Colouring Outside The Lines

Interview with The Strumpet ladies

2011-11-25T23:11:00.018Z

This interview with some of the ladies from The Strumpet (Ellen Lindner, Jeremy Day, Mardou, Megan Kelso, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg, Kripa Joshi, Patrice Aggs, and Tanya Meditzky) first appeared on Pikaland in October 2011.
The Kickstarter campaign mentioned in the interview was successfully funded and copies of the comic are now on sale.

/////

Cover of The Strumpet by Ellen Lindner

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’.

With Ellen Lindner (UK) and Jeremy Day (UK) at the helm as co-editors, The Strumpet is due to have contributions (amongst others) from Mardou (USA), Megan Kelso (USA), Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg (USA), Kripa Joshi (UK), Patrice Aggs (UK), and Tanya Meditzky (UK).

I spoke to these eight women about The Strumpet, their involvement in this first issue, women in comics, and about the Kickstarter campaign that is running to fund the publication of the first issue through a process of pre-ordering.

////////////////////////////

Ellen, What prompted the move to relaunch Whore Of Mensa as ‘The Strumpet’, and how do the two projects differ?

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.

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?

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.

The Strumpet is a cross-Atlantic project, where do you currently call home?

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.

Patrice: England, though I continue to call myself an American

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.

Megan: Seattle, Washington.

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.

Tanya: London, England

Lisa: I currently live in Portland, Oregon, US.

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.

Patrice Aggs

How did you become involved in The Strumpet?

Patrice: Through the indefatigable Ellen Lindner. I’m in awe of her.

Tanya: Ellen Lindner invited me to contribute.

Megan: Ellen, who is an old friend and comrade of mine from New York invited me to participate.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tanya Meditzky

What techniques and materials do you typically work with when creating your comics?

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.

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.

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.

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….

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.

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…

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!

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.

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?

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’!

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.

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.

Lisa Eisenberg

Is working and collaborating on others projects something that you enjoy?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kripa Joshi

Without giving away too much, what sort of work are you contributing to The Strumpet?

Patrice: A short gag piece that nevertheless is trying to explore the subtleties of storytelling.

Mardou: It’s an 8-page love letter to the Comics Conventions of the British Isles. And to the boys that frequent them.

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.

Megan: It is a one-page comic that’s kind of about how young people view old people.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In self-publishing your comics, how do you find the balance between pursuing your artistic goals and coping with actual cash-flow?
Where does Kickstarter come in to this, in the instance of The Strumpet?

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.

Megan Kelso

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.’
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?

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.

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?!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jeremy Day

Ellen was recently quoted, responding to an interview question about the supposed “male comics industry”. She replied: ‘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.’ To what degree is what Ellen says true to your experience?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lisa Eisenberg

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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.

Mardou

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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?

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.

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?

Jeremy: Plan, set deadlines, keep in touch and never lose sight of your own stories.

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.

////////////////////////////

You can visit their Kickstarter page to pre-order a copy of the comic!

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.

To keep up with the team, visit The Strumpet blog for updates!

////////////////////////////

Ellen Lindner – www.littlewhitebird.com
Jeremy Day – jeremyday.org.uk
Kripa Joshi – www.missmoti.com
Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg – www.lisarosalieeisenberg.com
Mardou – www.mardouville.com
Megan Kelso – www.girlhero.com
Patrice Aggs – www.patriceaggs.com
Tanya Meditzky – www.milkkitten.com

Other artists involved with The Strumpet include Lucy Sweet, and Emily Ryan Lerner.

OTHER LINKS:

Lisa works at Tranquility Base (a studio of 7 cartoonists, writers, and illustrators) who blog at tranquilitybase.tumblr.com.

Ellen is involved with Comica Festival, a London-wide comics festival stretching over the month of November, curated by Paul Gravett.

Caroline Paquita interview

2011-10-27T23:31:00.005+01:00

This interview with Caroline Paquita first appeared on Pikaland in August 2011.

Brooklyn, New York–based artist, Caroline Paquita, is the DIY-spirited artist behind the zine, ‘Womanimalistic’ and the yearly Paquita Calendar (which Pikaland featured in our rundown of the best 2011 calendars).

Her accessible lo-fi visual work is regularly produced with her own Risograph printer, lending it a distinctive and characteristic appearance and impression.

Caroline’s work takes much inspiration from nature and our environment, and her daily life and lifestyle feature heavily in her artistic practice. Her work helps create visual reminders for keeping motivation and everyday actions afloat. It aims to foster an environment and a positive space where the imagination and one’s intuition are actively encouraged, and where people can feel empowered via real objects, such as zines, prints and other tangible art.

Website: www.carolinepaquita.com
Blog: carolinepaquita.blogspot.com
Etsy shop | Pegacorn Press

Hi Caroline, how are you? Could you tell Pikaland readers a little bit about yourself and your art work?
Hello Melanie! Hello Pikaland! I’m doing great because I love summer a ton and this one in particular has been pretty amazing!
In regards to myself and what I do? First and foremost, I’m an interdisciplinary artist, who has dabbles in music here and there when the spirit takes me. The two meld together when I’m in bands and do artwork for fliers, records and whatnot, but predominantly, I’m more inclined to say that visual art is where my heart and soul really reside. Though I’ve done everything from drawing, painting, printmaking, photo, video and sewing- my mainstays this past year have been working on drawings for my zine, sketching up new paintings to work on this winter and learning animation.

What are you currently working on? 
A couple projects that are on the table right now are: working on the yearly calendar that I have drawn and printed myself for the past two years, developing new comics and also putting together Pegacorn Press. The Press has been a project long in the making and something that I’m extremely excited about and like a mother, feel very proud of. It’s a small, queer, feminist, total-art-freaker publishing house that will specialize in small-run art books, comics and zines. The calendar, as well as a comic compilation (that will feature roughly ten different artists), is scheduled to be released this fall. All that being said, there is a ton of work to do in the meantime!

What is your artistic history, have you always drawn from a young age, did you go to art school? How did you first become interested in art, get started in making and creating art/embracing your creativity, and realise that it was something you would like to pursue?
As long as I can remember, I’ve always created objects, drawn, and been engaged in some sort of artistic practice/process. It’s something that keeps me alive and refreshed as a person. My childhood in Miami was spent in special public school programs for “artistic” children and I feel fortunate that I was encouraged to develop my skills at such an early age. My mom, grandma, and great-grandma all were/are crafters/artists to some degree and to have a lot of supplies around the house, wear clothes that someone in your family actually made, and in general, have evidence of handmade things all around our house definitely instilled the DIY attitude in me by an early age.

I have a BFA in Creative Photography, with a minor in Art History. While I was in college, besides the photography, I worked on a lot of printmaking, comics, zines and played in a band that toured here and there. I travelled around the country fairly often and began to meet more and more folks who were artists/makers. It became more obvious to me that it was okay to live a more “unconventional” lifestyle (AKA, I could live however I wanted- I could create my own destiny!) and I’ve been working on setting that up for myself ever since.

I’ve always known that I’d be an artist (in my mind, I’ve always identified as one), but it’s most definitely, a difficult thing to try to make an income from. While the money from art comes in periodically, at some point soon, I’d like to attend a graduate program so that I’m qualified to teach on a college level. I’ve had so many truly amazing teachers in my life, that I honestly grew up thinking that all artists were teachers. Obviously, that isn’t the case, but hopefully it will be for me. I thrive off working with others, creating together and love to help problem solve. Without a doubt, I’d still work on my own practice!

How did you personally learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make, sell, and exhibit your art?
I’ve always felt a certain confidence in showing/sharing my work, so that hasn’t necessarily been something that I’ve had to learn as an adult. I do believe, however, that I could still “tighten up the ship” a little bit, and still strive to learn the best, and most proper, ways to create and exhibit my work. It’s an ongoing process, you know? It would seem stagnant if I supposedly just had everything figured out, with no room for growth in any way.

In regards to selling, that’s definitely still something that I’m working on. I have an Etsy store, sell to independently owned stores around the US, and also have the necessary tax identification number to legally sell art on the street in New York. I have gone through phases of trying to street sell, but usually my stuff is so specific that most people are either shocked or weirded out, that I’ve rarely made much in these adventures. It still can be fun to head out there though and I’m working on a new set-up, complete with a new bike cart that I’m welding myself!!!

I’ve gotten a lot better with getting my zines (and yearly calendar) in stores around the US, but find it difficult (and annoying) to keep track of my accounts with them and usually end up having to seemingly beg to get paid. I wish that there was an easier way to do this (particularly one where you don’t have to compromise your work too much), but I still feel better about managing all this myself, rather than working with some of the somewhat too-dominant distros here in the States.

What prompted your move from making and working predominantly within music, to your focus on your zine, illustration, printing and design work as well?
The reverse is more true in this case, as I would say that first and foremost, I’m a visual artist and always have been. As an adult, I’ve learned to play music and it’s one of my main focuses, but visual art always ends up being the core of what I do. Playing music often requires other people and is obviously a collaborative endeavour- which is a truly an amazing and unique process. It can be very cathartic experience not easily re-created alone, but it can also be a terribly public, which at times can be unnerving and distracting for me.

For myself, making my own work is a means for me to sit alone, process my emotions, think about the state of the world, time travel and meditate! I can do it whenever I want, and am not dependent on anyone else’s schedule. Trying to juggle the two, however, is a job in itself, but there are times when I’ve found a good balance and a way to bridge the two together, in the forms of fliers, posters and album art.

I’d like to ask about the sorts of stuff you like; what images/artefacts keep you company in your studio / place(s) of work, for inspiration? 
My room is full of objects and I’m continually in a state of moving things around to keep things fresh. Specifically around my desk, currently there is a framed antique embroidery, a print from my deceased Granny, another print by an old friend, photocopies of old beekeeping etchings, and a shelf full of pens, markers and other most commonly used tools. While I’m working, I keep picture files and collect books of images and patterns as reference close by. The rest of my room is full of antique bottles I continually find at this old dump from the early 1900’s, bones, herbs I’ve collected and tinctured, plants, trinkets and friend’s art.

I’m about to move my studio into my partner’s bike frame-building shop and the plan is to construct a little shack within the shop. It will be the clubhouse that I’ve always wanted! It’s exciting to think about not working in my bedroom as much and to create an environment that is all about art, where I can’t get so easily distracted.

Your art has regularly featured powerful work around themes of nature, herbalism, bee keeping and DIY health care, amongst other things.
What are your thoughts on the politics of sharing such information within art?
For example, do you see your art work as an opportunity for the creation of an insightful space for dialogue and communicating ideas: promoting accessibility of ideas and participation/engagement with them; or perhaps as a way of engaging viewers with inspirational politics; or simply creating a visual reminder of the power of human energy/creativity and what we are possible of doing and responding to within our everyday lives?
In every way possible, in my daily life and in my artistic practice, I’m all about trying to create a space where all of the above is possible. How else do we learn, create/develop relationships, change our lives and environment- unless dialog and information sharing is possible? I definitely believe in visual reminders to keep the positivity afloat, the message alive- to keep the “magic” circulating.

In regards to the recurring themes of herbalism and DIY health care? They both have basically saved my life. I was ill for a long time and have fought for years to get my health back. Repeatedly, doctors told me that the repetitive stress injuries in my arms were untreatable and that reoccurring battles with MRSA staph (that would land me in the hospital on an IV for a three-day cycle of antibiotics) was just something that I just had to deal with. That there was nothing to do! I just refused to buy that idea! My health was in a terrible place and honestly, when everything else doesn’t work, that’s when folks get into herbalism. That’s exactly what happened to me and it’s not like I wasn’t living a relatively healthy lifestyle before all these complications started occurring.

Since I don’t have health insurance (like most Americans), I’ve learned to depend more so on self-diagnosing and from self treatment for non-life threatening conditions. I’ve also heard a lot of really bad advice about self-treatment, which is what inspired the comic, “Punk Medical Myths.” Multiple people have told me that the comic helped push either themselves, or a friend to go seek professional medical health. Whew! This is where art can be helpful to the public and save lives, even in the humorous format of comics.

Your most recent zine, Womanimalistic is terrific. Are you planning a second issue?
What does the title ‘Womanimalistic’ mean to you? 
Womanimalistic #2, tenatively called The Coochie-Party Issue, is in the works already- I’m super excited to enter that creative space again. It may be easier to explain the concept of the WOMANIMAL, which is a larger body of work that I have been working on for the past four years now. The zine is an extension of this project and is an easy format for me to easily share with others.

“WOMANIMAL” is a platform for me to engage in critical thinking from a “queer, woman-centric point of view,” that investigates the current state of modern culture and that also helps foster an environment where the imagination and one’s intuition are actively encouraged. Through this process, my work seeks to inject more constructive criticism, absurdity, sassiness and fierce energy back into all things queer, feminine and deemed feral!”

I’m tired of the negativity that has surrounded my generation and the hopelessness that war, consumerism, and modern culture has helped promote. I’m not a luddite that lives in a cave (though I jokingly call myself an “urban primitivist,”), but I feel that so many people right now feel really distant from THEMSELVES. I often find myself wondering WHY? Is the cell phone, the Internet (or the combination of the two, the I-Phone) to blame? I don’t have the answers, but I do know that people are so distracted these days that it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on. Making art is one of the ways that I feel like I can contribute to creating a more positive space where people (particularly women, queers, and their allies) can feel empowered via real objects, such as zines, prints and other tangible art. This is the core of what WOMANIMALISTIC means to me!

Do you think comics/zines are a good way to share art, to display art, and to reach (new?) audiences or artistic communities?
Zines and comics are one of many ways to reach out to a larger audience, though it seems that people mainly under forty seem to be the one’s paying close attention. I’ve noticed a renewed interest in all things printed- particularly if it borders the line with artists books- that has extended into a whole different realm of makers and other folks that have tapped into that world through sites like Etsy. I think that some of what I’ve been working on does fall into all these different audiences/communities, particularly gauging on the response that I’ve gotten since putting Womanimalistic out. So long story short, yes!

What techniques of illustration do you most prefer to use; what are your tools and materials of choice?
What stages, from start-to-finish does a typical piece of your work go through, and over what time frame? 
For my illustrations/comics, I’m pretty lo-fi in many ways, though I’ve recently started incorporating the computer in the final production stages. Pencil, a couple Rapidiographs/Microns, and some Bristol board are my main stays- though I sometimes delve into brushes and quill-pens. If the work is being sent to a printer, I might use some Chartpack grayscale pens to get some gradation, otherwise half-tone pattern is something that I often use.
A lot of my personal work these days has been one color, mainly due to the fact that until recently, I only had one working color drum for my Risograph duplicator. Like most people, I tend to work larger than the expected dimension, scan for resizing/layout and to also possibly add patterned backgrounds/halftones. It’s a pretty straight-forward in many ways, but always seemingly time consuming!

The majority of your work that I have seen has been printed/reproduced using your own Risograph duplicator. I love the printed effect that this creates. How useful is it to have your own means of printing and duplication available at your disposal? Has owning the Risograph affected your productivity and prolificacy, or perhaps affected the type of work that you now most regularly create? 
Getting my own duplicator has definitely changed things: I’ve never been in a position where I could afford to send things to the printer and now I can print things in my house whenever I need it. After the initial cost of the machine, I’ve basically just had to buy the ink and paper to keep it going. My Risograph is from the 1980’s and has made over 2.5 million prints before I got it, but it’s still working- I say this with fingers crossed!

