshmallows among other items) onto a Styrofoam form. I guess my question is simply: good heavens, what ever prompted you to do that? It’s fantastic, yes, but wow, definitely unique!
This was the most stressful project I have made as of yet. It is also one of my favourites.

It was actually a whimsical approach to dealing with eating disorders. It was all about overindulgence, obsession and image. I am not sure where the exact idea came from but I have long been obsessed with the candy forest room in ‘Willy Wonka’ so I would say that’s a definite inspiration.

I originally wanted to do an entire bathroom scene, complete with a bathtub, but quickly learned that candy is very expensive and that this type of sculpture is very time-consuming. It was my first time working in three-dimensional form and my first time working with candy and acrylic simultaneously. And as I was to find out, acrylic dissolves many candies into a brown mushy goo!

Looking back on this though, I can definitely see it as a precursor to my current work. In a way, I am now creating pen-line mosaics instead of candy ones.

You’ve also recently shown not only an affinity for the undeniably confirmed life-forms on our world but also both some unconfirmed (as of yet) and even monstrous creatures. Can you explain your interest in the more imaginative side of your ‘animal’ or even ‘monster’ prints?
Most recently I have started to experiment with completely separating myself from reference material. As a result, I started to make more imaginative creatures. They are naturally the best subjects for this type of experimentation because there is no concrete definition as to what they should look like.

I find doing this coupled with a lack of reference material to be really liberating because there are truly no boundaries. At the same time, they are some of the most challenging works for me because it can be very hard to get a concrete enough vision in my head in order to transfer it to paper.

I often like to share some of my research with my kids (Jr. age 10 ¾ and li’l Miss, age 7 going on 17), if for nothing else to get them to turn off the TV for a few minutes. In the case of many of your pieces, my son truly enjoyed the subject matter (esp. bats, anything with tentacles, etc.) and texture (I think his words were ‘oh wow, worms!’). My daughter seemed less excited and even issued a slight ‘ooh that’s yucky’ for a couple of images. Still, she’s young and has very little disposable income so I wouldn’t worry about it!

That having been said, there does seem to be a lack of ‘Barbie aesthetic’ if you will to your art (to be bluntly sexist, it can be argued it’s not terribly very ‘girly’ I guess, where I note my daughter’s room is indeed filled from floor to ceiling with Barbie, Hannah Montana and more... sigh, where did I go wrong?). Is this choice intentional or has it just kind of turned out that way?
This choice was not intentional. Maybe is has to do with my growing up as kind of a tomboy?

I don’t personally see my work as masculine, but I have noticed that many people are surprised to find out that my work is made by a woman. When I go to craft fairs, my boyfriend is kind enough to come along and keep me company behind the booth. Despite the huge “Prints by Amanda James” sign on the front of the booth, nine times out of ten people assume that he is the artist and direct their questions to him.

Sometimes I can find this a bit frustrating ... but for the most part it just leaves me perplexed.

Your work is offered in a variety of forms, including fine art prints and stretched canvases, iPhone Cases, ‘skins’ (for laptops, i-Pads, -Phones, and –Pods), tee-shirts and also hoodies. Is there an avenue that you haven’t offered yet where you’d like to see you work appear?
People are kind of afraid to touch prints. As such, I’d like to make something that people would touch.

With this in mind, I’d really love to illustrate a children’s book. I’m actually in the very beginning stages of working on one written by a friend. I think that books are absolutely wonderful little objects because people interact with them and flip their pages.

Finally, just from your list of exhibitions in 2010, it looks like it was a busy year for you. What’s coming up in 2011 and beyond?
I have a solo show coming up at Mag-Big here in Portland that I am pretty excited about. It’s going to kind of be my ‘Farewell to Portland’ show because I am planning on moving across the country to go work on my MFA in printmaking this fall. I have always lived in Portland so I am extremely excited to start working and living in a new community.

Right now, I am still not sure where I am going to exactly – but I do know it’s going to be at least 2000 miles away! And I can’t wait! (ZN: see update below!)

