tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83909861528596368962024-03-13T18:59:30.877+00:00Colouring Outside The LinesColouring Outside The Lines is a zine featuring interviews with contemporary female artists; illuminating various corners of current female artistic and creative activity.
This blog contains the interviews featured in issues 1 to 3, as those zines will not be re-printed.
For more info on the blog, see www.myspace.com/colouringoutsidethelines
All interviews by Melanie Maddison
All artwork is supplied by the individual artists, please do not steal it.Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-41078561693683940902016-03-30T17:22:00.001+01:002016-03-30T17:22:39.206+01:00Colouring Outside The Lines #7<br>
<b>Issue 7 of Colouring Outside The Lines zine is <i>OUT NOW</i>.<br><br></b>
Features interviews with:<br><br>
Rachael House: <a href="http://www.rachaelhouse.com">http://www.rachaelhouse.com/</a> <br>
Lex Non Scripta: <a href="http://lexnonscripta.tumblr.com">http://lexnonscripta.tumblr.com/</a> <br>
Kandy Diamond: <a href="http://www.kandydiamond.com">http://www.kandydiamond.com/</a> <br>
Jacky Fleming: <a href="http://www.jackyfleming.co.uk">http://www.jackyfleming.co.uk/</a> <br>
Alison Erika Forde: <a href="http://www.alisonerikaforde.com/">http://www.alisonerikaforde.com/ </a><br>
Seleena Laverne Daye: <a href="http://www.seleenalavernedaye.co.uk/ ">http://www.seleenalavernedaye.co.uk/ </a><br><br>
Keep up to date with Colouring Outside The Lines zine on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/COTLzine">https://www.facebook.com/COTLzine </a><br><br>
Amongst other news I'll post updates on Facebook of any zine fairs and stores where you can buy COTL.<br><br>
Buy the new issue directly from etsy (UK only)<a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/COTL">https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/COTL</a><br><br>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/COTL?ref=si_shop">http://www.etsy.com/shop/COTL?ref=si_shop</a>
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Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-90379010472329428202012-12-05T16:35:00.000+00:002013-01-03T14:16:59.839+00:00Colouring Outside The Lines issue 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After only a measley 3 and 1/2 years wait since the last one (!!) Issue #6 of <b>Colouring Outside The Lines </b>zine is out, and will be debuting at Queer Zine Fest London (UK) this Saturday.
<br><br>Colouring Outside The Lines is a zine full of conversations with contemporary female artists.
<br><br>This issue features interviews with <br>Lauren Denitzio, <br>Fly, <br>Megan Kelso, <br>Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring, <br>Allyson Mitchell, <br>Caroline Paquita, <br>Summer Pierre, <br>Lindsay Starbuck, and <br>Anke Weckmann. <br><br>Thank you so much to all the artists for making this issue such a special one.<br><br>
Special love to Amy Ng for her front cover artwork too. <br><br>
Each copy of Colouring Outside The Lines #6 comes with a limited edition bookmark designed and letterpress printed by Jessica Spring at Springtide Press (USA)<br><br>
I'll get on to selling the zines online properly once I'm back from London.
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Message me if you know of anywhere that may like to stock the zine<br><br>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-47005586305747919272012-11-21T15:32:00.000+00:002012-11-21T15:33:35.128+00:00Colouring Outside The Lines #6It's only been 3 1/2 years (!!), but <i>Colouring Outside The Lines</i> zine issue #6 will be out shortly. More news and full details coming soon...<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Artwork by Amy Ng
Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-74168307804226778232012-11-21T15:26:00.001+00:002012-11-21T15:26:48.323+00:00Ana Albero interview
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This interview with <a href="http://www.ana-albero.com/">Ana Albero</a> first appeared on the <a href="http://www.pikaland.com/2012/10/03/interview-ana-albero/">Pikaland Website</a> in October 2012.
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I adore Ana Albero’s work. Looking at the worlds she creates and the people she depicts, with her unmistakably brilliant illustration style, is always time well spent in my view. Ana is a Berlin-based freelance illustrator with a dizzying client list. She is also one third of the Edition Biografiktion self-publishing collective. Despite not being a big fan of giving interviews, Ana was kind enough to find the time to talk to Pikaland about her work and her processes here. <i>Thank you Ana!</i><br><br>
<a href="http://www.ana-albero.com">Website</a><br>
<a href="http://ana-albero.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a><br>
<a href="http://www.albero.bigcartel.com/products">Shop</a><br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iloveyourbikini/">Flickr</a><br>
<a href="http://biografiktion.com/">Edition Biografiktion</a><br><br>
<b>Hi Ana, how are you? What are you up to today?</b><br>
Hi! I am fine thanks! Today I am finally answering a lot of emails after my late summer vacation, cooking my secret salmon recipe, baking a blueberry cake and meeting my Spanish girlfriends in the evening so I think I am not drawing today.<br><br>
<b>Could you tell Pikaland readers a little bit about yourself and the art that you make?</b><br>
I’m an illustrator, originally from Alicante, a seaside city in Spain. I studied in Paris and Berlin where I specialized in Illustration.<br>
Since my graduation at the Berlin University of the Arts in 2008, I work globally as a freelance illustrator based In Berlin. I also spend my time binding books, self-publishing comics and walking around in Berlin staring at dogs.<br><br>
<b>Are you working on any projects or art pieces at the moment that you could tell us about?</b><br>
I am working on some commissioned editorial illustrations and putting together some top secret book projects.<br><br>
<b>How long have you been making art, is it something you’ve always been interested in?</b><br>
Since I can remember, I always enjoyed drawing but I never felt like studying Fine Arts. I wanted to study something creative yet practical, so I ended up studying Communication Sciences and not being very happy about it.<br>
Luckily I got a grant to study abroad. At the Berlin University of the Arts I discovered almost by accident the Illustration class. I always loved illustration but never thought of it as a job. I felt that to study illustration was what I really was looking for so quit my studies in Spain and applied for the Berlin University of the Arts. That opportunity really changed my life.<br><br>
<b>How did you first get started really pursuing your art career?</b><br>
I started being more focused about my drawing after graduating. Leaving my much-loved educational “bubble” I realized I had to become more serious and committed about illustration if I wanted to earn my living drawing. So I started working hard on my portfolio to create something visually interesting and cohesive to show.<br><br>
<b>Together with the illustrators Till Hafenbrak and Paul Paetzel you founded “Edition Biografiktion” in 2008. Could you tell us a little about Edition Biografiktion, how you came to work together, and the projects that you have created?</b><br>
Besides my commercial and personal work I am a member of the comic collective Edition Biografiktion which I founded with Till Hafenbrak and Paul Paetzel. Back then we were all still students and attended illustration class together. We became good friends and naturally we decided to come together because we all shared the wish to put out our work. The first zines (Biografiktion) we published were comic stories about celebrities, adding fictional elements. We decided to start a second series called Human News whose theme varies in every issue and which is more focused on Illustration. To produce our artwork we use the printing techniques which are easily at our disposal: silkscreen, linocut and reprography.<br><br>
<b>Is it important to you to work within such an art community?</b><br>
Of course! There are many advantages in working in a group. As we lack financial resources we can’t pay others to do the printing for us. All the processes of the production are also very time consuming. As a group we can work together and share the workload. Even if we do most of the production process by ourselves there are still costs for materials like paper or inks also booth costs on comic festivals can be shared. Another advantage is that working in a group gives each of us bigger recognition and exposure.<br>
We try to motivate each other in our work, also helping each other and offering constructive criticism. The best of it is of course spending lots of time with good friends.<br><br>
<b>How do you balance your time between working on projects with Edition Biografiktion, your solo work, and ‘life’?</b><br>
Unfortunately, time management is not one of my strengths. I spend most of my time drawing right now. I prefer to work on two projects at a time to be able to switch between projects and have a little “break” that way. I tend to be more productive under time pressure which leads me sometimes to overwork myself. Nevertheless, I try to keep the pens down on the weekend, it is important to disconnect from work and enjoy some free time.<br><br>
<b>Do you have any top tips for overcoming procrastination? (I’m a huge sufferer of procrastination and I’m left with endless still-to-do lists as a result).</b><br>
Oh, sorry no tips… I also suffer from chronic procrastination!<br><br>
<b>What’s your work space/studio like? Do you tend to surround yourself with things/images/artefacts to keep you company or inspire/ motivate you?</b><br>
I tried to work in a couple of shared studios but I ended up working mostly at my studio at home. Maybe it is because I prefer a more cozy atmosphere to work till late in the evening. I live together with my boyfriend who is also an illustrator but you never could tell that seeing our apartment. We own tons of stuff, gorgeous prints and frames to hang but for some reason our apartment is sadly under-decorated. Actually that is one of our perpetual New Year’s resolutions.<br><br>
<b>Can you disclose a bit about the creative process behind your art making? Also, what techniques of illustration do you most prefer to use; what are your tools and materials of choice, and how did you come to work with them?</b><br>
I start doing some rough sketches to figure the composition out and then I keep working on that drawing using transparent paper layers until the illustration is ready. When I work on a designed topic I do a research first.<br>
I work mostly with graphite because that allows me to create a lot of different textures. Of course, I also use a computer mostly for digital coloring purposes.
At university I was able to try a lot of mediums and techniques, but at the moment I mostly work with pencil and paper for my commissioned work. I also work on screen-prints sometimes and would love to do some etching again but those mediums are very time consuming so I rather would use them for personal projects.<br><br>
<b>Which people, projects, or artists have made the biggest impact on your personal life or shaped your artistic vision?</b><br>
Other decades inspire me a lot, whether in the past or the future… I like to research how people and things used to look and love to imagine how everything could be someday in a weird future time. I enjoy looking at all sorts of illustrations and vintage fashion magazines. As a teenager I even used to think I was born in the wrong time period. I also find inspiration in common people and everyday life. My colleagues Paul and Till also influence my work a lot.<br><br>
<b>I find it interesting how and where people gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief. Particularly in terms of how they are able to produce and create with a sense of assurance, belief and certainty, or taking the leap to make art their central focus.<br>
What is your personal relationship with confidence?<br>
How did you personally learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make, sell, and exhibit your art, as well as working freelance for various publications? Is confidence over your work something that comes easily to you?<br></b>
I am quite an introverted person, that means I don’t really enjoy talking about my work, I feel uncomfortable at presentations and I avoid giving interviews. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel confident about my illustration work. In fact, I think I have a strong vision of what I like and dislike, what I want to do and don’t. I am very critical and demanding of myself and I enjoy being professional at my work.<br><br>
<b>To get a feel for your geographical location/’scene’, are there any Berlin artists, events, galleries, projects, magazines (etc) that particularly excite you right now? Where are your favourite places to create or be in Berlin?</b><br>
My favorite place to create in Berlin is my studio at home. I need a calm atmosphere to get things done so you will never see me doodling in a coffee shop, I’d actually be drinking something there. For exhibitions I’d rather visit an old school museum like the Dahlem Ethnological Museum than the latest super hyped exhibition opening in a gallery.<br><br>
<b>You have lived and worked in a few European countries over the years. How do your different surroundings/environments, and your attention to the details of them, affect your art and creativity?</b><br>
I enjoy traveling as much as staying at home. When I get to go somewhere I prefer to explore my new neighborhood in order to run around visiting all the possible tourist spots. I really enjoy the illusion of living an everyday life in a complete new environment. I don’t keep travel sketchbooks, that’s not for me at all, I’d rather take some pictures instead. I would probably live every year in a different country if I could. I’ve lived in Berlin for over 10 years now. It is a great city to live in because it is huge but not stressful at all. I would say to live here is important for my work because in Berlin I can stay focused on it.<br><br>
<b>What are your top tips for others who wish to be creative but feel stuck, don’t know where to start, or feel like they aren’t ‘good enough’ to do so?</b><br>
Frustration is normal feeling in a creative job like this. Also feeling uninspired or unmotivated… the best tip I can give is try not feeling anxious about that… take some days off, be lazy for a while but then start working hard again. For me it is particularly hard for instance to start working again after a long trip or a vacation away from my studio. The only solution is starting over again and not thinking too much about it.<br><br>
<b>What is it that makes you burst with energy, keeps you inspired enough to keep going, and makes you want to continue being an artist?</b><br>
What makes me really want to continue being an illustrator (although it is not the easiest profession) is imagining myself working in a regular 9 to 5 job and being too tired to do something creative when I get home.<br><br>
<b>There’s many pieces of your work that are presented as comics strips, with panels of drawings. How interested are you in comics work?</b><br>
Although I am drawing more often comics right now I still prefer to work in single illustrations because I enjoy taking more time for the composition and the drawing itself. A good illustration always tells a story anyway.<br><br>
<b>What would your dream art project be? And what do you hope to work on next?</b><br>
Working with people I admire and creating what I feel like.<br><br>
<b>Thanks Ana!</b>
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Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-69027429463015965442012-06-27T00:22:00.000+01:002012-06-27T00:22:11.226+01:00Ana Benaroya interview<br><i>Evergreen Jim & Tulip: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough </i>is the brainchild of <a href="http://anabenaroya.com/">Ana Benaroya</a>, and it's the latest zine to be produced by <a href="http://www.pikabooks.com/product?product_id=19">Pikabooks</a>.<br><br>
I interviewed Ana about the zine and her art, and it appeared on <a href="http://pikaland.com/2012/04/27/pikabooks-evergreen-jim-tulip">Pikaland</a> in April 2012.<br><br>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NXSvOH8bw8I/T-pC8d52LiI/AAAAAAAABkg/KV832_AlCqE/s1600/zine%2Bfront%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="358" width="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NXSvOH8bw8I/T-pC8d52LiI/AAAAAAAABkg/KV832_AlCqE/s400/zine%2Bfront%2Bcover.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<i>Ana Benaroya is an illustrator, designer, typographer, and screen printer making adrenaline-fuelled, energizing, insanely bright, bold, loud and colourful work that smacks me in the face with how joyously unashamed it is. I don’t think I have enough adjectives to describe it!<br><br>
Her illustrated zine, Evergreen Jim & Tulip: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough has just been published and released by Pikaland’s book imprint, Pikabooks, so we thought we’d catch up with Ana to ask more about the zine, and her other artwork.</i><br><br>
<a href="http://anabenaroya.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://anabart.blogspot.co.uk/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://anapaint.blogspot.co.uk/">Paintings blog</a> | <a href="http://anabenaroya.bigcartel.com/">Shop</a> | <a href="http://anabenaroya.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a><br><br>
<b>Hi Ana, how are you? Could you tell Pikaland readers a little about yourself?</b><br>
Hello! I’m doing pretty well. I am a freelance illustrator and designer working out of Jersey City. I love eating, drinking coffee, and drawing. <br><br>
<b>Could you tell us a little about Evergreen Jim & Tulip, both about the project came to be, and also the story within it?</b><br>
I came up with the idea for this story while on a trip to the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Vancouver). It was my first time to this part of the country and I was amazed at the difference in trees and nature…and the mountains. My surroundings inspired my story…I wanted to create a romanticized version of the people who inhabited this part of the country. And of course, insert my own ridiculousness and sense of humor. I love writing love stories. <br><br>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uDMvU5bdiYg/T-pC8mOMkLI/AAAAAAAABks/smx41Jiv4o4/s1600/zine%2Bspread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="307" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uDMvU5bdiYg/T-pC8mOMkLI/AAAAAAAABks/smx41Jiv4o4/s400/zine%2Bspread.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<b>What is your history in independent or self-publishing? I’m guessing Evergreen Jim & Tulip isn’t your first zine?</b><br>
I don’t have a huge history in self-publishing…though I did self-publish a newspaper with a good friend of mine called “Egg on Bread.” It was a satire on what a newspaper typically is, containing the weather, horoscopes, an advice column, etc. I also self-published a book called “Men Eating Fruit” which is a collection of paintings of nude men eating fruit, along with a short story about each of their lives. I like self-publishing because there’s no one telling you what you can and can’t do, or warning you about the marketability of something. <br><br>
<b>Do you think zines are a good way to share art, to display art, and to reach (new?) audiences or artistic communities?</b><br>
Yes, I definitely think so… though the tricky part is getting the world to know that your zine exists. But there is something very magical about discovering a zine that you love… because you know it was hand-crafted and purely made. A zine represents true creative freedom and expression. <br><br>
<b>What appealed to you about working with Pikabooks?</b><br>
I’ve been a big fan of the blog for a while, and how could I say no to the offer of a story of mine being published? This is my first real opportunity to have my writing and my art appear together and I’m very excited about it. <br><br>
<b>Do you think that there is a freedom, a power, and potentially fewer barriers to our creativity and opportunity due to the Do-It-Yourself and Do-It-Together nature of zines and self-publishing?</b><br>
Yes, definitely. I think big publishing houses have something to learn from zines and self-publishing. Gone are the days where the public only knew what large companies decided to feed them. Now people have access to any sort of music, art, writing, or poetry that they want. And yes, that isn’t saying that everything out there is quality, but, the public isn’t stupid, and they could stand to be given a little more credit. <br>
People more and more crave authenticity and originality. And self-publishing offers exactly that. <br><br>
<b>What’s your artistic history? How long have you been creating art? And, how did you first get started?</b><br>
I have always been drawing, since I was a little girl. I was always obsessed with superheroes and collected action figures…and this is mainly what I drew. Later on I became intent on learning all the muscles and the anatomy of a human body. I would copy drawings straight out of anatomy books. <br><br>
<b>Could you share with us your progression as an artist — compared to when you first started out, how has your work changed since then?</b><br>
Really the only thing that has changed is I am more open-minded now and have more experience drawing. I think the same things drive me and my subject matter hasn’t strayed too far off from what I was drawing when I was five. It’s funny, I feel like I never escape the things that I was interested in as a child. <br><br>
<b>How did you first learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and then gain the confidence to make art your career? I ask as I’m very interested in how and where people gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief — especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create what they do. Confidence is such a slippery fish. A lot of people struggle with knowing that they’re ‘good enough’ to create or make their own art, and are left unable to access their creative and artistic talents.</b><br>
I pretty much always knew that I wanted to be an artist, though I had no idea how to go about doing that…or how I might be able to support myself. I always had (and still have) fears and doubts and worries…they never seem to affect me deeply enough for me to stop doing what I do. I just know that if I give up on myself as an artist, I probably would become really depressed. Drawing and painting are so entwined with my identity – I really don’t know who I would be if I didn’t have that ability to express myself through art. <br>
And I know everyone says this, but if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. I shamelessly promote myself and put my work out there. I’d rather fail and be rejected a million times than never try at all. I never want to have regrets. <br><br>
<b>I’d like to ask about the sorts of stuff and aesthetics you like. For example, where do you work from, and what images/artefacts keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work?
(Also, I’m really intrigued; is your house or studio painted as vibrantly as your work? – That’s something I’d love to see!!)</b><br>
I work from home (currently my bedroom). Ideally I’d like a separate room for my studio, but for now, this is all I can afford. I have a separate studio space that I use mainly for painting and personal work…but the funny thing is I find myself often just working at home instead. I think I just like being home. <br>
My walls are covered in paintings and posters and drawings by other artists and myself. I like to look at art over a long period of time and see what new things I discover. If I didn’t have a roommate, I’d fill ever section of my apartment with crazy colorful things…but for now it’s all contained in my room. I also have a bookshelf filled with books…the one thing I consistently have collected over the years. <br><br>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_vsGrT_m4I/T-pC9RgS2yI/AAAAAAAABk4/mN04EuO7h3A/s1600/AnaBenaroya_Studio3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="349" width="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_vsGrT_m4I/T-pC9RgS2yI/AAAAAAAABk4/mN04EuO7h3A/s400/AnaBenaroya_Studio3.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<b>Are you a collector/coveter/admirer of other artists’ work? And, which contemporary artists and illustrators do you currently love?</b><br>
I definitely am. If I could afford it, I’d collect art like a crazy person! This past year I’ve started spending some money on buying work from other people…and I really enjoy it. <br>
I love the work of Ray Fenwick, Seripop, Jillian Tamaki, Gustavo Eandi, Brecht Vandenbroucke, Henrik Drescher, Balint Zsako… the list could go on forever. One of my all time favorite artists is Jean-Michel Basquiat. <br><br>
<b>It was only when I closely looked at your website and all the different examples of your work that I realised that without consciously knowing it was by you, I’ve seen your artwork all over the place over the past few years. That said, I once read you say that, ‘I do not fit easily into any one category, though there are similarities that appear across all my work. This might be why certain art directors choose not to work with me, they can’t predict exactly what I’m going to do. But if you can predict exactly what an artist is going to make and how they are going to interpret something… what is the point? I think you should hire someone for their mind, not their style.’ You make a very convincing point!<br>
There seem to be many projects taking their chances on you, and I know that you self-promote yourself, so how easy is it to get in there and gain work when many people are blinded by ‘style’ and preconceptions of your work?</b><br>
It is not easy, but it is not impossible. I think people either love my work, or hate it…maybe it can grow on you…but maybe not. The key is to find people who appreciate me for who I am. I pretty much plan to keep doing what I’m doing and hope it continues to interest people beside myself, haha. <br><br>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ksa2w2Y5RU/T-pC8JI16DI/AAAAAAAABkU/Y_0muFikb4M/s1600/WaterLove_AnaBenaroya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="319" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ksa2w2Y5RU/T-pC8JI16DI/AAAAAAAABkU/Y_0muFikb4M/s400/WaterLove_AnaBenaroya.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<b>Is there any neon or fluorescent paint or paper left in New Jersey? – I think it’s all in your work!! What draws you to using such vibrant, bright colours, and did it feel odd to produce black and white images for the majority of Evergreen Jim & Tulip?</b><br>
Hahaha… yes, I know…what can I say I love bright colors! I guess I just feel like why be boring and bland when you can be bright and exciting? At least I feel that way in my artwork, which is much louder than I am as a real person. Maybe my loud work is a way for me to compensate for being so quiet. I’m sure someone could psychoanalyze me and provide me with some sort of explanation. <br>
It didn’t feel too odd to draw the comics in black and white…I actually enjoy taking a break from color sometimes and just focusing on making a cool drawing. Plus, I think I was thinking more about story-telling when I made Evergreen Jim & Tulip…less about other things. <br><br>
<b>There seems to be an urgency and immediacy in your work, the images jump out and pop out and demand attention. Is this similar to how the images come to you and come to be drawn in the first place?</b><br>
Yes, definitely. Usually an idea will pop into my head and then I will just make it. I make drawings pretty quickly…once I come up with a concept I just do it. I am not big on revisions I like to just keep moving forward. <br><br>
<b>What puts you in the best mood for drawing? And, what keeps you motivated?</b><br>
It is unclear what puts me in the best mood for drawing. Though I am definitely a morning person and feel happiest and most productive during that time. What keeps me motivated is the fear of wasting valuable time. <br><br>
<b>What techniques of illustration do you most prefer to use, what are your favourite tools and materials to work with, and, what role does computer technology play in your art work?</b><br>
I always start with a drawing… usually pencil first, but sometimes I’ll start straight with ink. I use either a pen or brush and ink. Then I will scan my linework into the computer and digitally color. For my personal work I will just paint…no computer. But it varies. <br><br>
<b>How important are narratives to your artwork, I ask this as I find that your work is very often involved in story-telling, or introducing fantastic characters.</b><br>
I don’t often have long expansive narratives in mind, but I definitely do think about the personalities and “stories” of the characters I draw. I want people to wonder what kind of person is this? Why are they doing what their doing? And what are they thinking? I try to make my characters expressive and emotional. <br><br>
<b>What’s the art and/or self-publishing scene like in New Jersey? Are there any New Jersey artists, events, galleries, or projects that particularly excite you right now?</b><br>
There are a ton of artists living in New Jersey…particularly Jersey City, where I live. I share a studio at the Jersey City Art School where a wide variety of classes are offered. It’s a small and close creative community here and I feel like it is way more down to earth than New York City. I enjoy living close to NYC, but not in it. It’s madness and if I don’t escape to someplace more quiet, I think I’d get depressed.<br><br>
<b>How important to you (both artistically, and personally) is a local/national/international artistic or creative community?</b><br>
I think being part of a creative community is important, whether it be people you see everyday, your best friends, or people you find through the internet. I like to see what’s going on around me and find a lot of inspiration in that. But at the same time, I think the most creative work is done in solitude…and I need a lot of that. <br><br>
<b>What are your top tips for others who wish to be creative but feel stuck, don’t know where to start, or feel like they aren’t ‘good enough’ to make ‘art’?</b><br>
Just keep making stuff and put it on a website. You’ll never know what will happen if you don’t try. Would you rather take an artistic journey, discover things about yourself and about the world around you and possibly face “failure” (if you consider trying, failing)… or would you rather reach the end of your life and realize you’ve never done anything you wanted to do and you’ve squandered the one life you had? <br>
Harsh…I know. But it’s the truth! Failure sucks but it’s better than regret. <br><br>
<b>What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ — Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?</b><br>
I do believe everyone can be creative and can benefit from having creativity and art in their life. I don’t mean everyone has to be an artist…but everyone can appreciate art and benefit from ways of thinking that aren’t so linear and black and white. <br><br>
<b>Your work has been described as being, ‘full of full lips and hair and tattoos and bulging muscles, and always lots of sexual tension […] Every mark she makes draws you into her crazy, hormonally-charged, adrenaline-fuelled world’.<br>
I know that this is a self-created fictional world, but how representative of you is your work? Ha ha- I just realised that this makes me look like I’m asking you if you’re hormonally charged and riddled with sexual tension! That’s not quite what I meant!</b><br>
Haha, I think my work IS representational of me…because I made it. But, if you’re asking if my work is like my personality…it is not. I mentioned before that I am actually a very quiet, calm, person on the outside…who has a spicy interior. <br><br>
<b>What are your plans for the rest of 2012?</b><br>
To keep making art and to continue trying to figure out this thing called “life.”<br><br>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6887gHR5fuc/T-pC7xHDm5I/AAAAAAAABkI/qjJ1E5qdBJc/s1600/GorillaHorsehead_AnaBenaroyaBW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6887gHR5fuc/T-pC7xHDm5I/AAAAAAAABkI/qjJ1E5qdBJc/s400/GorillaHorsehead_AnaBenaroyaBW.jpg" /></a><br><br>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-30167333104916671702012-06-26T23:59:00.003+01:002012-06-26T23:59:45.529+01:00Cendrine Rovini interview<br>This interview with <a href="http://cargocollective.com/cendrinerovini">Cendrine Rovini</a> first appeared on <a href="http://pikaland.com/2012/04/19/interview-cendrine-rovini">Pikaland</a> in April 2012.<br><br>
<i>Cendrine Rovini is a French artist making beautiful drawings, paintings, and mixed media work incorporating themes of delicacy and lightness, and they’re all kinds of beautiful! Melanie Maddison spoke with her about what she’s currently up to and how she came to make the work she does.</i><br><br>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxjEkuB_RyQ/T-o-Fi1mYnI/AAAAAAAABjs/p76tFNFIVEA/s1600/Toutesoie%2BCendrine%2BRovini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="304" width="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxjEkuB_RyQ/T-o-Fi1mYnI/AAAAAAAABjs/p76tFNFIVEA/s400/Toutesoie%2BCendrine%2BRovini.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<a href="http://cargocollective.com/cendrinerovini">Website</a> | <a href="http://hortusnoctis.blogspot.co.uk/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cendreruines/">Flickr</a> | <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/CendrineRovini">Etsy</a><br><br>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSSaO2218xQ/T-o-F_wn68I/AAAAAAAABj4/fJFaV3OQlQw/s1600/La%2Bchambre%2Bsombre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="311" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSSaO2218xQ/T-o-F_wn68I/AAAAAAAABj4/fJFaV3OQlQw/s400/La%2Bchambre%2Bsombre.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<b>Hi Cendrine, how are you? Could you tell Pikaland readers a little about yourself and what you are working on at the moment?</b><br>
Hello Pikaland people, I am fine, thank you! I am a french artist and I live in the mountains of the centre of France, in a little city named Aurillac. I use to work on paper mostly, sometimes wood and fabric, I draw and make mixed medias. I am currently working on collaborations with Irish artist Jane O’ Sullivan and swedish artist Nicole Natri, and also focusing on the next big work I want to do: a mixed media on a beautiful big format tintoretto (a very fine panel of blond wood).<br><br>
<b>How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at? How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</b><br>
When I was a child, as every child, I spent many time drawing but I also used to secretly include this activity during the class at school, I was often immersed into my inner world, my imagination, and I used to be in love with art museums and books of images. As an adult I first taught Spanish language in a college, and I hated being a teacher. So I realized around the 30 years old that I only wanted to create, and I decided to make everything possible for it. It took almost five years for the identity of my work to appear; many years of self-education, of careful gaze on the things and people surrounding me and the memory of the hours spent in company of my father working (he is a sculptor). Finally a few years ago, the actual flow of images, or what someone could name my “current style” appeared by itself in a few weeks. I realized it when I saw that at a certain point, some formal cohesion was present drawing after drawing.<br><br>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaL5IjgpzVs/T-o9pVgLjwI/AAAAAAAABik/rPQvhl0RPCU/s1600/5192850416_3401e40387_b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaL5IjgpzVs/T-o9pVgLjwI/AAAAAAAABik/rPQvhl0RPCU/s400/5192850416_3401e40387_b.jpeg" /></a><br><br>
<b>Why do you create? What is it about being creative that makes it something important for you to do?</b><br>
I create because I have no other choice, and I am very bad at any other occupation. Creating is part of my personality and if you remove it from me, I may become a ghost. When I see an image first before doing it on paper, it may be a torture for me to be unable to transfer it on the visible area.<br><br>
<b>You have said that you like ‘to create drawings slowly disappearing from the spectator’s eyes’. Where did your interest in such soft, delicate, light imagery come from, and how has your art developed over the years to incorporate it?</b><br>
I think this special taste came from my love for vintage photographs. You know, these fleeting sepia portraits, this little pigmentation on the old paper, the strange sweet light which seems to erase the shapes. And, as the things I see with my inner eyes come from the realm of the indistinct or hardly seen, when I want to render them on the paper, I try to make them light, so in many of my drawings there are pale colors or elements becoming transparent between the rest of the image.<br><br>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAj5fvcnmTE/T-o9p_hA4vI/AAAAAAAABi8/-2RPop_E2MQ/s1600/6910532897_a701014c72_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="199" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAj5fvcnmTE/T-o9p_hA4vI/AAAAAAAABi8/-2RPop_E2MQ/s400/6910532897_a701014c72_o.jpeg" /></a><br><br>