There are some definite limitations though with the quality that you can achieve, but that’s the trade-off. If I know that a piece is Riso-bound, I may simplify some of the line work in my drawings and avoid having large filled in areas, since it will eat up ink and make printing harder. That challenge has made me work differently, but I’ve appreciated the fact that it’s made me have to think a lot more about my drawings, way before I even start them.

What are your thoughts on your ability to personally turn out your own prints, zines, exhibition materials yourself by hand, and the effects this has your sense of actual human participation within, and attachment to, every aspect of your work’s creation? 
My involvement with every part of the artistic creation of an object definitely makes things seem really “real” to me. For every page that I print, I’ve probably touched that single page about ten times (or more) before it’s made it’s way into someone else’s hands. I print in large stacks, use a hair drier to set the ink faster (and to prevent “ghosting” on the backsides), reload the stack to print the other side, blow-dry again, then collate and staple- all by hand.
Maybe people can feel that? I know that I can tell when I pick something up whether it’s just been pulled out of the box from the printer and sold, or made by the artist/printer itself. I know that it’s not an option for everyone (due to time, money, resources), but it’s been a conscious effort in the past couple of years to set myself up with my own printing equipment. It’s been worth every penny spent and has made it so much easier to distribute my work than ever before. 

Your work has featured in independent publications such as ‘Maximum Rocknroll’. To what extent does the punk and do-it-yourself spirit drive your artistic creation, production and expression? 
It’s the backbone of my work, but definitely not the whole, as my life is more varied than just being a punk who is very much DIY spirited. I’m still very much involved in that community and will do art for MRR at the drop of a hat, but as I’ve gotten older, my ideas of punk and the DIY have definitely changed and developed over time. Most of the world isn’t too fond of anything queer and/or feminist and unfortunately, the world of punk is no different in many ways. So while punk is an old-mainstay, I don’t feel limited to that identification.

These days I’m more inspired by people who are just straight-up DIY; the weirdos who just want to figure out how to make things themselves, who avidly learn how to live without all this technological nonsense. Folks who are retaining the spirit of creativity and want to dork out with other people about what they’ve learned. As a beekeeper, the doors to a netherworld have been opened to a lot of insanely great, but extremely weird folks, who also keep bees. For some reason, only true weirdos get into keeping these tiny insects and I’ve pulled a lot of inspiration from them, as well as from my other “special-interest friends,” the wild-crafters who gather herbs and wild-edibles. To eat wild rice, maple syrup, seaweed, or to drink herbs that you or your friend’s harvested, is inspiration in itself!

Community (artistic and otherwise) and support appears to be something that drives a lot of your work, its themes crop up a lot in both the subject and overall ‘feel’ of your work, as well as often in the medium of your work (fliers for local events, band art and posters, local signage)
How important to you is working within and for a community of (creative) people?
What does ‘community’ mean to you, as an artist? 
On a micro level, community is all we have. I don’t want to live in this world alone: not be close to anyone, not learning, loving or sharing with others. I’m definitely not scared to spend time alone (my work does keep me locked up at times), but what I mean to say that I want to engage with others and help work to have a larger, supportive community that people can depend on. I’m into sharing my skills and art to people who want or need it. I’m a part of a larger artistic community (that spans across the whole world!) and it means a lot to me to be able to share that with not only other artists, but with everyone who appreciates art.

I’m fortunate to live in a more collective-like home, owned by two of my roommates. We do a lot of urban homesteading (keep chickens, bees, we garden), run a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture- a farmshare) out of the house and several of my roommates are in Bread and Puppet, so there’s always theatre props around the house. Someone is always making something around here and there’s usually a group of people who’ve come over to help make it happen. That’s community! That’s our “chosen family,” being supportive and enabling each other to keep making great work. So, so, very important!
 

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?
What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ — Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life? 
I do believe that everyone has the potential to be creative- it’s just a matter of harnessing that energy and going for it. Most people are naturally curious and if you practice anything enough, you have the potential to become a master at it. I’m a true believer in this, but it’s sometimes hard to help people understand that this process can take A VERY LONG TIME. It’s often not an over night endeavour at all, unless you are naturally inclined and can just automatically pick up new talents. Most people do not fall into this category (including myself), so don’t be discouraged and just keep plugging away!

A large, and often overlooked, part of making art is learning the craft. That process can take a long time and you just need to try, and to forge ahead with an open mind. The challenge is to push yourself and your boundaries- try new things! Check out every book in the library and read everything you can about whatever it is that you want to create. Practice using the tools, ask other people about their process and put aside a regular time every day, week, whenever, that you’re going to work on it. Just like they say, “Practice makes perfect!”

I once read you claim that it is important to you to make your art financially accessible to everyone. What is your personal motivation for this? 
It’s less of a claim and is an actual statement on my website: if people desire my work, but don’t have the financial means to pay for it, I’m totally open to trade/barter. My life is very much based in this world and when I’ve been super broke and needed things, I’ve often traded art/art services for everything from a computer, haircuts, medical services to help building a bike.

While it would be nice to live a life where, “I can be leisurely and just create art, la, la, la…” I’m a total realist and still work “real-life” jobs to pay the bills. I don’t want to compromise my art/vision by depending on big ticket spenders to be the only ones with the means to buy my art. I also don’t want to cater to that community. I work as an art handler and see on a daily basis how insane the “art world” is. It’s often been an alienating and disenchanting environment for me- and I’m someone who is very appreciative of other artist’s and their work. Over and over again, I’ve witnessed how an artist’s work can easily change when money becomes too entangled in their process and I can’t say that that is something that I’m necessarily attracted to. I do believe that people should be able to live off of their talent and skills, but sometimes things get a little too decadent/bourgeois for my personal tastes.

All that being said, when I’m selling in person, often my prices are sliding scale and everything is negotiable. This can be confusing for some, but it does open up a dialog and challenges why art often has quite a large price tag. Since most of my items are paper, I’ve printed them myself and I’ve often already covered my basic costs, I do have the option to be more flexible in this regard. With items where there aren’t multiples, yes, prices go up- but it’s still usually “affordable” for a one of a kind piece. I truly believe that everyone should be able to have art that they love around them, so if someone is really wanting something that I’ve made, there’s usually some way that they can have it!

I was looking on your website at the photographs from some of your past exhibitions. They look like the most fun exhibitions I’ve ever seen; so very far removed from the idea of a ‘stuffy art gallery exhibition’ and completely up my street! Totally jam packed with colour and texture, and often over-spilling from the walls. How much fun have you had exhibiting your work, and how important to you is showing and creating work in a way that is true to you? 
All the shows that I’ve done have taken a lot of energy from me, but have been totally fun to set up. It’s really important for me to be able to show the work in a less “formal” environment- meaning that the walls don’t have to be flat white, everything hung straight in a line and framed with mat board. I’m scrappy, the work can be spilling everywhere and also, it’s just not in my nature to hang only a few items. My shows often are comprised of a whole era of work and have a lot of things going on within them. They’re very much representative of my life and personally, so it’s really important for me to show in places that I care about in some way or another.

Looking back, it seems that I’ve shown more in non-profit art spaces, and very rarely in privately owned galleries. I feel like that says a lot about me, my work and the audience that I’m seeking to connect with. I’m a fairly “no-frills” kind of personality and it means more to me to show to people who really appreciate what I’m doing, rather than just to show at the best gallery to “be seen” at an opening, etc. There’s a lot of apathy that surrounds the art world and that turns many people off from wanting to learn more about art/artists. My main mission as an artist is to create environments that are inviting and that make people feel inspired, whether that be artistically, politically, etc.

How do you manage your time in order to devote as much time as you’d like to your art?
Time management had been hard for the past couple years because I was in a very time-consuming band that toured quite a bit, which made it difficult for me to do my own art as regularly as I wanted/or needed to. Since I recently quit the band, I’ve been able to immerse myself back into my personal art world and it’s a really positive and rewarding feeling. I work part-time during the week and try to come home after work and put in some hours, if I’m not too tired. Days off are usually spent drawing and flushing projects out. It kind of seems like I’m always working? It’s a form of entertainment, I guess, since I don’t watch TV, go to movies or hangout in bars that often.
 
What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do, and what gives you the incentive/confidence/push to continue making your art? 
I’m a maniac, like most people who make art. You get the FEVER sometimes and just can’t stop working. You’ll stay awake for hours on end, drawing, making- YOU HAVE TO DO IT! Says who? Why? I have no real idea where it comes from, but I can’t stop it (and don’t want to anyway), so why fight it? I can’t turn it off and it’s what comes naturally to me, so voila: Here I am! Here is my art! I have a feeling that this is what I’ll be doing my whole life and I wouldn’t change that for anything in the world.

Summer Pierre Interview

2011-07-08T21:08:00.003+01:00

This interview with Summer Pierre was first published in May 2011 on the Pikaland site.

////////

Summer Pierre (Brooklyn, NY, USA) is a talented artist and illustrator (plus writer and musician to boot – Her creative energy makes me dizzy!)

I am so thrilled to be able to share this interview with Pikaland readers as Summer has a great deal of goodness to share both within her art itself, and through her eloquent and moving responses to the interview questions.

If ever you needed somebody to give you a push in the right direction, I think Summer’s your lady!

Website: www.summerpierre.com
Blog: summerpierre.wordpress.com
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/summerpierre
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/summerpierre

////////////////

Hi Summer, how are you? Could you tell us a little about yourself and your art/illustration work? Are you working on anything at the moment that you could tell us about?
I am an artist, writer, and musician, although right now I am doing way more art and writing than music. I am the author and creator of two books, The Artist in the Office: How to Creatively Survive and Thrive Seven Days a Week and Great Gals: Inspired Ideas for Living a Kick-Ass Life. My hobbies are yearning and soul searching.

I am currently working on several illustration projects and a bigger life project I call 100 Things in 2011, where I am trying to do as many items as possible from a list of 100 things I want to do/experience in 2011.

I thought I’d begin by asking, since inspiration and ‘the everyday’ seem to me to be a huge part of your work; what is your art/work space like, and what images or objects keep you company on the walls/surfaces?
I used to have a narrow studio in our apartment, but then my son came along and now his crib is where my desk used to be. So now I have a corner of our bedroom where my desk, which is an old door on filing cabinets fits perfectly. I have a clothesline of pictures and objects that hang above it—including a sign I made for myself that says SUMMER PIERRE HEADQUARTERS. I have old photos, my own prints hanging, and I collect vintage looking food packaging and surround myself with it.

How do your surroundings/environment, and your attention to the details of them, affect your art and creativity?
How do they NOT affect my creativity? My home life, as in my apartment, is pretty colourful and lively and I love that it feels like an ever-evolving extension of my creativity. Where I live in Brooklyn is really becoming more and more a part of my visual language—I love the many cultures and how it shapes even what our grocery store is stocked with. I love the different streets and the architecture. I have always been a very visual person—and this can be wonderful and stimulating as much as it can be overwhelming and exhausting. Right now, it feels wonderful.

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?
Well, I’ve been drawing since I was very very little. This part isn’t unusual, but I guess the unusual part is that I just kept going. Then I started writing as a kid and in college I started playing music and writing songs. I would say that even though I have been doing it a long time and identifying myself as an artist, it has been a long and rocky road of finding my voice and sticking with it. Creating the books changed my output considerably—they were valuable teachers in trusting my vision and it’s just kept coming and growing since then.

How easily did learning to draw come to you?
Do you think drawing, and art in general is something that becomes easier the more you practice and the more you do?
Like I said, I’ve been drawing since I was very small and I was always good at it, but there have always been people better than me, so I never felt REALLY good at it. I went through a long phase of drawing on the side while I wrote & played music, then I kind of came back to it like an old friend and the more I did, the better I got. I am a STRONG believer that the more you do, the better you get. This has been true for me with all three of my mediums, but none more striking than drawing. I have actually been toying with doing a blog entry about this very subject—showing some of the earlier drawings I did when I got back to drawing vs. the more current ones—just so people can see you can grow, you just have to keep at it. Honestly, part of doing is gaining trust in yourself. The more you do, the more trust you will have in your abilities.

What techniques and materials do you employ most often in your art and illustration work?
Journal, pencil, pen. Then I use the scanner and design software to color in.

I know that you have a background [and to some extent it is still a current medium for you] in zine making, and self-publishing (e.g your zines such as ‘Artist in The Office’, and ‘Forgive Me: One Page Stories’, and your self-published calendars of great women.)
What is your history in independent self-publishing and zine culture – how did you get in to it?
I always made homemade books when I was a kid and the desire to make zines is the same desire I had as a kid—to see my ideas take form in something real that you can hold. I stopped doing this for a long time until I started making one-page stories as a thing to do in a creative slump. I had 30 of them and then made them into a zine. I got that feeling of seeing something of mine outside of me again and I was hooked. Whoever invented the copy machine, my hands to you! I love reading other people’s zines for the same reasons I love to make them—they are personal, arty, and real. I always feel less lonely when I read a zine.

How and why did/do you self-publish your artwork within zines and other self-published ventures?
Because I wanted to make something “real” and I wanted to see it immediately. Also, I didn’t know how else to produce anything.

As an artist what role did (does?) self-publishing hold for you, your ideas, and your art work? And do you think zines are a good way to share art, to display art, and to reach (new?) audiences or artistic communities?
Oh my golly, how much time do you have? I think zines are more important to me than ever. I love publishing books and will never sneeze at a chance to get my work out there in the formal way of publishing, but zines are powerful, simple ways to make one’s work real and outside of your head. It’s also something you can make without a sales team, editorial committee, or anything else that might curb your vision or idea—all things that you do encounter when working with a publisher. No idea is too small for a zine and no one is going to tell me, “there just isn’t a market for this,” or “you don’t have a name, so who cares?” I will continue making zines as long as there are copy machines! I absolutely think they are a great first step to going from idea to book. Zines will teach you how to do it! Then you get to trade them or mail them to other people who get to read them and share their ideas. I can’t say enough good things about zines.

Based on your original zine, a book has now been published, The Artist in the Office: How to Creatively Survive and Thrive Seven Days a Week collecting together interviews with working artists and artists working. It has been described as, ‘An inspirational, interactive book for any artist living in the real world […] encouraging small acts of creativity and a simple shift of perspective to help readers bring their artistic selves into the workplace and thrive in all aspects of their lives.’
Either from your own experience(s), or those of your interviewees, what would your top tips be for people struggling to juggle their daily commitments/day jobs with their creative endeavours?
Give yourself a break from the pressure and think small. Write a page, not a novel.
Consider your art a legitimate job and that you are in fact juggling TWO jobs.
Always keep in mind what you ARE doing, and don’t focus so much on what you aren’t. Acknowledge the work you do, the life you have, the reasons you work, etc.

Also, Ayun Halliday said this in my interview with her, which I think is so right on:

“Remember that it’s ultimately your fault if you end up frittering away those precious non-job hours. Don’t spend them all on the internet, or in front of some video. Take your work to a coffeehouse (and forget about your facebook page while you’re there). Then, when it’s done, don’t let timidity, or other people’s indifference consign it to a drawer. Self-publish and sell it yourself too. Hang it on street signs. Provide free entertainment on a busy corner. Even though I spend a lot of time wishing that I had cohorts, handlers, yes men, and fairy godmothers, I do derive enormous satisfaction from looking back and realizing that the finished product wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t participated so fully.”