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Amanda Lee James grew up in the picturesque if not often soggy realm commonly known as Portland, Oregon. At last glance, she can still be found working out of her downtown studio apartment which she shares with a, quote, wonderful guy named Ian and three cats, Ghostie, Spooky, and Whisper. She is nearing any moment now the finish-line for getting her Bachelors in Drawing and Printmaking from Portland State University.

Afterwards, she will pack up cats, guy and her assorted collection of fuzzy and squidgy friends in print and head off to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to attend graduate school at LSU. We hope for her sake that she knows what TRUE humidity is like!

Amanda’s work is filled with an obvious sense of her love to draw and print things that make not only herself but others very happy. She has a knack for furry creatures, friendly monsters and tentacled beasties of all shapes and sizes! Her work is filled to the brim with overlapping and painstakingly detailed patterns and she confesses as well to wanting to see just how many different lines and shapes she can get onto one piece of paper. We wish her all the best of luck and success in her on-going travels and hope that Cajun Country treats her with all of it’s famous Southern hospitality indeed!

Links
Homepage

Shops :
Society6
Etsy

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Amanda Lee James, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!

Spontaneous Simplicity Made Super!

2011-04-28T17:34:00.016+02:00

An Interview with Gemma Correll

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
Click on any picture to biggify

Gemma Correll has most likely enjoyed – as well as not enjoyed some – of the attention her ever-growing popularity as an illustrator has brought her! She has been called an ‘obsessive chronicler of everyday life’ yet her work is continually lauded by fans of some of the widest varieties of neat stuff you’ll ever find! Some fans respect her talents so much that they have even had some of her more iconic images tattooed on their persons! Yet, her talents are so obvious - and indeed unmistakeably promotable - it should also come as no surprise that some less scrupulous purveyors of goods – even from the so-called ‘High Street’ denizens – have blatantly copied her work for their own ill-gotten gains! Boooo!

With a ‘direct’ style that is both refreshing and yet challenging (trust me, try it yourselves!), Gemma’s work is one thing for sure and that is FUN! And despite what some would like to believe, she also has a BA in Graphic Design specialising in Illustration from Norwich (England) where she graduated with honors, or honours as we should say. She’s been featured in more magazines than you can shake a royal sceptre at and darned if her work doesn’t pop up on any number of ‘funny image’ sites on the Internet on an almost daily basis! We’ve learned more about tea towels and tote bags and the amazingly large community of designers out there for these items than we ever thought possible!!

And as Gemma will attest, her job as an illustrator is indeed a ‘real’ one, despite rumours to the contrary that she is only in it to throw us off from her ‘very successful drug smuggling ring’. Even if by some twist of fate – and no doubt a bad Nic Cage movie to follow – it winds up that she is only pretending to draw things and is just distracting people with her trusty sidekick, Mr. Norman Pickles the Pug, it will never be able to be said that she wasn’t entertaining!

Ziggy Nixon was very lucky to catch up with the ultra-busy Gemma to share a few thoughts and even a daily fashion tip or two:

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Hi Gemma, welcome to the show! Let’s jump right in and ask you how it feels to be quote, ‘possibly the UK's most prolific* illustrator’ (as indicated by NUDE magazine, where your work graced their recent issue)?
*which according to Merriam-Webster’s on-line dictionary means ‘producing young or fruit especially freely’... plus some other definitions I obviously didn’t read very closely.
Yeah... not sure about that. I’m sure there are other illustrators who are much more prolific than me. How about Rob Ryan? He seems to produce an amazing amount of work given how intricate his designs are.

I do draw a lot, but it’s all pretty spontaneous... Which prompted one blogger to remark, “Gemma Correll’s work is little more than doodles.” I’d like to think that it is a LITTLE more than doodles...

While we’re talking about doodle-licious goodness, I love your comment on Flickr:
‘I've been told that I draw "like a five year old". I don't think that those people get that I choose to draw that way. I *could* draw in (a different) style all the time, if I wanted to, but I don't’.
Why is it you think that there are those out there that just don’t – or won’t – get what your work is about?
I suppose it’s just the fact that my images don’t look polished – they look spontaneous and simple. Some people’s idea of a “good” illustration is something that’s realistic, with shading and correct perspective!