<b>You work a lot with graphite and coloured pencils, and also with mixed media on paper or fabric. What is it about these mediums that you enjoy? How do you create your images?</b><br>
I love working on paper because its texture often inspires me by itself, this white and free space makes me able to almost literally “see” the contours of the image to be done. I first begin with graphite pencil, the oval of the face or the main shape of my figure and when this is placed on my paper, I merely distinguish the rest of the lines appearing, then the colors and details slowly emerge before my eyes and my hand only have to follow it.<br><br>
<b>Your work very often depicts women, and female life, bodies, and souls. What is it about femininity that draws you to capture its many guises within your work?</b><br>
Women are the part of human beings I better know, as I am myself a woman! I know how it is in my body, the effect it has on my soul, the mystery and wonder about it. I love the way some women I meet in my imagination can be far from the modern stereotypes, I too love when they are undoubtedly feminine, with all the female traits, and also when they are rougher or threatening and I try to depict them as I saw them in my mind. For me there is not only one image of the woman, I love the multiplicity of the possible beauties or strangeness, and I enjoy trying to explore this. For me women are the multiple, the diverse, the possibility for the human world to be better connected to the Earth and its life, to respect it better and to feel the sacred materiality of the planet in a daily life. Our soul within our body carries so much complexity, that I could be inspired by it all my life, I think.<br><br>
<b>You work spontaneously without sketching or taking notes. Are the ideas already formed in your head before you sit down to draw?</b><br>
Most of the time yes, the drawing is already in my mind; this is not an idea, this is an image existing in its totality. I often see them when I am near to fall into sleep, or the morning, when I am at the frontier between sleep and waking. I don’t think the images are born in my head, this place is just the place for me to collect them awaiting the moment to make them visible. I imagine they come from far, they were perhaps already in the head of someone else before I was able to catch them and draw?<br><br>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l654VzRSOUs/T-o9qEFwTrI/AAAAAAAABjI/T5Mx4Vch9mQ/s1600/La%2Bre%25CC%2581colte%2Bd%2527oraisons%2BCendrine%2BRovini%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="298" width="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l654VzRSOUs/T-o9qEFwTrI/AAAAAAAABjI/T5Mx4Vch9mQ/s400/La%2Bre%25CC%2581colte%2Bd%2527oraisons%2BCendrine%2BRovini%2B2.JPG" /></a><br><br>
<b>You have recently been exhibiting work in the UK at the Duckett & Jeffrey’s gallery. I understand that this work is collaborative, with each piece being passed between you in France and another artist in the UK. Could you tell us a little about this, and the !process of working jointly on art pieces with another artist? Did you enjoy the process, and the outcomes?</b><br>
This show ended last 31st of March at the Duckett & Jeffreys Gallery in Malton (UK), it was named The Spirit of Two and it presented a body of collaborative pieces with the English artist Chris Czainski. We worked about the inner initiatic path, when we are in front of a personal ordeal and the way we can know ourselves better and find new resources during such moments. We began the common works and sent them to each other so we can complete them; it was big format mixed medias on fabric, with dark felt, threads, beads, and graphite… I enjoyed working on this project because, even if our styles are different, we were like in the same undercurrent of imagination, everything was easy and natural between Chris’ work and mine.<br><br>
<b>What sort of aesthetic things do you like; for example where do you work from, and what images/artefacts keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work?</b><br>
I love being surrounded by beautiful things, art or objects of the usual life, and I pay attention to the quality of the light, by day or by night, it may inspire me or place me in a peculiar mood for beginning my work. During the day, I enjoy my studio because my table of work is just in front of the window and I can see the garden, the river flowing and the streets of the city, at night I love the intimacy of the lonely light focusing on my paper and contrasting with the darkness of the rest of the room, I feel like I am in a bubble of warmth, isolated in there from the rest of the world with my nascent image. I need the near presence of the letters and gifts of my friends, artists, and of my art books.<br><br>
<b>How do you manage your time in order to devote as much time as you’d like to your art?</b><br>
When my children are not at home with me, I can spend my time creating without any interruption, but even like that I need to go away from my work table several times a day, I take a break, I make myself some tea, I spend some time on the computer, I read or cook for the next meal. In a certain way it is part of my work too, all the little daily acts are important for me, they don’t separate me from the inner world. I feel lucky to have the possibility to only work like that.<br><br>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jaQpr1w4OxE/T-o9qXAWZQI/AAAAAAAABjU/nFOXrLFh_OY/s1600/Le%2Bbaiser%2Bdu%2Blait%2Bd%2527oubli%2BCendrine%2BRovini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="291" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jaQpr1w4OxE/T-o9qXAWZQI/AAAAAAAABjU/nFOXrLFh_OY/s400/Le%2Bbaiser%2Bdu%2Blait%2Bd%2527oubli%2BCendrine%2BRovini.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<b>What’s your relationship to confidence, with regards to making and sharing your art?</b><br>
It is something related with one of the preview questions about why I make art. I just make it with my whole heart and sincerity so when I show and share it I hope that people can feel it and if the drawings touch them with heart and simplicity, I feel like the happiest artist in the world.<br><br>
<b>Which contemporary artists and illustrators do you currently like?</b><br>
I have a devotion for Kiki Smith and Anne Siems, I also admire Fay Ku, Sofia Arnold, my friend Jane O’ Sullivan, I love the work by Jana Brike, Balint Zsako, Aron Wiesenfeld, Fuco Ueda, Valérie Belmokhtar, Susan Jamison…<br><br>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7TZ62w62Pw/T-o-FIp71EI/AAAAAAAABjg/gfLO9djjFxo/s1600/Mon%2Bsang%2Bde%25CC%2581sire%2Bton%2Bsang%2BCendrine%2BRovini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="314" width="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7TZ62w62Pw/T-o-FIp71EI/AAAAAAAABjg/gfLO9djjFxo/s400/Mon%2Bsang%2Bde%25CC%2581sire%2Bton%2Bsang%2BCendrine%2BRovini.jpg" /></a><br><br>
<b>What is the art scene like in your native France? Are there any French artists, events, galleries, or projects that particularly excite you right now?</b><br>
A while ago the French art scene was mostly focused on conceptual work, and it was difficult to find interesting figurative art too… In the past couple of years, I see emerging a new movement with artists like Julien Salaud, Anaïs Albar, Valérie Belmokhtar, Bertrand Secret, the musician and visual artist Kinrisu, and the presence of young art galleries like Arsenic Gallery or Da-End Gallery in Paris (and I am happy to have had my first solo show in this beautiful and inspiring place). I love to see how imagination is at the centre of this creative scenery, how intuition and sensitivity within an intriguing sense of animality are respected and celebrated.<br><br>
<b>What is your favourite thing about making art?</b><br>
I find it absolutely delightful when I feel the intensity of my desire for an image, for drawing it on the medium, when for example some mornings I am in a hurry for getting up in order to begin soon my work.<br><br>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o4fSFvRRR2U/T-o9plTqJ9I/AAAAAAAABiw/ns8oKRLPHAo/s1600/5740450380_43a26c04ee_b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o4fSFvRRR2U/T-o9plTqJ9I/AAAAAAAABiw/ns8oKRLPHAo/s400/5740450380_43a26c04ee_b.jpeg" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-3967091512270308852011-11-25T23:11:00.018+00:002011-11-25T23:39:18.370+00:00Interview with The Strumpet ladiesThis interview with some of the ladies from <a href="http://www.strumpetcomic.com/">The Strumpet</a> (Ellen Lindner, Jeremy Day, Mardou, Megan Kelso, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg, Kripa Joshi, Patrice Aggs, and Tanya Meditzky) first appeared on <a href="http://pikaland.com/2011/10/26/artists-interview-the-strumpet">Pikaland</a> in October 2011.<br />The Kickstarter campaign mentioned in the interview was successfully funded and copies of the comic are now on sale.<br /><br />/////<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INN8I8tMtfg/TtAjSnfkr9I/AAAAAAAABRo/_KLxAi1KzGU/s1600/Front%2Bcover%2Bby%2BEllen%2BLindner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INN8I8tMtfg/TtAjSnfkr9I/AAAAAAAABRo/_KLxAi1KzGU/s400/Front%2Bcover%2Bby%2BEllen%2BLindner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679077932860223442" /></a><em>Cover of The Strumpet by Ellen Lindner</em><br /><br />The Strumpet is a new comic anthology from the ladies behind the Whores Of Mensa comics (which were published in the UK between 2004-2010). The Strumpet brings together a brilliant team of female comics artists from the UK and USA, to produce a transatlantic collaborative publication containing eclectic illustrative and comics styles and techniques, and unique stories around the theme of ‘Dress-Up’.<br /><br />With <a href="http://www.littlewhitebird.com/">Ellen Lindner</a> (UK) and <a href="http://jeremyday.org.uk/">Jeremy Day</a> (UK) at the helm as co-editors, The Strumpet is due to have contributions (amongst others) from <a href="http://mardoucomics.livejournal.com/">Mardou</a> (USA), <a href="http://www.girlhero.com/">Megan Kelso</a> (USA), <a href="http://lisarosalieeisenberg.com/">Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg</a> (USA), <a href="http://www.missmoti.com/Miss_Moti/Welcome.html">Kripa Joshi</a> (UK), <a href="http://www.patriceaggs.com/">Patrice Aggs</a> (UK), and <a href="http://www.milkkitten.com/">Tanya Meditzky</a> (UK).<br /><br />I spoke to these eight women about The Strumpet, their involvement in this first issue, women in comics, and about the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2019502594/the-strumpet-a-transatlantic-flight-of-comics-fanc">Kickstarter campaign</a> that is running to fund the publication of the first issue through a process of pre-ordering.<br /><br /><br />////////////////////////////<br /><br /><strong>Ellen, What prompted the move to relaunch Whore Of Mensa as ‘The Strumpet’, and how do the two projects differ?</strong><br /><br />Ellen: There are two main motivations behind the relaunch of the Strumpet. One is that our mission had changed – instead of publishing three artists on a regular basis, we’d decided to move towards a rotating cast, around the three original stalwarts. We thought this new approach warranted a new identity. Second, we’d had some trouble because part of our old name, Whores of Mensa, is a trademarked term. We wanted to be able to grow without worrying about that.<br /><br /><strong>Where does the title ‘The Strumpet’ come from, and is it just a title, or does it dictate the theme of contributions to the comic?</strong><br /><br />Ellen: The Strumpet came from discussions we had as a group. The acting Whores of Mensa – that would be Mardou, Jeremy Day and I – wanted a name that connoted the same kind of free spirit and sass as Whores of Mensa (WoM), but that had less of a hard edge to it. We also liked the idea of having an avatar of sorts, a figure that embodied the lady-friendly ideals of our comic.<br /><br /><strong>The Strumpet is a cross-Atlantic project, where do you currently call home?</strong><br /><br />Ellen: At the moment I live in London but I’m moving to New York. The Strumpet will be a wholly transatlantic entity – I’m hoping I can bring some cool Americans to the Strumpet’s banquet, while gaining a new audience for the UK cartoonists I’ve come to know and love. Hopefully it means we can promote the comic simultaneously in both places.<br /><br />Patrice: England, though I continue to call myself an American<br /><br />Mardou: St Louis, Missouri though I’m originally from Manchester, England. I married the American cartoonist Ted May, so hot love and comics bought me here.<br /><br />Megan: Seattle, Washington.<br /><br />Jeremy: Home is Oxford, in the UK, where I live with my husband, cats and haphazard garden. It’s a lovely city, especially at this time of year, when it’s filling up with new incomers, students and hopefuls. It reminds me of the first time I came here.<br /><br />Tanya: London, England<br /><br />Lisa: I currently live in Portland, Oregon, US.<br /><br />Kripa: I was born and raised in Nepal, pursued my BFA in India (where I met my husband), then lived in New York for three years while I completed my MFA and now I have been in the UK for three years… so home has been always changing. I guess I have to call UK home right now… it is where I reside… but Nepal will always be home as long as my family is there.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JeAPntH0fAY/TtAjKbNj4aI/AAAAAAAABRc/JUPEoqhaRHo/s1600/Patrice%2BAggs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JeAPntH0fAY/TtAjKbNj4aI/AAAAAAAABRc/JUPEoqhaRHo/s400/Patrice%2BAggs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679077792124494242" /></a><br /><em>Patrice Aggs</em><br /><br /><strong>How did you become involved in The Strumpet?</strong><br /><br />Patrice: Through the indefatigable Ellen Lindner. I’m in awe of her.<br /><br />Tanya: Ellen Lindner invited me to contribute.<br /><br />Megan: Ellen, who is an old friend and comrade of mine from New York invited me to participate.<br /><br />Kripa: Through the great Ellen Lindner! I met her a couple of times during various events and when I saw the Whores of Mensa anthology, I mentioned that I would like to be a part of it. She is a very welcoming and generous person.<br /><br />Lisa: I was tabling at the 2011 Stumptown Comics Fest here in Portland, which is where I met our Fearless Leader of Strumpets Ellen Lindner and her husband Stephen. The three of us got to talking outside the awards ceremony on the first night of the Fest, and the next day we visited one another’s tables. I got her book “Undertow” and she and Stephen picked up the third issue of my comic “I Cut My Hair.” In August Ellen wrote and asked me if I’d be interested in contributing to The Strumpet, and I quickly took her up on the offer. <br /><br /><strong>Mardou and Jeremy, you were original members of the group that created Whores Of Mensa (alongside Lucy Sweet). What are your thoughts on the direction that the idea has now taken with the publication of The Strumpet?</strong><br /><br />Mardou: My original idea was to base WoM on the comic ‘Triple Dare’, who was in that? Tom Hart, James Kochalka, Jon Lewis. I like that they each had 10 pages, so many anthologies around that time contained so many artists with just one or two page strips, they were a little dizzying. Having just myself, Lucy Sweet and Jeremy Day (nee Dennis) gave us a bit more room and we sort of juxtaposed our different styles around a common theme and created something a bit different. I’m still very proud and fond of it. Ellen joining us for the second issue was a dream and as I’ve stepped back from it, to focus on having a kid and working on a graphic novel, Ellen’s surged ahead. I think she’s created something more expansive but it still has that quality which sets it apart. Chic and slightly dirty-minded. Just like Ellen.<br /><br />Jeremy: If Whores of Mensa was Mardou’s brainchild, The Strumpet is Ellen’s; it’s a fantastic idea and I support it fully, but I’m not the best person to talk direction. Ellen’s in the driving seat for this one; I’m in the engine room, spinning dials.<br /><br /><strong>What is your own personal history in making comics? How did you get started, and what sort of things have you created over the years?</strong><br /><br />Patrice: My first ‘comic’ was illustrating the hybrid graphic novel by Philip Pullman, Count Karlstein. Although I’ve contributed short pieces to anthologies and periodicals, my work in comics has mainly been by stealth; whenever I’m asked to do a children’s book, I manage to slip in at least one illustration that includes a speech balloon!<br /><br />Mardou: I started drawing a Tank Girl rip-off when I was 17 but didn’t get too far. A few years later, in my last year of college I discovered Dan Clowes and Peter Bagge’s comics. Dan Clowes had this line in an Eightball comic something like ‘there are beautiful, 22 year old women who would rather read than watch television’, and I loved that and I was 22 at the time, so I sent him my very first comic and he wrote back saying ‘do more comics’. So I did, just kept putting out little books. I did a series called ‘Stiro’ with my friend Fortenski, he wrote it, I drew it, then I did a solo book called ‘Manhole’ which got some Arts Council funding. And with those books I started going to comics shows where I met Lucy and Jeremy and we started ‘Whores of Mensa’. I’m now working on a graphic novel called the ‘Sky in Stereo’, which I’m serializing as a mini-comic. <br /><br />Tanya: In 2002 I was laid up in bed for weeks, I had at the time been trying to work with various people on creative projects, which led nowhere, never came to fruition, etc, so I just started drawing ‘milkkitten’, to entertain myself. The comic world was completely unknown to me, so when Mark from Page 45 [British comic book store] ordered a batch from me at a festival, it encouraged me to think of it as a real ‘comic’ and to continue. <br /><br />Kripa: I started making comics while I was doing my MFA in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts (in New York) as a Fulbright scholar…. so I started quite late! As a part of the course we had to study the History of Comics. I had never thought about making comics before that. I was always interested in story telling, even as a child, but had never ventured into comics. In New York I came to understand the scope of comics and graphic novels… and that it was not just about superheroes. For my thesis I created a character called Miss Moti and made two comics about her called ‘Miss Moti and Cotton Candy’ and ‘Miss Moti and the Big Apple’. I drew inspiration from Little Nemo (by Windsor McCay) and the style of Chris Ware. Since then I have done several Miss Moti comics for anthologies like Rabid Rabbit and Secret Identities (Asian American Superhero Anthology). I have also created illustrations and comics for magazines and NGOs based in South Asia.<br /><br />Jeremy: Like many comics types, I started at school, passing around sarcastic one-panel cartoons drawn in my ancient history workbook during class. When I went up to Oxford in 1989, I found the Comic Book club there (founded by Jenni Scott) and spent the next few years in a dizzy whirl of study by day and comics by night. These were exciting years for the small press; desk top publishing, scanners and printers becoming consumer items and then the internet, like a finally-delivered promise. During all this time I was self-publishing, usually solo comics, but occasionally in the women’s anthologies of the time like Erica Smith’s ‘Girlfrenzy’ or Carol Bennett’s ‘Fanny and Dykes Delight’. My comics were typically short-run mini-comics. Later I moved onto the internet, publishing my first comics online in 1999.<br /><br />Ellen: I got interested in making comics while in secondary school, and after a few false starts actually succeeded in making some at university. I was also lucky enough to go to school in a town with its own comics museum, which was very inspiring (if worrying – Jaime Hernandez’s original art really mystified me, the man never made any mistakes!) My comics ambitions developed further when I went to France as a student – all of a sudden I was in a place where public libraries, bookshops, any place where printed media was sold pushed comics. Cartoonists were like rock stars there, cool guys and girls making wonderful stories on paper. I won a travel grant to extend my stay, a huge privilege – I spent the time it afforded me starting to do an adaptation of Christine de Pizan’s proto-feminist classic, ‘The Book of The City of Ladies’. In terms of making comics, I didn’t ‘get’ all of the processes right away – and I certainly had no idea about how long comics take, or how to develop my skills in an efficient manner. But I stuck with it. After Uni I met a lot of really great cartoonists – I’d moved to New York by then. At every stage I got little crumbs of encouragement that I took to heart, and they gave me the courage to continue. It’s taken a while but I’m now starting to make comics I’m happy with. I’ve done everything from educational comics on the Mayan ballgame to strips for ad agencies and video game companies – not to mention my own personal projects and contributions to great collectives like The Comix Reader.<br /><br />Lisa: The earliest comic I remember making was at age 9. I drew a comic about a superhero named Super Chicken who fights the evil Colonel Sanders and wins. Throughout high school I made a number of bad attempts at Robert Crumb-style autobiographical comics pieces, but I didn’t start to seriously and consistently make and publish comics until I moved out to Portland five years ago. I have loved to draw as long as I can remember, in high school I got into writing, and though I had read comics my whole life I started to read a whole lot more in college. Although I was enjoying the art classes I was taking in college, comics inspired me much more. It seemed like the ideal way for me to draw in the style I wanted, and to tell the stories I wanted to tell. Indirectly, animated cartoons and children’s books led me to comics as well—the character design and energy of the cartoons; the text/drawing combination of children’s books. I moved to Portland knowing that there were a lot of cartoonists who lived here and thinking it would be a good place to get started, but I couldn’t begin to imagine how supportive the community would be. Part of that is the self-publishing/zine culture here: there are zine sections in all the libraries and plenty of book and comics shops that carry self-published material. That gave me a clear path to getting my work out there. I started drawing comics and self-publishing them through the Independent Publishing Resource Center, a non-profit workspace that has photocopiers, supplies, a letterpress, computers…plenty of tools to help you make something. I brought them to stores like Reading Frenzy and Powells, and sold them at shows like Stumptown Comics Fest and the Portland Zine Symposium, eventually travelling to farther-away comics shows in other cities. I met a lot more cartoonists at these shows, at gallery openings, and at drawing nights, and we exchanged work with each other. Through the cartoonists and small-press folks I met I got some of my first opportunities to be published by others, and to do some readings and presentations of my work. As for my work, I got started with autobio. “I Cut My Hair” began as a daily journal comic series, but the most recent issue is one longer story about cross-continental travel. Lately I’ve been working more on some fiction stories (aka thinly veiled autobio!), many of which star this little monster character who lives in a world of little monsters, which are really just stand-ins for people. He is the central character in my story for The Strumpet. This story is also one of a few pieces I’ve done with cats as characters, despite my distaste for them in real life. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3VlmyVqZxpo/TtAjvwacOmI/AAAAAAAABR0/UR0d8VUyQPA/s1600/Tanya%2BMeditzky.tif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3VlmyVqZxpo/TtAjvwacOmI/AAAAAAAABR0/UR0d8VUyQPA/s400/Tanya%2BMeditzky.tif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679078433470823010" /></a><em>Tanya Meditzky</em><br /><br /><strong>What techniques and materials do you typically work with when creating your comics?</strong><br /><br />Lisa: I’m pretty old school when it comes to my comics tools. I usually start with character studies, thumbnailing, and sketching in my hard-bound sketchbook with any old pencil. I draw my final pages on Vellum Bristol board with an HB or 2B pencil, and most recently have been inking with Rapidograph pens. Sometimes I use a wash with watered-down black Higgins Eternal Ink. I do a bit of clean-up in Photoshop to erase smudges and sharpen the blacks, but I’ve been known to use Pro-White to correct mistakes as well. <br /><br />Patrice: The same ones I use when creating anything, a mixture. I once made a one-page comic entirely by etching on copper, doing all the lettering in reverse.<br /><br />Megan: I have tried almost everything over the years, but my favourite inking tool which I’ve been using for the past 5 years or so is a G-nib dip pen. G nibs are Japanese nibs – kind of big and stiff – that a lot of manga artists use.<br /><br />Mardou: Notebooks and pencils for writing, Bristol board, pencils and micron pens to draw with. I usually draw a rough version of my comic and then light-box it onto paper. This story was pretty loose and fast though. I used some old fashioned Zip-a-tone on this story. Old, vintage Zip-a-Tone that had lost its gumminess. Never again….<br /><br />Jeremy: While I love my computer and my graphics tablet, especially for the screaming brights I favour for colour work, my first love is drawing – in dip pen, rollerball, technical pencil or crayon on lovely paper. I’m still working through a pile of fancy paper I scored from a paper chemist friend. It’s a joy to draw on.<br /><br />Tanya: Pencils, tracing paper, pens, ink, now a lightbox, which has changed everything…! I spend most time on the story and then doodle possible characters…<br /><br />Ellen: I use pencils to start (H-3H), and I make a lot of rough drawings inspired by my script. From there I start drawing on big sheets of Bristol board with hard pencils, tightening and refining and lettering. I use a mechanical pencil to finalise the pencil drawings, and then start inking with a combination of small brushes, technical pens and Deleter dip-pens. Then I scan it all into Photoshop and use a Wacom pen tablet to make changes. I add colour and texture, and the comic is ready to go! I’d love to start working digitally but I confess to being a bit flummoxed!<br /><br />Kripa: Initially I used to hand draw the outlines and then scan them into the computer to colour… however, these days I work from start to finish on the computer using Photoshop and my Wacom Tablet.<br /><br /><strong>You have a great back (and current) history in your own published and/or self-published comics. What drew you to being involved in a collective project like this rather than solely focussing on your own solo work?</strong><br /><br />Mardou: Drunken bonding, initially! I do enjoy collaborating but it’s hard now. I have a two-year-old daughter, not much time to draw and a large solo project that’s eclipsing every thing else. But it was awesome to make it into the maiden voyage of ‘the Strumpet’!<br /><br />Lisa: I really like Ellen’s work and I enjoyed the most recent issue of Whores of Mensa, so I considered it an honour to be asked if I’d like to be a part of The Strumpet. It also seemed like a great opportunity to get my work seen by others who had maybe not read my comics before. <br /><br />Megan: Ellen is an old friend, and she has supported me and contributed to my projects in the past, so it felt natural to contribute to hers. When I was working on Artichoke Tales [Megan’s graphic novel, published 2010], especially in the final stages, I said no to a lot of invitations to be in anthologies because I needed to focus on finishing that book. But right now, I’m in a period of transition with my work – I have not yet begun on my next big thing, so I’m trying to say yes to as many small projects as I can.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yymHA-PM-jQ/TtAknWfUl3I/AAAAAAAABSM/uuVIqJRquAc/s1600/Lisa%2BEisenberg%2B%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yymHA-PM-jQ/TtAknWfUl3I/AAAAAAAABSM/uuVIqJRquAc/s400/Lisa%2BEisenberg%2B%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679079388584646514" /></a><em>Lisa Eisenberg</em><br /><br /><strong>Is working and collaborating on others projects something that you enjoy?</strong><br /><br />Tanya: I love it, it’s great to be given a title / theme and have to make something to fit. Having an ‘alien’ prompt takes you out of your comfort zone / rota of ideas a bit. I’ve written a bunch of stories and given them to other people to illustrate, for a similar reason, with really surprising and great results. As the illustrators are more detached from the words I feel the work they produce can sometimes give a fresher perspective on ideas which may have been stewing… It makes the whole process more unpredictable and fun, I find. <br /><br />Patrice: When one gets indecisive or stuck while doing solo work there’s nothing more rejuvenating than collaborating on a fresh project with other people. It’s like a shot in the arm.<br /><br />Jeremy: Working with others, working to a theme, working within a certain character or constraint is something I’ve always enjoyed, however I must confess to having been a poor contributor in the past, often promising much and delivering little, or collapsing in the face of a theme which roughly translates to “the editor must like it”. The difference, I think, with Whores of Mensa (and now The Strumpet) is that it never felt wholly owned (or influenced) by just one individual, more like a collaborative effort, different voices, styles and attitudes working together to create something that was more than just one note, one narrative.<br /><br />Lisa: I do love collaborating—in fact, I would love to be the illustrator for someone’s comic script one day. I also loved that the artists were given lots of freedom to do whatever we wanted as long as it had to do with the theme of “dressing up.” Open-ended parameters like that are really inspiring to me when coming up with story ideas. <br /><br />Kripa: I have always being a part of anthologies and collective projects. I think it is nice when a lot of people are working on a single theme or idea. Making comics can be a lonely pursuit… so it is good to be able to connect with other people. Plus, collective projects are also a challenge… the theme or topic might not have been something I would have thought of myself… so it forces me to think outside the box.<br /><br />Ellen: When I first got to the UK I found Whores of Mensa, the precursor to The Strumpet, at Gosh! [a London-based comics store] It was funny, sexy, and charmingly doolally. I sent Mardou a fan letter and she was kind enough to reply with an invitation to get involved. This was one of the things that saved my sanity during a very lonely time – becoming a part of the WoM crew gave me a very real sense of community. Doing stories with them has always been a lot of fun, and often a needed relief from longer projects like my graphic novel, Undertow. Recently I’ve taken more of a leadership role, as Mardou has taken time off from editorship to have a baby and focus on a graphic memoir. As one of the Head Strumpets, I’m very pleased that I’m able to play a greater role in making this happen. I love doing comics but I also love seeing what other people are doing – seeing a comic grow from an idea to a final piece of art is a very cool process.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FYVaXf0UTpQ/TtAk5jiWZJI/AAAAAAAABSY/2rhS_489UKI/s1600/Kripa%2BJoshi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FYVaXf0UTpQ/TtAk5jiWZJI/AAAAAAAABSY/2rhS_489UKI/s400/Kripa%2BJoshi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679079701324653714" /></a><em>Kripa Joshi</em><br /><br /><strong>Without giving away too much, what sort of work are you contributing to The Strumpet?</strong><br /><br />Patrice: A short gag piece that nevertheless is trying to explore the subtleties of storytelling.<br /><br />Mardou: It’s an 8-page love letter to the Comics Conventions of the British Isles. And to the boys that frequent them.<br /><br />Jeremy: I have been much involved in writing comics about sisters this year, and Project Paper Doll (my strip for The Strumpet) co-stars my younger sister Ellē, with cameos from sisters Vic and George, my two more youngest sisters. It’s a story of when we were teenagers, growing up and much enamoured of dressing up; I suppose you could say it’s a tale of high 80s fashion and disrespectful paganism.<br /><br />Megan: It is a one-page comic that’s kind of about how young people view old people.<br /><br />Lisa: A story that is super-goofy and over-the-top cartoon-y. It features a little (human-like) monster who goes on an adventure with his three cats. At first I was going to do a semi-autobiographical story of teen angst and self-discovery, but then I decided to go the opposite route into silliness territory. I used to draw lots of animals wearing costumes dressed up as other animals, usually to make one of my good friends laugh. This was my main inspiration. <br /><br />Tanya: It’s a story about nostalgia, and the future. A daft idea which considers what people ‘in the future’ might look back on as being important. Also how our ideas of the future are so constrained by our lives at the moment – we plan ‘for the future’ and generally imagine things will carry on much the same; but with an exponentially-increasing population, and finite supply of resources, some things might change drastically… It’s also about dressing up as food. <br /><br />Ellen: I hope that my story is a funny anecdote (about a wardrobe malfunction at my wedding!) that turns out to be a bit deeper. It’s a story about getting to know my husband’s family, which has been a very enriching journey. This story is a celebration of that.<br /><br />Kripa: My comic is called ‘Miss Moti and a Modern Fairytale’ and features my protagonist, Miss Moti. It is a bit different from other Miss Moti comics because it contains a written narrative, unlike the others, which are mostly wordless. I have tried to create a parody between the images and the words.<br /><br /><strong>In self-publishing your comics, how do you find the balance between pursuing your artistic goals and coping with actual cash-flow?<br />Where does Kickstarter come in to this, in the instance of The Strumpet?</strong><br /><br />Ellen: Cash flow in independent comics is a hard-won thing. Most of the infrastructure set up for selling them is expensive – whether it’s the pricey convention table or the hefty commission taken by the shop where you sell on consignment. The internet helps but it’s hard to get visibility outside your core fanbase. Kickstarter helps raise money ‘up front’ but can also help for visibility. It’s a system for taking pre-orders that has nothing to do with how often we publish or what format we publish in – factors that have kept us from using the main comics distribution networks. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFBcZ3MKuLE/TtAldd-rR0I/AAAAAAAABSo/wqUauGF1Voo/s1600/Megan%2BKelso.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFBcZ3MKuLE/TtAldd-rR0I/AAAAAAAABSo/wqUauGF1Voo/s400/Megan%2BKelso.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679080318308140866" /></a><em>Megan Kelso</em><br /><br /><strong>The Strumpet has been billed as a ‘cultural exchange’ between artists from the USA and the UK; ‘uniting two comics scenes long overdue for a love-in.’<br />What is your experience of small press/self-publishing scenes/cultures, and those who support them? What links does your individual illustration and comics work hold to such independent/DIY culture and alternative press communities?</strong><br /><br />Lisa: Well, I think my answer about how I got started in comics speaks to this quite a bit. As a cartoonist I owe so much to the minicomic/zine/alternative and small press scene, specifically as it exists in Portland. These communities have given me direction, they have provided me a place to have my work seen, and have been a great way for me to meet other cartoonists. Not to mention the fact that when I’m at a zine show or a small press-focused comics show, I get so inspired by the work on display and the output of other artists. <br /><br />Mardou: Starting ‘Whores of Mensa’ back in 2004, was largely about creating a community, as far as I was concerned. I was living in Devon (UK), didn’t know any other cartoonists, period. Through my mini-comics and doing a tiny zine-fest in Exeter, I met the founders of Ladyfest Bristol. It was an amazing, cultural experience for me and I found my friends and collaborators through that event. Ellen found us through doing the WoM comic, she wrote us a fan letter and we invited her in. I’ve since moved to America but mini-comics were the cipher! Mini-comics have changed my world, really! It blows my mind when I think about it! Just doing these scrappy little books for the past ten years. Who knew?!<br /><br />Patrice: I confess I’ve not much experience of small press and have never self-published. I’m very interested in pushing the boundaries within established publishers, and haranguing them to become more experimental. But the only way to get them to wake up is to get more and more independent projects out there.