More recently you have published ‘Great Gals: Inspired Ideas for Living a Kick-Ass Life’ which is based on the illustrated calendars of great women that you produced for six years.
As well as being packed with optimism, affirmation, ideas and inspirational figures for (predominantly female) readers to hopefully take something from, the main crux of the book is a series of portraits of women that you find inspirational.
In creating such a visual documentation and celebration of women’s lives, and in bringing womens history and female achievement to life, how important to you is the project in terms of activating and connecting us with the past, the present, and helping to make sure that there will be a future which contains such creative and pioneering female action and activity?
I do hope the book introduces people the readers might not have known about before and connects them with a larger sense of being part of a long tradition: the human condition. I am not so worried about women continuing to be powerful participants in the future. I am more worried about how much we, as women (and let’s face it, men too), lose our current lives to worry, to overwhelm, to a sense of inadequacy so that we don’t participate in the NOW fully.

In an interview you once gave the following advice to others wanting to pursue their creative goals: ‘PLEASE DO IT NOW. You will never be adequately prepared, or have time to get ready to live your dreams. Start now. Also, if you work to create the world you love, people will respond.’
How did you first learn this lesson yourself?
I can’t remember the first time I learned the part about doing it now and not later—there have been so many times! I think one of the first inklings to this idea is when I took a writing class with a long time idol, someone who I had worshipped a far, and I secretly hoped she would anoint me into whatever magical world I believed she inhabited. It was a 5-day class and she never once learned my name! It was devastating, but powerful. It was the first time I got it: no one is going to anoint you, you’re never going to hit the perfect time to start, or meet the right person to give you permission—whatever it is you are hoping for to happen so that you are ready is not coming. You should consider yourself ready now.

The world you love part came to me with The Artist in the Office. Once I acknowledged what I was living and loving, it turned out there were so many people out there who were also living it and would love to know about. Coming from a place of THIS IS WHAT WORKS is so much more powerful than coming from a place of lack—and most of us do come from a place of lack. Shifting it to the positive can be a profound way of shifting perspective and a way to feel more able to do what you want to do.

By making statements such as the above quote, and by producing books such as Great Gals it maintains my belief that in your work there is a strong idea of us as individuals building our own existences ourselves everyday, and taking or forming individual ownership of our own worlds.
How do you think creativity and artistry can promote this idea?
I think creativity and artistry at its very basic level can often give voice to things we didn’t know how to say elsewhere. It has the potential to speak truths about ourselves and the world in profound and direct ways. With that in mind, it can only help us understand and name our experience. So much of life can be quietly passed without a thought or urgency—but it’s all we have. Creativity is the exact opposite of this—it wakes us up and engages us with our very lives.

In relation to the above question, something that I find and feel in your work is the overwhelming positivity, hope, inspiration and affirmation. Whether this be passing on positive messages and ideas, the sharing of your own creative journeyings and plans, the encouragement of individuals, or the sharing and belief in the notions of ‘doing’ and ‘being’.
Why is it important to you to pass on these good vibes?
Well, I try to come from a place of creating what I most want to find myself. This is especially true with the blog and my two books. My compulsion to share whatever it is I am learning myself is out of a need and a hope to find it myself.

The work that I respond to the most is work that is honest and true and that’s what I hope I come across as. If people find comfort in that, or see themselves in that experience, I am utterly grateful. I will say that a theme I have in my work, which I hope people do pick up on, is that I think its not enough just to be comforted or to be inspired by someone else—it can get you only so far. Eventually, if you want real change you have to acknowledge yourself and your own experience as valid, as worth your attention and your inspiration. You are your own catalyst.

Have you always had people in your corner to support your artistic ventures and to tell you it’ll be ok?
Yes and no. I’ve always been seen as an artist by both friends and family, which has been great, but that hasn’t always meant being supported. Like everyone else I have had to manage expectations, challenges, and sometimes outright discouragement.
Like a lot of people, I have found the people who mirror back to me not just my artistic worth, but my worth as a human—and that has been more valuable to me than anything.

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 making art their central focus.
What is your personal relationship with confidence?
Oh, THAT. I have struggled MIGHTILY with confidence and thought that if I just had x, y, or z I would be confident. Nope. It didn’t work. I think I am just now realizing that confidence is really self-trust. If you trust yourself, you are confident. I am feeling and learning this every day more and more these days—it’s a new experience for me, but I want to recommend it to everyone! Trust yourself, people! You’ll just feel better if you do!

From illustrating your favourite cakes and your favourite books/cook books, to illustrating all the things you love about your city at the moment, it seems that there is a strong desire for you to put at the centre of your art all the things that you love. By doing this, and by focussing on your favourite things could you imagine your art ever becoming a chore, or by doing this does it become a delight for you?
I can imagine it becoming a chore because it has been a chore in the past—-so why not the future? The thing is about the creative life (and I am going to forget this as soon as I write this down) is that there are times you are full of love and ideas and flowing like the Mississippi river and then there are times when you are in a drought so bad, that anything presented to you is just HARD. WORK. Each time either of these things happen, you are convinced that you will never feel otherwise again. Just you wait! Love always helps, and I am overflowing right now with creating from all the lists of what I love, but I also know this is the rainy season and the dry season will come again.

I read you say recently that ‘There is SO MUCH I want to capture, draw, investigate visually on any given day’. As testiment to this, over the years you have produced many voracious one-a-day style illustration projects, and have created lists of creative goals you wish to achieve that are ticked off as you are successful.
Do you think there is a power in making art everyday, finding creativity in everyday things, making our every day creative, and allowing people to see the creative potential of their lives?
Yes, absolutely. I am a big yearner—I am always pining for the far away & the yet to be attained—so creating from a place of what’s in the now, what you have has been a powerful spell breaker to my tendency to yearn. Also, I am a big procrastinator, so doing something quick and in the now is a powerful way to create more impetus to show up again and again.

I know this is the sort of question that ‘Artist In The Office’ hopes to provide answers to; but personally, how do you manage your time in order to devote as much time as you’d like to your art, especially since you have a young baby?
I think small. What can I do in the next 15 minutes? What can I do with the time I have? That’s also why I work from lists—I never have to think about ideas or ask, “now what was it I wanted/needed to do?” I always have something to work from. Thinking small, putting away the computer, having a running list are ways that I get things done. Having a baby has dried up a lot of that I just need to get in the mood—I have time now, so I am doing it now whether I feel in the mood or not. Having a baby has been a hard adjustment, but in some ways I fantastic task maker.

You seem to maintain a pretty prolific outpouring of ideas, projects and creativity. Other than your obvious love for making art everyday, 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?
I have a truism that goes like this: acting on your ideas creates room for more ideas. This is totally true for me. The more I do, the more I want to do. This is why lists and the crossing off items works for me. I see progress and I just want to do more. As far as wanting to be an artist—love. I love creating, I love engaging with the world. I love dancing with experience through drawings, writing, and music. It is the most profound and long lasting relationship of my life.

Which contemporary artists and illustrators do you currently loving?
Stefan Sagmeister
Ray Johnson
Dora Carrington
Maira Kalman

///////////////////

Sarah Guindon interview

2011-05-14T13:00:00.005+01:00

This interview first appeared on the Pikaland website in March 2011

Sara Guindon (USA) is an amazing illustrator, animator, paper-puppet maker, and one half of the creative duo Pin Pals (alongside Samantha Purdy).

Blog: missguindon.blogspot.com
Website: saraguindon.com
Pinpals Blog: thepinpals.typepad.com/
Shop: etsy.com/shop/thepinpals

Hi Sara, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
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.

How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?
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.

How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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.
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.

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?
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.

Not so long ago you moved from Montreal to Denver. Have you noticed differences in the art scenes/cultures between these two locations?
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 :)

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

How do you manage your time in order to devote as much time as you’d like to your art?
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.

What’s your relationship to confidence, with regards to making and sharing your art?
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.

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?
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.

What gives you the incentive/confidence/push to continue making your art?
It’s too late to turn back now!

What’s in the pipeline for you for the rest of 2011?
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.

Colouring Outside The Lines - the cover art

2011-04-04T14:35:00.014+01:00

Issues 1-5 of Colouring Outside The Lines had some wonderful cover artwork. I've collected it all together here.

(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.)

* * * * *

Issue 5 (2009)

Front cover by Zoe Darnell

Back cover by Sara Hansson

Issue 4 (2008)

Front cover by Sarah Maple and Jo Harrison

Back cover by Ralph of Salute

Issue 3 (2007)

Front cover by Erica Moen

Back cover by Elke Donders

Issue 2 (2006)

Front cover by Karolina Bang

Back cover by Nichola Pemberton

Issue 1 (2005)

Front cover by R Clout

Back cover by Lucy Sweet

Plus also, Karoline Rerrie made this amazing illustration for the inside of issue 5

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.

Lilly Piri interview

2011-01-21T14:38:00.003Z

This interview first appeared on the Pikaland website in November 2011.

Lilly Piri 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.

Website: www.littlegalaxie.com
Blog: lillypiri.blogspot.com
Web store: www.littlegalaxie.com/store.html
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/lillypiri

Could you tell us a little about what you are working on at the moment?
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.

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 (a style that, I must say, is unmistakably yours)?
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.

How did you gain the confidence to make art your career?
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.

Why do you create? What is it about being creative that makes it something important for you to do?
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.

Where did your interest in soft, delicate, subtle imagery come from, and how has your art developed over the years to incorporate it?
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.

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?
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!

The careful, intricate detail in much of your work would suggest an eye for detail, and possible perfectionism.
What is your view of perfectionism in art, and more specifically in your own art work?
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.

You work a lot with coloured pencils. What is it about this medium that you enjoy?
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.

How long would a typical pencil illustration take you to complete? I myself don’t think I’d have the patience!
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
Does working in an environment alongside such peers provide any specific benefits to you as an artist – beyond motivation?
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?’

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!

What daily things give you the incentive/confidence/push to continue making art and keep coming up with new ideas?
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.

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?
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!

Which contemporary artists and illustrators are you currently loving?
At the moment:
Gemma Correll’s work, especially her daily diaries, which are hilarious.
Beci Orpin, she does so much cool stuff.
Lauren Nassef, who posts a drawing every day, very inspiring!
Bec Winnel, for her amazing fashion colour pencil work.
Lindsey Carr, her paintings are beautiful and intricate. If you’re a Natural Museum fan, you would probably fall in love with her work.
Ana Bagayan, she’s a wonderful artist and she and her friend Mere also run The Lunch Bunch, which feeds the homeless in LA.
Elly Yap, she makes the most amazing patterns!

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.

What is your favourite thing about making art?
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.

Lauren Carney interview

2010-12-20T14:30:00.004Z

This interview with Lauren Carney first appeared on the Pikaland site in October 2010.

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!
Website: www.laurencarneyart.com
Blog: www.laurencarneyart.blogspot.com/
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/dizzylittledotty

How are you? What are you working on at the moment?
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?

How would you describe your art?
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!

A lot of the characters in your work are very cartoon looking (a good thing!), are you a fan of comics?
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!

What puts you in the best mood for drawing?
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!

What materials do you most often/ most enjoy working with?
Moleskin Art Diary, A 0.005 Art-line Pen, Watercolour paints and different textured papers.

How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?Were you always good at art at school, and did you study art beyond school?
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!

How and why did you move to making art professionally? How did you gain the confidence (in yourself and your art) to do this?
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!

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!!
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!

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?
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!

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?
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.

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!

You have an upcoming exhibition in a joint show at White Canvas Gallery in Queensland.
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?
Are you excited for the opening?
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.

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!

What keeps you motivated?
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!

Your artwork can be crazy-intricate, even your journal pages are chocked full of detail. How important to you is attention to detail?
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!

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.
What inspires you to draw girls like these?
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!
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.

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?
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.

Are you a collector/coveter/admirer of other artists’ work?
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.

Who are your favourite artists that you could tip us off about from your native Australia?
Oh gosh, I have so many! Dave Collinson, Mel Stringer, Charmaine Olivia, Audrey Kawasaki, along with street artist’s Ghost Patrol and Creepy.

Beyond illustration you’re also a crafter. What to you enjoy about this form of creativity?
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!

What for you are the most enjoyable or rewarding aspects of working as an artist?
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.

Lilli Carré interview

2010-10-14T16:31:00.004+01:00

This interview with Lilli Carré first appeared on the Pikaland website in September 2010.

Cartoonist and animator, Lilli Carré (Chicago USA) is the writer and illustrator of the books Nine Ways to Disappear, The Lagoon, and Tales of Woodsman Pete, and has contributed comics strips to anthologies such as MOME. Lilli also creates the most wonderful moving drawings. I love the way her mind operates, and the amazing illustrated work it creates!

Website: www.lillicarre.com
Blog: www.lillicarre.blogspot.com
Animations: http://vimeo.com/user2070092/videos/sort:date

You were recently in Sweden for the Small Press Expo in Stockholm – how was the trip, and how was the expo?
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.

What links does your illustration and comics work hold to that independent/DIY culture and community of alternative press and self-publishing?
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.

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.
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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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).

How was the experience of doing that?
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?
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.

What illustration projects are you working on at the moment?
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.

How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?
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.

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.
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.

Which artistic techniques do you employ most often within your work, and enjoy using?
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.

What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on so far?
My story The Carnival that was in the anthology Mome vol. 14. I just put a lot of myself into that story.

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.
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?
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.

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?
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.

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.)
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?
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.

What is your favourite thing about being an artist, and working creatively?
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.

Laura McKellar interview

2010-09-30T19:34:00.003+01:00

This interview with Laura McKellar first appeared on the Pikaland webiste in August 2010.

Website: lauramckellar.com
Blog: lauramckellar.blogspot.com/
Online Shop: www.lauramckellar.bigcartel.com/
Zine: iloveokay.com/
Zine blog: www.iloveokay.blogspot.com/
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/sirseven

Hi Laura, could you tell us a little about yourself, and what are you currently working on?
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.

How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?
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.

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.

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.

How did you first learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art your career?
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!

Why do you create? What is it about being creative that makes it something important for you to do?
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.

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?
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.

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.

Where and how did you learn of your skills and interest in textiles and embroidery, and come to use these techniques within your work?
How do you actually construct each embroidered piece – do you sew directly onto paper?
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.

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.

Do you enjoy the processes of ‘handmade’?
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.

How and why do you self-publish your artwork within your handmade zine, Okay?‘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.

Does each issue allow you to follow a unique theme?
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.

What is your history in independent self-publishing? Is Okay your first zine?‘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.

Do you think zines are a good way to share art, to display art, and to reach (new?) audiences or artistic communities?
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.

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?
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.

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.

Amelia Gragory, recently interviewed on Pikaland was asked, ‘What do you think is the biggest challenge for illustrators today?’ to which she replied: “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.”What are your thoughts on this, from your own experience, and how do you personally approach this challenge?
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.
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.

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.)
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?
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!

What’s your favorite art project that you’ve worked on so far?
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.

Katy Horan interview

2010-09-20T15:38:00.003+01:00

This interview first appeared on Pikaland in August 2010

Katy Horan is a painter, drawer, crafter, and maker-of-things. She loves all things folky, spooky and crafty. Katy lives in Austin, Texas.

Website: www.katyart.com
Blog: katyhoran.tumblr.com
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/Katyart

Hi Katy, how are you? What are you working on at the moment?
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.

How would you describe your art?
I would say I make bizarro lady monsters out of tiny lace patterns that make my hands hurt. That’s the casual version.

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.

What are your daily inspirations?
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.

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.

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?
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.

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.

How did you personally learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art and creative expression your career?
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!

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.

And, what daily things give you the incentive/confidence/push to continue?
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.

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.