And while I understand that everybody has their own opinion, the world would be a boring place if all art was realistic. Plus, it’s a lot harder to draw the way that I do than it looks!

What have been your influences in helping shape your style? If you’re curious, I would draw very favourable comparisons to the works of:
- a past ZN interviewee who is really hitting it big, Mike Perry;
- a number of iconic images from the 60’s and 70’s including Klaus Voormann’s ‘Revolver’ album cover!
- as well as having some of the line-work and imagination of the great Heinz Edelmann!
Well, thank you, although I don’t think I’m quite in the same league of any of those folk. I think that my biggest influences have been narrative illustrators like Tom Gauld and Simone Lia, both of whom seem to flawlessly combine text and image.

I think that a big part of my ‘strength’ if you will with my illustration is in my writing. Standing alone (without text) I don’t think my illustrations are up to much. I mean, just drawings of cats...

In addition, as a child I would read my dad’s “Far Side” annuals all the time. Although a lot of it went over my head, I think that it was one of my earliest influences, along with Posy Simmonds and the cartoonist, Giles. I also read a lot of illustration and design books at college, so it’s hard to pinpoint every influence I’ve had, but some others, off the top of my head, would be - David Hughes, Quentin Blake and Jim Houser. Then there are fine artists such as Alice Neel (who by coincidence ZN met as a child while his mom was in art school) and Paula Rego, who I admire and who may have influenced my work in a more subtle way.

I am pretty amazed at the sheer volume of work you seem to churn out! Your Flickr album is packed to the rafters with images; you run your own website, a blog as well as a ‘collective’ blog; you’ve been busy with exhibitions and more; plus you even keep at least one daily illustration journal/blog thingie that keeps everyone posted about your (mostly) boring existence! How do you manage all of that without just passing out from exhaustion? Because if it’s owing to your brand of coffee, I want to know so I can order some, too!
Actually, I think I was slightly burned out at the start of this year.

You see, I was kind of running on adrenaline all of last year. It was my first full year of full-time freelancing and I suppose I just wanted to get as much done as possible! Having said that, I do draw pretty quickly, which enables me to get a lot of stuff – well, personal work at least, not necessarily client work – done in a short space of time.

However, I was starting to find at the end of last year that I was spending less time drawing and more time just doing administrative stuff like packaging shop orders! In fact, around Christmas, I was having a hard time finding time to draw because I was always at the Post Office. I even got quite ill from overworking myself! So to help ease the pressure, I’ve decided to close my etsy shop for a while. It’s pretty difficult to run an on-line shop AND be a freelancer.

I’m hoping that this year I have more time to work on my illustrations and to just doodle in my sketchbook. I’ve always been a kind of workaholic, so I’m going to take more time out for myself this year. I think that time out will provide more inspiration and experiences for my work, anyway.

I do have really good coffee though! It’s a Peruvian roast from my favourite local café.

Concerning your ‘daily’ life and even ‘what I wore today’ illustrations, what is the impetus behind the ‘diary’ work (did we get both of those right? No, dialy dairy?)? Are you just making sure to stretch your illustrative muscles once a day or is this more of a kind of ‘endurance art’ project for you?
It’s really just a way to process my day. I tend to focus so hard on work during the day that I need to doodle to relax a bit. It doesn’t have to be a diary, but I enjoy drawing them.

I also have a pretty bad memory, so it’s a way of keeping track of the things I’ve done, too. I’ve been doing something similar since I was a teenager (although unfortunately those diaries have not survived).

It’s also in large part because I am an introvert. I think this helps me in fact process my thoughts by writing and drawing.

Continued in Part 2

Spontaneous Simplicity Made Super!