<br /><br />Kripa: I have self-published my two Miss Moti books and have been selling them in various comic conventions in the USA and UK. Having studied in New York, it was much easier for me to get into the comic scene there. When I had to move to the UK, I was quite isolated since I didn’t know anyone. I used to believe that London was not as vibrant as New York. However, having got to know more comic creators and enthusiasts, I have realised that that is not the case. The self-publishing community is pretty supportive and welcoming of newcomers. Besides my own self-publications, I have also been a part of small-press anthologies. I have contributed to several issues of Rabid Rabbit, an anthology started by the alumni of School of Visual Arts. I am also very happy to be a part of Strumpet, especially since it is transatlantic, kind of like my life since the past six years!<br /><br />Megan: When I started doing comics, it was in the context of a zine community I was part of in the early nineties – people I knew in college, and then a whole network of people I met through self publishing my own work. In that community there was an ethic of contributing work to other people’s publications. I have been pretty self-focussed in the last 10 years and have grown to miss the participatory aspect of doing comics and self-publishing. It’s good to see people like Ellen carrying on the work of small press and self-publishing, and it feels nice to be a small part of it.<br /><br />Ellen: I’ve been lucky enough to have spent three years in the New York comics scene back when just being enthusiastic about comics was enough to enable you to meet masters in the field, and to be welcomed by them as a friend. I was always a cartoonist first and an illustrator second, and those people showed me how they made that work. I also feel fortunate that, over time, I’ve made so many amazing friends on the UK comics scene. For me, the fact that I’m involved in a comic project like The Strumpet that could potentially draw these people together (no pun intended!) is a dream come true.<br /><br />Jeremy: I think that one of the best things about the small press and self-publishing scene is that by its very nature there is not one dominant culture, but rather a rich and vibrant environment of smaller circles and friend-groups, each independently evolving and changing, sometimes co-operating, sometimes competing, but always brilliantly varied. One of the things I’m looking forward to about The Strumpet is the opportunity to investigate new groups, circles and individuals, as it has been my experience that the more you look, the more you find; and I am quite convinced that I will never run out of new brilliant women comics creators to discover.<br /><br />Tanya: There’s an amazingly supportive and friendly comics community in London. A bunch of hugely talented and lovely people, many of whom are very open to collaboration. There are a lot of anthologies around, a lot of meetings, so people are very keen to group together, share ideas, and collectively make things happen. I guess we’re all sort of in it, but also on the edge, dipping in and getting involved with bigger things and then buckling down and making your own work.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsfJB3GX9-4/TtAltDhqtgI/AAAAAAAABSw/HxLOMmzYWNI/s1600/Jeremy%2BDay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 349px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsfJB3GX9-4/TtAltDhqtgI/AAAAAAAABSw/HxLOMmzYWNI/s400/Jeremy%2BDay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679080586085053954" /></a><em>Jeremy Day</em><br /><br /><strong>Ellen was recently quoted, responding to an interview question about the supposed “male comics industry”. She replied: ‘<em>In my experience comics is as ‘male-dominated’ as you want it to be. Unlike in film, where female directors are genuinely held back by the film industry’s lack of willingness to fund their projects, alternative comics – which is the ‘comics industry’ I’m in – is largely a DIY affair. If you can’t find a publisher, you self-publish. The Man can’t keep you from drawing – only you can. I worry that because the general notion about comics is that it’s a ‘male-dominated’ industry it blinkers people to the good work actual women are doing in the actual comics industry all the time.</em>’ To what degree is what Ellen says true to your experience?</strong><br /><br />Lisa: I do agree with Ellen. I’ve never felt a barrier to publishing because of my gender. Of course mainstream comics is a different story, and I’ve seen situations where female cartoonists maybe don’t get as much credit as male ones, but so far in the alternative comics community I’ve felt pretty well supported as a female. <br /><br />Jeremy: In my experience, your own projects are as male-dominated as you want them to be (and several of my main collaborators, and indeed comic book characters have been men, over the years), but if you go totting up names and contributors there was — probably still is — a male bias, even in the most alternative areas of the comics world. In the late 90s there was also a big fashion for publishing offensive sexist drivel under the banner of “airing opinions” or “raising debate” which lead to a lot of talented women leaving the comics scene partially or wholly. I’m glad to say that there have been some improvements since then, however the unedited world of the small/alternative press is prone to this style of idiocy, and it may yet resurge.<br /><br />Kripa: I think the notion that the comic industry is male dominated is probably due to a few genres… like the superhero comics. In graphic novels, I think it is a much more open playing field. In the past few years, there have been more and more comics published that have been created by women, like Kari by Amruta Patil, India’s first female writer-graphic novelist.<br /><br /><strong>Do you think that there is a freedom, a power, and potentially fewer barriers to our creativity and opportunity due to the Do-It-Yourself and Do-It-Together nature of the self-publishing industry?</strong><br /><br />Tanya: Yes I agree. It’s easy to come up with excuses for one’s own self-censorship, or lack of output, but there are so many outlets and possibilities with comics, it’s just a matter of doing it; you can write and draw whatever interests you, and someone, somewhere will be into it.<br /><br />Megan: Well, there is definitely freedom in self-publishing. I think doing it yourself is a perfect way to start out with an artistic career, and its important to keep it as an ongoing component of how you work, because that absolute freedom is how you find and hold on to your artistic voice. Commercial jobs, where you are trying to fulfill someone else’s vision can make it harder to recognize your own voice when you turn back to your own work. That said, we all need to eat and want to make some money from our work, so like all things in life, it’s a balancing act between art and commerce.<br /><br />Kripa: I do think that self-publishing gives people the opportunity to publish and showcase their work which otherwise might have lived only in the creators minds. If you can’t find a publisher, or are not confident enough to do so, then DIY comics gives you the possibility to share your work with the world and get feedback. One of the best experience of self-publishing has been getting in touch with the people who buy my comic. I think in self-publishing there are fewer barriers, not just to our creativity, but also with our customers.<br /><br />Patrice: Do-it-yourself is far duller than do-it-together. We need to champion each other. Drag the male-dominated blinkered attitude into the dustbin.<br /><br />Mardou: Yeah, there’s a freedom but I also find self-publishing a massive pain in the arse and would rather someone else do all the printer/distro stuff for me. It’s a lot of work, I don’t enjoy it.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQfIZ6sdrxs/TtAmDf3fAnI/AAAAAAAABS8/VlLUpNOfnwM/s1600/Lisa%2BEisenberg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQfIZ6sdrxs/TtAmDf3fAnI/AAAAAAAABS8/VlLUpNOfnwM/s400/Lisa%2BEisenberg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679080971649876594" /></a><em>Lisa Eisenberg</em><br /><br /><strong>At a recent panel discussion entitled ‘Women In Comics’ that I was at, the female creators and academics presenting mentioned that they would be pleased if, in the future, there was no longer a need for an exclusive ‘women in comics’ panel to exist, due to it becoming more and more commonplace and less of an anomaly to find successful female creators, audiences, and writers within the comics field – thus providing less requirement for a separate gendered discussion of comics. I guess such a comment could also be levelled at the “need” for an anthology such as The Strumpet to be created; an anthology which only collects together the work of women. Whilst this liberal attitude is understandable to a degree, I believe it is still important for women’s comics work to be celebrated, critically explored, and highlighted for what it is, as I think it’s important to emphasize the unique and often challenging work that women are making (and often making together) and to actually see how women are acting as cultural producers in the present and actualising their autonomy in ways that are meaningful to them. Plus, it highlights a belief in women, and the fact that women’s stories are worth telling, and worth hearing. Also, as we know, there are ever increasing numbers of amazing women comics makers out there who are further challenging and diversifying the historical framework of comics not only by what they are creating, but also through how their creations are introducing and encouraging an excited and exciting band of female creators across the world to produce comics and art themselves, perhaps by helping to demystifying the process of comics production to other women and girls. For myself I know that it’s often different when you can see a woman, or a group of women doing something amazing, it helps to shape and situate my own sense of what I too could achieve.<br /><br />What is your personal motivation for being part of The Strumpet, a comics anthology containing only the work of women? And what are your thoughts on the “need” for such collections of women’s work to continue to be produced in 2011?</strong><br /><br />Jeremy: Having suffered through many a Women in Comics panel myself, I understand the reservations. It is definitely the case that women creators, writers, artists, critics and fans are now more prominent in the world of comics than ever. I want a world where the presence of a woman in a comic shop, convention market hall or prominent mainstream comic is such a commonplace that it doesn’t even merit a mention, but I feel we have a way to go. Women are still a minority in many parts of the industry and wholly excluded from others; there is still prejudice, overt and covert. But perhaps we are now at a point in time where we can move from “Women in Comics”, which always diverts the argument into well-trodden arguments about the sexist representation of women in comics, to the more inclusive and active “Women and Comics”. When I was new to the comics scene, most anthologies were de facto almost all/all-male anthologies. Many still are. Anthologies are crucial in nurturing and building the talents of comics artists, in building comics community and in raising the profile of new creators. While there are now more seats open for women, they are still underrepresented, particularly among comics writers. A women’s anthology, particularly one with a remit to seek out new creators and mix up different comics scenes, has a valuable role to play. Or, to put it another way: it’s not time to give up now, not when we’re finally getting somewhere. Different groups of people have different stories to tell, and different stories that they need to tell. The times over the years when I have been in women’s anthologies (and this is also true of gay anthologies) have allowed me the freedom to let out the stories that I have often felt pressured to repress as inappropriate for the public sphere, as too small, too trivial, and not of public interest; as well as the freedom to subvert or divert those ideas of appropriate female narrative and proper feminine behaviour which still have a strong effect in a mixed environment. <br /><br />Ellen: Believe me, I’ve asked myself this question a million times. I grew up identifying very strongly as a feminist, so that’s a big part of it. I believe that women need to be acknowledged for their gifts and given a voice in society, and I think it’s worth asking – is this happening in comics? To answer this question for myself, I did a tally of books published by three major indie publishers in the UK. The results were pretty rubbish, in terms of women’s representation in their catalogues. Such a poor percentage of the work they were publishing is by women. Obviously, this is a complicated issue. But just to be on the safe side, printing work by women will always be a priority for me. Plus, knowing that your editor is a woman (or a team of women) changes the dynamic, regardless of what gender the contributors are. If the Strumpet can offer a sympathetic place for women to publish their stories, I think that’s a contribution. <br /><br />Megan: When I was younger, I had kind of a chip on my shoulder about the whole “Women in Comics” thing – as a panel topic at conventions, or a question in interviews, or an organizing principle for comics anthologies. I wanted to be evaluated as an artist, not as a woman artist. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve kind of relaxed my vigilance about this. I have always considered myself a feminist and always will, and as such, I am genuinely interested in questions of gender and power, and so to not participate in the panels or questions that come up about those issues just seems obtuse to me. Also, while the numbers of female cartoonists are growing, comics itself, or rather the art/alternative comics world that we are speaking of, is still quite small and marginalized from a cultural standpoint. So we are still talking about a small group of women doing this work – and there are clear commonalities to a lot of their work. It seems perfectly natural to me that they would want to work together, or that their work would be considered somewhat collectively. And while I’m on the topic of collectivity, it just seems like a lot of women derive a sense of strength and satisfaction and inspiration from working together, so why not celebrate that?<br /><br />Patrice: To be rather pragmatic about it all, yes, it’s a pity one has to shove women into a separate box, but hey, if it gets the work noticed, that’s fine. And if we have to play the ‘gender card’ in 2011, it’s worth it if it helps a new generation of women to ease their way into a world where the separate boxes won’t be needed anymore. <br /><br />Kripa: The Strumpet is the first women’s only anthology that I have been a part of. I don’t think it was important for me that it was an only female comic… and I would have been okay had it been mixed gender as well. However, I do think it is great to have such an anthology. I think it has created a really nice, supportive community… somehow being in The Strumpet has felt different from being in other anthologies. An all women anthology may also be less daunting and encourage more women to create comics. Plus, such an anthology might make it possible to tackle themes that are more relevant for women. So I hope it will continue for a long time yet!<br /><br />Mardou: As much as I balk from being pigeon-holed as a ‘woman artist’ I think there still is a place for women’s-only anthologies such as ours. The majority of women, and we’re talking Western women here, have enjoyed freedom of artistic expression for such a short time historically, not to mention, sexual reproductive rights and suffrage. Less than a century. My work itself is not political but I’m most definitely a feminist and working with other women artists is something I greatly value. And let’s face it, the general reading population is largely unaware of comics, let alone some of the brilliant women making them. So yeah, I think making an all-women comics anthology is totally valid.<br /><br />Tanya: To me, my motivation isn’t in the women’s only aspect of the Strumpet, it’s more about the people involved, and Ellen is the motivating factor for me. I understand the need to promote women in comics but I’m not sure that women-only projects are the way to do it… Not sure. It’s a tricky one, I’ll mull this over… I think that women might be constraining themselves, and it could be that their own emphasis on ‘being a woman’ might restrict them, or put people off, who would otherwise be perfectly willing to accept them. If that makes sense? It depends how they identify themselves – as a person, as a woman, as someone with a story to tell. If all that’s special about you is – you’re a woman – well, there are lots of other women around… Give me more! In terms of inspiring other women, I do feel that women producing interesting work, challenging themselves, having autonomy and following their own ideas is really important, and it does really help me to see strong women doing things that they want to do, seemingly fearlessly.<br /><br />Jeremy: My personal motivation is also my need; my need to explore and discover new creators, to create an open space where quiet voices can be heard, and to work with other women to create something new and beautiful.<br /><br />Megan: I don’t think it is a “need” –I think it is a desire. I think a group of women working together to produce something like the Strumpet is a feminist stance, especially with a theme that resonates for the female creators themselves. I have been asked to contribute to anthologies with stereotypical “boy” themes where I have really struggled with what to draw or say. With dress-up, it came pouring out of me. I don’t know, I think its OK that boys and girls are different, as long as we understand that it’s a spectrum, and that it must include trans and queer understandings of boy/girl too. And as for the larger comics reading audience, that includes men and women, straight and gay, they are just looking for good comics I think, and whether it is an all female production or not is probably less relevant to them than is it good work?<br /><br />Lisa: I don’t think it’s as much a question about striving to get to a point where we don’t “need” women’s comics panels/collections/spaces etc. but about the “need” changing. I don’t want there to be a need for these things because female cartoonists aren’t getting the credit and opportunities that they deserve and thus the work of female cartoonists is less commonplace. I do, however, think that even as female cartoonists are less of an “anomaly” there will always be a need for a collection like The Strumpet as a celebration of female voices. As a female cartoonist that’s something I’m interested in seeing. I’m proud to be a woman in comics and I like seeing what my female colleagues are producing. Also, I think that, like racism, sexism is something that will never be totally eradicated—the way we fight it is through constant re-examination and challenging ourselves as a society or, in this case, as a global comics community. Even if things are better for women in comics than they were, say, 30 years ago, we need to keep checking in with each other— i.e. things may be “better” in certain ways but what’s the situation now for female cartoonists? What needs to be worked on? What needs to be addressed?<br /><br /><strong>Ellen, How important to you, as the editor of The Strumpet is the idea of collaborative/collective projects; the idea of a (womens?) comics ‘community’; and, being able to work with and meet such peers through projects like this?</strong><br /><br />Ellen: Very important. Art is a social endeavour – anyone who thinks they can get ahead only by slaving away in their garret is, except in very rare cases, kidding themselves. Comics projects by and for women will keep more women engaged in comics. I’m so happy that the Strumpet can be a place where women can get together and swap stories.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVl3YKZ-mHE/TtAmXKkXKZI/AAAAAAAABTI/RMd7PjdlWY4/s1600/Mardou.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVl3YKZ-mHE/TtAmXKkXKZI/AAAAAAAABTI/RMd7PjdlWY4/s400/Mardou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679081309529909650" /></a><em>Mardou</em><br /><br /><strong>I am very interested in how and where women gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief — especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create what they do. Confidence is such a slippery fish. A lot of people struggle with knowing that they’re ‘good enough’ to create or make their own comics, and are left unable to access their creative and artistic talents. What is your personal relationship with confidence and its effects to your ability to create?</strong><br /><br />Kripa: Funnily enough, the creation of Miss Moti was due to my struggles with self-confidence, especially when it came to the issue of being over-weight. I wanted to create a character that would do extraordinary things in spite of being ordinary. I still suffer from lack of confidence, much to the frustration of my family, who strongly believe in me and Miss Moti. I think it is essential to have a good supportive network, made up of family, friend and fellow professionals. The irony is, sometimes the very fact that people like your work can be intimidating, because you are afraid of not living up to the expectation! I have generally found that inhibitions restrict me from taking initiatives, but if a project or a challenge is offered to me, then I rise to meet it.<br /><br />Mardou: I still struggle with it. I’m married to an artist I hugely admire, who’s way better at drawing than me and has 10 more years or so of comics-making experience than I do. And he still suffers from confidence crises! So I don’t think you ever get there. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe that stops an arrogant or formulaic note from creeping into your work? I dunno. Ultimately, comparing yourself to others is not helpful and you just have to keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully you’re on the right track.<br /><br />Lisa: Oh boy, this is one I’m always struggling with! I am constantly working to boost my own confidence as a cartoonist (and I must say that I know there are ways this is tied to being a female in this society, modesty being valued, etc.). After I’ve finished a comic it’s very hard for me to look at it for a long time…all I can see are the flaws. I often worry that my work looks amateurish, that I’ll never meet my goals as a cartoonist, that I’m just not “good enough.” But when I struggle with thoughts like these I battle them with good old rational thinking! (Which is, actually, quite helpful). For example, my friend and studio-mate Sarah Oleksyk once told me that no matter what, no one can make the kind of comics I make the way I can, the way you can, the way any one cartoonist can. I remind myself that if I want to improve the only way to do that is just to keep working so I have to not allow myself to get discouraged. Also lately I’ve been reminding myself that the more I learn, the more I will recognize how much I need to learn. Increased scrutiny is just a part of getting better at my craft. <br /><br />Ellen: I have a vexed relationship with the issue of confidence. As an adult I’ve never lacked the confidence to do my work, but there’s something about getting it out in the world that can be really unnerving – I get mini-flashbacks to being bullied at school, and I worry that I’m still a scared teenager inside. I think this will always be a failing of mine, but oddly, when it comes to the Strumpet, I’m willing to take risks in terms of promotion that I won’t take with my own work. Knowing that I have a bunch of artists depending on me and my co-editor, Jeremy, gives me power to do things I wouldn’t normally do – things which I then realise aren’t so scary. Again, no one’s perfect, and everyone has their own approach – but I’ve learned lessons with The Strumpet that have given me the confidence to push myself harder in my own work. <br /><br />Jeremy: My misery, insecurity, crippling self-doubt is a crucial driver of my art. The difficult stories to tell are the valuable ones to explore. Telling them lets the anxiety express and create something powerful and beautiful out of the darkness and pain. That said, I have been through long periods of being unable to work, or of working only at the most minimal levels.<br /><br />Patrice: Confidence (by this I mean of course the lack of it) is a problem for young people. I’m 59 years old. If I don’t know what I’m up to by now it’s too late.<br /><br />Tanya: Confidence is difficult for a lot of people. And it affects so much. Working with others really helps, as encouragement can be like a lifeline. But really, you have to just get on and do the things you want to do and not worry too much what anyone else thinks. Everyone has a unique voice, and only you can express this. Or it won’t be expressed. It’s just pragmatic. <br />Creativity is boundless, there are probably infinite ways of expressing ideas, some are valued more highly than others, some are more commercial. They may not all have the same impact but it is perfectly reasonable for each to exist, surely? <br /><br />Megan: I struggle, as everybody does with my inner critic. But I think my desire to create and show off what I’ve created eventually trumps the inner critic. I am very grateful that I came of age during a time when the first battles for women to find and express their voices had already been fought. It is up to us to carry on that struggle and refine our voices and fight for a broadening of that freedom for other women who don’t have it yet.<br /><br /><strong>Jeremy, Ellen, as founding member of the original Whores Of Mensa anthologies, would you recommend to others taking on projects, or creating an anthology that unites so many creative friends and folk together like this? And, what would your advice be to those wanting to take on a similar project, or any comics project for that matter?</strong><br /><br />Jeremy: Plan, set deadlines, keep in touch and never lose sight of your own stories.<br /><br />Ellen: Give your artists time. Foster a relationship with them. Answer some basic questions before you begin – why should anyone work for you? And what can you do for your artists? Be honest with yourself about how long a process is involved – comics stories need time to develop. And don’t be afraid to DIY – I’ve made some horrible mistakes as an artist and as an editor, and I’ve learned a lot from them. My mom says, ‘Progress not perfection’. This maxim goes double when you’re talking about a group project. You can’t be perfect, but do your best.<br /><br />////////////////////////////<br /><br />You can visit their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2019502594/the-strumpet-a-transatlantic-flight-of-comics-fanc">Kickstarter page</a> to pre-order a copy of the comic!<br /><br />Strumpet Issue 1 will début at this year’s Thought Bubble Festival, 19-20 November in Leeds, UK. There will also be a launch night for the comic on 24th of November at the Miller pub in London Bridge.<br /><br />To keep up with the team, visit <a href="http://strumpetcomic.blogspot.com/">The Strumpet blog</a> for updates!<br /><br />////////////////////////////<br /><br />Ellen Lindner – www.littlewhitebird.com<br />Jeremy Day – jeremyday.org.uk<br />Kripa Joshi – www.missmoti.com<br />Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg – www.lisarosalieeisenberg.com<br />Mardou – www.mardouville.com<br />Megan Kelso – www.girlhero.com<br />Patrice Aggs – www.patriceaggs.com<br />Tanya Meditzky – www.milkkitten.com<br /><br />Other artists involved with The Strumpet include Lucy Sweet, and Emily Ryan Lerner.<br /><br />OTHER LINKS:<br /><br />Lisa works at Tranquility Base (a studio of 7 cartoonists, writers, and illustrators) who blog at <a href="http://tranquilitybase.tumblr.com/">tranquilitybase.tumblr.com.</a> <br /><br />Ellen is involved with <a href="http://www.comicafestival.com/index.php/festival/program11/">Comica Festival</a>, a London-wide comics festival stretching over the month of November, curated by Paul Gravett.Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-58318742105654303952011-05-14T13:00:00.005+01:002011-05-14T13:09:56.671+01:00Sarah Guindon interviewThis interview first appeared on the <a href="http://pikaland.com/2011/03/31/artist-interview-sara-guindon">Pikaland</a> website in March 2011<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OTKSxp6WT38/Tc5wG20fyYI/AAAAAAAABIM/JEp1_ItVcuM/s1600/helper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OTKSxp6WT38/Tc5wG20fyYI/AAAAAAAABIM/JEp1_ItVcuM/s400/helper.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606541849220073858" /></a><br /><br /><strong><a href="saraguindon.com">Sara Guindon</a> (USA) is an amazing illustrator, animator, paper-puppet maker, and one half of the creative duo Pin Pals (alongside Samantha Purdy).</strong><br /><br />Blog: missguindon.blogspot.com<br />Website: saraguindon.com<br />Pinpals Blog: thepinpals.typepad.com/<br />Shop: etsy.com/shop/thepinpals<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne2CI0hAkns/Tc5wHITkn2I/AAAAAAAABIU/IUTts7uIMxM/s1600/midnightpie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne2CI0hAkns/Tc5wHITkn2I/AAAAAAAABIU/IUTts7uIMxM/s400/midnightpie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606541853913816930" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Hi Sara, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?</strong><br />Hey! I’m doing well. I’m typing my answers in a really good neighbourhood coffee shop. At home I’m working on some rough illustrations for a children’s book about a loon. <br /><br /><strong>How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?</strong><br />When I was little I used to sit outside my mom’s aerobic classes at the Y with a big shoe box of markers and lose myself doodling. I was always a big daydreamer and liked to make up stories and draw them out. My mother draws and encouraged me from a young age so it’s always been something I was interested in.<br /><br /><strong>How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</strong><br />Throughout art school I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with myself. I stopped drawing all together and became more interested in contemporary art and design. In my last year I started drawing more and that is probably when I really started drawing the way I do now, in around 2004. <br /><br /><strong>Your current exhibition, Nightcap, is soon to come to a close at the Assemble Gallery in Seattle. The show pieces looked so great! How has the exhibition been?</strong><br />Nightcap was a lot of fun! I really wish that I could have gone to Seattle for the opening. It was exciting to show my work so far away in the USA and the ladies at Assemble are the bee’s knees.<br /><br /><strong>I read that a lot of the ‘Nightcap’ exhibited work is ‘a collection of collaged drawings depicting loners, drifters & night owls experiencing silent intimacy with one another or with the artificially lit world that surrounds them’, and I got to thinking, does such work mimic the life of you as an artist? Is art creation for you a process of solitary or lonely pursuit?</strong><br />Around the time of my show at Assemble I was going through a particularly lonely time. We had just moved to Denver and we were adjusting to a new city where we didn’t know a soul. I was feeling displaced and especially shy. On top of that, I went from working in a studio with others to working from home. That circumstance may have contributed to my description of the show. A lot of the settings and imagery I use are from my past. The first memories that come to mind right now are a lot of waiting around in donut shops and bus stations when I was younger. I like those places where you can be surrounded by people and still be alone, I find it really comforting. I guess you can apply that thought to most situations in life but certain places bring that feeling out for me more than others. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J2btWvP56HQ/Tc5wkAUOqjI/AAAAAAAABI0/GcyorLkxkXQ/s1600/1HAPPYHOUR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 319px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J2btWvP56HQ/Tc5wkAUOqjI/AAAAAAAABI0/GcyorLkxkXQ/s400/1HAPPYHOUR.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606542349985294898" /></a><br /><br /><strong>You regularly use collage and mixed media within your work, and I read somewhere that a large portion of your time is spent drawing, painting, cutting-up illustrations and putting them back together again. What is it about these techniques and mediums that most suits you? Do you love the process of working in these mediums? What stages, from start-to-finish does a typical piece of your work go through, and over what time frame?</strong><br />I like a lot of ephemeral things like comics, food packaging and the mascots and cartoons on its labels, and I like the fragility of paper. Watercolour and gouache suit me because they’re light and seemingly less permanent than acrylics, like stains that fade. My process is kind of random and I have a really hard time planning a piece exactly. I need to draw little bits and see them placed together first. I often spend a long time on drawing parts that don’t end up working out, so I have a box of random heads, wheels, shoes and other silly things. I like my process, I’m not always sure what I’m going to get in the end, but I enjoy watching a piece come to life. It’s hard to say how long it takes me because I’ll work on a few pieces at a time, some take too long and some are not so bad.<br /><br /><strong>I’ve always wondered about collage and mixed media… do you find that working in this way frees you up from certain pressures of perfection over the piece as a whole, since you can cut away and re-add or reposition aspects of the work before it is complete, in a way that is not possible when working in alternative mediums, such as straight canvas work? Do such elements of experimentation and reduced demands for immediate perfection suit you well as a person and as an artist? I know for sure that for me, being faced with a blank canvas to ‘get right’ first time would prevent me from feeling creative at all.</strong><br />I definitely find it easier. I need to be relaxed when I’m drawing, if I’m feeling hesitant or uptight things get all stiff and it doesn’t look right. Whenever I work on a piece as a whole, as one flat drawing, it seems to lose something. I also like that when working with smaller parts each piece has my full attention. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5u95tdfbjtM/Tc5wkBWKtyI/AAAAAAAABI8/iMuzRhVJD1E/s1600/1LATEBUS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5u95tdfbjtM/Tc5wkBWKtyI/AAAAAAAABI8/iMuzRhVJD1E/s400/1LATEBUS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606542350261860130" /></a><br /><br /><strong>I am completely in love with the dresses and other clothing that Supayana has made using your illustrations printed onto cloth. Did you ever imagine people would we wearing your art? How did the project come about?</strong><br />Aw, thanks. I love Yana’s clothes too! We’ve been neighbors in plenty of Montreal craft fairs and eventually became friends. I think the Pin Pals have always felt a special kinship with Supayana because we both have an appreciation for thrifting and nostalgia. Yana and I decided that it would be fun to collaborate on a project. She makes these adorable tops and dresses using thrifted scarves and bandanas. I made some illustrated bandanas and had them printed with Spoonflower and Yana worked her magic. I love that there are cute ladies wearing my drawings. <br /><br /><strong>Not so long ago you moved from Montreal to Denver. Have you noticed differences in the art scenes/cultures between these two locations?</strong><br />Denver is definitely different from Montreal. It’s hard for me to describe the Denver Art and Culture scene since I haven’t been here too long. So far the way that I’d describe Denver is that there are a lot of old cars, old bars and food trucks that sell biscuits and green chili (not together) and there are some great thrift shops and really adorable turn of the century houses. Trains “choo choo” through the city all night long and there is a bar with leather booths and a juke box where they give you a free shot and a single rose with your drink, that’s my kind of city :)<br /><br /><strong><br />I don’t know if you’ve been there long enough to know yet, but are there any Denver, Colorado artists, events, galleries, projects, magazines (etc) that particularly excite you right now?</strong><br />I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t explored Denver galleries too much yet. I know that there is a lot going on here and I can’t wait to discover new artists. There is a sweet craft shop in my neighborhood called Fancy Tiger and they offer free craft nights where you can craft, chat and snack with a fun bunch. Craft night kept me sane when I was going through intense periods of isolation.<br /><br /><strong>Now that you’ve moved to Denver, how is your arts and crafts collaborative project, Pin Pals, working, long-distance? Could you explain what Pin Pals is all about and what you’ve got up your sleeves?