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.
How important to you is referencing ‘the everyday’ and ‘the personal’ – those simple everyday nuances of life that perhaps connect us all?
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.

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.

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?
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.

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.

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?
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!

How important do you think it is to include and represent traditional ‘folk’ art forms in contemporary artwork like yours?
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.

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.
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.

Your work primarily contains female subjects. What is it about femininity that draws you to capture its many guises within your work?
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.

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)
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.

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?
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.

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.
What role, therefore, does the notion of ‘perfection’ play in your artwork?
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.

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.

What for you are the most enjoyable or rewarding aspects of working as an artist?
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.

Jill Bliss interview

2010-08-24T13:51:00.003+01:00

This interview first appeared on Pikaland Website, April 2010.

Jill Bliss 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.

Name: Jill Bliss
Location: Portland, OR. USA
Website: www.jillbliss.com
Blog: blog.jillbliss.com
Shop: shop.jillbliss.com
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/jillbliss
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/jillbliss/collections
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jill-Bliss-Artwork

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!!]

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!

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?

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.

How did you first get started in art, is it something that you’ve always been interested in and excelled at?

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.

How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?

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.

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!

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.

How has your creativity, process and output developed/altered/morphed over the past ten years?

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!

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.
How have you been able to find and maintain such creative, eco, and financial sustainability over the past ten years?

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.

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?

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.”

What is something key that you’ve learned about yourself, and your work, during the past ten years?

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.

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?

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.

How important is community to you? Whether this be an artistic community, or a network of cultural production, or indeed an (environmental) activist community?

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.

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?
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.

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.

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.

Does working in an environment alongside your peers provide any specific benefits to you as an artist?

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.

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?

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.

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!

How important to you is this communal/community action, this avenue for skills sharing?

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.

How important do you think it is to encourage and empower us all to believe in our own creative abilities and potentials?

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.

Linked to this, do you believe that we all have the potential to be creative and/or cultural producers everyday?

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!

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.
It seems to be such a constant thread in your work – without this positive hopeful optimism, could you continue to create art?

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.

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.

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.”

What for you are the most enjoyable or rewarding aspects of working as an artist?

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.

Gallery Artwork from Issue 5 (2009)

2009-12-17T13:00:00.032Z

I was so overwhelmed by the amazing art submitted earlier this year for the Gallery in Issue 5.
I want to re-post the work here to share the work further than the pages of the zine could reach.
I love each and every one of these artists. Thank you for being a part of COTL5 :)

Ali Aschman (Brooklyn, NY)

Amber Seegmiller (Whittier, CA. USA).

Kate Pugsley (Chicago, USA)

Brandi Milne (USA)

Colette Rosa (London, UK)

Ellara Woodlock (Melbourne, Australia)

Elise Towle Snow (Salem, Massachusetts, USA)

Emily Cunningham (Chicago, USA)

Freya Harrison (London, UK)

Memo (Leeds, UK)

Jen Oaks (Berkeley, CA. USA)

Julianna Swaney (Portland OR. USA)

Katie Hanratty (Wirral, UK)

Kristyna Baczynski (Leeds, UK)

Laura Berger (Chicago, USA)

Lisa Linnéa (Sweden)

Liza Corbett (New York City)

Lucy Player (Essex, UK)

Maria Gil Ulldemolins (aka Nosideup) (Oxford UK)

Megan Whitmarsh (Los Angeles, USA)

Meryl Donoghue (London, UK)

Miso (Melbourne. Australia)

Miss Led (UK)

Nancy Mungcal (Los Angeles, USA)

Nikki Stavin (Chicago, IL, USA)

Nina Nijsten (Hasselt, Belgium)

Sarah Lippett (UK)

Suzanne Coady (Santa Fe, NM, USA)

Ulla Saar (Tallinn, Estonia)

Erika Lopez Interview

2009-10-29T00:13:00.006Z

Erika Lopez

Location: San Francisco, CA
How would you describe your art? My art? Like a little kid left in a cave with her school pack.
Currently working on: A book and a movie. I think this is the last you'll hear of me right here. I’m out of my league.
Day job (if applicable): None. Yet...
3 Likes: Music, James--my best friend, and my cat
3 Dislikes: Liars, scared people, anything too institutionalised
Daily Inspirations: To change the world and show another way to be a superfreak without burning out. Not sure I’m succeeding today, though.
People & artists you admire: James--my best friend, thich naht hanh, Kurt Vonnegut
Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: Changes on depending on my work. Metallica used to be fun before the "scared people; anything too institutionalized" dislike kicked in.

http://www.erikalopez.com/

http://clog.erikalopez.com/

Interview date: June 2009

Hi Erika, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
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.
I’m exhausted.
But I get weary because I’m so idealistic and feel like I’m born into a cheap world so often.

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?
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.
I’m not in a good mood.
It’s been a rough seven years. I think I broke a mirror somewhere.
But I get hits of bliss which make it all worthwhile...
Ay!

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?
They were funny because humour would get her attention. And I still "lap dance for mommy" today.
My humour is what gets attention. I have to slog through the despair to get to the funny.

Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?
Yeah, when people laughed, that was a high.
Addicting.
That was its worth and still is for me.

Your illustrative work merges many different styles: porn, cartoon art, clip art, with traditional American narratives (road tales, love and hurt, etc)
You have also worked in many mediums: literature, illustration, film, comics, spoken word.
In looking at all of this and thinking of influences, is there any one particular artist or style you admire?
No. So many. I love people who do too many different things. Steve Allen. Shel Silverstein. etc.

Where do you create? Do you have the space to create all the kind of art you want to?
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.

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?
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.

What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?
Unfortunately a major all-the-time role. I kill any deal that is otherwise. I pay dearly for this privilege.

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.
What is your personal relationship with confidence?
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.

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?
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.

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?
Oooh. Nice. Like that!

When working on spoken word/written projects, do you miss cartooning?
No. Cartooning is very private. I don't need to publish. When I perform, I feed off many people.

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)
Are you enjoying having full creative control over your production?
Yes. Too much. That’s the problem.

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.
Alongside reclaiming Latina stereotypes, there appears to be further examples of reclaiming female visual images in general in your work.
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.
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?
Absolutely! Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I think our life depends on diverging from social norms.
Suicides speak to that. Cut up faces and arms and white knuckling it into our upper ages.
It’s tragic.

I once read you say:

“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.”

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?
Is it important to you that your work have a constructive, positive, inspiring role for women readers?
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.
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.

Your most recent project is the Welfare Queen. What is this all about?
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?
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.

Helen Musselwhite Interview

2009-10-29T00:08:00.001Z

Helen Musselwhite

Location: Southern edge of Manchester, UK
How would you describe your art? Paper Sculpture that’s colourful, bold and whimsical
Currently working on: orders for independent shops, commissions through my website and 2 exhibitions
3 Likes: small birds, reading blogs, the smell of roses
3 Dislikes: inconsideration, Turkish delight, plastic carrier bags
Daily Inspirations: The flora and fauna I see when dog walking
People & artists you admire: Picasso, Emile Zola, Alexander Mcqueen, Madonna
Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: 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

http://www.helenmusselwhite.com/

Interview date: March 2009.

Hi Helen, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
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!

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?
I’ve got lots of reference books and back issues of interior/style magazines.
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.

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?
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.
I also used to make and decorate small pieces of furniture from MDF which I sold to independent shops.
I then spend a few years working for a jeweller making rudimentary sliver and gold jewellery and as an art technician in a school.
Then in 2006 after relocating to Manchester paper really began to work for me.

Where did your skills and interest in paper engineering come from?
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.
I quickly realised that paper was a fantastic medium and a lot cheaper than gold and silver!
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!

Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?
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.

What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?
It is the majority of my waking hours!

The majority of your art takes nature as its main subject, whether this be flowers, hedgerows, woodland, birds, plants, rabbits, etc.
There’s something very ‘British’ about your work, in this sense; documenting everyday native scenery.
Do you think your current environment, as well as the environment in which you grew up influenced this subject matter?
Yes very much.
I grew up in the countryside; my dad was a farm worker so it always surrounded me.
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.
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!

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?
What correlations do you personally see between your own work and these design and art forms?
My interest started at art college learning about art and design history.
Once I discovered The Bauhaus and the movements that came afterwards it all clicked.
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
In my work albeit subtly.
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!

How important do you think it is to include and represent traditional art forms like Folk Art in contemporary art work?
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.
They are often intricately linked with the countryside and the seasons and use simple materials.

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.
What is your personal relationship with confidence?
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.
I also have to say that the encouragement and belief that my partner Andrew has had in me
Has definitely helped to boost my confidence.

How would you describe your artistic techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?
And how long would it take to complete a typical scene?
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.
I start with a little sketch and quite often enlarge that.

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!
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!

What are your interests in fairytale mythologies, and why did you decide to weave these ideas into your artistic work?
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.
I like the idea of escaping into a world like that, not forever, just at certain times.

How important is the role of ‘story telling’ in your artwork, especially due to this element of fiction, fairytale and folk tales?
I make up little stories when making some pieces and I’d like the viewer to do the same.

How prolific an artist are you?
Do you find creating work to order, or to meet specific deadlines creatively useful, or restricting?
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.
I do like deadlines as they make me work more efficiently and effectively.
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.

What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ -- Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?
Art and creativity has many levels and is a very personal thing.
Every one has some it just manifests its self in different ways, whether it be professional or a hobby.

You are a member of the Manchester Craft Mafia. How and why did you become involved with this?
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!

A lot of your work is sold in local, independent galleries and stores.
Do you feel that such independently owned stores, spaces & settings are more suited/more fitting for your artwork?
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.
Local is important too but I do sell all over the world which is important in raising my profile.

Do you enjoy exhibiting in group shows?
What have your experiences of exhibiting nationally and internationally been like in general?
I have exhibited in lots of small group shows and I like the diversity that comes with a group.
I have always had good experiences with the shows I’ve done.
The galleries and their customers have been very positive, especially in America!

What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?
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!
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.

Heidi Burton Interview

2009-10-29T00:03:00.003Z

Heidi Burton

Location: Cambridge, UK
How would you describe your art? Illustrative in a light-hearted and quirky way, sometimes escapes to the sombre side..
Currently working on: 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.
3 Likes: Thunderstorms, tea-drinking, shipping forecasts on the radio.
3 Dislikes: Insomnia, pigeons, things that reduce in size while increasing in price.
Daily Inspirations: Observations, everything I see and hear plays some part.
People & artists you admire: Tove Jansson, Haruki Murakami, Sylvia Plath, David Attenborough.
Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: Yann Tiersen ‘Goodbye Lenin’, The Coral ‘The Invisible Invasion’, Kimmo Pohjonen ‘Kielo’, The Zutons ‘Who Killed The Zutons’.

http://heidiburton.wordpress.com/

Interview date: March 2009.

Hi Heidi, What are you up to at the moment?
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.

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?
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.

Where do you work from?
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.

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?
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?’

Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?
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!

Did having creative parents influence you and your pursuit of art?
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!

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?
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.

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)?
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!

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?
How crucial do you think arts education is to creativity, and yours in particular?
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.

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.)
What does creating such pieces afford your work that is not satisfied by working on and with ‘traditional’ art mediums such as canvas?
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!

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?
What other roles does the creation of greetings cards hold for you that inspires you to make and sell them?
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.

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.
What are your favourite materials and tools to work with?
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.

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!
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?!!
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!

Would you say that you were part of any art communities, in Cambridge, or elsewhere?
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?
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.

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!”
Is ‘perfection’ and ‘elitism’ in art something that concerns you and your practice?
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!

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.
What is your personal relationship with confidence?
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!

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”
Would you say that this a mantra that guides your artistry?!
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.

What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?
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.

Morwenna Catt interview

2009-10-28T23:57:00.003Z

Morwenna Catt

Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
How would you describe your art? Authentic
Currently working on: stitched canvas work for exhibition, a commission project for a library
Day job: Part time lecturer in college
3 Likes: endless cups of tea, my cat, seeing a surprise badger in the countryside
3 Dislikes: getting up on dark, early mornings / cracked earth / art openings
Daily Inspirations: friends, optimistic people, sunshine, radio, blogs, films, books, conversations overheard, lots of things
People & artists you admire: 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.
Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: 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.

http://www.morwennacatt.co.uk/

Interview date: March 2009

Hi Morwenna, What are you up to at the moment?
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.

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?
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.

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?
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.

Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?
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.

What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?
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.

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.
What is your personal relationship with confidence?
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.

How would you describe your artistic techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?
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.

Is ‘perfection’ and ‘elitism’ in art something that concerns you?
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’
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?
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.

What are your interests in fairy tale mythologies, and why did you decide to weave these ideas into your artistic work?
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.

You work in many different mediums, both in 2D and 3D, from textiles, painting, drawing, light boxes and installation.
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?
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.

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’.
With reference to such pieces, how powerful do you find words and text within visual art can be?
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.

How prolific an artist are you?
Do you find creating work to order, or to meet specific deadlines creatively useful, or restricting?
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.

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.
What is your understanding(s) of the word ‘truth’ as employed in your work?
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.

What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ -- Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?
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.

In response to your answer above; what is your motivation for teaching and workshop-ing art, and for creating art in the community?
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.

Do you enjoy exhibiting in group shows?
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

What have your experiences of exhibiting nationally and internationally been like in general?
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.

What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?
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.

Abigail Brown interview

2009-10-28T23:51:00.003Z

Abigail Brown

Location: London, UK
How would you describe your art? Soft, comforting, happy, naïve, playful
Currently working on: Hmmm…gosh, what am I not working on?! A window display, exhibitions for the year, ideas for a music video…on and on…
Day job: Very lucky to be scraping a living from my art, both the textile work and illustration
3 Likes: cakes, smiles, bed
3 Dislikes: negativity, grey skies, currently that there’s no hot water in my flat
People & artists you admire: 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.
Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: I have a selection of compilations made for me by friends and these are my favourites!

www.abigail-brown.co.uk

Interview date: February 2009.

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?
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.

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?
I’ve done it since I could do anything. My baby book states ‘sticking and snipping’ as my first favourite activity!
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!

Where did your skills in textiles come from?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!

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?
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!

What role does artistry and creativity hold in your current everyday, day-to-day life?
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.

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.
What is your personal relationship with confidence in and of your work?
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.
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.

How would you describe your artistic techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?
And how long would it take to complete a typical creature?
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.
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!

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!
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!
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.
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.
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.

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.
This atmosphere could almost be described as a visual language evoking beauty, childhood, fables, and reassurance, without ever being childish.
To what degree does this ring true to your own thoughts on how you create and how you perceive your work?
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?!
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!!

How important is storytelling to your art?
It hasn’t played a huge part in things so far but I would like it to at some point.

I once read you say of your focus on animals within your work that,
‘Animals give comfort. The comfort I find in nesting away in piles of fabric and tangles of thread.’
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?
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.

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?
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.

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?
The 3D work is like creating life, these little beings evolve into something real that I can hold and that feels really special.

You specialise in hand crafting unique, one off pieces (or very limited edition runs).
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!
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!

How prolific an artist are you?
Do you find creating work to order, or to meet specific deadlines creatively useful, or restricting?
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.

What are your thoughts on the nature and exclusivity/inclusiveness of ‘art’ -- Do you believe everyone can be creative in their own life?
I ask this, partly, as many people may be crafters and makers already, yet not necessarily view this creativity as their art.
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!

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.
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?
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.

A lot of your work is sold in local, independent galleries and stores.
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)?
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.