2011-04-28T16:33:00.035+02:00

An Interview with Gemma Correll

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
Click on any picture to enlargeticize

Gemma, so much of your work makes it abundantly clear that you have a deep affection for animals, be it for your lovely pug, cats of all shapes and sizes as well as the occasional bear. What has sparked this apparently happy union of your work with this understandable affection for our furry cousins?
I’m not sure – I think I’ve just always been a friend to animals.

I had a cat growing up (named Olli) who I absolutely adored. I was quite obsessed with cats in general, actually, although I had a dog, too (not a Pug) and I drew them all the time. I used to draw cat comics and such-like a lot. So I suppose nothing has changed.

Over the aeons, your work has appeared on any number of items including cups and plates, plush dolls, pillows, prints on textiles and paper, walls (graffiti? For shame! ^_^ ), murals and other exhibitions. With all these in mind, where (or how) is the one way you think your work is best presented? Are these your preferred outlets or do you have a secret wish to see your work presented in a different way?
I don’t really have a preference, I just like having my work on stuff.

I’m not too bothered about what the “stuff” is. Of course, I’m always thinking of new ways to present my work. But it’s more a case of ‘does a client have a particular product that they want me to decorate’? All I have to do in most cases is produce the artwork.

However, murals and exhibitions are different and more personal. I’m not always keen on how my work looks ‘properly’ framed (or maybe that’s because I don’t know how to frame stuff properly). So I tend to either have unframed illustrations (dangerous, especially when there’s a private view involving free alcohol) or in random vintage frames.

I also tend to draw at a small scale, so I’m still not sure about my work in mural ‘form’. I enjoy drawing them but I don’t know if I like my illustrations at such a large scale! I feel like they lose some of the fun.

What kinds of other things do you make?
I make screen-printed tote bags, greetings cards, badges, pocket mirrors and ‘zines. When I say make... I mean, design. I don’t actually physically make any of my products anymore.

Plus, I was recently commissioned by the site ‘To Dry For’ to design a commemorative Corgi Royal Wedding tea towel for the upcoming Royal Wedding!

I used to do the screen-printing and the badge-making, etc. but it got to be way too time-consuming. I do usually still photocopy, fold and staple my ‘zines, though. I think that’s part of the whole ‘zine making-process.

I find that my eyes are particularly drawn to your use of patterns, including both the use of fine-texturing and your larger prints of same, as well as what could be considered an understated or best said limited use of colour. What attracts you to both of these ‘tendencies’ do you think?
I love vintage children’s book illustrations, which I think explains both my tendency to use texture and limited colour. I like to use pattern and texture just to add ‘interest’ to my work.

Also, I like to keep things as simple as possible. Overworking an image has always been a problem for me - the more I work on an image, it starts to lose the sense of spontaneity that I think defines my work. Limiting the colours helps avoid that, too.

How important is getting the typography ‘right’ for your work? You seem to have an amazing knack for this as well! Did you ever study typography specifically or has it been a ‘learning on the job’ aspect of your work?
I have never studied typography, it’s just something that comes naturally to me. I usually draw my lettering freehand. Since words are often an important part of my work, I need for them to integrate into the image. I hate it when the text and the imagery in an illustration clash, or don’t work together.

But since I’m not really much of a “planner” I usually just go for broke and draw and write and hope that it all works together. It usually does...

You are also employing agents to help support your work, including both NB Illustration** and Anna Goodson Management. I only ask because at least in my experience not a lot of ‘free-lance’ illustrators have agents. How does that work for you? Are you still able to maintain the ‘free’ aspect or how do you balance that exactly? Sorry for being so lost about that, but I’m serious, no one else brings this up much!
**I found their descriptive of your work interesting (‘naive’ and ‘stylised’)!
I work exclusively with Anna Goodson for US and Canadian clients. I find some of my own clients in the UK and Europe and also sometimes work through NB.

I love my agents because they find me work and clients that I otherwise wouldn’t. And like the administration tasks I mentioned before, they handle the financial side of things, which I really dislike. Case in point, I just spent an entire Saturday doing my accounts. The less of that I have to do, the better!