</strong><br />The Pin Pals are a business that I run with Samantha Purdy. Sam cross-stitches and I draw and we’ve been collaborating and selling crafts together since 2005. The long distance has been an adjustment for us. Things have definitely slowed down on my end, since the Pin Pals are Montreal based. We’re working on a new plan for the future but it’s hard to say how things will turn out right now. I really miss being in the same city. We had a lot of good times hustling to make deadlines and rewarding ourselves with balti paneer and wine at our favourite restaurant in Montreal. <br /><br /><strong>I love that your work has been described as incorporating ‘mature women with great hairdos and smart outfits’, that your work is ‘inspired by grocery stores and tan-coloured nylons’, and that you expect to be ‘creating scenes that include more discount bins, vending machines and anything bottled and canned in the near future’. If I wasn’t already in love with your work, I’d have fallen head over heels with it from those descriptions alone! How important is ‘the familiar’/’the everyday’, and such daily observation to your art work?</strong><br />The familiar and everyday are important to my work. I also like movies, and productions that are fake or put on. A lot of my work is inspired by memories and objects and since I piece it together, I approach my drawings as if they were a set or a play, in that way they’re less everyday. Cans, nylons and vending machines are inanimate objects, yet they bring about feelings of emotion for me. They remind me of scenes from real life and ones acted out in movies. I guess I’m a sentimental drama queen. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cGUUXvaUvyo/Tc5wHJIi8TI/AAAAAAAABIc/kYjHfgGh218/s1600/nightcap2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cGUUXvaUvyo/Tc5wHJIi8TI/AAAAAAAABIc/kYjHfgGh218/s400/nightcap2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606541854136004914" /></a><br /><br /><strong>There’s a strong feel of nostalgia about your work, whether it be the tones and hues, the materials used, or your subjects and their clothing/style. As such I find your work to be really approachable and it gives me somewhat of a warm feeling. Are aspects of nostalgia, vintage materials/techniques/sources, and folk art important inspirations to you and to the style and sort of work you wish to produce?</strong><br />Most of the things I surround myself with are second-hand. Vintage children’s book illustration and craft books from the 60’s and 70’s are definitely a source of inspiration for me. Lately, I love getting lost on YouTube and watching older music videos from all sorts of genres. I’m inspired indirectly by a lot of random stuff. <br /><br /><strong>One of my favourite aspects of your work are your paper dolls and paper puppets. Where did your interest in dolls and paper puppetry come from, and when did you first start making your own?</strong><br />I’ve always liked having toys and dolls around. I started making paper puppets back in school, probably as a result of working in pieces. I brought some to a zine fair to sell a few years back and I haven’t stopped since.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--_1OBMb2mB8/Tc5wkCKabSI/AAAAAAAABJE/mlvDcChPD_k/s1600/1puppets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--_1OBMb2mB8/Tc5wkCKabSI/AAAAAAAABJE/mlvDcChPD_k/s400/1puppets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606542350480993570" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Some of your paper puppets have appeared in animations you’ve made. How did you get in to animation, and what sorts of animations have you produced?</strong><br />Animation seemed to make sense for me as the next step from paper puppet making. My first animation was produced by the NFB as a part of an amazing internship that I did there called the Hothouse. Last year I made another short from home called Dropkin with the help of some talented musicians and with some funding from the NFB.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T2jyPBLPHPg/Tc5wHQfqNxI/AAAAAAAABIk/tmGpUQ9NvPA/s1600/leftovers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T2jyPBLPHPg/Tc5wHQfqNxI/AAAAAAAABIk/tmGpUQ9NvPA/s400/leftovers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606541856111998738" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How do you manage your time in order to devote as much time as you’d like to your art?</strong><br />That was always an issue for Sam and I with Pin Pals. We loved our business but we wanted to work on our own art work too. It’s to justify spending time on art when money is tight. Luckily, my hours were pretty flexible and I could devote certain days to personal projects. My house gets pretty messy at times but I try to squeeze in as much work as I can. <br /><br /><strong>What’s your relationship to confidence, with regards to making and sharing your art?</strong><br />I feel more confident now than ever with my artwork but putting myself out there has always been a challenge. I’ve never been good with the business side of things.<br /><br /><strong>I’m presuming that (like most artists) you make art because you like doing it, and you’re good at it – so, what do you do on the days when the art doesn’t come easily to you – how do you fight off creative blocks, and/or are there any rituals or routines that get you into work mode?</strong><br />Moving usually helps. Sometimes I go for a walk or a bike ride or I’ll turn on some nineties hip hop and do a few rounds of aggressive air punching. Reading art, fashion and illustration blogs on the internet is always a help. And I can’t forget thrift shopping; I recently bought an amazing hairdo book that I’m looking forward to sketching from.<br /><br /><strong>What gives you the incentive/confidence/push to continue making your art?</strong><br />It’s too late to turn back now! <br /><br /><strong>What’s in the pipeline for you for the rest of 2011?</strong><br />I’ll be drawing loons for a little while and I have a few fun projects in mind for the Pin Pals. I’m also planning to get some new work together for another show hopefully in the fall.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm_txoswifw/Tc5wHekB9kI/AAAAAAAABIs/SDBXBa4WKUc/s1600/nightcap1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm_txoswifw/Tc5wHekB9kI/AAAAAAAABIs/SDBXBa4WKUc/s400/nightcap1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606541859888428610" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-14272219350290640462011-04-04T14:35:00.014+01:002011-04-04T15:23:01.242+01:00Colouring Outside The Lines - the cover art<strong>Issues 1-5 of Colouring Outside The Lines had some wonderful cover artwork. I've collected it all together here. </strong><br /><br /><em>(One of the reasons why the earlier issues of the zine were never re-printed was due to files being lost during a computer death, so some of the images here are (bad) photos of those issues, rather than the actual original images.)</em><br /><br />* * * * * <br /><br /><strong>Issue 5 (2009)</strong><br /><br />Front cover by <a href="http://mmmbiscuits.tumblr.com/">Zoe Darnell</a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6sYZ5QVSYzM/TZnKRWrvrZI/AAAAAAAABGU/x0N_RcvQTms/s1600/COTL%2B5%2BZOEDARNELL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6sYZ5QVSYzM/TZnKRWrvrZI/AAAAAAAABGU/x0N_RcvQTms/s400/COTL%2B5%2BZOEDARNELL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591722811852828050" /></a><br /><br />Back cover by <a href="http://hejasara.blogspot.com/">Sara Hansson</a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J50FhNpVPkw/TZnKRX3hjtI/AAAAAAAABGc/JZks_8v6HjU/s1600/COTL%2B5%2Bsara%2Bhansson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J50FhNpVPkw/TZnKRX3hjtI/AAAAAAAABGc/JZks_8v6HjU/s400/COTL%2B5%2Bsara%2Bhansson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591722812170669778" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Issue 4 (2008)</strong><br /><br />Front cover by <a href="http://www.sarahmaple.com/">Sarah Maple</a> and <a href="http://jo-harrison.co.uk/">Jo Harrison</a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aNUWk-anhfs/TZnMf0L-7tI/AAAAAAAABHk/LsKG1U0xM0M/s1600/cotl4cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aNUWk-anhfs/TZnMf0L-7tI/AAAAAAAABHk/LsKG1U0xM0M/s400/cotl4cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591725259314097874" /></a><br /><br />Back cover by <a href="http://www.salutehq.com/">Ralph of <em>Salute</em></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdjFoaOeykM/TZnKlvIxEXI/AAAAAAAABGk/ahqJATOHGoA/s1600/COTL%2B4%2BRalph.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdjFoaOeykM/TZnKlvIxEXI/AAAAAAAABGk/ahqJATOHGoA/s400/COTL%2B4%2BRalph.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591723162014388594" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Issue 3 (2007)</strong><br /><br />Front cover by <a href="http://erikamoen.com/">Erica Moen</a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru5rYG4GhVE/TZnLLr7YK3I/AAAAAAAABG0/otk2Z_o2VS0/s1600/COTL%2B3%2Berica.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ru5rYG4GhVE/TZnLLr7YK3I/AAAAAAAABG0/otk2Z_o2VS0/s400/COTL%2B3%2Berica.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591723813987953522" /></a><br /><br />Back cover by <a href="http://cargocollective.com/elkedonders#806639/blog-news">Elke Donders</a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A0aXcSoJZrk/TZnLL6Fxi6I/AAAAAAAABG8/0l_mUnGo7qM/s1600/COTL%2B3%2Belke%2Bdonders.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A0aXcSoJZrk/TZnLL6Fxi6I/AAAAAAAABG8/0l_mUnGo7qM/s400/COTL%2B3%2Belke%2Bdonders.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591723817789655970" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Issue 2 (2006)</strong><br /><br />Front cover by <a href="http://karolinabang.blogspot.com/">Karolina Bang</a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DR3s3CZzAtk/TZnLd3XQZqI/AAAAAAAABHE/zAlN3iNe2f0/s1600/COTL%2B2%2Bkarolina.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DR3s3CZzAtk/TZnLd3XQZqI/AAAAAAAABHE/zAlN3iNe2f0/s400/COTL%2B2%2Bkarolina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591724126295320226" /></a><br /><br />Back cover by Nichola Pemberton<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nwI3-cS3WdI/TZnLeF1ucxI/AAAAAAAABHM/cg49VHpmXTQ/s1600/COTL%2B2%2Bnicola%2Bpemberton.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nwI3-cS3WdI/TZnLeF1ucxI/AAAAAAAABHM/cg49VHpmXTQ/s400/COTL%2B2%2Bnicola%2Bpemberton.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591724130181214994" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Issue 1 (2005)</strong><br /><br />Front cover by <a href="http://www.roseclout.com/">R Clout</a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sFtqshpBia4/TZnLtrCeJ4I/AAAAAAAABHc/KDpY3AoAY3M/s1600/COTL%2B1%2Bcover%2B-%2BRose.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sFtqshpBia4/TZnLtrCeJ4I/AAAAAAAABHc/KDpY3AoAY3M/s400/COTL%2B1%2Bcover%2B-%2BRose.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591724397864822658" /></a><br /><br />Back cover by Lucy Sweet<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-of_dNdSQNz8/TZnLtYgaHLI/AAAAAAAABHU/NJrk3Lk2xjs/s1600/COTL%2B1%2Blucysweet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-of_dNdSQNz8/TZnLtYgaHLI/AAAAAAAABHU/NJrk3Lk2xjs/s400/COTL%2B1%2Blucysweet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591724392890113202" /></a><br /><br /><br />Plus also, <a href="http://www.lonelypanda.com/">Karoline Rerrie</a> made this amazing illustration for the inside of issue 5<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73x3g1uPWsc/TZnP5ZOK0aI/AAAAAAAABHs/bz4t_10ErVQ/s1600/300outside-the-lines.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73x3g1uPWsc/TZnP5ZOK0aI/AAAAAAAABHs/bz4t_10ErVQ/s400/300outside-the-lines.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591728997286990242" /></a><br /><br /><br />HUGE love to all those who made such amazing work for the zine. I feel very lucky to have had all this art made especially for the zine.Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-22707478965530972802011-01-21T14:38:00.003+00:002011-01-21T14:47:15.019+00:00Lilly Piri interviewThis interview first appeared on the <a href="http://pikaland.com/2010/11/11/artist-interview-lilly-piri">Pikaland website</a> in November 2011.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmb_1Br3DI/AAAAAAAABD0/_mJcIMG9nkc/s1600/pikaland_lp_7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmb_1Br3DI/AAAAAAAABD0/_mJcIMG9nkc/s400/pikaland_lp_7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564650335461170226" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.littlegalaxie.com/">Lilly Piri</a> is a 25-year-old Australian illustrator/artist, who currently lives in Germany. Her art has a divine softness to it that draws me into her beautiful worlds again and again.<br /><br /><br />Website: www.littlegalaxie.com<br />Blog: lillypiri.blogspot.com<br />Web store: www.littlegalaxie.com/store.html<br />Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/lillypiri<br /><br /><strong>Could you tell us a little about what you are working on at the moment?</strong><br />At the moment, I’m working on some pieces for upcoming group shows, things for my etsy shop, and personal work involving acrylics and oils.<br /><br /><strong>How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?<br />How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output (a style that, I must say, is unmistakably yours)?</strong><br />Well, drawing was something that I especially enjoyed doing. One early memory is, we were on holiday, and I was sitting with my watercolours and painting a seagull from life. I also drew countless horses from horse magazines growing up, I think this served as part of a solid drawing foundation. So, I know everybody says this, but I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Everybody draws in school, some people just keep drawing once school is over. Life drawing in art school also really opened my eyes. There’s drawing, and then once you learn life drawing, it’s like you can see things on the page in 3 dimensions. Life drawing really changed my way of seeing. <br /><br /><strong>How did you gain the confidence to make art your career?</strong><br />I wouldn’t say I gained the confidence to do it, I just did it. I tried to promote and put my work out there, and it just fell into place after that. The Internet has made it really easy for creative people to show their work, and it played a huge role in getting me started.<br /><br /><strong>Why do you create? What is it about being creative that makes it something important for you to do?</strong><br />It sounds weird, but it helps me stay sane. I feel very restless if I haven’t had time to make something. It’s like most people have something they do as an outlet, or to relax, or just something that makes them happy. Sometimes, I get an idea for a drawing, and I just have to make it.<br /><br /><strong>Where did your interest in soft, delicate, subtle imagery come from, and how has your art developed over the years to incorporate it?</strong><br />This started because, colour pencils are just so time consuming. If you want a smooth colour, you have to really work at it with many, many layers. On the earlier ones, I would be making the fourth layer of colour and think ‘you know, this looks cool just like that’. It’s like how sometimes an artist prefers the sketch to the finished piece. It’s also sort of like a whisper this way.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmb_m8EiJI/AAAAAAAABDs/Ws2V40kCl20/s1600/pikaland_lp_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmb_m8EiJI/AAAAAAAABDs/Ws2V40kCl20/s400/pikaland_lp_3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564650331679525010" /></a><br /><br /><strong>A lot of your work is incredibly, beautifully detailed. A lot of this attentive detail occurs in small-scale images. Do you have a love for small, intricate things?</strong><br />Yes, I absolutely love small things and have a nice little collection. I also love small boxes. It just goes back to childhood: my parents had a collection of super small toys and collector items that I wasn’t supposed to play with, but I did, anyway. Now, I’m grown up, and can have my own. Hurrah!<br /><br /><strong>The careful, intricate detail in much of your work would suggest an eye for detail, and possible perfectionism.<br />What is your view of perfectionism in art, and more specifically in your own art work?</strong><br />Well, I think everything has its place in the scheme of things, but perfectionism can become a real block. Personally, I have to be careful so that I don’t let the perfectionist take over, because then I would never, ever finish anything.<br /><br /><strong>You work a lot with coloured pencils. What is it about this medium that you enjoy?</strong><br />Well, what I enjoy about coloured pencils and what I hate about them is that it’s incredibly slow. Sometimes it’s nice to do 10 layers and sometimes it isn’t. When it’s nice, it’s just very relaxing, and you can’t really make mistakes with it. Once I have my lines in, it’s like colouring in.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmcAPQUTEI/AAAAAAAABD8/D37XIrC0OFI/s1600/pikaland_lp_8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmcAPQUTEI/AAAAAAAABD8/D37XIrC0OFI/s400/pikaland_lp_8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564650342501862466" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How long would a typical pencil illustration take you to complete? I myself don’t think I’d have the patience!</strong><br />Ahh, now that really depends on the size, if it’s full colour, or what colours are being used. Dark colours take the longest to do. My brown pencils break all the time, my teacher once told me this is because the browns are softer, so you have to use a very sharp sharpener. In the beginning, I used to time myself, I think the more intricate work can take 20+ hours for an A4 piece. I’m a lot faster than I used to be, though.<br /><br /><strong>When you were based in Australia, a lot of native creatures and wildlife cropped up in your work; is the environment in which you create your work important to your subject matter and the way that pieces turn out?</strong><br />I still regularly include Aussie animals, but now there is a German influence, too. I really miss Australia and the wildlife there, but then there’s also being delighted at things here in Germany. Sometimes, for titles, I like the German word better because it is more precise. They have words for stuff I would need a sentence to describe in English, like Schadenfreude and Zeitgeist.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmcAcHQAVI/AAAAAAAABEE/7EE2ksCTKfE/s1600/pikaland_lp_6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmcAcHQAVI/AAAAAAAABEE/7EE2ksCTKfE/s400/pikaland_lp_6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564650345953493330" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Your art has been described as ‘dreamy interpretations of a wide variety of narratives’… How important to your work is the idea of narratives, and storytelling?</strong><br />I really love having a story to work with. I like getting immersed in books, and not being able to put it down. I love this about Grimm’s fairytales. I have an old book of these with gorgeous illustrations from the 10’s or 20’s. Music with stories in it are also great for inspiring a certain mood that I would like to translate into a drawing. <br /><br /><strong>I read you say of your art, and in particular the reason for the reoccurring theme of the ocean is that, ‘the sea always reminds me there is lots to explore, and it’s nice to look out and think about what’s over the horizon’. I love that quote as I really think it mirrors your work itself; exploratory, magical work that seems hopeful. Is this a fair reflection?</strong><br />I suppose you could say that. Some people have interpreted my work as sad, I don’t really see it that way. It sounds corny, but I love the ocean just because you realise how tiny and unimportant everything is, and how much is out there to see. If you stand at Point Danger, near my hometown, you can see the curve of the world, and it’s just inspiring.<br /><br /><strong>You live with your husband who is also an artist – how important to you and your arty motivation is living and working alongside somebody else who shares your interest and passion?<br />Does working in an environment alongside such peers provide any specific benefits to you as an artist – beyond motivation?</strong><br />Well, I really can’t imagine it any other way, because it’s such a big passion for both of us. It’s just so nice to have someone that I have so much in common with, that’s not easy to find, I think. We don’t work in the same room, but if I get stuck, or he gets stuck, we can bounce an idea off of each other, or say ‘what do you think of this composition?’<br /><br />Heiko is also much more technical than I am, and he’s helped me with perspective/file problems in the past. In a lot of ways he’s like the complete opposite of me, because he’s so prolific. But then he’s also a huge perfectionist, sometimes he makes like 3 or 4 final drawings before he’s happy, which I doubt I could ever do! I prefer erasing the page a million times!<br /><br /><strong>What daily things give you the incentive/confidence/push to continue making art and keep coming up with new ideas?</strong><br />I really like nature, the ocean or the forest, insects, animals. It inspires me. Seeing the work of other artists, especially ones who have a completely different style to mine, makes me really excited to make new work. I also keep a lot of sketchbooks with ideas; sometimes I just wait and see if I can use one.<br /><br /><strong>What challenges and struggles do you face (or have you faced) as a young artist and illustrator wishing to get their work seen and known – and how do you rise above these challenges?</strong><br />I don’t think it’s very easy to get illustration jobs that suits my work, so I’m planning to try simplifying my style. But I also want to push my gallery work in a more paint-erly, detailed direction, because I really love painting. Playing and experimenting is very important for both of these problems. I guess I don’t believe that you have to stick to one thing. Growing is important, too. I’m sort of at a point where I want to change things up a lot, so I guess you probably have to ask me again in a year or two!<br /><br /><strong>Which contemporary artists and illustrators are you currently loving?</strong><br />At the moment:<br />Gemma Correll’s work, especially her daily diaries, which are hilarious.<br />Beci Orpin, she does so much cool stuff.<br />Lauren Nassef, who posts a drawing every day, very inspiring!<br />Bec Winnel, for her amazing fashion colour pencil work.<br />Lindsey Carr, her paintings are beautiful and intricate. If you’re a Natural Museum fan, you would probably fall in love with her work.<br />Ana Bagayan, she’s a wonderful artist and she and her friend Mere also run The Lunch Bunch, which feeds the homeless in LA.<br />Elly Yap, she makes the most amazing patterns!<br /><br />I also keep a big link list on my blog with the blogs of other artists and illustrators, and they are people I recommend checking out. <br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite thing about making art?</strong><br />That feeling like you’re making something special out of a blank piece of paper. It’s like planting a seed and watching what it grows into. It’s fun not knowing how a piece will turn out, it’s fun to solve problems and learn.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmcAtdohtI/AAAAAAAABEM/6wwCtlUqfCE/s1600/pikaland_lp_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TTmcAtdohtI/AAAAAAAABEM/6wwCtlUqfCE/s400/pikaland_lp_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564650350610777810" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-53309775751629697202010-12-20T14:30:00.004+00:002010-12-20T14:40:22.660+00:00Lauren Carney interviewThis interview with <a href="http://www.laurencarneyart.com/">Lauren Carney</a> first appeared on the <a href="http://pikaland.com/2010/10/21/artist-interview-lauren-carney">Pikaland</a> site in October 2010.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qCgYGkeI/AAAAAAAABCo/0I48iMioBhw/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bi%2Bdont%2Bthink%2Bthis%2Bis%2Btokyo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qCgYGkeI/AAAAAAAABCo/0I48iMioBhw/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bi%2Bdont%2Bthink%2Bthis%2Bis%2Btokyo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773456854421986" /></a><br /><br />Lauren Carney is an amazingly friendly artist, illustrator and crafter from Brisbane, Australia who constantly made me giggle while we were setting this interview up!<br />Website: www.laurencarneyart.com<br />Blog: www.laurencarneyart.blogspot.com/<br />Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/dizzylittledotty<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qCXDbABI/AAAAAAAABCg/rYHRu9V11gc/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bbreakfast%2Btime.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qCXDbABI/AAAAAAAABCg/rYHRu9V11gc/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bbreakfast%2Btime.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773454351761426" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How are you? What are you working on at the moment?</strong><br />I’m really well, thanks for asking! I’ve been quite a busy little bee over the past few weeks! I’ve got a group exhibition coming up next week, so I’ve been trying to finish off some large water-colour pieces for that! Then the weekend after I have the Finder Keepers Spring Markets on, where I will be selling my wares and meeting very lovely art folk! Crazy right? <br /><br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong><br />The content of my work is whimsical and curious. Romanticism plays a large underlying theme and I think that is portrayed by the fanciful characters within each illustration. My artwork touches on a variety of mediums, mostly traditional mixed with digital illustration. The linework is messy but heavily detailed, the colours are bright, and the subject matter is a quirky! <br /><br /><strong>A lot of the characters in your work are very cartoon looking (a good thing!), are you a fan of comics?</strong><br />I’ve never been that into comics, but always wish that I had been! I was never really able to get my hands on them as a kid, because I grew up in a small town with a shortage of cool comic books in general. However I did have a huge cartoon fixation from my younger years, and that has stuck with me to adulthood! So I think that has a strong influence over me to this day!<br /><br /><strong>What puts you in the best mood for drawing?</strong><br />Well I have a confession, just of late I’ve been watching Coraline and Fantastic Mr Fox each day to get me through my creative block! I’m pretty sure I watched Coraline fifteen times last week – I’m a little bit addicted. But hey, I churned out eleven paintings that week, so it must have worked? But apart from obsessive movie watching, I generally sit down with a cup of tea in the morning, and look over my favourite blogs, with some Neutral Milk Hotel playing in the background. Then I’m good to go! <br /><br /><strong>What materials do you most often/ most enjoy working with?</strong><br />Moleskin Art Diary, A 0.005 Art-line Pen, Watercolour paints and different textured papers.<br /><br /><strong>How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?</strong><strong>Were you always good at art at school, and did you study art beyond school?</strong><br />I’ve always been really into art! I used to make my own mini zines as a kid, and home-made graphic novels! Hah, they were epic too! I’m pretty sure I decided when I was six I was going to do something creative career wise! In high school I finally made my mind up to do a Bachelor of Animation at Queensland College of Art in Brisbane. I really enjoyed it, and was a total claymation/stop motion fiend, but preferred illustration more (maybe because there is less work? Who knows!) It was a really good degree, and the knowledge I learned from there I can apply to doing illustrations and design program work on the computer! <br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qDCD_GhI/AAAAAAAABC4/ASfN5eMyuEc/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bjournal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qDCD_GhI/AAAAAAAABC4/ASfN5eMyuEc/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bjournal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773465896851986" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>How and why did you move to making art professionally? How did you gain the confidence (in yourself and your art) to do this?</strong><br />Getting the confidence was a three year process, I didn’t enjoy my artistic style in University, so didn’t really take it seriously until after I graduated. I remember sketching and thinking “This style just isn’t me, it’s not reflecting who I am as a person”. I started getting into a routine where each day I would draw something new and progressively created a style that I now can comfortably call my own. I decided that I had to be more proactive with ‘getting my art out there’, so did a lot of local art markets, emailing magazines, creating a blog / website / facebook page and generally trying to learn as much as I could from other successful indie designers! <br /><br /><strong>How representative of you is your work? I ask this, as just by looking at your work I have a little inkling of what I think you must be like as a person!!</strong><br />Ha ha! I would say there is a little piece of me in each drawing! I’ve found this balance in life, and I feel it shows in my work. I can embrace being awkward, messy, nerdy and a little bit odd. It’s something that lots of people can relate to. I want my images to convey a sense of nostalgia, show love and the importance of appreciating everyday life. I’m on the small side of things, so like to draw my people that way. The girls are cheeky with tiny boobs, and the fellows sport bow ties and skinny jeans! <br /><br /><strong>Your work has been featured in a lot of independent magazines (such as Charlie, Yen, Thaw, and Peppermint), are these magazines that you read personally, and as such how important to you is featuring within them?</strong><br />Oh gosh yes! It’s so nice to be a part of something that you admire and adore! It’s so lovely being recognised for your hard work through different mediums, but to be able to hold in your hand one of your favourite mags with your own work captured within the pages – well, it’s a pretty awesome two in one! <br /><br /><strong>The magazines aren’t solely art-focused magazines (I saw, for example, that in Charlie magazine your illustrations were part of a fashion spread), how important to you is meshing alternate aspects of art and culture together, and increasing exposure to art and illustration by it being used in less art-only/gallery-only spaces?</strong><br />It’s so important to not put yourself in one box or category – metaphorically speaking. Design is incorporated into our everyday lives, we just don’t notice it half of the time. I’m trying my hardest to do the corporate stuff, along with the fun things and artistic integrity in the process. <br /><br />I think the good thing about having an artistic nature is that you can apply it to heaps of different things, books, advertisements, gallery exhibitions, magazine spreads, clothing items, catalogues, game design – the list is endless really, its just being proactive and trying to pursue as many avenues as you can!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qC8K4aRI/AAAAAAAABCw/7YlD6HLZ3MQ/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bi%2Blike%2Byou.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qC8K4aRI/AAAAAAAABCw/7YlD6HLZ3MQ/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bi%2Blike%2Byou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773464315160850" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>You have an upcoming exhibition in a joint show at White Canvas Gallery in Queensland.<br />What work have you created for the show? – Has the experience of preparing for a gallery show been different to how you usually create work?<br />Are you excited for the opening?</strong><br />Oh I am so excited! I have emailed so many people – blogland friends, art friends, and some of my favourite shops around Brisbane! I’ve dropped off letters and sent bulk text messages – and those are the easiest jobs! Two of the artist’s Mark and Elizabeth have done all the organising for it, so I’m really learning a lot from them about how to go about getting ready for an exhibition! I thought it would kind of be like a high-school or university group assignment, where the deadline draws closer and the anxiety sets in, but its so not like that! It’s almost like a mini celebration, where you get to play show-and-tell with friends and art fans. <br /><br />I’ve managed to whip up eleven mini A5 water-colour artworks, and three bigger pieces for the show! I feel that my work is better in person, because you can see the detail up close, whereas the detail isn’t as effective viewed on computer monitors! I usually upload pictures onto my blog when I finish them, but I’ve had to hold off for ages, and not show anyone, so I feel like I have a mini secret that is ready for sharing come Friday 29. Eek!<br /><br /><strong>What keeps you motivated?</strong><br />Hah, mostly coffee. Inspiration and motivation generally go hand in hand though. Ultimately artists inspire other artists. It’s amazing how another’s work, whether it be photography, painting, music or sculpture, can impact on you. I need daily inspiration to function. So I definitely take a coffee break once or twice a day and look through things that I know will keep me creatively going!<br /><br /><strong>Your artwork can be crazy-intricate, even your journal pages are chocked full of detail. How important to you is attention to detail?</strong><br />To me it’s pretty important. I just have this thing where stuff has to look busy, even if its simple, there still has to be little etchings, stitch marks, hair detail, freckles; all stuff that seems pretty insignificant but is rather important! I know when I look at drawings that are busy, I’m lured in, and it captivates me for a longer time frame than something plain would. So that is how I justify my busy pictures! <br /><br /><strong>My favourite pieces of yours are the ones that feature the little ladies in their various kick-ass fashions looking super rad and hella cute (seriously, eyelashes and rosy-cheeks drawn in the way you do it will always make me swoon! And I’m a huge fan of well-drawn hair!), and also the ones that incorporate text and typography.<br />What inspires you to draw girls like these?</strong><br />Hah, why thank you! It’s a well-known fact, that all kinds of folk, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, can appreciate the appearance a classy well-dressed lady! <br />The way someone dresses can tell so much about his or her personality. You get this real sense of individualism when you catch a glimpse of some people, based upon their clothing. I really try to capture the same thing with my little drawn ladies, because not all women are the same, it’s the shoes, the hair, the lashes, the odd glasses or array of freckles and personality that vary for each girl, so I try to convey that when I draw. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qM0iuZeI/AAAAAAAABDI/vMdK4gqYizE/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bthe%2Bfleet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qM0iuZeI/AAAAAAAABDI/vMdK4gqYizE/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bthe%2Bfleet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773634066376162" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>What sort of aesthetic things do you like; for example where do you work from, and what images/artefacts keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work?</strong><br />I work in a nicely decorated office from home. On my desk you will always find no less than two coffee cups, a darling assortment of stationary, a gigantic mac and wacom drawing tablet. But apart from the boring essentials, I have my James Jean / Courtney Brims / Anke Weckmann postcard collection plus Frankie Posters creeping up my walls, A Wooden Toy magazine handy in case of emergency artists block, and the occasional bunch of flowers to make me feel out-doorsy. <br /><br /><strong>Are you a collector/coveter/admirer of other artists’ work?</strong><br />Hah, I seem to have this increasing amount of Dave Collinson work adorned around my household! I also have this stash of Miyazaki goods that keep on growing. DVDs, books, other bits and bobs. Haha. I would however, enjoy accumulating a collection of plushies like the ones Cat Rabbit creates. Then I could say “My name is Lauren, and I am a collector of friends, tea cups, art paraphernalia and fancy dressed plushies” I think I could win hearts with that one liner. <br /><br /><strong>Who are your favourite artists that you could tip us off about from your native Australia?</strong><br />Oh gosh, I have so many! Dave Collinson, Mel Stringer, Charmaine Olivia, Audrey Kawasaki, along with street artist’s Ghost Patrol and Creepy.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qDEyXyVI/AAAAAAAABDA/HCNxAZqAohk/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bspoons.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qDEyXyVI/AAAAAAAABDA/HCNxAZqAohk/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bspoons.