Do you enjoy exhibiting your work?
What have your experiences of exhibiting nationally and internationally been like in general?
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.
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!
But I will say positive on the whole, it’s always lead on to something else, eventually.

What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?
I couldn’t not do! Ha, I really don’t know what I would do if I didn’t!
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.

the interviews: issue 5

2009-10-28T23:49:00.000Z

By Karoline Rerrie
xox

Introduction to issue 5

2009-10-28T23:48:00.000Z

Introduction to Colouring Outside The Lines issue Five.

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.

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.

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'.

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!
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!
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.

I recently read writer Daphne Gottleib speak of the collaborative writing projects she leads, saying that:

‘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.’

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.

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:

‘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!’

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!

Melanie Maddison
Leeds, UK
June 2009

www.myspace.com/colouringoutsidethelines
www.cotlzine.blogspot.com

Where are they?

2009-09-25T12:43:00.003+01:00

I'm in the process of (temporarily?) removing a few selected interviews from this blog site, in preparation for something I'm working on...
Apologies in the interim.
Bear with me, more news soon
xox

Issue 5

2009-07-15T14:11:00.002+01:00

Oops, this issue has been out over a month and I never got around to blogging about the fact!

Interviewees include:
GB Jones, Erika Lopez, Mel Stringer, Morwenna Catt, Helen Musselwhite, Caitlin Shearer, Abigail Brown, Christa Donner, Heidi Burton, Karoline Rerrie, and Irana Douer.

+ Cover artwork by: Zoe Darnell, Karoline Rerrie, and Sara Hansson

+ Gallery artwork from: Sarah Lippett, Amber Seegmiller, Nikki Stavin, Ellara Woodlock, Julianna Swaney, Kate Pugsley, Kristyna Baczynski, Nancy Mungcal, Miss Led, Miso, Jen Oaks, Megan Whitmarsh, Ulla Saar, Ellara Woodlock, Liza Corbett, Lucy Player, Katy Hanratty, Elise Towle Snow, Brandi Milne, Laura Berger, Lisa Linnea, Maria Gil Ulldemolins, Nina Nijsten, Freya Harrison, Emily Cunningham, Ali Aschman, Suzanne Coady, Meryl Donoghue, Memo, + More!

Available at: www.cotl.etsy.com

Sarah Maple interview

2009-06-27T21:11:00.003+01:00

Sarah Maple

Location: Crawley (UK)

How would you describe your art? Light-hearted, funny, political

Currently working on: Just been working on some new photographs for a group show at Scream Gallery

Day job: Bookshop

3 Likes: The Apprentice, Dinosuars, Kate Moss

3 Dislikes: Money, holidays, Kate Moss

Daily Inspirations: Things people say

People & artists you admire: My Tiger My Timing, Sophie Calle, Stella Vine, Charlie Brooker, Chris Morris, Patrick Wolf

Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: Anything by The Smiths

www.sarahmaple.com
Interview date: May 2008

Hi Sarah, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
Really great, Just had a group show at Salon gallery in Notting Hill, another coming up at Scream Gallery in Mayfair and my first in New York next month!

I’ve dithered a little bit with this interview cuz I’ve been a bit disappointed in myself; but I realised I must suck it all up and write these questions regardless... You see, despite knowing just why the discussion of race and ethnicity (or lack of thereof) in contemporary art is so important to discuss and raise and challenge, I have done so little of that within this zine in the past, and I feel so shitty that it’s with a Muslim artist that I begin to ask questions about race and ethnicity - why haven’t I been able to do this with white artists??
Anyway, less of the guilt, and more of the discussion -- is it important to you that by its very nature your art challenges, and raises awareness of race and ethnicity within (largely white) contemporary art circles?
This isn't something that I aimed to do when I made the work, I made the work for me because it was what I wanted to do at the time. Now I can see what it is doing in the art world. I think it has opened people up to not make an assumption about someone because of their race etc. A lot of people are surprised that I was raised Muslim. I think people are so scared of Islam and are surprised that I make light of things that people are taking very seriously.

Your work, whether the self-portraiture, or the representation of yourself as a Muslim woman, or indeed your representation of yourself as a female subject all quite clearly pinpoint the importance of Identity within your work.
How important is representing identity in your artworks and to your artistic practice/production?
Again this is not something I actively seek out to do - it always seems to creep it's way in there. I think people are obsessed with their identity and self image and this is important because we all want to know who we are and where we come from. In my work I am the subject but I become different people, different identities. I think we all have different parts of ourselves that we are almost unaware of. They lie beneath the surface. I've always thought of my art self as another person, like an alter ego, like it's a character, but then I think that that part of me has come from me somewhere so it must be part of who I am. Different people/circumstances etc bring out different parts of us I think.

Aside from the politics of ‘representing’ identity, it seems clear that it is important to you to *challenge* pre-conceived, or prejudicial notions of what it means to be identified as ‘Musilim’, or ‘female’, or ‘an artist’, or any number of other identifiers.
To what degree with your work are you wishing to provide alternative viewpoints, and provide a less blinkered understanding of what modern-day diverse ‘identity’ means.
(I’m thinking here of your Burka photographs taken on Brighton pier, enjoying deckchair and mermaid fun!)
I think we all make assumptions about other people based on race, looks etc. My friend was showing me her university pics and showed me a picture of this Muslim girl in a headscarf and said 'You wouldn't think it to look at her but this girl is really funny'. I found this hilarious as it was almost as if she thought I would presume this person completely dull because she had a headscarf on. I think the humour in the work I made with the burkas is that the burka is such an eastern symbol and to see it teamed with western icons (e.g my painting 'blue, badges, burka') just looks very odd, almost wrong. In a way I suppose this is symbolic of the difficulties in combining extreme eastern influences with western culture, and the impact this has on Muslim kids that end up going all nutty and extremist because they can't find a happy balance between the two.

I am very interested in what you have written in ‘artist statements’ etc about how some of your work represents the confusion Muslims do, or may, feel between the cultural attitudes of Islam, and those of western societies and environments. You have claimed that your work questions ‘what makes a ‘good’ Muslim, especially in a western society’.
Something that is keenly obvious to me is that this questioning is made all the more challenging when the subject in question is a *female* subject.
Is this part of the reasoning why you use yourself, a British, female, Muslim, as the focus of many of your pieces?
Not necessarily...I suppose in a sort of confessional way, the work came from my own experience and feelings about this. I found the headscarf amusing after a while because it seemed many women began to wear it to make a point, like they were scared to lose their identity or it made them feel more holy. I always felt bad for not wearing one and thought how much better these women were then me. Then one day I suppose I thought thinking that way was bollocks and then I did all this art.

I guess, linked to the above question is the notion of (tongue in cheek?) ‘deviancy’, or ’subversion’ in your artwork.
To what degree do you think using female, or Muslim subjects and points of reference helps you to explore (and ridicule?) the politics of ’appropriateness’?
I’m thinking here of your triptych, ‘Signs’ which has images of yourself in more ‘sexual’, ‘assertive’, and ‘confrontational’ (for whatever these words mean) guises than some would find “comfortable” being expressed by a Muslim woman. (Bleugh!)
I used the words ‘deviancy’ and ‘subversion’ and ‘appropriateness’ above and not the word ‘controversial’, or the term ‘offensive’, because I’m hugely aware that as a Muslim yourself you are not aiming for your Islamic based art to be offensive in any way. Have you received any feedback from people who have not understood this, and your own personal connection to your subject(s)?
Some people thought I was just trying to be really offensive when I first started out. But I think more people know about me now and just accept what I do or want to pretend I don't exist, haha! I have been called all sorts of things which I'm totally used to, it's just if they attack the work itself without giving it any thought, that really annoys me. What I want is for people to think. I think I get away with a lot because the work is playful. If it was aggressive in anyway I think I would be in a lot more trouble.

Alongside identity, within your work there seems to be a discourse around the nature of ‘art’ and what it means to be an ‘artist’.
I’m thinking of pieces such as your paintings, ‘I can paint. Where’s my fucking medal’, your photograph ‘art is crap’, and your piece, ‘I am talentless. I do not have the answers’.
Does being ‘an artist’, studying art, and the whole realm of the ‘art world’ sit somewhat uncomfortably with you in the sense that these pieces would make me think?
I find the art world absolutely baffling and it makes me feel quite uncomfortable, I would like to live in a cave and make all my work and have someone else deal with all that business and wanky stuff. Art is a business which is a fact. but I just want to stay in a romantic world where creativity and actual appreciation of art is the most important thing, not just money. I found art school quite hard as well because people were always talking arty bullshit and I couldn't really understand what they were talking about. This has fed a lot into my work like you mentioned above and with reference to money - 'Minimun' for example which is a white board that simply says 'I am £10,000.'

Last year you [quite deservedly] won the Saatchi/Channel 4 ‘4 New Sensations’ art prize.
What will, or what has winning this Saatchi award already granted you? (whether in terms of exposure, or luxuries, or space, or whatever else!)I think the connections I made were great and being able to put Saatchi's name to me is a head start a new graduate can only dream of really. It's amazing what a name can do for you.

A large portion of your work depicts cultural subjects and pop culture icons.
How obsessed with Kate Moss are you, really!!??
Haha!! It's not so much HER I am interested in, I am fascinated by her as an icon. I fascinated by the fact she goes wrong all the time, but still gets it right. Like her tripping up all the time makes her all the more perfect. She can do no wrong, she is an icon and everyone bloody loves her.

Is your focus on pop culture celebration, or subversion?
Umm......both! We cannot hide from it's influence.

I have fallen head over heels for pieces that take a tongue-in-cheek look at sexuality. Pieces such as the ‘have you wanked over me yet’ photograph, or the pieces featuring melons and tampons!
These three pieces are great examples of your use of humour to tackle tough conceptual and political ideas.
To what degree does your work require you to have a sense of humour, and require the same of your audience in tackling such strong and complex issues?
It is obviously very important to have a sense of humour when looking at my work, some people totally miss the point which is also quite funny. Some people do not get it at all. It's needed in equal measure because I'm not sure people would get the point without getting the humour first. I'm also lucky because even if people don't really care for my point, they still got something from the work in terms of a giggle.

A huge aspect of your work involves use of your self within your art. As a young, Muslim women, parallels are obviously going to be drawn between yourself and the subjects you portray. To what degree is your work portrait and autobiography?
I think it is very much autobiography because I base it all on things I am thinking and experiencing but I think I am quite good at detaching myself also. So it's not always traced back to me. Even though it came from me. If that makes sense!

How much do you enjoy the dressing up and performative aspect of your work and artistic process? Looks like hella fun to me!
I bloody love dressing up, I didn't realise how much so until I did it for my art. I love choosing quirky things that I think will look great in a picture, it's just finishing touches like a pair of pants or earrings then can make or break an image I think e.g self portrait with Kate Moss (I'm wearing 'I heart England' pants!). I definitely become a different character when I'm in front of the camera, i think that's why even though they are all pics of me, they don't get boring because I'm a different person in each one.

Parts of the British media have been dubbing you the “heir to Tracey Emin’s throne”. As such, sitting on your throne, who would you knight, and whom would you throw to the lions?
Hmmm.........I could not possibly say!!!

Sara Rahbar interview

2009-06-27T21:07:00.002+01:00

Sara Rahbar

Location: New York (right now)

How would you describe your artwork? A mirror image of my life

Currently working on: A new flag series & a new photo series

Day job: Full time artist

Daily inspirations: Life

People & artists you admire: Too many to mention, just to mention a few; John Luc Godard, Sylvia Plath & Mona Hatoom

Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: No favourites, I listen to everything. I usually obsess over one song and play it over and over again until I can’t stand it any more, or until I have finished the piece I am working on, which ever one comes first.

www.myspace.com/sararahbar

Interview date: May 2008

Hi Sara, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
I am well Melanie, wonderful in fact, getting over a broken heart but stronger than ever and happy. I am currently working on 2 or 3 solo exhibitions and some other stuff, new work, always new work.

How long have you been making and creating art, and how did you first become interested in art and develop the skills that you currently employ?
As far back as I can remember. It became a bit more serious as I got older, but it was always with me at a very young age. I just always wanted to make things, to transform things, challenge things by changing their shape and colour. And maybe by creating a new context, I rebirth it and as a result create a new perspective, a new way of looking. I always saw the world through my own personal filters, and as life occurred and time passed, I picked up different skills with every new experience. Although I don’t always know exactly what I am doing when I start a new project. My idea comes first then I figure out the best medium that suits the idea. I do not like to limit myself in any way, shape or form. If I don’t know how, I will figure it out. I recently made a chandelier out of bullets and crystals, and I want to return to Iran and learn carpet weaving, new, always new ideas and mediums.

Your art work clearly has a footing within activism, humanitarianism and within the realm of human rights. Why is such activism important to you, personally? And why did you decide to use art as a medium for your humanitarianism?
I am by no means an activist. And being an artist was not something that I choose to do; it was just always a part of my being. I always had a lot to say, and a view that I wished to express, and by no means did I want to be involved in politics, or become an activist, so it was just an organic progression for me to express myself and take on bigger issues through my work. I am not political. I address current events and political issues through my work. I am an artist first, and this is my interpretation, my perspective, it is how I view the world. In the end I think that that is all any of us are doing, communicating our perspectives. Whether we may be artists or politicians.

As a global citizen, how important to you is breaking down barriers [through your work, and otherwise] between countries and cultures - to look at the identities of global citizens as *Human Beings,* without the lines-in-the-sand and borders that separate, divide, and create difference between people and communities?
A lot of my pieces focus on just that concept of breaking down barriers. My work addresses identity, and the notions of invisible borders, whether they maybe cultural or geographical. I question the concept of belonging, as I don’t believe in the borders created by the devotion towards a flag, a country, or, a religion, so than what do we belong, or not belong to when its all imaginary and made up by us. Through my work I want to remind people that we have built these imaginary borders, and only we have the power to take them down.
One of the challenges at hand is that we have made our personal identities so important and supreme above all. We believe that it is our countries, our nationalism, our religions, our cultures, our beliefs and so on, that make us who and what we are. And this has become eminent above all to the point that we are terrified of giving any of it up as we feel we would no longer be special, individual or important, and so we divide, separate, and label, and as a result give more fuel to the fire.

In reference to the above question, you have stated that intention and the driving force of your work ‘is to focus on our similarities rather than our differences’. Whilst I understand the need to break down the barriers [commonly understood as ’differences’] that challenge our understandings of each other, globally; and the need to see others as human beings, not flags, or armies, or stereotypes, or as ‘other’, I wonder whether by wishing to focus on ‘similarity’ you think it has the potential to unify at the expense of maintaining and protecting cultural and social difference that makes each individual & culture unique and special?
This is not about killing off our cultures, it’s about seeing that at the core we are the same, our foundations are the same, we have all come from one place and we are all returning to the same place. It’s about returning to the simplicity of things. It’s not about erasing our uniqueness; it’s about unifying and coexisting as opposed to tolerating, separating and dividing, because of our cultural and social choices and differences. And I say choices because I always believe we have one, we are not victims to all of this, and the second that we all realize and acknowledge just that, things will begin to shift.