You also recently completed your largest work yet for the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff in celebration of their 40th 'birthday'. How did working on that project compare to a nice comfy day spent in the warmth (?) of your own place with pug in tow while doing your own work? I’m also curious: when that show is over, what happens to the mural?
The mural has actually been painted over now. It was just up for six weeks, which I knew when I created it.

I quite enjoy drawing murals just because it is so different from sitting indoors at my desk. Doing the Chapter mural gave me a chance to travel to Cardiff (I’d never been to Wales) and work in front of an audience which was a little daunting! I’m used to my only audience being Mr. Pickles, who’s generally more interested in licking his bum.

But anything that takes me out of the studio for a couple of days is a welcome break, usually and if I get the chance to travel, too, that’s great. I am a fan of travelling. So, anyone who happens to be reading this, why yes – I WOULD like to come and spend a week in Mexico or Florida or Spain to paint a mural at your gallery/arts centre/school. Let me just grab my suitcase...

You obviously had a very business 2010 and your calendar for 2011 seems to be filing up rapidly! What are then your main projects or even priorities coming up in the next months?
Well, I’ve literally just moved to Germany (Berlin) a few weeks ago. I’m not sure yet if the move is forever, or just for a while...

But for the first 2 months I’ll be here, I’m pretty much concentrating on a big project! In fact, it’s the biggest project I’ve ever done, which is a bit daunting! It’s a book based on my “What I Wore Today” series and it’s going to be a journal that readers can fill in. I’m looking forward to just focusing on one thing for a while, rather than 20,000. Plus, later in May, I’ll be appearing at the Apple Store in Munich, so come on out, it’ll be fun!

Still, even while trying to take it a bit easier, I might be a little distracted by the proliferation of coffee shops that Berlin has to offer!

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In order not to cause any conflict – or let’s say more conflict than usual – let’s see what Gemma’s agents have to say about her, which we present in this only very slightly abridged and otherwise unmodified form:

Gemma Correll is a freelance illustrator currently based in the UK (well, no, she’s now physically in Berlin ... or is she?). A graduate of the Norwich School of Art and Design (BA honours Illustration, First Class, 2006), Gemma's work has a strong narrative basis. She specialises in hand-drawn comics, characters, typography and pattern. She has exhibited all over the world, including in China, the US and Europe (which we are led to believe are all parts of the world, though we’re not sure about this whole ‘China’ rumour as we’ve never been there). She was the recipient of a Young Guns award from the Art Directors Club of New York in 2010.

The ‘usage’ of her work (huh?) is seen as being ideal for both magazines and editorials owing to her ‘naive’ and ‘stylised’ style that features such a wide variety of subjects as ‘objects, icons’ and ‘people’ (again, huh?). Furthermore, Gemma is known for her "quirky characters in strange situations". Her work has been featured in magazines, books and in advertising, as well as on products ranging from tee-shirts to umbrellas.

And despite her etsy shop currently being closed (this bit is ours by the way), you only have to type in Gemma Correll in Google to find any number of fantastic ways to enjoy her art for your very own!! You’ll be very glad you did! Oh and if you DO get her stuff tattooed on you, send her a line!

Please check out all her links and more today!

Website – www.gemmacorrell.com

Flickr Gallery

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gemmacorrell/

Blog ‘A Chronicle of a (Mostly) Boring Life’

http://gemmacorrell-dailydiaries.blogspot.com/

Blog (mostly pictures of her pug... not really)
http://gemma-correll.blogspot.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gemma-Correll/24698995190

Twitter – https://twitter.com/gemmacorrell

Blog (collaboration with other artists) –
http://whatiworedrawings.blogspot.com/

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All pictures, videos and other media are used with written permission of Gemma Correll, including all current or previous business affiliations related to same, or are available in the public domain (noting copyright and other restrictions, accordingly). No further reproduction or duplication is permitted without contacting the artist directly.

Some pictures have been modified slightly or combined only for the purpose of space limitations. In all cases, we invite you to visit the artist’s site(s) for more!