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773466628278610" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Beyond illustration you’re also a crafter. What to you enjoy about this form of creativity?</strong><br />I think it takes me to a happy place from when I was younger! Oh nostalgia! I was always stitching, knitting and sewing in primary and high school, but didn’t really go any further with it until I realised it is quite fashionable to dabble in nanna-esque hobbies. I kind of put my own swing on it though, incorporating my love of drawings with hand made products! <br /><br /><strong>What for you are the most enjoyable or rewarding aspects of working as an artist?</strong><br />I think it would definitely be the way my work impacts on people. I love having a stall at markets because I can see their reaction in person. It sparks a little bit of curiosity at first then a giggle. It’s nice to know that my artwork can connect with people in that sense. <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qNKeAjTI/AAAAAAAABDQ/xGkk0oUhTUg/s1600/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bthe%2Bkrakken.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TQ9qNKeAjTI/AAAAAAAABDQ/xGkk0oUhTUg/s400/lauren%2Bcarney%2Bthe%2Bkrakken.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552773639952174386" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-61130576381975994152010-10-14T16:31:00.004+01:002010-10-14T16:44:32.840+01:00Lilli Carré interviewThis interview with <a href="http://www.lillicarre.com/">Lilli Carré</a> first appeared on the <a href="http://pikaland.com/2010/09/10/artist-interview-lilli-carre">Pikaland</a> website in September 2010.<br /><br />Cartoonist and animator, Lilli Carré (Chicago USA) is the writer and illustrator of the books <em>Nine Ways to Disappear</em>, <em>The Lagoon</em>, and Tales <em>of Woodsman Pete</em>, and has contributed comics strips to anthologies such as <em>MOME</em>. Lilli also creates the most wonderful moving drawings. I love the way her mind operates, and the amazing illustrated work it creates!<br /><br />Website: www.lillicarre.com<br />Blog: www.lillicarre.blogspot.com<br />Animations: http://vimeo.com/user2070092/videos/sort:date<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckLv2JjyI/AAAAAAAAA_E/22GtL3mejaQ/s1600/Don%27t_Drink_fromthe_Sea.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckLv2JjyI/AAAAAAAAA_E/22GtL3mejaQ/s400/Don%27t_Drink_fromthe_Sea.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527926851861319458" /></a><br /><br /><strong>You were recently in Sweden for the Small Press Expo in Stockholm – how was the trip, and how was the expo?</strong><br />It was really fun! I was glad I was able to make the trip, because the volcano in Iceland prohibited a fair amount of people from being able to fly into Sweden for the expo, but I was able to get there after zigzag bus trip from Oslo. I enjoyed exploring Sweden, and the comics show itself was great. There was a lot of great self-published work and many more international publishers and creators than I get to see at shows in the US. I was exposed to a much larger range of styles and formats than I I’ve seen before, it really got my juices flowing to see and talk to these other creators. It was interesting to notice differences such as how many comics from Sweden were completed purely in pencil rather than pen, and some of the different inventive binding techniques and storytelling styles and things like that. <br /><br /><strong>What links does your illustration and comics work hold to that independent/DIY culture and community of alternative press and self-publishing?</strong><br />I think of myself primarily as a cartoonist and an animator. I started making comics by printing them at school and self-publishing short stories and collections of my comics work and trading them and putting them out in stores and mailing them to a few people. I still try to self-publish, and I love to seek out and stumble upon other self-published work that excites me. There’s something very unique about ideas going directly from one person’s head and hands straight to paper with nothing else to taint it. That’s what I enjoy about experimental animation as well, that it feels like you get to be inside someone else’s head with nothing to interfere.<br /><br /><strong>You debuted some new silk-screened books in Sweden that you’d bound yourself. I hear that this project was a result of your residency at Spudnik Press.</strong><br /><strong>Could you tell me more about how you’ve been getting on with bookbinding, and how/why you got into making your own editions of books in this way?</strong><br />I wanted to experiment more with screenprinting and playing with the overlapping of different transparent colors, so I decided to work on a small batch of stories that I could draw in a more graphic style, allowing me to play with these techniques. Like I mentioned above, I wanted to make a little batch of handmade hardcover books because I myself love the feeling of holding a handmade object in my hands that has some straight from someone’s head and hands and is completely unique, so I wanted to make something like that and experiment in the process. I had never really bound hardcover books before, so making 45 of them really pounded it in. I’d like to make more small editions of books this way.<br /><br /><strong>How has your time at Spudnik been for you? How important to you has being there been, in terms of being a part of and receiving-and-contributing to: creative community, collective working, and skills sharing?</strong><br />Working at the print shop for 3 months was a really good experience. Especially in contrast to how I usually work on projects, which is holed up in my work room in my apartment, staring at blank pieces of paper! Having to be at Spudnik for a certain amount of time each week was very helpful. It made me print and pull ideas out of my head that otherwise I might not be as active about working on. It was also really fun and helpful to be around the other regular printers in the shop, witnessing how they worked, what they were working on, and having good company while doing an otherwise pretty labor-intensive project. <br /><br /><strong>The one trip I’ve ever made to San Francisco was the period when your book ‘Nine Ways To Disappear’ was being released by Little Otsu, and their storefront featured an amazing window display of your illustrated sculptures (that I presume you’d made?</strong><br />Yep! I made the silhouetted cut-outs here in Chicago, and then mailed them to their SF shop, where they installed them. One of their workers skilfully reproduced the tea pot image from the cover of Nine Ways).<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckNroIOJI/AAAAAAAAA_c/-exVn6bq2rc/s1600/LO_store_cutouts.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckNroIOJI/AAAAAAAAA_c/-exVn6bq2rc/s400/LO_store_cutouts.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527926885088508050" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How was the experience of doing that?<br />And how important to you is working with and collaborating with independent companies like Little Otsu? What does working with independent companies allow and afford your artwork and publishing ventures?</strong><br />Little Otsu has been very supportive of my work and wonderful to work with. My stories can be on the bizarre side, and it’s really important to me to work with people who I feel really get what I’m trying to do with my comics and images. They didn’t try to change the stories at all or shape anything in that sense— we worked together a lot on the look and feel of the finished piece, so it was a good collaboration. The other publishers I have worked with to make books of my comics, Top Shelf and Fantagraphics, have also allowed for my work to stand on its own, and have helped immensely with good book design and promotion and having faith in my more off-beat sense of humor and story.<br /><br /><strong>What illustration projects are you working on at the moment?</strong><br />I’m usually juggling a handful of different things. I just finished a piece in comics form about how the city of Chicago raised its own streets and buildings in the 1850’s, and now I’m working on a book cover, a series of animation loops for a website, and an illustration to be printed on a tin box.<br /><br /><strong>How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</strong><br />What a question! I suppose I’ve been embracing my creativity since I was a little kid— A major activity throughout my childhood was when my parents would roll out a big sheet of butcher paper on the apartment floor, and my sister and I would amuse ourselves quietly for hours by drawing images and stories all over it. So since then.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckLP1PrbI/AAAAAAAAA-8/8_W66kxJatY/s1600/9_ways_spread.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckLP1PrbI/AAAAAAAAA-8/8_W66kxJatY/s400/9_ways_spread.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527926843267591602" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How did you first learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art your career? A lot of people struggle with knowing that they’re ‘good enough’ to do that.</strong><br />I don’t look at it as a high-pressure thing. I just make the work I want to make, and if there’s a venue out there where I can share it then I’ll go for it. I still work a part-time job at a bookstore and make the work that I get excited about making, I’m not lunging at making a big career for myself. I need the outlet of making the work and drawings and stories, otherwise I’d feel very expressionless and ready to explode. So it doesn’t seem like some big choice or anything about confidence, it’s just a thing I have to do for myself, and if I have the opportunity to share it then that’s an added excitement.<br /><br /><strong>Which artistic techniques do you employ most often within your work, and enjoy using?</strong><br />I like trying out different styles and techniques all the time. I don’t feel that I’ve mastered any single one, so I like to switch between media for whatever I think might suit a certain story or idea. I really enjoy the feeling of using a nib pen, I find it very satisfying to draw with one even though I feel like I have less control than with a regular pen. I like playing with different printmaking techniques, and seeing what types of looks I can get with coloring things in photoshop, too. I’m pretty all over the place when it comes to styles, though I think that my work still looks like it came from the same person even though it’s made with lots of different tools. <br /><br /><strong>What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on so far?</strong><br />My story The Carnival that was in the anthology Mome vol. 14. I just put a lot of myself into that story.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckMGW-zII/AAAAAAAAA_M/ACEv_AXBN-E/s1600/The_Carnival_page.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckMGW-zII/AAAAAAAAA_M/ACEv_AXBN-E/s400/The_Carnival_page.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527926857904606338" /></a><br /><br /><strong>One of the things that strikes me over and over again about your work is the ‘mood’ or ‘atmosphere’ of your pieces – part, I feel, to do with the folk-arts visual style, part to do with your work’s poetry, and partly due to the fact that your illustrations often highlight the everyday, arbitrary, or unfair aspects of life that are nonetheless part and parcel of the vibrancy of life.<br />Would it be fair to say that there is a unique atmosphere about your work? And is it something that you have worked to maintain consistency over throughout your different work in different mediums, or does it naturally work out that way?</strong><br />Certainly. Coming from studying experimental animation in school, I think that I try to convey a mood and a pace in my comics that comes from thinking about how to do so in a moving picture, where sound and time are an element. Sometimes creating a mood is one of my main objectives of a comic, equally alongside the artwork and the story.<br /><br /><strong>Thinking about mood and atmosphere, your own personal experiences must influence what you create. Do you find it difficult to create and paint when in particular moods due to how it may influence the ‘feel’ of a piece?</strong><br />Yeah, sometimes I find it hard to sit down and work on something if I don’t feel like I’m in the proper head space to do so. My book The Lagoon, which is very mood-driven, took me about 3 years to finish, because I had a lot of starts and stops when working on it. This was partially due to still being in school and working at that time, but also because it was hard to always be in the right mindset to work on such a moody piece and figure out the trajectory of the story. The setting of the book is in a southern swampy area, and I made the first 8 pages of that story while at a summer class that took place at a small lagoon, but once I returned to the city to finish it, it was harder to get into the same momentum.<br /><br /><strong>Speaking of the everyday nuances of life that your art depicts, it is often a curious, surreal life that is shown; perspective, space, size, direction, and expectation are often played with [for example, tiny, miniature coughing men crop up in your work. As do people who are hiding under chairs, upside down, with fish in their mouths. Not to mention the giant proportions of the character Paul Bunyan, or girls with wide-set eyes, or a boy who shrinks to the size of a button.)<br />All of the above is also perfectly observed within your moving drawings. Does working with animation allow you with a further tool for depicting the more curious nuances of your characters everydays?</strong><br />Sure, I mean there are different things you can do with both mediums to bring out nuances of characters and the everyday. I wouldn’t say it’s a further tool but a different one. Timing and little movement ticks and sound are expressed differently through animation than comics or single images, and can present a different kind of humor. The moving drawings I make are usually of something who’s humor I think would be suited for movement, and that I just want to animate it to create a tiny funny little moment in a way that I feel a single drawing couldn’t. <br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite thing about being an artist, and working creatively?</strong><br />Being able to draw the things I imagine and put my observations and thoughts into a form that articulates them better than I ever could through talking or singing or running. There is catharsis for me in being able to put bits of my mind and life to paper.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckNAD3tiI/AAAAAAAAA_U/6pLwHJxHBkM/s1600/The_Lagoon_page.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TLckNAD3tiI/AAAAAAAAA_U/6pLwHJxHBkM/s400/The_Lagoon_page.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527926873393706530" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-25479802563437515972010-09-30T19:34:00.003+01:002010-09-30T19:42:16.696+01:00Laura McKellar interviewThis interview with <a href="http://lauramckellar.com">Laura McKellar</a> first appeared on the <a href="http://pikaland.com/2010/08/25/artist-interview-laura-mckellar">Pikaland</a> webiste in August 2010.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZgG5Qp2I/AAAAAAAAA-E/coid-rq0b8o/s1600/laura2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZgG5Qp2I/AAAAAAAAA-E/coid-rq0b8o/s400/laura2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522778188692891490" /></a><br /><br />Website: lauramckellar.com<br />Blog: lauramckellar.blogspot.com/<br />Online Shop: www.lauramckellar.bigcartel.com/<br />Zine: iloveokay.com/<br />Zine blog: www.iloveokay.blogspot.com/<br />Etsy: etsy.com/shop/sirseven<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZgVNjI-I/AAAAAAAAA-M/mm5AB8RLJXk/s1600/laura5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 393px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZgVNjI-I/AAAAAAAAA-M/mm5AB8RLJXk/s400/laura5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522778192536085474" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Hi Laura, could you tell us a little about yourself, and what are you currently working on?</strong><br />I am a freelance graphic designer living in Melbourne, Australia. I’m currently working on artwork for exhibitions, album artwork, illustrated ceramic brooches, some logos and thinking about my next issue of my zine Okay.<br /><br /><strong>How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</strong><br />As a little girl I was encouraged to be creative. My sisters and I would spend a lot of time drawing and painting and using mum’s Derwents. <br /><br />My uncle and grandfather were both photographers and I was influenced at an early age by them. I collect film cameras and use my photographs with illustrations. I am drawn to images I find in old 50s & 60s pattern books and have collected many which have had a significant effect on my work.<br /><br />I studied graphic design for 5 years at college but I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. Learning to use design programs on the computer has definitely influenced how I design my artwork. <br /><br /><strong>How did you first learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art your career?</strong><br />I grew up in a very creative environment. My aunt is a professional illustrator so from a very early age I learned with a lot of hard work and dedication that it is possible to make art your career. I also learned at school that I could make a living from being creative and have since pursued it!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZgrcQpII/AAAAAAAAA-U/XWOdRySx0FY/s1600/laura1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZgrcQpII/AAAAAAAAA-U/XWOdRySx0FY/s400/laura1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522778198503367810" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Why do you create? What is it about being creative that makes it something important for you to do?</strong><br />Creating is a natural occurrence in my life. It makes me feel good and it is the best way for me to express who I am and how I think. I love making pictures whether they are for a job or an artwork, it is the most fulfilling time I use.<br /><br /><strong>Where did your interest in collage, retro/found images, and mixed media come from, and how has your art developed over the years to incorporate it?</strong><br />I have been collecting second hand picture books and dress pattern books for two reasons: 1. To use in my design + art work and 2. Because I can’t leave an op shop without one! I like the desaturated colours, detailed illustrations and the dreamy landscapes. The photographs in pattern books are so classic and I like the beautiful handmade clothing.<br /><br />Although my work looks nothing like his I was influenced by Fred Free’s use of found images. Through making my own zine ‘Okay’ I have experimented with ways to use these images and right now am really enjoying using the found images with embroidery. <br /><br /><strong>Where and how did you learn of your skills and interest in textiles and embroidery, and come to use these techniques within your work?</strong><br /><strong>How do you actually construct each embroidered piece – do you sew directly onto paper?</strong><br />I learned about sewing at a young age, my mum used to make all of our clothes and we were given hand-embroidered singlets for birthdays as children.<br /><br />I have collected a lot of second hand sewing reference books and embroidery was something that appealed to me. You don’t have to be a master at it to make it look special. I transferred my drawings onto fabrics and started embroidering small details and have continued working like this.<br /><br /><strong>Do you enjoy the processes of ‘handmade’?</strong><br />As a child I received handmade birthday and Christmas presents which always felt so special to me. They had this very unique quality and aesthetic that felt so personal. I don’t think you can have the same emotional connection with another bought object that you can with a handmade present you receive from a loved one. It holds a much higher sentimental value that cannot be replaced. The time someone puts into handmade work is very precious and I value that. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZg_dR6eI/AAAAAAAAA-c/XB2UeYrOyCQ/s1600/laura11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZg_dR6eI/AAAAAAAAA-c/XB2UeYrOyCQ/s400/laura11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522778203876354530" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How and why do you self-publish your artwork within your handmade zine, Okay?</strong>‘Okay’ is a personal project that I can have total freedom over everything! I love putting together in their special order. I send it to people I admire and people who are special to me. It’s also a great self-promotional piece. <br /><br /><strong>Does each issue allow you to follow a unique theme?</strong><br />I base the issue on something I am dreaming about. The theme of the last issue was Exploring and it is made up of pictures of places in my dreams and things I will do when I go exploring. <br /><br /><strong>What is your history in independent self-publishing? Is Okay your first zine?</strong>‘Okay’ is my first attempt at self-publishing my own work. With the evolution of the Internet it is continually becoming easier to market yourself online and reach a broad audience. Through my zine I have connected with other people who self-publish from all over the world.<br /><br /><strong>Do you think zines are a good way to share art, to display art, and to reach (new?) audiences or artistic communities?</strong><br />I think putting together a zine is a personal experience because you put in so much time and effort with the content and then to go ahead with printing and publishing. In Australia zines are becoming popular and lots more people are starting to make them using their own artwork or featuring other artists. It’s very easy to get your work out there through online art and social communities. Okay has been featured on some respectable websites and blogs, it has allowed me to connect people who may have never seen it in a specialist zine shop. <br /><br /><strong>Have you employed skills learned via self-publishing/ DIY publishing (skills perhaps of networking; working independently – utilising the skills and talents you have; creating/printing things yourself, from scratch; working in a handmade way; honing your skills, interests and ways of working outside of mainstream constraints; approaching interested and interesting parties yourself; exhibiting in communal ways, on collaborative projects and exhibitions, etc) in your everyday artistic practice? Do you find the worlds of art and DIY self-publishing intersect in such ways?</strong><br />Through self-publishing Okay I have learned to push the boundaries and experiment with different stocks and printing techniques that I can do myself. It has influenced my approach to materials I use for my artwork. I learned to print on fabric this way.<br /><br />I like to hold craft days with my friends in my studio. We make our own creative environment to inspire each other when we’re working on our projects. <br /><br /><strong>Amelia Gragory, recently interviewed on Pikaland was asked, <em>‘What do you think is the biggest challenge for illustrators today?’</em> to which she replied: <em>“There are just so many illustrators out there that the biggest challenge is getting your work seen and known. There isn’t a massive market for commercial illustration – at least not of the type that most illustrators enjoy creating.”</em>What are your thoughts on this, from your own experience, and how do you personally approach this challenge?</strong><br />I do agree with Amelia, she is right that it can be very tough. I have personally dealt with clients who take advantage of my skills and expect me to work for free. They think they’re doing me a favor by letting me do a job for them, to get my name out there. In the past I have done the work purely because it will look good in my folio, but to be honest it was the start of a bad reputation. <br />The thing about being creative is you never stop using that skill, it is inbuilt and if you are motivated enough you can focus on personal work to send around, put up on an online shop, and keep on your website. <br /><br /><strong>Nature and fauna, alongside the human form often intersect within your work, (I’m thinking here of the animal mask portraits, and of your images of humans with animal heads -and visa versa.)<br />Is this as an exploration of identity? A comment on animals and humans sharing the same earth? Or, like me, do you just think people look funny, beautiful, and rad with animal heads and animal features?</strong><br />Anthropomorphism (animals adopting human characteristics), humans with animal features and human interacting with animals are reoccurring themes in my work. I grew up watching Disney and more recently Studio Ghibli and reading picture books like Beatrix Potter stories which show similar concepts. The way children have relationships with the animals with no inhibitions and with free imagination, they live in harmony together. I am very interested in the relationship and I very strongly believe animals should be given a voice. This is the reason I express these concepts in my work. It does make me smile looking at an illustration of a Hare wearing a cable knit jumper or a gorgeous girl with a bird nest for hair! <br /><br /><strong>What’s your favorite art project that you’ve worked on so far?</strong><br />My favorite project is collecting and making images for my zine. I’ve taken Polaroids in Indonesia and Japan, found some beautiful second hand picture books in op shops, made stickers on my typewriter. When I have no jobs on I like to sit on my computer and play with pictures and compositions, combining different papers for the pages and putting them in a perfect order.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZhBtVz-I/AAAAAAAAA-k/SWh23YQ18S8/s1600/laura13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 227px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TKTZhBtVz-I/AAAAAAAAA-k/SWh23YQ18S8/s400/laura13.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522778204480589794" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-25992933667670714902010-09-20T15:38:00.003+01:002010-09-20T15:45:58.906+01:00Katy Horan interviewThis interview first appeared on <a href="http://pikaland.com/2010/08/18/artist-interview-katy-horan">Pikaland</a> in August 2010<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TJdzKhv7VqI/AAAAAAAAA98/cz_4pzVkJVk/s1600/katy+horan+familiar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TJdzKhv7VqI/AAAAAAAAA98/cz_4pzVkJVk/s400/katy+horan+familiar.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519006493061109410" /></a><br /><br />Katy Horan is a painter, drawer, crafter, and maker-of-things. She loves all things folky, spooky and crafty. Katy lives in Austin, Texas.<br /><br />Website: www.katyart.com<br />Blog: katyhoran.tumblr.com<br />Etsy: etsy.com/shop/Katyart<br /><br /><br /><strong>Hi Katy, how are you? What are you working on at the moment?</strong><br />I am great, thanks! I’m experimenting quite a bit these days. I am trying to balance the tiny details with more texture and looseness. I am hoping to make some large scale figures that incorporate ghost and widow imagery…should be pretty spooky. <br /><br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong><br />I would say I make bizarro lady monsters out of tiny lace patterns that make my hands hurt. That’s the casual version.<br /><br />Here’s the formal version: I intuitively combine fragmented visual references with imagery from my own memory to create something that is both ambiguous and familiar. I do this to filter images from my own subconscious while raising questions of what we visually identify as feminine. <br /><br /><strong>What are your daily inspirations?</strong><br />I get a lot of inspiration from things I read, listen to and watch. I like to use my work as a filter for all the tiny pieces of inspiration I absorb in my everyday life and that remain from my childhood. Folk and ghost stories are a source that I return to regularly. <br /><br />I am also really into history, so I like to incorporate visual details from the eras that interest me. Right now, I am really into Victorian mourning customs, so there is a lot of widow imagery floating around my head and studio. <br /><br /><strong>How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?</strong><br />How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?<br />I always drew. As a kid, I did all kinds of other activities… dance, theater, piano…but art was the only thing that I never got bored with. It always felt more natural to me than anything else. <br /><br />I always wanted to do something visual. I went to college initially to study costume design, but became more interested in children’s books than theater. I then transferred to RISD to study Illustration. After I graduated, my work gradually began shifting towards fine arts, so when galleries began showing interest and publishers weren’t, I decided to pursue a more fine art sort of path. Since then (around 2006) I have been pushing my work and process, trying to find deeper concepts and create more dynamic imagery. <br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TJdzJA473xI/AAAAAAAAA90/lcpPqP63I4I/s1600/katy+horan+down.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TJdzJA473xI/AAAAAAAAA90/lcpPqP63I4I/s400/katy+horan+down.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519006467060653842" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How did you personally learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art and creative expression your career?</strong><br />My work is at it’s best when I work completely intuitively. I have always sought that place where the conscious mind shuts up and the work becomes meditative. I listen to audio books to distract the nagging, judgmental part of my brain, so that I can work without thought. It’s been a lot of trial and error to find the best way to get around my neurosis and ADD, so that I can just work and not worry about it!<br /><br />As far as confidence goes…I am not sure how I kept that up. I am just so self conscious about everything else that it was a natural choice to pursue the art instead of another career. <br /><br /><strong>And, what daily things give you the incentive/confidence/push to continue?</strong><br />My work suffers when I remain attached to preconceived notions of what each piece should be. It is scary, but when I allow an image to go into unfamiliar territory, exciting and surprising things happen and I feel good about what I have made. <br /><br />My studio is the safest place for me and I feel the most peaceful when I am engaged in the work. It’s my need for that peace that keeps me going. That said, it really is a hard road and many of us as artists seek some form of success or validation. I have been blessed with some great opportunities, but there have also been a lot of rejections. To keep myself grounded and my work honest, I try to keep everything in perspective, and focus on the enjoyment I get from making the work as opposed to any idea of artistic glory that I may have. <br /><br /><strong>I have read of your work that you really value the connection between people and nature – hence why your art shows characters often performing ‘traditional’ tasks within their everyday environments.<br />How important to you is referencing ‘the everyday’ and ‘the personal’ – those simple everyday nuances of life that perhaps connect us all?</strong><br />That was a central theme in my older work. I was living in New York City at the time and I think I was reacting to my extreme urban environment by creating extremely natural worlds for my characters. <br /><br />My current work focus much more on singular characters. I went through a big change last year and decided to simplify my compositions so I could develop a new method of working. These characters allow me to explore historical and mythical ideas of femininity which is something that intrigues me everyday. <br /><br /><strong>You have created work in many different ways, from acrylic and gouache painting on wood, to pencil drawings and work on paper, to brown pastel paper and tiny brushes. How liberating to your work is the ability for you to work with different materials and explore many different mediums?</strong><br />It’s very important. It keeps me interested. All mediums have their pros and cons, so eventually with each medium, I get tired of the limitations. It’s refreshing to find a new way to execute my imagery and let go of the hassles of other medium. <br /><br />I worked for a while on stained wood with acrylic and gouache. When I started exploring a new process, I turned to paper because it is so immediate and allowed me to experiment more freely and quickly.<br /><br /><strong>Magic, domesticity, and femininity are all main focuses in your art; is this a direct influence from your love for folk art, and interest in what art and history can teach us about culture and heritage, or is there a more contemporary aspect and comment being made of current society through your depictions?</strong><br />Honestly, I think it is because I want to escape reality. I have always been a sucker for anything that allowed me to enter another world. I totally indulge this need with my work. I have never really been interested in cultural or social commentary. Even when I am investigating ideas of femininity, it is not overtly critical. It is in part my love of feminine beauty and decoration that my work explores these themes. I think in the end my motivations are purely personal. I just want to connect to the things I find beautiful and magical! <br /><br /><strong>How important do you think it is to include and represent traditional ‘folk’ art forms in contemporary artwork like yours?</strong><br />I think it is very important. All these art forms that at one point may have been considered outside or less than by the contemporary art world can make our work so much more interesting and dynamic! There has been a noticeable acceptance of (for lack of a better term) “low brow” art forms such as illustration and folk art lately, and I think it’s a very exciting development for the art world.<br /><br /><strong>Speaking of the nature and culture of folk art, how important is the role of ‘story telling’ in your artwork – I ask this, as I think the centrality of ‘the everyday’ in your work adds story to your images.</strong><br />Story telling was very important in my older work. That stuff was extremely narrative and literal in a way. It is still important to me, but I am trying to use it in a much more abstract way. My hope is that the viewer comes up with their own narratives when looking at my current pieces. <br /><br /><strong>Your work primarily contains female subjects. What is it about femininity that draws you to capture its many guises within your work?</strong><br />I grew up in Texas and although the pressure to be a feminine female is everywhere, Texas excels at it! I grew up wanting to be like the pretty women in the magazine, but I was also aware that the pressure to conform to preconceived notions of what women look like was wrong. I always felt at odds with the idea that most of the pressure on girls was related to their physical appearance. I think my current work is a direct result of this. I think am trying to reconcile my personal issues with this and my visual attraction to certain feminine aesthetics. <br /><br /><strong>How much fun do you have creating and painting costumes? (I’m thinking here of my favourite work of yours, the incredibly intricate lace ladies in the ‘Lady Monsters’ series)</strong><br />Um, I completely love it! I have always been drawn to costume and decoration. I actually wanted to be a costume designer for a long time. From childhood to high school, all I drew were ladies in crazy outfits. <br /><br /><strong>You have said that it is comforting to you to reference ‘old fashioned’ “women’s work” (quilting/sewing/sacred ritual/gathering/domestic arts and crafts/etc) within your art. Why is this?</strong><br />There’s something about the gathering of women to make something for a home that is both beautiful and comforting to me. They developed these art forms as a means to express themselves when they were expected to maintain a home. I love the intricacy and humility in all of it. <br /><br /><strong>Your work is incredibly intricate and precise, and you are very particular about the muting of colour and the role that that plays in your images. On the flipside, I read that you are fond of experimentation and a relaxed exploration of ideas.<br />What role, therefore, does the notion of ‘perfection’ play in your artwork?</strong><br />Experimentation allows me to discover new imagery. I then like to filter my discoveries through my ridiculous, perfectionist process. I like to see just how precise I can be with my line work, it’s a fun challenge and it can also be pretty meditative, which is nice. <br /><br />That said, I am trying to be less of a perfectionist. I worry that the evolution of my images are limited by my need for precision. I want to see what I come up with if I experiment more with the finished pieces. <br /><br /><strong>What for you are the most enjoyable or rewarding aspects of working as an artist?