One of your exhibitions was entitled ‘Continuity and Change: Islamic tradition in contemporary art’. In thinking about such a provocative title, [addressing both continuity/permanence and current changes occurring and needed], to what degree does your work as a Muslim artist confront ’tradition’ without diminishing or offending your ’traditional/cultural’ identity as a Muslim? Are such concerns important to you, or do you see forward movement and challenging traditions more important?
I in no way consider myself Muslim, or believe in organized region in any shape or form. The cultural background that I was born into is Iranian and Muslim and there for it plays its role in the background of my work, as my work is a direct reflection of my life; my geographic locations, my history, my present, my environments, and my memories

Alongside your photographic/painting/and textile work addressing and approaching areas such as war, identity, Islamic tradition, politics, divisions, roles, experiences, freedoms, perspectives, and communication, you have also created documentations on the youth culture in Iran. What youth cultures has your work specifically focused upon, and why was it important to you to focus on the current young citizens in a tumultuous, changing country that is part of a very fragile world?
Because 70% of the population of Iran is under 30 years old (The Youth), and they are the future of Iran. And we all know from experience and from history that one countries fate can affect an entire world, it’s like a domino effect.

Your work has been seen as art that ‘challenges current clichés and stereotypes about Islamic practices’, and evoking ideas of ‘the complex life in present-day Iran, countering the western media’s one-dimensional portrayal of the country’. Firstly, to what degree do you wish to present a multi-dimensional portrayal of Iran to communicate to the world ideas about how we view each other, and to present a multitude of realities about Iran, to create alternative perspectives on how Iran could be viewed. Secondly, how do you see your work as specifically and directly challenging current perspectives and stereotypes?
This all stems from ignorance, and brain washing by the media which is controlled by our governments. Iran is a very misunderstood country, and it has been interpreted, analyzed and used by all, in the end the only thing that Iran is, is what you say it is. In order to find truth, we must go above and beyond the filters, and find our own personal truths. Its quite sad that it has come to this that I have to paint a multi-dimensional portrayal of the Iranian people in order for people to see it as that, when all they need do is look in the mirror, we are not so different, only our circumstances are.
Also the mere fact that my background is Iranian and Muslim, yet I do not necessarily fit into the clichés and stereo types, that factor in it self challenges clichés and stereotypes about Islamic practices and the western media’s one-dimensional portrayal of the country and its people. Lets not forget about its people, its seems that these days we are so focused on countries and labels, that we have forgotten about the people, the human beings. And that without them none of these things would matter or even exist, things are a lot simpler than we would like to see them.

An article was written about you in the media, entitled, ‘Sara Rahbar: Addressing the personal, cultural and political’. With humanitarian art work such as yours, do you see differences and divides between ‘the personal‘, ‘cultural‘, and ‘political‘, or are they all combined/intertwined; your work itself a product of the ways these three aspects are inherent in of your life, without distinction?
It is not so much that I am purposely choosing to be political, cultural, and personal and specifically attempting to break down perspectives and clichés. This is only an outcome of the work. Through my work I address subjects that move and inspire me, and that I am passionate about. The rest is just an organic bi-product of the work.

Another article in the media addressed you as, ‘Sara Rahbar: The Activist-Artist’. How difficult/easy have you found it for you and your work to be recognized as both?
I don’t really think of myself as an activist artist, I think because I tackle and challenge current events, politics, war, and such subjects, the word activist came about when referring to my work. But by no means do I picket or protest and I absolutely do not consider myself an activist. If my work challenges, educates, shifts perspectives and makes a difference, than I am happy. But again all of this is a bi-product of me taking on subjects that are important to me, and that I wish to focus on.

In your photographic series ‘The Veil’, you use images of draped flags covering individual’s heads and faces, and individuals using flags as headscarves. How does such work aim to confront the issue of visibility/invisibility?
Actually there is no “veil series”, my two photo series that you are referring to are called, Oppression series 1 and 2. There is a travelling exhibition that my work is a part of called, “The Veil: Visible and Invisible Spaces.” Oppression series 2, which consists of the draped flags, fabrics and half faces, that consists of 12 images, which actually are all me.
I used myself in all of my new work, its only mask series that is not me, and I used a model for. The work confronts and tackles so many issues, and has so many layers and levels to it, that “visibility & invisibility” is only a small fraction of the core of the work. I play with concepts of woman’s rights, Iran, human rights, current social and political states in Iran and America, visibility & invisibility and much, much more. It’s important for me not to reveal everything, and to simply start a thought process in the viewers mind.

You have claimed (or it has been claimed of your work) that, ‘we are all a collection of our experiences, our understanding of the self and perhaps the issues of worth are always intimately entwined, my work is a mirror image of my life; my geographical locations, my history, my present, my environments, and my memories’. In order to make questions and statements though your work [about the development and constructs of identity, the concepts of belonging, and changing common views and perspectives], how instrumental to your work-process is using *yourself* within your work? E.g. use of self-portraits, etc.
I never set out to use myself in my work. But because I was tackling so many personal issues in my mind at the time and my work is a direct result of my challenges, my perspectives and my everyday life. It seemed like a natural progression to use myself in my work, it was all quite organic.

Finally, what are your favourite aspects of being an artist?
Creating the work.

Allyson Melberg interview

2009-06-27T20:42:00.002+01:00

Allyson Melberg

Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States

How would you describe your art?: Funny, gross, pretty, tricky, and maybe mysterious at times!

Currently working on: New drawings/paintings, small soft sculptures, new large-scale drawings, and a book with my husband Jeremy.

Day job: I am a professor of Studio Art Foundations at James Madison University. I teach 2 & 3D Design and Drawing.

3 Likes: Animals (especially cats), drawing, and sushi

3 Dislikes: Smoke, most television, and overall ignorance/intolerance

Daily Inspirations: My husband, my cat, the ocean (especially Rodanthe, Avon, and Sandbridge beaches), “Colors” book by Victoria Finlay, Haruki Murakami novels (I pretty much re-read them over and over again)

People & artists you admire: Jeremy Taylor, Louise Bourgeois, Catherine Stack, Fernando Renes, Raymond Pettibon, Kelie&Sto (Cinders), Lump Lipshitz, Barry Mcgee, Kiki Smith, Margaret Kilgallen,

Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: Anything by the Smiths, Belle and Sebastian, Best Friends Forever, Basically I like to sing along while I work. I also like to listen to movies while I work (my favorites are Pillow Talk & The Big Lebowski)

Some related websites:
www.cindersgallery.com They are my gallery representation in Brooklyn and are awesome awesome people! You can see our last show in “past shows” under September 2007
www.teamlump.org
www.allysonandjeremy.blogspot.com

Interview date: April 2008

Hi Allyson, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
Hello, I am well thank you! I am working on these questions from our family’s home in Virginia Beach. We visit a lot. Its beautiful here, we are way out in the country very near the ocean. My Mom-in-law is an Art Teacher too and its really nice to visit her.

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?
I was born into a creative family. My parents met in college at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. My Mom’s family is full of musicians and people who make things. So I never really thought that I would be doing anything else- My current style really started evolving in graduate school - Having a concentrated period of time to work and refine my ideas plus a focused dialogue with others really helped my work. This is also the time that I started collaborative relationships with my husband and Team Lump. I have had an active studio practice since I graduated from college. It is a part of life just like eating and sleeping.

Is creativity something that has been encouraged of you from an early age?
Absolutely, my parents each kept studios in our basement. My mom really involved my brother and I, getting us working with clay and drawing/painting very early. She made large ceramic vessels and would glaze them in a kiddy pool in the basement – when I was kid that seemed like magic. I really wanted to learn how to make everything! I still feel that way.

How would you describe your illustrative techniques and materials; what processes does your work go through to reach a ‘finished product‘?
I like to work out of a ground so brown/grey paper or a tinted surface are always part of beginning a piece. My technique as far as painting/drawing goes always starts out with pencil drawings. After that I work back in with walnut ink and a metal nib. If you ever feel the surface of one of my drawings you can feel that the nib has scratched all of the lines into the paper, so there isn’t much room for erasing. I like this because when I make a mistake I have to deal with it and work it in to the piece. The final step is adding egg tempera/coloring.
With soft sculpture/installation work I usually start with used/recycled fabrics and build from their individual characteristics. Most sculptures/installations are collaborative with Jeremy so we each bring our own sketches and choose materials together, then we both sew/embroider/silkscreen different parts before assembling.

I read that currently you’re working on a book project with your partner, Jeremy, about the use of non-toxic art materials. How and why is the use of non-toxic materials important to you, and your artistic practice, personally? Why do you think toxic materials aren’t questioned by many, and that alternatives aren’t sought (hence why toxic materials continue to be produced)?
Could you explain some of the books focus?
Its true! We are trying to finish it by June now that we have Archaic Mess in Richmond, (VA) putting it out. The use of ecologically sound and non-toxic art materials is important to me personally for a number of reasons. One being an educator and witnessing students who are careless with materials possibly endangering themselves or their studio mates only because they do not know better. Many instructors do not see this as a priority and set a very bad example. I do not allow the use of any toxic materials, paints, glues, etc. in my classes. Students have to be resourceful and find other solutions for making art and putting things together. In my mind if you really want to make something you will do it despite material limitations that you may find when you exclude toxic materials.
Several artists/teachers that I know have been physically affected by this but the most influential of all for me was Jeremy. He has always been an environmental/animal activist, and had been doing research on natural pigments throughout graduate school. During his assistantship in graduate school he was exposed to some toxic chemicals in the print studio and suffered irreversible lung damage which caused him to have multiple chemical sensitivities. He is a bad ass and has recovered from a lot of it, but it was a huge lesson and very scary. He was in the middle of his master’s thesis show when this happened and could not just stop making work so he used the research he was already doing on ecologically sound studio practice/natural pigments and put it to use in his work. All of his beautiful thesis paintings were made without solvents, heavy metals, or any toxic chemicals. They are biodegradable just like we are. It had a profound effect on me and was an inspiring, life-changing event. After learning about all of the things chemicals can do to your body, your environment, washing your cadmium red paint down the sink, etc. how could I possibly work with anything but natural ecologically responsible materials. Once you are cognizant of these things your conscience takes hold. It has been a really good change, I will always wish that I could take back Jeremy getting sick, but I am glad that we are making work the way we are.
I could ramble about this for hours! I guess that is why we are writing the book. We have shared a lot of this with our students at different schools, but we want the information to get out beyond that. We will be posting a PDF version of it on our blog as well.

You have worked with the band, Rainer Maria on the artwork of many of their releases. How did this collaboration come about, and is working alongside a band easier if you like, and are aware of their music (to creatively draw from, or to inspire your work, or merely to prevent your work being attached to something you aren’t comfortable with)?
My collaboration with the folks in Ranier Maria came about through our mutual friend Marshall Weber. We are all from Wisconsin! Its definitely easier to work with a band whose music you are already aware of. It felt very collaborative in the sense that we were both aware of each other’s creative work and had a very easy discussion about what they wanted and how it could relate to my art. So I felt like I was able to still make work that was natural for me and they got something really specific to their record. One interesting detail is that I didn’t hear the record for a while, I actually worked from their lyrics first so my images were based on the words not the music. By the time I worked on the music video for “Ears Ring” I knew the music well. They were really fun to work with and were extremely supportive and kind.

Your work has been published in magazines such as Bust and Venus. Is working with feminist and women-driven projects such as these important to you personally?
It was really exciting to work with these publications. It is very important to me to work with feminist projects as well as independently run projects. It was especially great to work with Venus because when I was a featured artist Sarah Silverman was on the cover! Its also great to work with women-driven projects because in some of my experiences it has really felt like a boy’s club – its nice to get outside of that.

You are a member of the art collective, Team Lump, who provide an artist-run space dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art exhibitions and projects from emerging and under-recognized artists.
How and why did you become involved with Lump?
Well, Lump Gallery is run by Bill Thelen (aka Lump Lipshitz), who is also a UNC Chapel Hill Alumni. Bill is from WI, where we had mutual friends, so when I came to graduate school at UNC we went to every Lump opening and got involved. After a year or so Jeremy and I got invited to work with Team Lump for a show called, “All Hail the New Flesh”, showcasing their newest artists. We worked with them pretty regularly after that. Lump is an amazing space, Bill works really hard to bring in challenging new work from all over.

It seems that Lump have created a great resource for artists. And in having the experimental attitude of an alternative space it appears to display diverse art in a very approachable way.
Do you think that being an artist-run space it has been set up in a way that is artist focussed, as much as art focussed?
As such is Lump supportive of all aspects of creativity, thus expanding its’ approachability on both the artist and viewers side, as a comfortable, non-elitist art space? I ask this, partly due to how alienating and ‘stiff’ some gallery and art spaces can be, and how off-putting that is.
I feel like what Bill/Lump is doing is really pure. He is supportive of the artist and the artist’s undiluted vision. Its definitely not a commercial gallery so there is so much freedom for him as a curator. He can have a show that is all wall painting or installation and he can take a lot of risks that a commercial gallery would not – which means he always shows really amazing work. I like Bill’s approach because the space definitely feels very non-elitist and welcoming while still being contemporary. Bill, who you will often meet gallery sitting on the weekends, is really approachable himself. He is this super sweet laid back guy.

Speaking of alienation in art spaces; access to viewing and thus appreciating art is often denied people (from certain economic, cultural, gendered, racial backgrounds) as much as access to and encouragement of our own creativities is, and thus the opportunities for our own artistic expression can be limited.
Have you ever encountered barriers to your creative access, or your access to art - whether as a creator or viewer?
I think spaces like Lump are really important in addressing the fact that art is not as accessible to people of all different backgrounds (economic, cultural, gendered, racial). This is why I believe that it is really important to support independent/DIY spaces. I have been extremely lucky to work with mostly independent spaces and with people who I like a lot. I also think that it is important as an artist to embrace non-capitalistic & non-gallery related ways of sharing your art with others. Personally, I have only faced one really bad situation as an artist because of my gender (and my age). I won’t name the museum but I will say it was surprising and disappointing and I had to fight to keep my show intact.

Are spaces, like that of Team Lump, something that you would have wished existed when you were first starting out in art?
Yes, of course. Lump is amazing! The fact that it is what it is and has been around for over a decade is something to be really excited about. I feel really lucky in Milwaukee, where I started out there was a really supportive and lively art community. Now that I live in a rural college town I am really missing that sense of community. We are definitely looking to move for that reason.

I am aware that your own work has appeared in exhibitions as part of Team Lump’s programme, as part of group shows. For you, what are the benefits (socially, culturally, artistically?) of being a part of group shows, over solo exhibits? Is collaboration and collectivity important to you?
In the last few years I have learned a lot about group shows since I have participated in many of them. To me they can be both good and bad. Group shows with Team Lump are really focused – we usually have a set concept so its not hard to follow through. My favourite show we did together was “Goodbye Says it All” at the Atlanta Contemporary Museum. We all stayed in an apartment together for a few days. It was so much fun and such a good show. All the group shows that I have been in with my main gallery Cinders, are really well curated so when they ask me to be in a group show I know it will be a good fit.
Group shows can be tricky though, especially if the theme is too far flung from your own content. I don’t want to be in a position where I am making work that feels unnatural to me, or contrary to what I am trying to say in my art. For example I have stopped saying yes to shows where everyone is using nasty paints in the space and spray painting all over the place because I don’t support the use of those materials- what they do to the earth and to the artists using them (even if I like their work visually). I am by no means a perfect activist, no one is! But, I do feel that I have a responsibility as an artist to say something and stick to my guns so when I get invited to a group show that is strictly based on cute animals or cool music or something I have to question it.
This is the first year we finally learned to say no to stuff that didn’t seem to fit – its really hard for me to say no to stuff because I always feel really honoured when people ask us to participate in their projects, so it has been an difficult experience, but I find that I am less stressed and making more work that is of better quality. We live in such a fast moving society, everyone is multitasking everything and most of my work just is not made that way. Realizing that and trying to get things under control has made a huge difference in my studio practice (and I actually get to sleep more!)
Solo shows can be great and allow for the further elaboration of a very specific idea/body of work. But I have often asked for collaborators in solo shows because I am not dead set on it being all MY work at MY show! I love working with my husband and when I had a residency at UVA which entailed 3 solo shows in 4 months at different university venues I made one of them into a Team Lump show and invited my students to collaborate as well. That was a great experience.

I viewed photographs from an exhibition that you and your partner were a part of, and your intricate and delicately lined work was displayed in a really fun, unusual way -- work roughly pieced and sewn together to form a giant triangle, or work pinned up under gaffer-tape signs, or pinned to a giant black thought-bubble backdrop, or on china plates, all of which presented your ideas in very approachable ways. It’s not the sort of art that I’d want to view from across an exhibition room, but would want to get up close to, bending and craning my head and neck this way and that to soak it all in, and participate in it; grinning as I went!
Your work is rarely displayed in the form of framed, polished, elitist artefacts. What are your thoughts regarding such notions of perfection and flawnessness within your own work, and the way that people can or may view your work?
Is ‘perfection’ and ‘elitism’ in art something that concerns you?
Well, I am most certainly not a robot so perfection is out! and I am very sentimental, I love mistakes and I love seeing them dealt with in resourceful and inventive ways. I like to see an artists ‘hand’ in their work and in my own work. I definitely want my viewer to feel comfortable to approach the work which, in many cases is small or had small details and needs you to come closer! I don’t want the work to be interactive (as in, I don’t want people to play with my soft sculptures as if they were toys!) but I want you to be comfortable and feel like you are participating in a dialogue. I want to share with viewers, the worst thing is going into a gallery space and feeling like you are not in the same league as the artist, that you almost couldn’t have a discussion with them even if they were right there in front of you; I welcome discussion, always. Jeremy and I also really want to create an environment for the work so that it all works together cohesively so wall painting, and hanging in a non-traditional way helps change things up. We really like to use the floor for soft sculptures so that you are not just looking at the middle of the wall for the art, its all over the place – you are in it.

How much fun is the laying out and exhibiting of your pieces (as described above) - creating an installation with your ideas?
It is a lot of fun and a lot more work than it probably seems. We make plans/sketches of possible install layouts months in advance and once we choose one stick to it pretty faithfully. We have friends who respond to a space when they get there- which can be amazing but, I guess we like to have a plan, to me that is less stressful, even if you make some adjustments while installing that change things, at least there is a sense of direction. Installing with Jeremy especially is fun. We are a good team. He always brings me tea.

The human form (in all its shapes, sizes, guises, and disguises) is something that is regularly depicted in your work, often in very truthful and realistic ways (that may be viewed as disturbing, or maybe a little grotesque in its honesty and frankness / or conversely surreal due to atypical truths). What is it about people that inspires your focus?
Being a human (and wanting to communicate things about humans to other humans) makes using the human form in my work a very easy decision. My inspiration comes from real live people, storybooks, and pictures of those who are ailing (skin disorders, tumours, etc). We have a collection of old lithographs depicting skin diseases/disorders which are beautiful and terrible. There is this sense of unapologetic grotesqueness in those types of images that is really appealing to me, the sitters look so proud. When I started making work about parabens and other endochrine disrupting chemicals in women’s body products using those images of skin diseases/tumours helped me give a form to my ideas. It also gave me a point from which to abstract and exaggerate, so that they were plausible and fantastic all at once. Disgusting and beautiful, sad and proud all at once. Using the human form makes sense to me because its what I am! And I think of it all as communicating so I figure people will understand and be able to relate to images of humans even if everything else in the image is completely surreal.

Finally, what is your favourite and most enjoyable thing about creating artwork, and being an artist that makes you continue?
For me the desire to communicate combined with curiosity about making things has kept art-making really satisfying and productive. Drawing makes me really happy. I feel like I am pissing my time away when I am away from that for too long (a few days!) It is my dream to be able to survive financially off of our art alone so that we can dedicate more of our time and get some of our bigger ‘dream’ projects made. Whether to continue or not isn’t a question, we are in this for life!

Lizz Lunney interview

2009-06-27T20:37:00.002+01:00

Lizz Lunney

Location: Birmingham, UK

How would you describe your art?: Lots of different easy to digest cartoons, like sushi. Yum.

Currently working on: My next comic

3 Likes: Tea, dinosaurs, knitting

3 Dislikes: The num lock key, mornings, headaches

Daily Inspirations: Food, dreams, nightmares

People & artists you admire: Jeffrey Brown, David Shrigley, Art Speigelman

Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: Any Beatles, and Jeffrey Lewis.

www.lizzlizz.com

Interview date: March 2008

Hi Lizz, how are you? What are you up to?
Hello. I'm good thanks. At this very moment I’m drinking tea.

One of the things I really love about your art is the immediacy of it. It’s almost like breakaway art; art that needs to be created there and then, in biro and on the back of an envelope if necessary, rather than ascribing to high “art” notions of painstaking creation over time with a ‘perfect’ or laboured product. How important to you is the access you have to making your art in the here and now, as and where ideas come to you?
Ah I'd say its really important. If I don't draw ideas down right away I just forget them! Often the first scribbled drawing is the best, I'll draw them up so they are more polished but I always like the original sketched one most as it captures the original idea. I also try to carry a sketchbook round with me but it’s always when you don't have it that you think of something you really need to save so have to draw on a napkin/plate/leaf/cat or whatever.

Is placing and sharing your work on your website either as an ‘online sushi to eat in or take away’, or as your regularly updated ‘today’s special,’ linked to such ideas of immediacy at all?
Yeah definitely. My online comic is often the first original sketch of something that I then develop for my printed comics. So its a great place to look if you want to see my ideas right away varying from initial drawings to final cartoons. Its a bit like an online sketchbook for me.

Do you think such freeform creation of art, and comix art, often expressed as a doodle, or a line drawing, is widening out understandings of what ‘art’ is and can be, and widening out individual’s relationship to comix artistry and art work? I guess what I’m asking is, did you ever previously feel a sense when viewing similar work of “hell, I can do that too, and I can be waaay funnier!”, and is that sense of inspiration something that you’d like to inspire with your own work?
Ahem. Well... I think art in general is always like this, through all periods of art you will find artists that challenge the idea of what is "art" so comics are not doing anything new. I think the fact that everything is becoming more commercial and throw away encourages freeform creation of art be it comics or graffiti and such like. In a way it can be good but it also means all the bad stuff out there is also getting seen and so it can be hard to find the good stuff amongst all the rubbish- especially on the internet. I never really think much about other peoples work, there are a few select ones that I like but I don't actively connect it to my work. I just enjoy them for what they are.

What are your thoughts on your “simple” style of art in terms of audience accessibility, and in terms of generating a level of innocence, and thus humanity and heart within your comics.
[By the way with these questions I am in no way AT ALL inferring that simple=inferior. Quite the contrary. Who wants an oil painting by one of ‘the masters’ (gag!) when they could be loving the self-defined mastery of your cartoon instructions on how to knit a beard, the adventures of disco rabbit, or my mate primate? I sure know my stance on this!!]
I don't really think of them like that, its all about getting the idea across. I developed my style originally from drawing left handed (I’m right handed) and also with my eyes closed. These kind of drawings are always more dream like and disjointed as you can't labour away at them too much. Now when I draw I try to capture the characters and stories in the lines rather than worrying about making them perfect. To me, the imperfect lines are perfect. If that makes sense at all?!

I read that you studied animation at University. How long have you been drawing static comix, and what made you wanna shift from animation to cartooning? What other forms of art have you practiced/dabbled in/enjoyed/experienced?
Yes I studied animation but I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil! Animation was interesting but a bit of a mistake now I look back, I'd have been better studying illustration. Although it was good because I learnt about storyboarding. I felt that the actual animating destroyed the immediacy of my drawings that I talked about earlier as you need to redraw images hundreds of times slightly differently for each frame. It is not as exciting as it sounds. I've done most kinds of art- painting, pottery, sculpture, photography, music, life drawing, etc etc. I'm pretty good at life drawing which often makes me worry that people see my cartoons and think I can't draw when the reality is that I actually just choose to draw this way because I like the way it looks.

One of the joys I find in your work is the characterisation; characters such as Keith the Wizard, Leaning Rabbit, and especially Depressed Cat.
What part of your warped consciousness dreams these characters up!? And how central to your strips and books is the need for continuity of characters and character development, as opposed to one-off characters or one-off ideas?
I'm not warped! ha. No no, to me the characters don't seem that strange. They mostly just come to me right away, some are from dreams/nightmares that I develop into a story or character (eg. Gummy Cat in my mini comic YUM) and some are based on aspects of myself or people I know. But nothing direct or obvious. The characters seem kind of real to me. Not in a creepy way.
I think its important for me to have both types of stories that you mentioned- some characters are one off stories and you will never see the characters again. Others keep coming back again and again like the ones you mentioned and Hairy Midget Elf, Creep Garden Elf, Human Faced Cat, Dinosaurs on Holiday etc etc. It depends on the character, I don't really actively decide which I will lose and which I will develop- it just naturally turns out a certain way.

I find myself laughing at and feeling sorry for your characters in equal parts. Is it easy for you to convey your humour within your comics due to your characters being non-human? Is humour important to you as an artist?
Well, to me the characters are all human even if they are burgers, cats, pigeons etc.... I don't think much about the humour when I draw something because everyone has a different idea of what is funny. I usually test them on my brother to see what he thinks. I never try to be funny, it is all about the characters- if people want to laugh they can. If they want to read them with a miserable expression of doom and despair they can do that too. I just don't mind as long as they give me money! ha. No, really...I kind of think, if it makes one person laugh then its worth it. Even if that person is me, laughing like a maniac at my jokes... on my own... on a train....with people staring.

Your ‘Burger Love’ strip was short listed for the 2007 ROK comics humour competition. How did that feel to see one of your babies up there for an award?!
Hmm, well it was really cool but I’m not that precious about my characters. Its like... once they are on paper they are in the world on their own so if they do well it is their own merit not mine!

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.
What is your personal relationship with confidence towards your work?
I think every person has both confidence and uncertainty in their minds. I'd say in general I’m pretty confident about my work because, like I said, I’m not precious about it. But there are always times when I’ve left things to the last minute and have a comic due to the printers the next day and its 5am and I haven't thought of a title I like yet and I’m thinking "This will be so rubbish!! no one will like it!! another comic for the bin!!!" or that kind of thing.

Were your artistic endeavours encouraged from an early age, perhaps giving you a sense of perspective over your productivity and its worth?
Yeah, my Grandad and Mom were both artists and so the house has always been decorated with family paintings etc. So drawing and making things have always just seemed a normal things to do that were actively encouraged. Those were the days, when you could make something out of a rock from the garden painted with a face and taped up with bits of string for arms and legs and everyone would be saying "oh that’s so great, did you make that yourself? Wow!" I still do that actually, but people are not so impressed these days.

I first stumbled across your work when your comic, ‘Party Animals’ was included in the reference section of the ‘Cult Fiction’ comics exhibition; a terrific touring exhibition stopping off at art galleries countrywide, exposing the artwork of a host of ‘cult’ artists, (largely comics artists) to a larger audience. It featured not only hundreds of exhibited artworks, but also documentary notes on each artist, plus a huge ‘library’ section of comics, books, examples, do-it-yourself handbooks etc etc. plus a space with pencils and paper for people’s inspiration to overflow. How important do you think such spaces are for celebration, documentation, and encouragement of ‘alternative’ forms of art?
Very important, it means the public can discover things that otherwise would only be known of by people with a particular interest in comics. It was a great exhibition. I discovered loads of new work I hadn't heard of too. I think I went to the Walsall one a few times and then I saw it up in Leeds as well.

How and why did you get involved with the exhibition?
I went to the one in Walsall and saw a flyer to submit work. Then they accepted my comic and so it went touring with the exhibition. When I went to the one in Leeds was amazed by how many comics the resource space had accumulated. In Walsall there were about 5 and in Leeds there were like a million (approximately)

To what degree do you view your artwork, and your chosen ‘genre’ of art to be ‘cult’?
Um. Hmm. Erm. I think cult is something quite specialist with a small dedicated following so I’d say small press publications are quite often cult. However, I think something can get quite well known and still be considered as cult if it began in that way- like American Splendor or Ghost World. I'd still say these are cult even though both became mainstream films just because of the following they have and the way people view them. And the spin off merchandise too.

How important do you think it is that such ‘cult’ / ‘alternative’ / ‘lowbrow’ forms of art are increasingly exhibited within ‘high art’ spaces (here in Leeds the Cult Fiction exhibit was shown in the Leeds City Art Gallery next door to the Town Hall, rather than any independent gallery space).
Really important.

I read that you are taking part in this year’s ‘UK Web and Mini Comix Thing’ for small press publications and their distros etc. Last year (2007) you also participated in the ‘Thought Bubble’ comic book convention, featuring more mainstream, or ‘big time’ (gag!) artists. As a self-publishing artist what is your connection to, and thoughts on acceptance within both of these sorts of conventions?
I like them.

What is your motivation for being present at, and being a part of such events?
I like them.

Have you seen an increasing role of women and of female creators and audiences at such events?
Yes, well there is a good mix really. I guess audiences are mixed more than creators.

What is your favourite part of artistic creativity? Why do you keep on going and doing what you do?
I can't stop! Its always nice to get positive feedback and that encourages me to keep self publishing and updating my site so I’d say that is one of my favourite parts. I also like getting a comic back from the printers for the first time as its exciting to see your work finished.

Your work, alongside your online comics, has been published in three solo print collections (so far), ‘Party Animals’, ‘Tofu and Cats’, and ‘Waiting For Sushi’. How would you describe and explain each of these?
Waiting for Sushi was my first comic so it is an introduction to a variety of characters, many that reappear in Party Animals and on my Online Comic Sushi. Party Animals also has a few new characters and then Tofu and Cats was my attempt at two complete stories rather than lots of little ones. They are about cats, dinosaurs, burgers, tofu, monkeys, elves, unicorns, people, rabbits and more. They are all worth a read if you like that sort of thing.

How does online publishing differ to print publishing, for you and your work and creations?
Both have pros and cons, online is free and widely accessible so it is quicker and cheaper. However, actual comics can be sold and I always think its nicer to have an actual comic you can hold and carry with you, to read in bed/on the bus/in a tent/in the park, to caress the papery pages and talk to.

Animals and food seem to play a huge part in your artwork. Would you say that these topics are so prevalent in your work due to them being everyday, regular, local muses and inspirations - and as such it’s a natural progression for them to be such lynchpins in your work?
I just like food and animals.

Do you find that ideas and inspiration comes to you thick and fast, or is often much harder than people would think to be a prolific creator?
Nah. I work really fast, I can create a comic in a few hours if I’m in the right state of mind. I don't think this affects the quality either, often something I have spent a long time on doesn't have the same punch as something I have done late at night in a few minutes.

As well as other surrounding inspirations (food etc.) your locale has also inspired some of your artwork such as ‘Concrete Birmingham - a comic about post war architecture,’ which I think is fantastic.
Have the good people of Birmingham forgiven your critique yet?!
Birmingham is awesome!