</strong><br />Being alone with my thoughts and interests are probably the best part. In my studio, I am free to explore whatever pops into my head. If I want to learn more about the Civil War, for example, I can just research it and incorporate it into my work…Not that we need excuses to learn something new, but I love using my work as a platform to explore random interests.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TJdzIrYCmnI/AAAAAAAAA9s/VByBpglHuiM/s1600/katy+horan+doll.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/TJdzIrYCmnI/AAAAAAAAA9s/VByBpglHuiM/s400/katy+horan+doll.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519006461285538418" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-88274760677090068642010-08-24T13:51:00.003+01:002010-08-24T13:59:37.173+01:00Jill Bliss interviewThis interview first appeared on <a href="http://pikaland.com/2010/04/29/artist-interview-jill-bliss">Pikaland Website</a>, April 2010.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBr9qDA2I/AAAAAAAAA8I/2PiQCaw81UE/s1600/jill.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 325px; height: 294px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBr9qDA2I/AAAAAAAAA8I/2PiQCaw81UE/s400/jill.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508959730233705314" /></a><br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.jillbliss.com">Jill Bliss</a> is celebrating ten years of her professional career as an artist/crafter/designer – during this time she has made some of the most exquisitely attractive illustrations, books, and crafts a girl could wish for; all with her unmistakable eco and natural stylings.</em><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBsZ2b5mI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/R6ZCAIjf2CI/s1600/jill+bliss+common+camas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBsZ2b5mI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/R6ZCAIjf2CI/s400/jill+bliss+common+camas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508959737801860706" /></a><br /><br />Name: <strong>Jill Bliss</strong><br />Location: Portland, OR. USA<br />Website: www.jillbliss.com<br />Blog: blog.jillbliss.com<br />Shop: shop.jillbliss.com <br />Etsy: etsy.com/shop/jillbliss<br />Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/jillbliss/collections<br />Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jill-Bliss-Artwork<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBs7iHm5I/AAAAAAAAA8g/HbzfOYq46F0/s1600/octopus+shoreline.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 315px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBs7iHm5I/AAAAAAAAA8g/HbzfOYq46F0/s400/octopus+shoreline.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508959746843450258" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Hi Jill, how are you? [As I sit to write these questions to you the smell of freshly cut grass has just wafted through my open window, and it seems almost perfect, like whoever is cutting their grass knew I was speaking to you at this very moment!!]</strong><br /><br />Oh, I love that smell! Or the smell of spring air right before it pours rain – as if the entire plant world is releasing their scents before the rain washes it away!<br /><br /><strong>May 2010 marks 10 years of you doing what you do. Is this anniversary a celebration of you first fully devoting your time to be an artist and selling your work, rather than you first starting to make your work?</strong><br /><br />The former! May 2000 I graduated from college [Parsons in NYC], and began making my way by making art and things for myself and for clients. My first self-assigned project was a book called “one” which I self-published the following year.<br /><br /><strong>How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?</strong><br /><br />I’ve always made art, and worked very hard at perfecting it even when I was really little. In his retirement years, my grandfather did Thomas Kincaid-style oil paintings in a studio space in his garage, which I would emulate but using pens and pencils instead of paint. My father worked at the Wall Street Journal in San Francisco and would bring home the end rolls of newsprint for me to draw on. I’d draw everything in my world, life-sized: friend’s fancy toys I coveted, the jolly green giant, my friends, unicorns… I’d even recreate 3-dimensional items on the 2-d paper, working out how to depict each piece of the item I was drawing, and learning how to build things that way. Drawing has always been the way in which I record and understand the mechanics of the world around me.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBsFRVdUI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/O3Ca2Eygc6A/s1600/jill+bliss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 366px; height: 263px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBsFRVdUI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/O3Ca2Eygc6A/s400/jill+bliss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508959732277540162" /></a><br /><br /><strong>How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</strong><br /><br />My current style, of course, has evolved, but I’ve always been obsessed with expressing the world with definitive lines. Recently I brought in some of my college sketchbooks to show my students at Portland State University [I teach in the graphic design department], and it was amazing to see the progression of my work the past 15 years. As a student, I was taught that all of us have a unique creative voice and, no matter how our work evolves and changes, we all tell the same 2 -3 stories over and over. And, yes, a common thread of both line quality and subject matter really does run through all my sketchbooks and work! So, this is what I concentrate on imparting to the next generation of creatives: first deconstruct your work and the work of others you emulate and figure out the essence of what it is you love about it in terms of colors, shapes, subject matter, materials. Once you’ve figured that out, you’ll have a solid base for yourself as a creator and person from which to create.<br /><br /><strong>How did you personally learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art and creative expression your career? Confidence is such a slippery fish!</strong><br /><br />I was discouraged from pursuing a life of art and design by family and friends for a very long time. I grew up in the olde tyme days, before artists could make a decent living and connect with fans directly via the internet, Etsy and Paypal. It was looooong process for me to overcome this deeply-ingrained mind-set. Moving away from everyone I knew to go to New York City and Parsons School of Design, and meeting artists and designers able to make a living off their work helped me gain confidence that what I wanted to do was valid, but I still remember feeling guilty doing my art homework instead of more “normal” homework like some of my friends going to “normal” colleges.<br /><br /><strong>How has your creativity, process and output developed/altered/morphed over the past ten years?</strong><br /><br />I’ve narrowed my focus and my interests – I’ve tried a lot of different ways of working and things I’ve made, and now have a good sense of what I’m capable of and have a sustained interest in exploring!<br /><br /><strong>Sustainability plays such a big part in your work. Whether this be in the depiction of the nature in your actual art, and your devotion to sustaining our environments, nature, and the native ecology that we see around us – to the very fact that you have been doing-it-yourself and making a living independently from your art for the past decade, sustaining your life through your own talents, creativities and hard work.</strong><br /><strong>How have you been able to find and maintain such creative, eco, and financial sustainability over the past ten years?</strong><br /><br />I’m always re-examining the way I do things and the things I do in order to live as simply and efficiently as possible. I’ve always lived this way, it stems from my farmlife childhood and stories from my grandparents about living through the second world war in the Netherlands. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a bit of excessiveness now and again! Mainly to remind myself why I don’t always live that way, and to further appreciate the simplicity of my usual existence. I’m no monk, or fundamentalist.<br /><br /><strong>Much of your work is created using everyday items, and captures the small, intricate detail of nature. Do you find that being able to find artistic beauty in small things enables us to put our own lives into perspective – in terms of being able to remember our own individual existences and what they can mean in the grand scheme of things?</strong><br /><br />That’s part of it. I’m also really fascinated by the idea that everything is interconnected, each is a piece of the greater whole – that each is the same as everything else, just on different scales. In my head, I envision the world and everything in it as “circles within circles.”<br /><br /><strong>What is something key that you’ve learned about yourself, and your work, during the past ten years?</strong><br /><br />I am driven to do this work, even in the beginning when it wasn’t exactly clear what type of work I was growing towards doing! Along the way, I’ve found it necessary to give up many of the typical life milestones in favor of being able to continue on this path. I’ve been pretty stubborn about it, and still can’t articulate exactly why except to say that this is what I’m here to do.<br /><br /><strong>You obviously draw a lot from your locality of the Pacific Northwest/Northern California within your work – how important to your art has your (changing) environment been over the past ten years?</strong><br /><br />All the different places I’ve lived and visited have made me realize the inherent similarities of all things, ideas, people and places. That being said, my “home” is very important to me. “Home” to me is the west coast between Big Sur California up to Vancouver BC. I haven’t been farther north than that yet, but someday I may venture farther north and see if Northern Canada and Alaska feel homey as well.<br /><br /><strong>How important is community to you? Whether this be an artistic community, or a network of cultural production, or indeed an (environmental) activist community?</strong><br /><br />Community is extremely important to me. That being said, I’ve never felt comfortable in large group environments, those feel so impersonal. I prefer the more genuine connection of interaction with members of my community on a one-to-one basis or in small groups.<br /><br /><strong>Linked to this question, how important to you and your artistic practice has collaboration been (and continue to be); collaboration and the potential for sharing, gaining and realising ideas, building (artistic) friendships, and discovering or allowing untapped opportunities to come about?<br />I ask this, as I know you have collaborated in many international group shows, and often work alongside other artists – most noticeable Saelee Oh in your yearly calendar project.</strong><br /><br />The reasons for collaborating with others has changed for me over the years. When I first began, it was the excitement of learning alongside another creative person, seeing things from different perspectives, and learning different ways of working. <br /><br />Now that me, my work, and my work process have all matured, the collaborations I seek out are less frequent and much more discriminating. I’m not looking to learn so much as I’m looking to find connections between myself and my work and the other person and their work. I’m also expanding my collaborations to work with other types of makers. For example, I’m about to begin a mural project with a local chef/ restaurant owner, the content of which is/will be determined by a series of conversations we’ve been having about the local food-production community and native vegetation in and near Portland. <br /><br /><strong>Does working in an environment alongside your peers provide any specific benefits to you as an artist?</strong><br /><br />I don’t need to see other artists work for my own inspiration. At this point, my work visually evolves from itself, it’s a natural progression. I have a few handfuls of artist friends here in Portland and elsewhere who I seek out via email, phone, or in-person meetings on a fairly regular basis to freely trade inspirational philosophical ideas or business aspects of being artists, or to just to take a break from it all with someone else who understands the hardships and celebrations of daily life as an artist. We never discuss our work directly, there’s no need for that.<br /><br /><strong>I read that you are running more Summer drawing workshops this year, in the parks of Portland. What do these entail – and what do you hope for them?</strong><br /><br />Last summer’s workshops gave me the opportunity to perfect some basic techniques I’d initially devised a few summers ago to teach my mom and her friends to draw. They were all adamant they couldn’t do it and I was equally adamant that they could. <br /><br />This past summer, I knew it was time to begin teaching what I know to others. I’d put out the word to several colleges that I was looking to teach, but, me being an impatient DIY queen, I took the matter into my own hands and devised my own curriculum and classes! Now I teach a class in the graphic design department at PSU, and am in discussions for other teaching opportunities. And I still have the summer drawing workshops as well!<br /><br /><strong>How important to you is this communal/community action, this avenue for skills sharing?</strong><br /><br />It’s essential. I’m very aware of how privileged I am to have the education that I do, and I feel the responsibility to pass on my knowledge. It’s rewarding to show others what they already know how to do, and to show them how to do it consistently.<br /><br /><strong>How important do you think it is to encourage and empower us all to believe in our own creative abilities and potentials?</strong><br /><br />Of course that is important! It’s not only about empowering our own creative abilities and potentials, but also learning to understand and appreciate other’s creative abilities and potentials. Perhaps someone I’m teaching may not end up doing what I’ve taught them on a professional level, but after having taken my class they’ll be more informed and appreciative about the artistic process. Perhaps it will help them better relate or understand the world, or perhaps it will make them more willing to support those of us who commit our lives to it.<br /><br /><strong>Linked to this, do you believe that we all have the potential to be creative and/or cultural producers everyday?</strong><br /><br />Our everyday world consists of both human-made and natural environments that co-exist, which is something we all have to find ways to recognize and come to terms with – whether it be drawing, photography, writing, what have you. We all have the potential to be creative cultural producers AND consumers everyday! <br /><br /><strong>You have spoken about having an underlying hope that what you are doing will inspire and encourage a more thoughtful art and design industry (focussed on local economies, fair practices, less consumption, and more sustainability). To me, this hope is infused within the “look” to your work, a specific “feel” or “mood” of hope that pretty much allows me to spot, or feel a piece of your work from ten paces! The colour palette you use and the scenes/subjects almost make me feel like I can breathe your hope in.<br />It seems to be such a constant thread in your work – without this positive hopeful optimism, could you continue to create art?</strong><br /><br />Ahhhh, it makes me so happy when people tell me they can see this in my work – that’s exactly what I aim for! Making the work itself is very meditative and I have to be in a very specific frame of mind for it to turn out well, for it to radiate that optimism to which I strive. I’ve learned I need to surround myself with a very specific kind of open positivity in order to live the life I need to live in order to create the work that I do. <br /><br />I’ve been told many times that living this optimistically is too naive and shouldn’t be done – but no one can ever give me a memorable reason why apart from “because you’ll be taken advantage of,” which has certainly happened, but much less so now that I’m vigilant about my surroundings. <br /><br />I heard Bjork say something many years ago that has stayed with me always. I don’t remember the specific words she used, but the thought was this: “Making something ugly and dark and negative is easy because that’s almost the default of the human condition. Making something joyful and beautiful is a challenge, it takes constant vigilance to remain positive. And I love a good challenge.”<br /><br /><strong>What for you are the most enjoyable or rewarding aspects of working as an artist?</strong><br /><br />I enjoy the empowerment of creating my own life that I’ve given myself – to be the change I want to see in the world. I can no longer imagine living by “the rules” that so many people seem to impose on themselves and others.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBs0DhEUI/AAAAAAAAA8o/jHDafwSsM_s/s1600/pixie+cups+moss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/THPBs0DhEUI/AAAAAAAAA8o/jHDafwSsM_s/s400/pixie+cups+moss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508959744836047170" /></a>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-91834689792595333332009-12-17T13:00:00.032+00:002009-12-17T14:44:30.665+00:00Gallery Artwork from Issue 5 (2009)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syovq_Q179I/AAAAAAAAAx0/-1jWmyvWscs/s1600-h/fee+hardling+cropped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 352px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syovq_Q179I/AAAAAAAAAx0/-1jWmyvWscs/s400/fee+hardling+cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416193917449531346" /></a><br /><br /><em><strong>I was so overwhelmed by the amazing art submitted earlier this year for the Gallery in Issue 5.<br />I want to re-post the work here to share the work further than the pages of the zine could reach.<br />I love each and every one of these artists. Thank you for being a part of COTL5 :)</strong></em><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syost0BXPcI/AAAAAAAAAw0/K0HerhI1Kuk/s1600-h/ali+aschman1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syost0BXPcI/AAAAAAAAAw0/K0HerhI1Kuk/s400/ali+aschman1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416190667436539330" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.aliaschman.blogspot.com">Ali Aschman</a> (Brooklyn, NY)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyotWhhsAyI/AAAAAAAAAw8/8FROWcdVy48/s1600-h/amber+seegmiller+amywalrus.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyotWhhsAyI/AAAAAAAAAw8/8FROWcdVy48/s400/amber+seegmiller+amywalrus.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416191366846481186" /></a><br /><a href="http://ambird.deviantart.com">Amber Seegmiller</a> (Whittier, CA. USA).<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syotte0hbYI/AAAAAAAAAxE/ekIufcAi460/s1600-h/baghead_green2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syotte0hbYI/AAAAAAAAAxE/ekIufcAi460/s400/baghead_green2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416191761257164162" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.katepugsley.com">Kate Pugsley</a> (Chicago, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyouLTVmX_I/AAAAAAAAAxM/TjcIFKaymrA/s1600-h/brandi+niceface.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyouLTVmX_I/AAAAAAAAAxM/TjcIFKaymrA/s400/brandi+niceface.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416192273570750450" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.brandimilne.com">Brandi Milne</a> (USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syouds-LTFI/AAAAAAAAAxU/bmBQLcRJztc/s1600-h/coletterosa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syouds-LTFI/AAAAAAAAAxU/bmBQLcRJztc/s400/coletterosa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416192589689474130" /></a><br />Colette Rosa (London, UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoulxQwovI/AAAAAAAAAxc/ambT4mAswXo/s1600-h/ellara+woodlock+boiledlust-ellarawoodlock.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoulxQwovI/AAAAAAAAAxc/ambT4mAswXo/s400/ellara+woodlock+boiledlust-ellarawoodlock.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416192728280113906" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.ellarawoodlock.com">Ellara Woodlock</a> (Melbourne, Australia)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syou6t22BtI/AAAAAAAAAxk/uR34Qd9oC0Y/s1600-h/elsie+towle+snow+aw_cotl_venn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syou6t22BtI/AAAAAAAAAxk/uR34Qd9oC0Y/s400/elsie+towle+snow+aw_cotl_venn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416193088143361746" /></a><br /><a href="http://argylewhale.blogspot.com">Elise Towle Snow</a> (Salem, Massachusetts, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syovi8vHHJI/AAAAAAAAAxs/2TkzUCBL35w/s1600-h/emily+cunningham+IMG_0280300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syovi8vHHJI/AAAAAAAAAxs/2TkzUCBL35w/s400/emily+cunningham+IMG_0280300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416193779332226194" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.emilycunningham.com">Emily Cunningham</a> (Chicago, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyowELZScyI/AAAAAAAAAx8/-CVMoMnmCzI/s1600-h/freya+harrison+cotl3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyowELZScyI/AAAAAAAAAx8/-CVMoMnmCzI/s400/freya+harrison+cotl3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416194350202909474" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.freyaillustration.co.uk">Freya Harrison</a> (London, UK) <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyowTmqMlVI/AAAAAAAAAyE/F2xXFpUqf8Q/s1600-h/helen+entwisle+mathscolour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 338px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyowTmqMlVI/AAAAAAAAAyE/F2xXFpUqf8Q/s400/helen+entwisle+mathscolour.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416194615219623250" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.hellomemo.com">Memo</a> (Leeds, UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyowlHeOwcI/AAAAAAAAAyM/PS9GGngWzs0/s1600-h/jenoaks_bubbles_card.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyowlHeOwcI/AAAAAAAAAyM/PS9GGngWzs0/s400/jenoaks_bubbles_card.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416194916085580226" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jenoaks.com">Jen Oaks</a> (Berkeley, CA. USA) <br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syow5CN0fjI/AAAAAAAAAyU/_PukLmH4kyQ/s1600-h/juliana+swaney+spitting-feathers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 367px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syow5CN0fjI/AAAAAAAAAyU/_PukLmH4kyQ/s400/juliana+swaney+spitting-feathers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416195258271956530" /></a><br /><a href="http://ohmycavalier.blogspot.com">Julianna Swaney</a> (Portland OR. USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoxKTBKx5I/AAAAAAAAAyc/OActU8saKw4/s1600-h/KatieHanratty-image2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoxKTBKx5I/AAAAAAAAAyc/OActU8saKw4/s400/KatieHanratty-image2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416195554840070034" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.katiehanratty.110mb.com">Katie Hanratty</a> (Wirral, UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoxoBPNrwI/AAAAAAAAAyk/7qTV05zoG6M/s1600-h/kristyna+baczynski+Pencil_SP.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoxoBPNrwI/AAAAAAAAAyk/7qTV05zoG6M/s400/kristyna+baczynski+Pencil_SP.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416196065463217922" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.kriskicorp.blogspot.com">Kristyna Baczynski</a> (Leeds, UK) <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoxzG31c0I/AAAAAAAAAys/P875a5bHdYo/s1600-h/laura+berger+into_the_out_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 395px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoxzG31c0I/AAAAAAAAAys/P875a5bHdYo/s400/laura+berger+into_the_out_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416196255954334530" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurageorge">Laura Berger</a> (Chicago, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoyGDEA3VI/AAAAAAAAAy0/YCzCMrmIoR4/s1600-h/lisa+linnea+cropped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 334px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoyGDEA3VI/AAAAAAAAAy0/YCzCMrmIoR4/s400/lisa+linnea+cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416196581349186898" /></a><br /><a href="www.lisalinnea.com">Lisa Linnéa</a> (Sweden)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoyfOLKhFI/AAAAAAAAAy8/MX5aDdaAhdw/s1600-h/liza+corbett+Margot_lc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 356px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyoyfOLKhFI/AAAAAAAAAy8/MX5aDdaAhdw/s400/liza+corbett+Margot_lc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416197013828699218" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.lizacorbett.com">Liza Corbett</a> (New York City)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syoyu3DuQnI/AAAAAAAAAzE/s60ePutbDKs/s1600-h/Lucy_Player_-_phone_hi_res.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syoyu3DuQnI/AAAAAAAAAzE/s60ePutbDKs/s400/Lucy_Player_-_phone_hi_res.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416197282501378674" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.lucyplayer.com">Lucy Player</a> (Essex, UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syoy-V8FHbI/AAAAAAAAAzM/jujZ7u7Wewg/s1600-h/maria+gil+u+stella_reduced.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syoy-V8FHbI/AAAAAAAAAzM/jujZ7u7Wewg/s400/maria+gil+u+stella_reduced.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416197548488859058" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nosideup.blogspot.com">Maria Gil Ulldemolins</a> (aka Nosideup) (Oxford UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyozWJQckAI/AAAAAAAAAzU/nreGgRSQy1E/s1600-h/meghan+whitmarsh+Whitmarsh_giantSculpture.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyozWJQckAI/AAAAAAAAAzU/nreGgRSQy1E/s400/meghan+whitmarsh+Whitmarsh_giantSculpture.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416197957401481218" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.meganwhitmarsh.com">Megan Whitmarsh</a> (Los Angeles, USA) <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyozhBJeJnI/AAAAAAAAAzc/rm0161kI-hI/s1600-h/meryl+The+Wards+in+Jarndyce.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SyozhBJeJnI/AAAAAAAAAzc/rm0161kI-hI/s400/meryl+The+Wards+in+Jarndyce.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416198144203302514" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/merylazoic">Meryl Donoghue</a> (London, UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syoz3qUilKI/AAAAAAAAAzk/U5dXK_hE_fc/s1600-h/Miso+two.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syoz3qUilKI/AAAAAAAAAzk/U5dXK_hE_fc/s400/Miso+two.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416198533212705954" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.cityofreubens.com">Miso</a> (Melbourne. Australia)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo0CrQBIjI/AAAAAAAAAzs/IAKgBHYY-H8/s1600-h/ms+led+big+valentines_print.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo0CrQBIjI/AAAAAAAAAzs/IAKgBHYY-H8/s400/ms+led+big+valentines_print.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416198722440733234" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.missled.co.uk ">Miss Led</a> (UK)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo0Tl3G8NI/AAAAAAAAAz0/pP7BsF90V-k/s1600-h/nancy+mungcal+thesegirlsprintcotl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo0Tl3G8NI/AAAAAAAAAz0/pP7BsF90V-k/s400/nancy+mungcal+thesegirlsprintcotl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416199013051855058" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.prettylittletheives.com">Nancy Mungcal</a> (Los Angeles, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo0hjEo1nI/AAAAAAAAAz8/zBDJKw6KcjI/s1600-h/nikki+stavin+deadbird003small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo0hjEo1nI/AAAAAAAAAz8/zBDJKw6KcjI/s400/nikki+stavin+deadbird003small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416199252821464690" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nikkistavin.com">Nikki Stavin</a> (Chicago, IL, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo02PKzCaI/AAAAAAAAA0E/iVnfu1BAZNg/s1600-h/nina+nijsten+radicalredecoration.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo02PKzCaI/AAAAAAAAA0E/iVnfu1BAZNg/s400/nina+nijsten+radicalredecoration.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416199608255842722" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.ninanijsten.110mb.com">Nina Nijsten</a> (Hasselt, Belgium)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo1Z05m8zI/AAAAAAAAA0M/rHH3bFXqHIc/s1600-h/sarah+lippett+dinner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Syo1Z05m8zI/AAAAAAAAA0M/rHH3bFXqHIc/s400/sarah+lippett+dinner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416200219679716146" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.crayonlegs.com">Sarah Lippett</a> (UK) <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SypDLPM14VI/AAAAAAAAA0U/IG_O2BBLtok/s1600-h/suzanne+coady+pizzaman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 394px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SypDLPM14VI/AAAAAAAAA0U/IG_O2BBLtok/s400/suzanne+coady+pizzaman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416215362204459346" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.girlyhandwriting.com">Suzanne Coady</a> (Santa Fe, NM, USA)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SypDYbziIpI/AAAAAAAAA0c/_4mnXe5HbaE/s1600-h/ulla+saar+couple.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SypDYbziIpI/AAAAAAAAA0c/_4mnXe5HbaE/s400/ulla+saar+couple.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416215588926268050" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26147428@N00/">Ulla Saar</a> (Tallinn, Estonia)Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-90009916784658256532009-10-29T00:13:00.006+00:002009-10-29T00:35:43.701+00:00Erika Lopez Interview<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Suji729rO4I/AAAAAAAAAu8/qWCNIsJad7o/s1600-h/cart.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397813671397899138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Suji729rO4I/AAAAAAAAAu8/qWCNIsJad7o/s400/cart.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Suji70OwciI/AAAAAAAAAu0/MZudZHFTHAY/s1600-h/boobs_cover.bra.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397813670664237602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Suji70OwciI/AAAAAAAAAu0/MZudZHFTHAY/s400/boobs_cover.bra.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong>Erika Lopez</strong></div><strong></strong><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>Location:</strong> San Francisco, CA<br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong> My art? Like a little kid left in a cave with her school pack.<br /><strong>Currently working on:</strong> A book and a movie. I think this is the last you'll hear of me right here. I’m out of my league.<br /><strong>Day job (if applicable):</strong> None. Yet...<br /><strong>3 Likes:</strong> Music, James--my best friend, and my cat<br /><strong>3 Dislikes:</strong> Liars, scared people, anything too institutionalised<br /><strong>Daily Inspirations:</strong> To change the world and show another way to be a superfreak without burning out. Not sure I’m succeeding today, though.<br /><strong>People & artists you admire:</strong> James--my best friend, thich naht hanh, Kurt Vonnegut<br /><strong>Favourite album(s) to listen to when working:</strong> Changes on depending on my work. Metallica used to be fun before the "scared people; anything too institutionalized" dislike kicked in.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.erikalopez.com/">http://www.erikalopez.com/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://clog.erikalopez.com/">http://clog.erikalopez.com/</a><br /><br /><br />Interview date: June 2009</div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>Hi Erika, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?</strong><br />I’m having a rough day. A bolt of inspiration made my previous book idea irrelevant. And now I have to scrap previous idea and start anew.<br />I’m exhausted.<br />But I get weary because I’m so idealistic and feel like I’m born into a cheap world so often.<br /><br /><strong>How did you get started with art, and how long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?<br /></strong>I was born observing. It’s often hell. I understand what crappy entertainment is for now: to forget how crappy life can be. To feel is often exhausting.<br />I’m not in a good mood.<br />It’s been a rough seven years. I think I broke a mirror somewhere.<br />But I get hits of bliss which make it all worthwhile...<br />Ay!<br /><br /><strong>I have heard you say that when you were young, cartooning got yr mum’s attention. What were those early cartoons like and about, and what led you to continue creating and developing them?<br /></strong>They were funny because humour would get her attention. And I still "lap dance for mommy" today.<br />My humour is what gets attention. I have to slog through the despair to get to the funny.<br /><br /><strong>Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?</strong><br />Yeah, when people laughed, that was a high.<br />Addicting.<br />That was its worth and still is for me.<br /><br /><strong>Your illustrative work merges many different styles: porn, cartoon art, clip art, with traditional American narratives (road tales, love and hurt, etc)<br />You have also worked in many mediums: literature, illustration, film, comics, spoken word.<br />In looking at all of this and thinking of influences, is there any one particular artist or style you admire?</strong><br />No. So many. I love people who do too many different things. Steve Allen. Shel Silverstein. etc.<br /><br /><strong>Where do you create? Do you have the space to create all the kind of art you want to?</strong><br />Oh no, I live in about 400 sq feet with James, my best friend, James. I call him 'thames.' have no idea how that came to be.<br /><br /><strong>You went to art school – what did you learn from this experience that you still incorporate into your work, or that still influences you today?</strong><br />I learned to finally finish things. And now I like epic projects. I learned tenacity. And I learned to love other artists. Visual artists don't much get writers. But visual artists feel like home wherever I am.<br /><br /><strong>What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?</strong><br />Unfortunately a major all-the-time role. I kill any deal that is otherwise. I pay dearly for this privilege.<br /><br /><strong>I am very interested in how and where women gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief -- especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create with a sense of assurance, belief and certainty.<br />What is your personal relationship with confidence?<br /></strong>It lurches up and down. In the end I see how I feel inside. Most people try to diminish us just to control us so they get what they want. It’s just "wild kingdom" out there. It’s just natural.<br /><br /><strong>How has your approach to carrying out your creativity changed since moving between illustrated books to reading your work, and illustrating it through live performances?</strong><br />My creativity hasn't changed. Just my audacity and standing up to my beliefs with my own face. That’s hard not to hide behind art or words. To own it. To stomp.<br /><br /><strong>In most of your books, the layout of and the actual hand written text functions as a form of illustration. Would you say that this is the same with the use of your voice in performance – that your voice is the illustration?<br /></strong>Oooh. Nice. Like that!<br /><br /><strong>When working on spoken word/written projects, do you miss cartooning?<br /></strong>No. Cartooning is very private. I don't need to publish. When I perform, I feed off many people.<br /><br /><strong>You are employing a DIY style of self-publishing and spoken word now (no longer tied to publishers or others’ schedules or expectations of promotion)<br />Are you enjoying having full creative control over your production?</strong><br />Yes. Too much. That’s the problem.<br /><br /><strong>There seems to be a reoccurring theme in your art – that of reworking Latina stereotypes to give them female agency, self-possession, and sexuality on their own terms. As such, interrogating and revising Latina stereotypes and Latin cultural icons.<br />Alongside reclaiming Latina stereotypes, there appears to be further examples of reclaiming female visual images in general in your work.<br />By depicting sexualised, rad, strong women there’s a divergence from fixed social norms on femininity – especially from within the comix field where traditionally “female comics” and comics aimed at girls and women were filled with heteronormativity and fixed traditional roles of quaint uber-femininity for the characters.</strong><br /><strong>Has it been a conscious aim for you to queer femininity norms & female (self)-representation, and disrupt gender and gendered norms within your work by depicting other truths and ‘our’ norms?</strong><br />Absolutely! Couldn’t have said it better myself.<br />I think our life depends on diverging from social norms.<br />Suicides speak to that. Cut up faces and arms and white knuckling it into our upper ages.<br />It’s tragic.<br /><br /><strong>I once read you say:<br /><br /><em>“I do want to hear about people – especially younger ones – reading my stuff and feeling like they can be more of who they are […] It’s not sexy to be your dorky self and there’s nothing out there that encourages you to […] to be oneself is to sign up to a lifetime of embarrassment, dorkiness, many come-to-jesus talks about fitting in “or else”, and many family fights.”</em></strong><br /><br /><strong>To what degree therefore do you wish for your work to be seen as acceptance of others’ unique lives, and a way for alienated people to find a form of self-assurance via your depictions of non-mainstream or “non-traditional/unacceptable” lives? Setting yourself up as a dork/outsider for others to believe in and aspire to?<br />Is it important to you that your work have a constructive, positive, inspiring role for women readers?</strong><br />I don't want anyone to emulate me, as much as see the paste up lines of doing it your way because everyone works and copies each other to make it all look so easy. To make it up as you go along is hard. There’s no map.<br />I want to show what THAT looks like so others feel more confident. Whatever they're doing. It doesn't matter. All that matters is individuality, integrity, honour. Then we won't be unhappy and be vampires to others' souls. And we recognize when others do that with us.<br /><br /><strong>Your most recent project is the Welfare Queen. What is this all about?<br /></strong>Could you explain to me where the ideas for this come from, how you are presenting this project, and why you personally wanted to document welfare queens in your work at this time?<br />Well, I did the welfare queen as a show a few years ago when I was on welfare after having a flourishing book career. I was so full of despair, I finally laughed. And it became a cartoon. Then a dare to do a show. Then I toured it.<br /></div></div>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-4223480671651523532009-10-29T00:08:00.001+00:002009-10-29T00:12:54.348+00:00Helen Musselwhite Interview<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujd6HyS7sI/AAAAAAAAAtc/IDcf0UuvelA/s1600-h/woodcutters_cottage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397808143995694786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 396px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujd6HyS7sI/AAAAAAAAAtc/IDcf0UuvelA/s400/woodcutters_cottage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujd59YBzGI/AAAAAAAAAtU/XrguLQoKaWg/s1600-h/winter_hedgerow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397808141201165410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 398px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujd59YBzGI/AAAAAAAAAtU/XrguLQoKaWg/s400/winter_hedgerow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujd5rnFLoI/AAAAAAAAAtM/Ak1QUUkDips/s1600-h/hedgerow_birds.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397808136432463490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 396px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujd5rnFLoI/AAAAAAAAAtM/Ak1QUUkDips/s400/hedgerow_birds.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>Helen Musselwhite<br /></strong><br /><strong>Location:</strong> Southern edge of Manchester, UK<br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong> Paper Sculpture that’s colourful, bold and whimsical<br /><strong>Currently working on:</strong> orders for independent shops, commissions through my website and 2 exhibitions<br /><strong>3 Likes:</strong> small birds, reading blogs, the smell of roses<strong><br />3 Dislikes:</strong> inconsideration, Turkish delight, plastic carrier bags<br /><strong>Daily Inspirations:</strong> The flora and fauna I see when dog walking<br /><strong>People & artists you admire:</strong> Picasso, Emile Zola, Alexander Mcqueen, Madonna<br /><strong>Favourite album(s) to listen to when working:</strong> I go through phases. Lately I’ve been listening to White Chalk by PJ Harvey, Fleet Foxes, and I like to have a blast of Witchita Linesman by Glen Campbell to send a tingle down my spine. I also listen to Radio 4 a lot<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.helenmusselwhite.com/">http://www.helenmusselwhite.com/</a><br /><br />Interview date: March 2009.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Hi Helen, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?</strong><br />Just getting used to working in my new glasses! It’s the first time I’ve had to have them and it feels quite odd!<br /><br /><strong>First things first I guess I’d like to ask about the sorts of stuff you like; what images keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work, for inspiration?<br /></strong>I’ve got lots of reference books and back issues of interior/style magazines.<br />On the wall next to my desk is a collection of cards, postcards (some bought by me some given to me), magazine cuttings, bits of work that didn’t quite turn out as I wanted that might work on another piece, images printed from the internet a picture of a flamingo by my godson which I particularly like. It’s an ever-expanding collection.<br /><br /><strong>What is your artistic history? How did you get started, and how long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?<br /></strong>I did an art foundation course followed by an OND and Hnd in graphic design and then worked in a design studio for a few years.<br />I also used to make and decorate small pieces of furniture from MDF which I sold to independent shops.<br />I then spend a few years working for a jeweller making rudimentary sliver and gold jewellery and as an art technician in a school.<br />Then in 2006 after relocating to Manchester paper really began to work for me.<br /><br /><strong>Where did your skills and interest in paper engineering come from?</strong><br />Whilst making jewellery, I used to make paper models of some of the pieces I wanted to make and I was also in charge of the widow displays at the jewellers which I made from paper too.<br />I quickly realised that paper was a fantastic medium and a lot cheaper than gold and silver!<br />I made a couple of box frames and assembled an all white woodland scene with a stag, a doe and an owl and a group of butterflies around a flower took them to local shop and the rest is history!<br /><br /><strong>Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?<br /></strong>Yes, more than anything I used to love getting a new pad of paper and a pack of 30 felt tip pens (which I had to arrange in colour order starting with black which was my favourite and finishing with yellow) My mum was always making things when I was young from a bookcase to clothes to furniture for my Sindy house and I think her creativity and originality inspired me from a very early age. Ours was a “making” house.<br /><br /><strong>What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?</strong><br />It is the majority of my waking hours!<br /><br /><strong>The majority of your art takes nature as its main subject, whether this be flowers, hedgerows, woodland, birds, plants, rabbits, etc.<br />There’s something very ‘British’ about your work, in this sense; documenting everyday native scenery.<br />Do you think your current environment, as well as the environment in which you grew up influenced this subject matter?</strong><br />Yes very much.<br />I grew up in the countryside; my dad was a farm worker so it always surrounded me.<br />I did go through a teenage rebellion phase when I hated it for a few years but after art college in the city I gravitated back.<br />Now we live with 1 foot in suburbia and 1 in the countryside which seems to work very well, although I do have a yearning for a cottage on the edge of a village which is where I began!<br /><br /><strong>You have stated that your work is influenced by Folk art and Mid-century design. Where did your interest in such art forms come from, and what in particular moves you about them?<br />What correlations do you personally see between your own work and these design and art forms?</strong><br />My interest started at art college learning about art and design history.<br />Once I discovered The Bauhaus and the movements that came afterwards it all clicked.<br />I like the simplicity of mid century design and the ornate/decorative nature of folk art and the connections which exist between them. I have a love for both and like them to exist together<br />In my work albeit subtly.<br />I admire the beauty of simple, intelligent design but I can’t resist colour and pattern. I try to reflect this in my work but I have a leaning towards decoration so simplicity often loses!<br /><br /><strong>How important do you think it is to include and represent traditional art forms like Folk Art in contemporary art work?</strong><br />Its really important because folk art is a form of social history and it’s universal in the stories and tales of life it portrays. Every country has them, and they need to be kept alive.<br />They are often intricately linked with the countryside and the seasons and use simple materials.<br /><br /><strong>I am very interested in how and where women gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief -- especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create with a sense of assurance, belief and certainty.<br />What is your personal relationship with confidence?</strong><br />It came to me in my early thirties I think, when I had been working for myself for a few years, doing something I loved and believed I was relatively good at and its grown over the years.<br />I also have to say that the encouragement and belief that my partner Andrew has had in me<br />Has definitely helped to boost my confidence.<br /><br /><strong>How would you describe your artistic techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?<br />And how long would it take to complete a typical scene?</strong><br />It’s hard to say how long a typical piece takes as there are always distractions and I quite often go back and add things.<br />I start with a little sketch and quite often enlarge that.<br /><br /><strong>With the time it takes to create each individual, one off piece, what strategies and techniques have you learned or adopted in order to keep motivated, maintain concentration, enthusiasm and momentum, and be self-disciplined? As I for one know that keeping perky and focussed on long projects can be tough!</strong><br />I write lists all the time and when it all gets a bit too much I take my dog for a walk to clear my head and think about what I have to do, the most important thing I discovered not to do is panic!<br /><br /><strong>What are your interests in fairytale mythologies, and why did you decide to weave these ideas into your artistic work?</strong><br />I like fairy tales and folktales because they are fanciful, slightly dangerous, from a more simple age and have a morality and message which is universal and relevant today.<br />I like the idea of escaping into a world like that, not forever, just at certain times.<br /><br /><strong>How important is the role of ‘story telling’ in your artwork, especially due to this element of fiction, fairytale and folk tales?</strong><br />I make up little stories when making some pieces and I’d like the viewer to do the same.<br /><br /><strong>How prolific an artist are you?<br />Do you find creating work to order, or to meet specific deadlines creatively useful, or restricting?<br /></strong>I seem to be very prolific at the moment, I have lots of ideas that I draw quickly and sometimes use straight away or store for the future.<br />I do like deadlines as they make me work more efficiently and effectively.<br />It can be frustrating though when I have a new idea and have other work to finish before I can start on the new idea. I have lots of ideas that often take months to manifest into work I’m happy with and had envisaged when I first had the idea.<br /><br /><strong>What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ -- Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?</strong><br />Art and creativity has many levels and is a very personal thing.<br />Every one has some it just manifests its self in different ways, whether it be professional or a hobby.<br /><br /><strong>You are a member of the Manchester Craft Mafia. How and why did you become involved with this?<br /></strong>I became involved primarily to meet other like mined people in the area and to meet periodically, it’s a loose collective of people but we’re there for moral support, professional help and a social time too!<br /><br /><strong>A lot of your work is sold in local, independent galleries and stores.<br />Do you feel that such independently owned stores, spaces & settings are more suited/more fitting for your artwork?</strong><br />Yes definitely. My work is the antithesis of mass production but at the same time quite commercial and I find that independent shops and small galleries and their customers understand this and actively seek out original work.<br />Local is important too but I do sell all over the world which is important in raising my profile.<br /><br /><strong>Do you enjoy exhibiting in group shows?<br /></strong>What have your experiences of exhibiting nationally and internationally been like in general?<br />I have exhibited in lots of small group shows and I like the diversity that comes with a group.<br />I have always had good experiences with the shows I’ve done.<br />The galleries and their customers have been very positive, especially in America!<br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?</strong><br />I just like to make/create. I like the whole process really, I get immersed into it and get annoyed when life gets in the way!<br />I had a hiatus a few years ago when I got a proper job for a few years and I really think it helped me to focus on my work now and realise how important it is to keep making and evolving my work.</div></div></div>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-75519044025320159492009-10-29T00:03:00.003+00:002009-10-29T00:08:37.053+00:00Heidi Burton Interview<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc29tH2kI/AAAAAAAAAtE/ZqhRqwHkaGc/s1600-h/tea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397806990238407234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc29tH2kI/AAAAAAAAAtE/ZqhRqwHkaGc/s400/tea.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc2p8hUGI/AAAAAAAAAs8/8TsqCgMBybM/s1600-h/eapot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397806984934281314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 348px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc2p8hUGI/AAAAAAAAAs8/8TsqCgMBybM/s400/eapot.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc2Yc4wxI/AAAAAAAAAs0/NjKDm2lL6ww/s1600-h/eye.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397806980238197522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc2Yc4wxI/AAAAAAAAAs0/NjKDm2lL6ww/s400/eye.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc2XGGaXI/AAAAAAAAAss/mBSfKVEpaZk/s1600-h/box.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397806979874187634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 313px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujc2XGGaXI/AAAAAAAAAss/mBSfKVEpaZk/s400/box.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>Heidi Burton<br /></strong><br /><strong>Location:</strong> Cambridge, UK<br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong> Illustrative in a light-hearted and quirky way, sometimes escapes to the sombre side..<br /><strong>Currently working on:</strong> A magazine cover, website banners, an ongoing personal project of overheard conversations, various collaborative illustration projects, and my entries for the International Moleskine journal exchange.<br /><strong>3 Likes:</strong> Thunderstorms, tea-drinking, shipping forecasts on the radio.<br /><strong>3 Dislikes:</strong> Insomnia, pigeons, things that reduce in size while increasing in price.<br /><strong>Daily Inspirations:</strong> Observations, everything I see and hear plays some part.<br /><strong>People & artists you admire:</strong> Tove Jansson, Haruki Murakami, Sylvia Plath, David Attenborough.<br /><strong>Favourite album(s) to listen to when working:</strong> Yann Tiersen ‘Goodbye Lenin’, The Coral ‘The Invisible Invasion’, Kimmo Pohjonen ‘Kielo’, The Zutons ‘Who Killed The Zutons’.<br /><br /><a href="http://heidiburton.wordpress.com/">http://heidiburton.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br />Interview date: March 2009.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Hi Heidi, What are you up to at the moment?</strong><br />Hello! At the moment I’m procrastinating, drinking tea, looking forward to a psychedelic barn dance at the weekend, and brainstorming ideas for a project.<br /><br /><strong>First things first I guess I’d like to ask about the sorts of stuff you like; what images keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work?</strong><br />I have a wall of over 20 illustrations depicting many different things sent to me by various fantastic artists, along with a notice-board covered in postcards (for virtual escapism), and a mini washing line with all kinds of ideas on paper pegged to it.<br /><br /><strong>Where do you work from?</strong><br />I work from home, currently a cosy, creative corner of a room, with a desk, laptop, drawers of art materials, and the all-important tea-making facilities.<br /><br /><strong>What is your artistic history? How did you get started, and how long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?<br /></strong>Studying and practicing art never really seemed like a decision to make, it was my natural direction at any opportunity (school, college, university) so there was no real ‘start’ as such. How and what I draw/paint reflects my personality, although over the years my styles have become more defined due to getting to know myself better, and with advancements in technology I can work digitally now. It’s a bit tricky because I have two main working styles and they are polar opposites, cartoons with sweet/funny characters contrast hugely with my illustrating poetry by writers such as Sylvia Plath that tend to involve sombre paint styles. I guess there are many facets to the mind; mine seem to involve both the child-like and depressive hemispheres! When people ask me to create something for them, the first thing I ask is ‘which style are we going for here?’<br /><br /><strong>Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?<br /></strong>My mother always said my work was great, no matter how bad it was, and my father was a bit more constructively critical – this provided a good balance of both encouragement, and a need to push myself further. My father used to draw blank comic strips for me and photocopy them, so as a child I spent a lot of time drawing, constructing narratives, and creating characters. My mother used to get me involved in all kinds of craft activities from making dolls house bits-and-pieces from clay, to sewing, and making candles. It led me to believe that creativity is an important part of everyday life, something I still believe!<br /><br /><strong>Did having creative parents influence you and your pursuit of art?</strong><br />My own creativity and pursuit of art is derived from both nature and nurture, I’m sure. My mother has always enjoyed crafts, dressmaking and designing, and my father is good at drawing, painting, and cartography. My parent’s home is host to (what I would describe as) a mini-library containing many arty books so as a teenager I enjoyed poring over the books about the golden age of Finnish art and the Pre-Raphaelites. Although my parents encouraged me to work hard on academic subjects at school, they saw art as an equal subject rather than an inferior one. Birthdays and Christmas always brought me new art materials (along with new socks of course). So I’d say yes, they did greatly influence my pursuit of art!<br /><br /><strong>I have read you claim that you are mostly inspired by the simple things in life. How much of a role does the everyday play in your art, and does your art play in your everyday?<br /></strong>I’m quite analytical and observant; definitely one for details, so walking five minutes to the shop will more often than not give me some material to work with. Inspiration is everywhere, if I’m waiting at the bus stop with the same boring view, there is always something new to see if I look closely enough. These are the often over-looked details that I like to use in my work. I’m working on an ongoing project about overheard conversations, it’s amazing what people say in the girls toilets of pubs, shopping centres, changing rooms, etc. ‘Morris dancing and bestiality!’ being one of my favourite eavesdropped toilet snippets. Even when I’m not working on a project, my pocket journal is in my handbag, and if I forget to take it – I’m cursing the sketch I could have drawn, or the amazing overheard conversation I missed noting down. My camera comes everywhere too.<br /><br /><strong>How crucial to your art is journaling; allowing yourself an on-tap way to capture your observations (observations that I read play a big part in your initial ideas)?</strong><br />I use journals for different reasons. Some are for catching observations (see above), and some are like a sketchbook for doodles and ideas. I have one for writing interesting words, quotes, and poetic snippets, another especially for overheard conversations. Sometimes I just write about what I can see and hear. The crucial part is looking back at the journals and picking out the interesting bits. Sometimes a sentence written five months ago will spark a visual image that needs to be explored. There are things written that were insignificant at the time that are pure gold when looking back!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>You hold a diploma in fine art & an illustration degree. Does your art education play a key role in the artworks that you create today?<br />How crucial do you think arts education is to creativity, and yours in particular?</strong><br />Education has definitely shaped the work I create today, partly due to how it has shaped me as an individual, and also by forcing me to focus on researching and producing defined projects. The great thing about these courses was being around creative people all the time, and also learning new skills such as printmaking, book-binding, web design and animation, methods of illustration I may not have encountered otherwise. We had great writing workshops, life-drawing sessions, and art theory also. I believe that although an arts education was right for me, there should be less focus on gaining a degree, and more focus on the experience itself.<br /><br /><strong>Some of the greatest works that you produce, in my opinion, are the altered Moleskine notebooks that you create. (I am also aware that you are part of Moleskine exchange projects alongside other artists, and that one of your personal journals was exhibited at Moleskine's very own exhibitions in London and Tokyo.)<br />What does creating such pieces afford your work that is not satisfied by working on and with ‘traditional’ art mediums such as canvas?</strong><br />Journals, particularly Moleskine journals/notebooks, are like little canvases to me. I think the brown card covers are a platform for alteration, as with manilla envelopes. Unlike the traditional canvas, journals are portable, and functional, they are sometimes private too, like a diary. They make nice little gifts because most people could do with a handy notebook, and they can be customised for the recipient for a personal touch. Altered journals are also an affordable way of owning original artwork. What I love about altering the journals is to cut a hole in the cover and adding a surprise element inside, not something attainable with a canvas!<br /><br /><strong>You have also created many greetings cards of your illustrations. In these smaller pieces of your work being affordable and designed to be shared, sent, and given to others, do you think such art works and products act, by their very nature, as an avenue for more people, worldwide, to own or find out about your art?<br />What other roles does the creation of greetings cards hold for you that inspires you to make and sell them?</strong><br />I started making prints of my work and realised their limitation is due to the nature of them being purely for display purposes. I was illustrating many events and celebrations throughout the year just as a means of personal expression, and people would ask me if these images were available in greeting card form. I decided to comply with these suggestions and create artwork for sharing, and I’m a huge fan of mail art, so it made good sense. Postcards are seen by people all the way from post-box to letterbox, quite a journey! I do believe that using different formats for illustration promotes work to a wider audience, because some people are specifically searching for a greeting card, and stumble upon an entire gallery of work.<br /><br /><strong>One of the things that I love about both your Moleskine pieces, and your cards, is your use of simple pen ink to create such beautifully crafted illustrations.<br />What are your favourite materials and tools to work with?</strong><br />I used to find pen and ink work to be daunting, a level of confidence is needed for bold, inerasable lines. I now realise it’s ok to make mistakes, because nobody else needs to see them! Also my line drawings, once scanned, can be edited digitally. Other than pens, I love to paint with acrylics, inks, watercolour, and to draw with pencils, as well as anything else that can make a mark. Digital illustration using Photoshop is high on my list of tools at the moment, and the scanner has its place.<br /><br /><strong>Having been the recipient of some of your work, I know first hand that you go to great lengths creating special packaging for customers; they’re practically artworks in themselves!<br />Is it important to you to ‘spoil’ your customers? Or is more that you can never cease being creative – even when it comes to envelopes?!!</strong><br />When selling work through an online (handmade) marketplace I think it’s important, but mostly just nice, to send something personal to the recipient. I wish for people to smile upon receiving their order, it is a good first impression, but mostly I just love drawing on everything. A customer once said that although their order was a gift for someone else, it was like receiving a present of their own - that made me happy. Having worked for the postal service in the past, I know it brightened my day to see the odd illustrated envelope travelling through the system. Everyone’s a winner!<br /><br /><strong>Would you say that you were part of any art communities, in Cambridge, or elsewhere?<br /></strong>If so, what does being part of such a community provide you with, and are there any individuals in your community who inspire or encourage you, or whose work you are particularly fond of?<br />I took part in an exhibition here in Cambridge last year that brought together local artists, and would love to do that again. My university was a college purely for art students, so there was a great community of artists on a variety of creative courses. This was fantastic for bouncing ideas back and forth, and also for crossing over into different mediums. I was inspired by the work of my peers, especially in how differently they each responded to the same set brief. Some would take the safe option while others really pushed the boundaries, it was great to learn from a variety of individuals, and be a part of the group.<br /><br /><strong>I read you state, “Imperfect drawing has so much more character and energy than that of accurate perspectives and flawless shading. You can try TOO hard. Draw now, think later!”<br />Is ‘perfection’ and ‘elitism’ in art something that concerns you and your practice?</strong><br />For a long time I believed that the best artists produced photo-realistic work, because it requires a lot of skill and talent to capture a subject realistically. Although I still admire photo-realism (a style I personally find very difficult and laborious), I realised that quick and subconscious artwork has a perfection of its own because it captures something raw about the subject, I don’t see this kind of work as inferior at all. Elitism isn’t something that concerns me, each to their own taste!<br /><br /><strong>I am very interested in how and where women gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief -- especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create with a sense of assurance, belief and certainty.<br />What is your personal relationship with confidence?</strong><br />During my degree I was lacking in confidence due to the high standard of work being produced by my peers, and the expectations of my own work. Lack of self-belief would show in my concepts, my images, and the way I discussed my work. Now there is a lot pressure, there is nobody to disappoint but myself, and over time this freedom has helped build my confidence. When it comes to the ‘carrot or the stick’ as methods of achieving success, I’m definitely one for the carrot approach!<br /><br /><strong>I read you say that, “With all the serious issues plaguing our planet, I believe it is important to be as silly as possible when 'appropriate' - to remain light-hearted and positive”<br />Would you say that this a mantra that guides your artistry?!</strong><br />I wouldn’t say it’s a mantra exactly, my child-like spirit needs to be expressed somehow, and it wasn’t long ago that it was silenced (by myself) through fear of being frowned upon by ‘serious’ folk. When people started to embrace it I figured it’s ok to let a little of the eccentric out into the world, and I’m certainly not the only one. Take Willy Wonka for example “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men”. He knew what he was talking about.<br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?</strong><br />When something is in-built, it’s part of everything you do, that’s why I keep doing what I do. My favourite part of artistic creativity is in the ‘doing’. Also after labouring over a piece of work, to see the finished piece is a satisfying conclusion. </div></div></div></div>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-49065975044063324752009-10-28T23:57:00.003+00:002009-10-29T00:03:04.691+00:00Morwenna Catt interview<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujbo6tssKI/AAAAAAAAAsk/c2eudiKLp1o/s1600-h/Phrenology_II_Wolf_-_Big_enough_to_eat_you_-_front_view.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397805649405718690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 284px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/Sujbo6tssKI/AAAAAAAAAsk/c2eudiKLp1o/s400/Phrenology_II_Wolf_-_Big_enough_to_eat_you_-_front_view.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujbokMmXgI/AAAAAAAAAsc/xMM19XyH7pQ/s1600-h/Phrenology_II_-_Red_Riding_Hood_small_enough_to_be_eaten_-_side_views.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397805643361312258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujbokMmXgI/AAAAAAAAAsc/xMM19XyH7pQ/s400/Phrenology_II_-_Red_Riding_Hood_small_enough_to_be_eaten_-_side_views.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujboQGK-vI/AAAAAAAAAsU/PnIr9PXLlkA/s1600-h/phrenology_I_(child)_side_view.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397805637965642482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujboQGK-vI/AAAAAAAAAsU/PnIr9PXLlkA/s400/phrenology_I_(child)_side_view.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujboFsWyZI/AAAAAAAAAsM/S2YpWE-ilmg/s1600-h/betrayal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397805635173009810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 291px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujboFsWyZI/AAAAAAAAAsM/S2YpWE-ilmg/s400/betrayal.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>Morwenna Catt</strong><br /><br /><br /><strong>Location:</strong> Bradford, West Yorkshire<br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong> Authentic<br /><strong>Currently working on:</strong> stitched canvas work for exhibition, a commission project for a library<br /><strong>Day job:</strong> Part time lecturer in college<br /><strong>3 Likes:</strong> endless cups of tea, my cat, seeing a surprise badger in the countryside<br /><strong>3 Dislikes:</strong> getting up on dark, early mornings / cracked earth / art openings<br /><strong>Daily Inspirations:</strong> friends, optimistic people, sunshine, radio, blogs, films, books, conversations overheard, lots of things<br /><strong>People & artists you admire:</strong> Friends, people who do incredibly brave things for just causes, artists like Annette Messager, Louise Bourgeois, Christian Boltanski, Francesca Woodman, the Chapmans, Will Self, Powell & Pressburger, Peter Greenaway, Derek Jarman, too many to list.<br /><strong>Favourite album(s) to listen to when working:</strong> I listen to Radio 4 mostly when I’m working because you can zone in and out at will. If I do listen to an album it’s something like Superwolf – Bonnie Prince Billy, Grinderman, anything involving Jack White or at the other extreme my Disco fever compilation or a bit of Abba.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://www.morwennacatt.co.uk/">http://www.morwennacatt.co.uk/</a><br /><br />Interview date: March 2009</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><strong>Hi Morwenna, What are you up to at the moment?<br /></strong>Hi, I have 3 shows in the next few months so I’m working towards those. I’m painting and working on some 2D stitched canvasses which are an extension of my recent 3D textile sculptures and drawings. I’m fitting that in around a commissioned work for a library, community projects and my teaching.<br /><br /><strong>First things first I guess I’d like to ask about the sorts of stuff you like; what images keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work?</strong><br />We’ve just moved into our third studio in four months, this one’s at the top of an old theatre. At the moment the wall over my desk is bare because we’ve got a load of plastering and painting to do. I find it difficult to work without my usual mess of images and objects cluttering up the space in front of me. My last studio was a disparate collection of old photos, bits of embroidery and text, artist postcards (I can remember some; Albert Oehlen/ Caroline Broadhead/ zhao bandi along with a postcard of a squirrel and a pine marten) and objects I’ve found or been sent, catalogues, invites, tins and boxes of ‘useful’ things, bunches of hair, old spoons, bits of leather strapping, festering coffee cups….. I tend to end up working in a midden when left to my own devices. I like to be surrounded with fabrics and textures so at the last place I ended up with gold, embroidered sari drapes and masses of big black fur balls hanging on chains that were reclaimed from some shop window display.<br /><br /><strong>What is your artistic history? How did you get started, and how long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</strong><br />I’ve drawn as long as I can remember, If I ran out of paper I’d pull the fly leaves out of books or pull a bit of wallpaper back. I didn’t go to Art College till I was 26. Before that I lived in a squat that stayed open for several years, then went off to live in a van at the time of all the free festivals, I made money ‘pavement’ drawing huge copies of Caravaggio paintings and Pre- Raphaelite women on carpet underlay and working on them in the South coast seaside resorts like Brighton and Eastbourne, sometimes I got a jobs from that, designing CD covers or painting a mural. I ended up living in a field in Sussex for about 3 years and finally got a job in a theatre in Kent, helping backstage with scenery and props and putting up exhibitions in their gallery. It was putting up other peoples work that made me realise I should really stop drifting around aimlessly, so I got my portfolio together and did a degree in Art and Design. Since then my works evolved pretty organically, I began as an illustrative painter and realised pretty quickly that I needed to expand into other media and experiment to be happy with what I’m doing.<br /><br /><strong>Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?</strong><br />Yes and No! Most of my childhood was spent reading and drawing and I was encouraged to carry on doing that but as a recreational thing rather than a serious career option. I didn’t take art as an option at school even at O’ level because ‘why would you do art when you can do chemistry or languages?’ This opinion was reinforced by the school and my art grades which were never that great, if I’d been more manipulative I should have thought more carefully and failed chemistry. My Grandfather was an artist, he was a fantastic draftsman but his family couldn’t afford to send him to college so he worked for most of his life painting lorries with logos and images in the days before transfers. My Grandparents house was full of his paintings, objects he’d constructed and folios of drawings. He died when I was 10 but I’m certain he would have encouraged me more seriously. I do think about him sometimes when I’m working and wish he’d had the opportunities I’ve had.<br /><br /><strong>What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?<br /></strong>I work a lot of hours most days. The days I don’t work long hours, I sleep a lot and kick myself for not being productive. At the moment I have a lot of community projects on and a public commission to finish. If I’m honest I sometimes resent the amount of time I spend on those paid creative jobs rather than on my own practice, my studio work has evolved into something which I’m personally happy with that isn’t necessarily commercial or going to sit happily on someone’s wall so I’ve compromised in other areas to make a living and keep the authenticity of my own work. I have a kind of balance now and I’m lucky that all my work requires creative thought, quite often I will get something surprising from working in the community which does inform my practice.<br /><br /><strong>I am very interested in how and where women gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief -- especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create with a sense of assurance, belief and certainty.<br />What is your personal relationship with confidence?</strong><br />For a long time I had no confidence at all, I was painfully shy as a child and the worst kind of sullen teenager, probably because I felt I was always compromising to try and fit in with what I was expected to be and never coming up to scratch. I had to break away from everything I knew and to an extent reinvent myself to gain any confidence as an adult. Art’s been a vehicle for that, I feel more confident now, I don’t care so much what other people think and if I make compromises then its to benefit me and not others. If I like what I’m doing then I’m happy to show it. I still don’t like talking about my own work in public and I don’t like openings, but I’ve done it enough to know that it doesn’t kill me and teaching and working on so many community projects also helps with that public stuff.<br /><br /><strong>How would you describe your artistic techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?</strong><br />I start off by collecting together bits and pieces I might use, I print images/ text onto fabric, gather together visual material from notebooks/scrapbooks, if it’s a painting I’ll probably have reference images / photos. I do working drawings on scraps of paper or the backs of envelopes because I like to keep those separate from my sketchbooks. I tend to work in a kind of patchwork, I have an image in my head but no set route to arrive at it so a lot of stuff gets discarded along the way.<br /><br /><strong>Is ‘perfection’ and ‘elitism’ in art something that concerns you?<br />I ask this, as whilst you work professionally, there is an element of the ‘skewed’ within your work (especially some of your textiles work) due to its rough authenticity and hand made nature. Indeed, you have claimed yourself that, ‘modern life requires that everything is clean and shiny and safe, kitemarked and numbered, my work is the antithesis of this – it’s slightly grubby, pitiful in its handmade grotesqueness, the threads hang loose and needles project dangerously from stitched mouths’<br />Or, for you does this aesthetic have less to do with perfection and elitism, and more to do with evoking audience interaction, involvement, and connection?<br /></strong>It’s a combination of things. I try to stay true to the original idea or intent behind the work. I find perfection in art clinical. I engage much more with work which shows the artists hand, I look for those details and work which is ‘clean and shiny’ leaves me slightly cold. On the other hand I love design and can be spellbound by a beautifully designed, over-priced chair. The media are constantly bombarding us with paranoid nonsense about grime, bacteria, having the right type of this and that, getting old, spending too much, spending too little, drinking, eating, smoking etc etc. Kids have always had toys and loved them till they’re falling to pieces and I do think that people who engage with my work will do so because it looks like its had a life, that it is slightly battered by experience.<br /><br /><strong>What are your interests in fairy tale mythologies, and why did you decide to weave these ideas into your artistic work?</strong><br />I started to use Fairy Tales in my work during the MA at Leeds. I’d started to use childhood imagery and was making my first Xrays. It seemed like another trigger that I could use to draw people into a narrative. Start with something recognisable and subvert the meaning. I’ve gone back to these tales recently to give my own take on the Red Riding Hood story. In my story Red Riding Hood is taking a basket of Librium, Cinzano and face cream to Grandma and the Wolf is a butcher with hidden depths.<br /><br /><strong>You work in many different mediums, both in 2D and 3D, from textiles, painting, drawing, light boxes and installation.<br />How do you balance your artistic interpretations - which ideas form in your head as textiles ones, and which ideas come out in paint? Is that even a conscious or binary process for you?<br /></strong>One thing tends to flow from another and it’s not conscious. I usually have an immediate idea for a textile piece or a painting and it’s almost a process of working back from that visual to connect it. Sometimes I will think ‘I haven’t painted for ages’ and will just feel I need to do that but then it isn’t as successful to me as when I just work spontaneously on what comes to mind. Because I tend to work in series there’s a long period where I can be just sewing or just drawing and then I have to go to something else because practically my necks aching or my fingers are sore.<br /><br /><strong>Many of your stitched pieces combine textiles and text within the pieces. I’m thinking specifically of sinister pieces such as ‘love light as a feather’ the x-rayed ‘secrets’ series, and the series of ‘phrenology heads’.<br />With reference to such pieces, how powerful do you find words and text within visual art can be?</strong><br />Text has become very important in my work. Text is as subjective as image, with multiple meanings and responses possible. It’s a powerful medium that I don’t feel altogether confident using, I find myself self editing with text far more than with my images and I cut out more and more words throughout the process until I’m left with a bare skeleton framework which leaves the viewer to fill in the blanks and create their own narratives. I cut and paste together the overheard and the found with my own scribblings, often I’ll ask people for words or to write me a sentence about a particular thing. As I add text to an object the process becomes less about the words and more about how it fits into the pattern of the object, becoming part of the scarification of the piece. Aesthetically, I love the scrawl of text across a 3D surface and the way it adds visual layers and meaning to the image, handwriting is a very personal form of drawing and I like to play with text by embroidering it or typing it on an old ribbon type-writer.<br /><br /><strong>How prolific an artist are you?<br />Do you find creating work to order, or to meet specific deadlines creatively useful, or restricting?</strong><br />I love deadlines because I’m never as productive if I don’t have one. If I’m knackered and tempted to sleep a nice deadline can keep me working through the night. I go through phases of producing ridiculous amounts followed by a drought. I don’t usually feel ‘blocked’ and usually have no problem coming up with things I want to do but I do get tired out and just need time away from it.<br /><br /><strong>You have claimed that your work tries to strip back to the bare bones of experience to uncover underlying truth using personal narratives; using the familiar and nostalgic as triggers.<br />What is your understanding(s) of the word ‘truth’ as employed in your work?<br /></strong>Mmm – yes, that sounds very overblown when it’s thrown back at you! Here I was particularly referring to the X-ray pieces, these were each created around a personal narrative that I tried to broaden out and create a wider resonance using trigger words alongside recognisable artefacts from childhood. A word I often use, possibly overuse, in terms of my work is authenticity and I think it’s that ‘truth’ that I want to convey. I would like people to relate on an emotional level with the objects that I make, for them to remember something from their past or think about something that’s happening to them right now. For that to work I have to put the emotion into the work to start with and it’s not always easy to expose your own fears or vulnerabilities.<br /><br /><strong>What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ -- Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?</strong><br />I sometimes feel excluded from ‘art’ or possibly the ‘language’ of art and I’m an artist. I do think everyone can be creative and there are some great projects around to convince people that art can be a useful tool for empowering people or just improving the environment. I don’t think art’s a religion that should be rammed down peoples throats with long preachy sermons and I don’t think Galleries are hallowed temples. I think more of an effort needs to be made to engage with people who are interested but put off by the stereotypical view of galleries and artists.<br /><br /><strong>In response to your answer above; what is your motivation for teaching and workshop-ing art, and for creating art in the community?</strong><br />What is your specific involvement, and what groups do you most regularly work with?I would never have imagined myself working as a public or community artist in my 20’s. The thought of standing up and talking to all those groups of people would have sent me off to a field to hide. Now I enjoy helping people to produce something they’re proud of, people are full of ideas, there’s a lot of interesting discussion, it widens your view of the world and you get to meet some great people. On a financial level it allows me to keep a studio, pay the bills and carry on with my own practice. I work with lots of different groups, this year I’ve worked with, a women’s project, a primary school, a youth inclusion project and a Hindu Elders group as well as Health workers. I teach mostly teenagers, some with behavioural or learning difficulties.<br /><br /><strong>Do you enjoy exhibiting in group shows?</strong><br />Yes, It’s interesting to see the curators vision come together and its good to see the dynamics in the gallery. when different artists works play off each other<br /><br /><strong>What have your experiences of exhibiting nationally and internationally been like in general?</strong><br />I’ve been involved in some really varied projects, some really fun artist run events in Slovenia and London, where artists from all over Europe got together and gave art away to bemused local people - through to ‘Pricked’ at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. There’s a vast difference between throwing some prints and textile bits into an IKEA bag and jumping onto a plane and the reverence and white glove treatment your work gets in a big museum. It’s all good.<br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?<br /></strong>I can work into the early hours of the morning on something and not realise the times passed its so spontaneous and easy or I can spend all night fighting with an object that refuses to do as it’s told and want to cut it into small pieces and burn it. Really each thing is different. I like seeing the work finished – I like the moment when you can photograph it, see it through a lens and separate yourself from it. I hate openings and dread them. I keep going because I enjoy the thought processes involved, I enjoy working with the materials and making my little Frankenstein monsters, I feel connected to the work and although it sounds corny they are part of me and seeing them all grown up and sitting in a gallery does give me a sense of having done something worthwhile. Every now and then someone emails or leaves a comment that they were touched by or related to something and that’s really the best you can hope for. </div></div></div></div>Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-70432483488673085922009-10-28T23:51:00.003+00:002009-10-28T23:56:56.635+00:00Abigail Brown interview<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaCNFniEI/AAAAAAAAAsE/NmvZfwa-_fY/s1600-h/little-iccle-bear-blue.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397803884811356226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaCNFniEI/AAAAAAAAAsE/NmvZfwa-_fY/s400/little-iccle-bear-blue.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaBkrEMKI/AAAAAAAAAr8/YzNI7GVMJzA/s1600-h/group-birds3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397803873962569890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 235px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaBkrEMKI/AAAAAAAAAr8/YzNI7GVMJzA/s400/group-birds3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaBiJgF8I/AAAAAAAAAr0/mgAZIMcXi-E/s1600-h/fox-trees-section-canvas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397803873284921282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaBiJgF8I/AAAAAAAAAr0/mgAZIMcXi-E/s400/fox-trees-section-canvas.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaBfEn8qI/AAAAAAAAArs/GanhHGvVRYc/s1600-h/fox-in-woods-canvas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397803872459158178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 347px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujaBfEn8qI/AAAAAAAAArs/GanhHGvVRYc/s400/fox-in-woods-canvas.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Abigail Brown </strong><br /><br /><strong>Location:</strong> London, UK<br /><strong>How would you describe your art?</strong> Soft, comforting, happy, naïve, playful<br /><strong>Currently working on:</strong> Hmmm…gosh, what am I not working on?! A window display, exhibitions for the year, ideas for a music video…on and on…<br /><strong>Day job:</strong> Very lucky to be scraping a living from my art, both the textile work and illustration<br /><strong>3 Likes:</strong> cakes, smiles, bed<br /><strong>3 Dislikes: </strong>negativity, grey skies, currently that there’s no hot water in my flat<br /><strong>People & artists you admire:</strong> Anyone pushing themselves to live their dreams, people with big imaginations, people brave enough to do with their lives what they want, but not at the cost of others.<br /><strong>Favourite album(s) to listen to when working:</strong> I have a selection of compilations made for me by friends and these are my favourites!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.abigail-brown.co.uk">www.abigail-brown.co.uk</a><br /><br />Interview date: February 2009.<br /><br /><strong>First things first I guess I’d like to ask about the sorts of stuff you like; what images keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work, for inspiration? </strong><br />Children’s books are for me the biggest source of inspiration. I collect them from all over the world and have bookcases overflowing with them. I love Japanese design and animation. I like vintage packaging and textiles…I keep little snippets of all sorts around me.<br /><br /><strong>What is your artistic history? How did you first become interested, and get started with creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?</strong><br />I’ve done it since I could do anything. My baby book states ‘sticking and snipping’ as my first favourite activity!<br />I studied at Art College, took a degree in Surface Decoration and Printed textiles, and only then when I’d finished did I free myself to create what I wanted to. I didn’t find the right place for myself during my degree and didn’t really get onto a track with my work. The drawing style is the same and the things that inspire me and attract me but I feel like I’ve established things for myself in the years afterwards. I’m working in ways I didn’t allow myself to at university…I wish I hadn’t put so much pressure on myself at the time and just enjoyed it, but, I’m enjoying it now!<br /><br /><strong>Where did your skills in textiles come from?<br />I ask this, as I know that you have studied art and textiles at University, yet you primarily learned your craft through absorbing the seamstress techniques around you as a child, techniques that you cobbled together without specific training.<br />I guess my question is; to what degree do you think formal training has impacted upon your artistic practice, and to what degree have you taught yourself your main skills, techniques, and abilities in a way that education never could have?</strong><br />What I studied has had no impact on the art I create in honesty, the illustration side of things and the design work has been informed by my degree and in that case I feel my degree was necessary, but the craft work wasn’t a part of it.<br />My housemate at uni studied Decorative Artefacts and I was always so envious of what she was working on, I almost changed to her course but felt really I had those skills and didn’t need to study that degree, sticking with what I was already studying would be a better path for me at the time. It lead me to graphic design for fashion and interiors, to greetings card illustration and then onto illustrating children’s books and I do think my degree helped me get to where I am with that stuff.<br />But it was my own pursuits after uni that lead me to where I am with the textile art, and the skills I use for this work weren’t studied, these are the natural skills I just picked up over the years with my Grandmother. I was always sewing little clothes for dolls, or making cushions for my friend to use when I put her on the back of my bike, or making little fabric collages as birthday cards. Really it’s just the effects of 22 years of working with those materials…and I like it like that, it’s free and unrestrained, there’s no right or wrong way, just how I feel, and you can’t study that sort of thing. What I could have done with is the teaching of how to work in the field, how to operate as an artist, this is something I’ve had to learn myself, often by messing up!<br /><br /><strong>Were your artistic and creative endeavours encouraged and appreciated from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?</strong><br />Difficult one, my Father is a scientist and was worried that making a living from art wasn’t going to be easy and encouraged me not to restrict myself just to art. I had the belief in myself because of my teachers, because of my parents, despite that, and from friends. So it helped knowing people thought I had talent and yes, then, perhaps that’s why I pushed myself to do something with it. Perhaps if I hadn’t been so encouraged then I wouldn’t have…I don’t know!<br /><br /><strong>What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?</strong><br />The hugest! From the films I watch to the exhibitions I might go to, roaming the city looking at things, conversations with friends, or just that if I am sitting still for 5 minutes I’m itchy to be making something somehow. That’s a problem actually; I’m a bit of a workaholic.<br /><br /><strong>I am very interested in how and where women gain access to their own confidence, and self-belief -- especially in terms of how they are able to produce and create with a sense of assurance, belief and certainty.<br />What is your personal relationship with confidence in and of your work?</strong><br />There’s a fine line for me between self belief and self doubt. Whilst I can sail for ages in a positive belief in my abilities as an artist, it can take very little to floor me and cause me to question what the hell I am doing.<br />But I must have had some level of confidence to push my work in the beginning, to approach galleries with it, to happily put it in the view of others…and with all honesty I can’t quite say where that came from. I’ve had issues with wanting to prove my worth, to feel praise, and so maybe the little bit of faith I had in myself coupled with my want to be appreciated for what I could create and they motivated me to do it all. Maybe.<br /><br /><strong>How would you describe your artistic techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?<br />And how long would it take to complete a typical creature?</strong><br />A piece of work usually begins life as some scribble on a piece of paper somewhere and this will evolve, usually, into something different as I start to make it in fabric. My method is layering I guess, I just build things up until I feel it’s how I want it, working in different textures, fabrics, colours…sewing into it and making marks. And then at some point I just feel that’s enough.<br />It depends, sometimes I can make what I have drawn easily, the shape I start sewing replicates it well, and in those cases it might take me a few hours. But other times when what I have in mind is a bit more complex, and I don’t have the technical knowledge to make it, it will be a trial and error process of hours, days…sometimes these guys don’t even get finished. If I’ve got too disheartened with my inability to make what my mind sees then I’ll just give up, and that little being will just be forgotten about, gosh… I’m quite sad thinking about it like that…perhaps there are some forgotten creatures I need to give some love to!<br /><br /><strong>You seem to have many projects on the go at any one point, with many strings to your bow; from creating hand made little ‘tweeter’ birds in matchboxes, making all manner of fabric soft-sculpture creatures, illustration work, digital and collage design work, partaking in craft fairs, making the most beautifully intricate realistic bird sculptures – often specifically commissioned, creating one-off 3D canvas pieces featuring stuffed creatures, and beyond!<br />Is it important to you to have many strings to your bow? – Whether this may be in order to diversify for financial reasons, or to maintain your personal interest levels in your work, or to fulfil your personal creative urges and passions, or indeed in order to give as many things a go as you are able and talented to!</strong><br />Yeah, this is an issue! I think for many of the reasons you list I have this wide array of areas I am working in, and it’s always been like that. At uni I couldn’t pick an area and ended up with a very disappointing show at the end because nothing had got anywhere.<br />I would like to consider limiting my range, and focussing myself and my work…I think that would be a challenge for me and I think some really wonderful things could come out of that.<br />The biggest issue is financial and for that reason it is currently essential for me to work in many areas in order to earn enough money.<br /><br /><strong>There is a real sense of an atmosphere of calm created by your work – whether this be through colour, texture, pattern, medium, or characters presented.<br />This atmosphere could almost be described as a visual language evoking beauty, childhood, fables, and reassurance, without ever being childish.<br />To what degree does this ring true to your own thoughts on how you create and how you perceive your work?<br />Do you enjoy having a craft that enables you to have an escape from reality and adulthood, and connection to childhood once in a while?!</strong><br />Yes I love that about it, I love the feeling of being a person whose job is to make small fabric birds, to create little beings and give them names. It does feel very much like I’m just acting out my childhood still. I feel at my happiest in this world, it is safe and reassuring and it’s innocent and positive. I’ve suffered with lots of periods of emotional upset and doing all of this somehow is a therapy, it focuses me on the happy things this world can offer. Yes it’s very important to my emotional well-being that I escape, as often as possible!!<br /><br /><strong>How important is storytelling to your art?</strong><br />It hasn’t played a huge part in things so far but I would like it to at some point.<br /><br /><strong>I once read you say of your focus on animals within your work that,<br />‘Animals give comfort. The comfort I find in nesting away in piles of fabric and tangles of thread.’<br />If art and creating provides you your comfort, and if that which you depict is also that which gives comfort, how do you manage and navigate artistic or creative burnout, stress, or frustration – when the very thing that is your comfort becomes uncomfortable? Where else do you go for comfort?</strong><br />Hmmm…yes, difficult. Sometimes you just have to know when to quit and give yourself some space. That’s not always easy when there are deadlines and financial shackles but it’s essential to step out and let go of things, return a bit later. I like to head outside, see some nature, be with friends, eat cake! It’s impossible to avoid these things sometimes so I just have to learn to treat myself kindly and know when I need a break.<br /><br /><strong>I love all the different ways in which your pieces create interest. Why do you like creating with different fabrics and textures, integrating found and unique pieces, and combining materials and mediums?</strong><br />That’s a process I do without much regard so it’s a deep rooted reason I think. The origins of it all, back to my Grandmother, the raggy bag!...this was just full of, and indeed made itself from, scraps of whatever there was at hand. So without realising it that’s possibly at the core of it all. But I’ve always been drawn to artists whose work has layers to it, where there’s texture and mark making and where signs of hand processes are visible. I just like that.<br /><br /><strong>The majority of the art I have seen from you has been three-dimensional. What does working in this way offer you as an artist that making and creating in 2D would not satisfy?</strong><br />The 3D work is like creating life, these little beings evolve into something real that I can hold and that feels really special.<br /><br /><strong>You specialise in hand crafting unique, one off pieces (or very limited edition runs).<br />With the time it takes to create each individual, one off piece, what strategies and techniques have you learned or adopted in order to keep motivated, maintain concentration, enthusiasm and momentum, and be self-disciplined? As I for one know that keeping focussed on long projects can be tough!</strong><br />Essentially I have to really love what I am making, and how I am making it. Mostly sewing is for me very relaxing…but under time constraints it’s less so. To keep me working and stop me from wandering off finding anything else to do I watch films! or I sing to music or I plan little breaks and make myself work till that time when I can do that fun thing. But yes, I do really struggle with concentration!<br /><br /><strong>How prolific an artist are you?<br />Do you find creating work to order, or to meet specific deadlines creatively useful, or restricting?</strong><br />A mix. I think working to deadlines makes me work faster but I do feel it can restrict my creative juices and make the work more formulaic. I need to find a way of working around that issue so I don’t feel it can be so negative.<br /><br /><strong>What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ -- Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?</strong><br />I ask this, partly, as many people may be crafters and makers already, yet not necessarily view this creativity as their art.<br />I like to view art as an expression of the self, and that if the person is true to themself then the thing created is their art and no one has any right to say otherwise. Whether their ‘art’ will appeal to others or be held with any regard is another matter entirely!<br /><br /><strong>Kind of linked to the above question, I read that in the past year you contributed to a collaborative crafting book by submitting step-by-step advice on card making, with ‘how to’ instruction.<br />Is it important to you to be able to pass on technique, skill, and knowledge, with the purpose of furthering or advancing others confidence in and knowledge/practice of crafting?</strong><br />If I can have positive effects on others with what I am doing then that just makes it all the more wonderful. Creating breeds so much positivity, and that is very important to me.<br /><br /><strong>A lot of your work is sold in local, independent galleries and stores.<br />Do you feel that such independently owned stores, spaces & settings are more suited/more fitting for your artwork (and how you can display/promote/market yourself and your creatures)?</strong><br />I think it does sit best in that sort of environment. Those small places have such character and it’s those environments I like to shop in. I want to feel warmth and to know I am welcomed and that what I am looking at is crafted with love and care, and that’s what you get in the independent outlets. That sort of place represents me and my creative ethics too.<br /><br /><strong>Do you enjoy exhibiting your work?<br />What have your experiences of exhibiting nationally and internationally been like in general? </strong><br />I’m quite shy when it comes to being with my work, and so I’m reluctant to ever be on display with it. But on the whole the experience is always positive, except for a couple of ignoramuses I’ve had the displeasure of enduring. People’s faces light up, they smile, they want to touch the work and that’s lovely to see, really, it makes it feel wonderful to be doing it all.<br />When the work is sent off to galleries it’s varied in response. Sometimes lots will sell, other times barely anything. So if you haven’t been to the show then you can’t ever know if it was the display or that it didn’t work with the other artists work. I’m not very good at chasing galleries for feedback, in case it’s too disheartening!<br />But I will say positive on the whole, it’s always lead on to something else, eventually.<br /><br /><strong>What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?</strong><br />I couldn’t not do! Ha, I really don’t know what I would do if I didn’t!<br />I love the feeling I get whilst I am making, but obviously the end result, when it’s one to be proud of makes you strive for more.Colouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-43425419790714423672009-10-28T23:49:00.000+00:002009-10-28T23:51:05.128+00:00the interviews: issue 5<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujY2jpMTAI/AAAAAAAAArk/mhihXOBBZM8/s1600-h/300outside-the-lines.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YL50z_oARGQ/SujY2jpMTAI/AAAAAAAAArk/mhihXOBBZM8/s400/300outside-the-lines.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397802585196088322" /></a><br />By Karoline Rerrie <br />xoxColouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-53935966771836846042009-10-28T23:48:00.000+00:002009-10-28T23:49:16.657+00:00Introduction to issue 5Introduction to Colouring Outside The Lines issue Five.<br /><br />Colouring Outside The Lines started life in 2004. The zine interviews female artists and includes reproductions of their art, giving the artists the power and voice over their own creativity. When I started writing Colouring Outside The Lines there wasn't much media writing about, or crediting the women creating the sort of art that meant something to me. I kept reading about artists part of an ‘art world’ that worships at the feet of certain, celebrated (mostly dead) artists that don’t necessarily hold any relevance to me as a mid- to late- 20 year old living in 2004-present, with a history in feminism, punk rock, diy, self-publishing, and queercore. I wanted to (re)address this absence in representation, so decided to make a zine to try and counter what people could get their hands on. I wanted to know about and hear from female artists that I loved and that said something to me, but whom I couldn’t find much information on, or wasn’t aware of that much documentation of their individual voices. <br /><br />The zine came from my will to celebrate women, document their lived-histories as artists, and crucially inspire and encourage others’ interest &/or others’ creativities that I believe we all have but are either bashed out of us by a society that would rather criticise than encourage, or our lack of self-confidence, or the belief that art is only for ‘certain’ people. I wanted to make a zine to show women that we can ALL be artistic and creative within our everyday lives - a collection of interviews to inspire and encourage and let women know that their contributions are important, worthwhile, and wholly valid.<br /><br />The zine was constructed from the position of 'amateur', from the position of 'uninitiated'. I didn't study art, don't speak 'art-speak', and certainly don't know as much as maybe I should – but that's kind of the point… I am a firm believer in smashing the amateur/expert dichotomy that keeps so many women at a distance from their potential, from expressing their creativity, or from viewing and learning about others'.<br /><br />I have been fortunate, as a result of the small success of the zine, to work collaboratively on further art projects; co-curating a small art exhibition and auction benefit for The Truth Isn’t Sexy anti-sex trafficking organisation (2007); curating the Female Comics Zine exhibition at the Women’s Library, London (2009); writing for the American women’s arts publication, Art XX; and excitingly this issue is launching at the first ever Colouring Outside The Lines exhibition – an opportunity to raise awareness of and showcase some amazing home grown female talent. I almost can’t believe it! <br />All of this has led me to work with, and to promote and share the work of so many amazing female artists. Varied, individual artists working in many different mediums, creating all different kinds of ‘art’, on their own terms. I have had the pleasure, whilst working on these projects, to be introduced to the work of amazing artists, to meet amazing women, and to be fed contacts for further connections with yet more amazing creative women. It’s reaffirmed my belief of the ever-present, amazingly diverse and exciting web of female creativity out there, for the touching!<br />But, trust me. Believe me. If I can do this, so can you. I am nothing special. My part is tiny. There’s always room for more of us to stand up and be vocal, be creative, to organise, to make and produce and express. <br /><br />I recently read writer Daphne Gottleib speak of the collaborative writing projects she leads, saying that:<br /><br />‘I guess what I want and need to believe is that a rising tide does move all boats – that we can do things as a community that we can’t do alone, that we can offer each other opportunities that we wouldn’t find in isolation. I’m delighted to be able to showcase other writers.’<br /><br />When I read this my heart swelled, as I’d love to think of this zine in a similar sort of way. I am *delighted* to showcase the artists in this zine – whether it be the interviewees, or the gallery artists. I think there’s something really special in bringing the work of so many women together in one place – creating an artistic community that has a wealth of skills, knowledge, talent, contacts and communication to offer and share with each person involved in, or reading the zine - with potential ripple effects beyond the zines’ pages. Furthermore, I love the thought that the rising tide of these women’s creativities being collected together in the form of a zine has the ability to move the boats beyond established artistic ones; i.e. that of each and every one of our everydays. Through the idea of a web of female creativities being exposed and opened up comes the idea of there being more to take personal inspiration from. Inspiration that may not have been actualised in isolation from such a powerful collection of creative female talents.<br /><br />I read a blog post by Pip of ‘Meet Me At Mike’s about singer, Leslie Feist. Reflecting on an interview Pip had read with Feist, she blogged of her understanding of Feist’s creative song-writing processes, ‘sharing her ideas was the most important part of her creativity’. ‘Her creative life revolved around gathering up like minded people, and creating something great.’ ‘She’s all about evolving things together and bouncing off a constant stream of exciting, ever-changing collaborative options.’ Considering this perspective of collaboration Pip continued:<br /><br />‘As far as I can see, we all have plenty untapped goodness to offer, and we need to be on the lookout for others and share the ride with them because of [the potential for] ingenious ideas and fabulous friendships and untapped opportunities and amazing realisations! To sum it up, when you share your life and ideas, good things happen!’<br /><br />By collaborating, sharing the creative process, you get to see all the unexpected, unplanned, fantastic, fun, satisfying, and exciting things that can occur through shared inspiration and ideas; i.e. you get to see all the great stuff others have to share. And that’s why I make this zine – showcasing others as a form of collaboration, cuz jeez do these women have a lot to share. I hope you enjoy the ride with them!<br /><br />Melanie Maddison<br />Leeds, UK<br />June 2009<br /><br />www.myspace.com/colouringoutsidethelines<br />www.cotlzine.blogspot.comColouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390986152859636896.post-676516437158240592009-09-25T12:43:00.003+01:002009-09-25T12:45:09.009+01:00Where are they?I'm in the process of (temporarily?) removing a few selected interviews from this blog site, in preparation for something I'm working on...<br />Apologies in the interim.<br />Bear with me, more news soon<br />xoxColouring Outside The Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17106365019147746062noreply@blogger.com0