What’s next up your sleeve?
I'm working on my next comic which I’m aiming to get done by May in time for Bristol Comic Con. It will be bigger and better than my other comics featuring all the regular characters and loads of new ones. I'm also working on Hairy Midget Elf toys. There are a few other things coming up, Threadless.com are releasing Tyger Tyger on a tshirt and I Dress Myself are doing a dinosaur T-shirt. I've also done some comics for the Topshelf website. So plenty of exciting things!

Meghan Murphy interview

2009-06-27T20:24:00.002+01:00

Meghan Murphy

Location: Rochester NY USA

How would you describe your art?: Weird, cute, funky, sweet... and maybe a little more weird.

Currently working on: This week's Kawaii Not strips, and a couple of illustration commissions.

Day job: Freelance illustrator

3 Likes: Good books, good movies, shiny things

3 Dislikes: Black liquorice, ketchup on hot dogs, hairballs

People & artists you admire: Oh no, I don't think I could narrow that list down to less than 100. I am continually finding cool, new (or at least new to me) stuff to dig.

Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: I'm always mixing new playlists to listen to while I work. I'm fickle.

www.kawaiinot.com
www.murphypop.com

Interview date: February 2008

Hi Meghan, how are you?
Pretty good, thanks for asking.

I guess I’ll start by referencing one of your Kawaii-Not pieces that (naturally!) I adore… Why *does* scribbling outside the lines piss some people off?!!
Ha! You know what? I'm really not sure. I figure as long as there still some crayon to use, might as well keep on coloring.

For those who don’t know, what’s Kawaii, and where does Kawaii-Not fit into that mad ‘lil world?
Well, "kawaii" is a Japanese term that basically means "cute". In a larger sense, it stands for a particular culture of cuteness, probably best represented by Hello Kitty. To put the "Not" in Kawaii Not, I try to take the visual cues that represent this particular style, and mix them up with a little attitude... and often a dash of inappropriateness.

What’s your favourite Kawaii that you’ve seen?
I adore a cuter-than-cute t-shirt I saw with the slogan ‘Kawaii 5 – 0’!!
That is damn cute. My favorite kawaii-type stuff tends to be illustrations, but I do have a soft spot for cute cupcakes.

Is there a small part of you that gets frustrated with the endless, smug optimism of kawaii, and thus drives you to make the cute-go-bad (as the strip is subtitled)?
Frustrated? No, in fact I find that kawaii optimism in the face of everything really rather subversive in a way. But then again, I'm a little bizarre.

You have said of Kawaii Not that ‘when I get mad, or sad, or glum, I torture cute things. It’s such fun!’
Which moods work best for you to work in? Does your mood ever alter your strips?
Any mood will do! I've made happy strips, sad strips, and almost psychotic strips. I would have to say my mood is often a key factor in creating a Kawaii Not.

By putting a cute face on everything and anything within your ‘experiment in cheerfulness’ it seems that you can also get away with expressing the darker, or yuckier side of things, and life, right?? (I’m thinking of strips depicting burst bubbles, gone off food, jigsaws that don’t fit in, stabbity knives, gross and scabby plasters, etc…)
Absolutely I can get away with more by using the cute faces. It's amazing how humans react to just two dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. Brains are weird.

As an ‘experiment in cheerfulness’, how’s the experiment working out for you? It seems that the online strip is pretty well loved to me! What do you think?
I am continually flabbergasted, and eternally grateful, that other people find my strips funny.

By putting a cute face on everything and everything, and being a bit mischievous with it, must make ‘work’ a whole lot less miserable than it could be, right? How much do you enjoy doing what you do?
I enjoy it a ridiculous amount.

By working in adobe illustrator, and producing a webcomic, do you have square eyes or mouse-induced RSI yet from all your computer time?
I think my computer whispers threats to me in the middle of the night -- but besides that, everything's fine.

Following on from your visual arts degree, what led you to specialise in computer-based graphic design/illustration?
I was hoping the more specialized degree would make it easier for me to get a steady job, which it turned out it didn't -- but because I didn't get a "real job" right away I was kind of forced into focusing on freelance as a viable alternative.

Alongside Kawaii-not you also have MurphyPop, your website featuring your bold, fun and colourful illustrations. I can’t help but notice all the cute, colourful, kick ass girls you depict in your work. What inspires you to create such female images?
Because I think the world needs more cute, colorful, kick ass girls!

You work as an illustrator and designer, freelance. I once spoke to artist Sarah Dyer who’s currently working full-time freelance. She stated she was stressed and busy, but that was okay cuz busy is good when you’re freelance. Do you find you embrace the same kind of positives from busyness?
Oh yes. I get nervous when I don't have a couple projects brewing. I think that is just the freelance mindset.

How does working freelance allow you to fit art creation into your life, and have it as such a huge part of you?
Freelance demands that I fit art creation into my life, whether I feel like it at the time or not. Which I think is a pretty good position to be in, since I think the more you work at something, the better you get. Freelance makes me be more disciplined than I probably am by nature.

Does the process of kicking out (aprox) two Kawaii-Not strips a week on top of your freelance and illustration work ever knock the smile off your cheerful face?
I'd complain, but then I realize I am a lucky bastard -- so I tell myself to shut up and get on with it.

What is the process of getting an idea from your head to the published web-comic?
Some scribbling, a little research if I need to figure the best way to draw a subject, more scribbling, heavy doubt as to whether anyone anywhere would find this strip funny, scanning the sketches into the computer, snacks, creating the final work in Illustrator, doubting the humour again, fiddling with the wording, playing with my cats, fiddling with the wording again, and ta da! It's just that simple.

How important is the sketch-book process to your work? If you ever left one of your sketchbooks on a bus would the finder of it think you were nuts?!?
I usually have a couple different sketchbooks going at once, and they are pretty damn important to how I work. Hmm... if someone found one of the sketchbooks and I wasn't there to explain some of the weirdness? Oh dear, I would feel sorry for them.

Viewing your webcomic is one of the first thing I do every morning (well, apart from dragging myself out of bed!), because I know it’ll help set me up for the day in a laugh-out-loud kinda way.
In a world where 99% of people would rather slag something off than praise it, and in a culture where there’s so much to make people unhappy and miserable it must give you a fuzzy feeling inside to be counteracting all that with your artwork, right? Is that a conscious aim when coming up with your ideas?
Why thank you! I think most humor artists/writers are working at pushing back the bad stuff, and bringing out the awesome. It seems like a good way to spend my energy, anyway.

I once read an interview with artist Elisa Harkins, and an idea was generated that said perhaps one of arts’ most important ‘purposes’ (for whatever that means) is that it can provide the viewer with a form of enjoyment, and of light relief within this world-gone-mad.
Viewing art (such as yours) can help us to recharge our batteries, give us a break from the hells of life before we head back out there into the world again. That’s really important to our collective sanities, right?
That's what Kawaii Not is all about. There's nothing really deep in my strip, just some crazy stuff to make people giggle and enjoy themselves (hopefully). I figure it's either be crazy on the outside and get it all out, or be crazy on the inside and let it fester till it blows all at once.

What are your thoughts on the sceptical notion that internet-based ‘success’, appreciation and recognition means nothing unless it passes and crosses over into the “real” world, or the “real” art world?
The internet is the real world. And increasingly, it is the whole world.

Do you think working on web-art, and in digital artistic fields is a natural progression in the developing, tech savvy, increasingly computer-literate world; (i.e. comics and art being created in and of mediums that are the most readily accessible/read/appreciated)?
All I know is that Kawaii Not would have never happened without the internet. I never could have reached the audience I have.

Do you think it is a good thing that increasingly artistic ‘recognition’ is not being based on that in the big ‘A’ art world only?
Hell yes.

Do you believe that everybody is inherently artistic and creative and that we all have the potential to be artistic by our own value judgements (as opposed to the hegemonic, dominant judgement of arts’ worth by ‘higher’ parties)?
I think everyone can create and have fun. Now whether anyone else appreciates the results, I can not say and I can not control. You just got to do your own thing and enjoy it yourself, and maybe some other people will want to go on the ride with you.

Introduction to issue 4. July 2008

2009-06-27T20:20:00.001+01:00

Colouring Outside The Lines.
Issue #4

Something really great has happened during the four years, and four issues of this zine’s existence. It’s something I hadn’t really expected, but a vibrant community of creative minds has developed around it, within it, and through it. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with many people off the back of this zine, and through the buzz and name it has created for itself; I’ve had the opportunity to include many people’s work in the zines’ pages who were able to contact me (or visa versa) and get involved; I’ve had the opportunity to support and champion work that not only means something to me, but that is of great importance to its creator(s); I’ve had the opportunity to have been invited to attend events and festivals with the zine, and further spread the word of the artists included within its pages, as well as encourage creativities; I get some of the most encouraging and inspiring mail from people who have been moved into action by reading and viewing the zine; I have had the chance to personally meet a number of the interviewees over the years at events, and connect in ways other than through the medium of an interview alone; Friends-of-friends have got in touch after finding this zine and discovering that it intersects with their own creative work, work that I‘ve then been able to access, promote, interact with, or become involved in; I’ve had exciting and excited emails from across the world from female artists excited by the project; I’ve made great friends and allies; I’ve been able to promote others’ projects as well as luckily being able to get involved with projects people have got in touch with me about - from websites, to blogs, to magazines, to interactive art projects, to mail art, to further zines; I have seen peoples’ creativities develop and flourish by keeping in touch with past interviewees and gallery artists; I’ve developed a net of individuals who I have been able to approach about other artsy projects; I have become aware of artwork previously unknown to me, and been completely bowled over by it; I have made links and connections with a wide network of people; I have made connections with people I never imagined I would; I have had interviewees say how stoked they are that so many of their friends and neighbours have featured in the zine over the years - while I was unaware that those people were linked and networked too.
In short, Colouring Outside The Lines has helped me feel connected to and via an ever developing community of interested parties, and has developed a great feeling that the vast world in which women are creative is a much smaller place - ever reachable, possible and accessible to us - and also that art and creativity not only has the power to bridge such geographical distances, but that it also has the power to breach borders - geographical and, crucially, otherwise.

The nature of community, and all that is has to offer a project such as this, is of such great importance to me as it means that the work I do here is not in a confined bubble. The art created by women out there is also not segregated. And the readers of this zine are not kept at a distance from either this zine’s production, art being made and spoken about, or crucially the creative opportunities out there that are available for us to access or interact with; Communally this whole project is about opening up and demystifying what art is, and can be to all of us through taking inspiration and confidence from those who are doing a great job at it and shining a flashlight on a yellow brick road for both us and them to continue along.

However, something else that has also developed over the past few years, as articulated to me via private emails and messages, is how this zine has had the potential to brush people up the wrong way. I was sending out a call-for-submissions for the gallery in this issue, sending the call out to women and female-identified folks. In doing so I got emails from some men who felt marginalised by the call-out, and the zine itself; a collection of artwork and creative expression by women alone. One particular email ended with a message along the lines of “fuck you for not being open to including women-friendly male artists like myself. I’m gonna go start my own magazine to spite you, and it’ll be for men only.” Such emails make me laugh with anger at how blinkered people can be; and like my ally, Paulina at Art XX magazine whom I told about such emails said: “I can't believe you got so much crap from guys, yeah my answer is : go ahead make a magazine for men artists, oh wait they already exist!”
There’s a song by Bongwater called ‘Power of Pussy’. Before the song’s intro kicks in a voice says, “Many people believe almost any darn thing they’re told; especially if it sounds like something they already believe.’ I keep thinking about this statement whenever I receive emails like the one mentioned above. Because the current coverage of female art in the press is enough already, right? There‘s absolutely no need for a zine such as this to exist, right?… Somebody’s saying this, and people seem to keep believing it. In this weekend’s Sunday papers there was an article about Louise Bourgeois - ”Oh no, ’they’re’ right, women are all over the press, and gaining all the plaudits they deserve. Why the hell should I dedicate a whole zine to female artists; I’ve been caught out“ but, ah, read again… Louise Bourgeois’ work was contained in that paper as part of a feature entitled (once again), ‘There’s Never Been a Great Woman Artist’. The fact that no-one writing such drivel ever looks beyond the High Art establishment, or alternative ways of viewing, creating, performing, or appreciating art, and the variety of transgressive artists who are unconcerned at such critique or establishmentarianism, gives me enough ammunition to diminish and rubbish such writing alone, never mind the ludicrously laughable things said about important artists such as Bourgeois (one classic line in the article reads, “only men are capable of aesthetic greatness“ !!!!)
Returning to that Bongwater speech, I’m reminded of Susan Faludi writing in ‘Backlash: The Undeclared War Against Women’ that through trend journalism, what suddenly turns a given idea into fact is the mere repetition of it. As I, the artists interviewed in this issue, and the supportive community that has developed around this zine would probably agree, representation of women in art publications, galleries, etc. etc. isn’t anywhere near as good as it should be (despite angry comments to the contrary written to me about how a zine such as this one excludes men who have numerous other avenues open to them, and in doing so supports the fact the publication is ’unfair’ to men. Ha! I‘ll show you unfair!) - and so, yes, I am going to make a zine featuring the work of women and women-identified artists only. It’s still really important to do so in order to support and honour these transgressive artists, champion them, and hopefully inspire others through the reproduction of artwork that may mean something extraordinary to readers, as much as it does to me; work that does not necessarily wish to fit within the art establishment mould, and if it does, will be doing so on its own terms. The women in this issue are *great* women artists in the view of a community of individuals who can see the power and importance, the humour and skill of their work outside of confines of belief about what a woman artist should be, or how “Great” their work is (in accordance to some rubbish repeated facts about male vs. female artistry and notions of ‘genius‘ (barf!)). For me, the women in this zine, and the power such a collection can hold to the community of people that I mentioned at the beginning of this introduction is unique. As Susan Faludi continues to state in Backlash, the false front that women are judged against ‘has encouraged each woman to doubt herself for not matching the image in the mass produced mirror, instead of doubting the validity of the mirror itself and pressing to discover what its non reflective surface hides’ (1992, p78. London: Vintage). That’s where the women here come in, I don’t believe a single one of them has ever failed to doubt the validity of the mirror Faludi refers to; each and every one of the ten artists interviewed here is producing work unique to herself, and in doing so is creating work that is able to communicate in a collective manner to a wide community of individuals drawn to it. Behind that mirror’s reflective surface lie the works of the artists featured here, and that work is tremendously challenging, important, stunning, and yes; great. And I’m gonna continue to shout about these artists from the rooftops!!

Melanie Maddison.
Leeds, UK.
8th July 2008

www.myspace.com/colouringoutsidethelines

COTL exhibition - Opening Night

2009-06-13T17:26:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder that the opening, preview night of the Colouring Outside The Lines exhibition is on Thursday 25th of June 5-7pm, and you're all invited...

Gallery II at the University of Bradford hosts a new collaborative exhibition of female artists working beyond the bounds of the cultural mainstream.

Gallery II and Colouring Outside The Lines zine invites you to the private view of Colouring Outside The Lines: The Exhibition & zine launch (issue 5).
Curators and artists involved in the exhibition will be in attendance at the opening.

The exhibition seeks to open the discussion of who has access to art - in terms of both curators and artists.

Colouring Outside the Lines: The Exhibition will feature artwork and installations by Abigail Brown, Heidi Burton, Morwenna Catt, Naseem Darbey, Carolyn Mendelsohn and Helen Musselwhite.

If you've never been to the University before you are probably best to just head to Bradford and follow signs to the University. Coming up Richmond Road Gallery II is directly opposite the University Sports Centre. There is a downloadable leaflet at: http://www.brad.ac.uk/booklets/findus.pdf with proper directions on!

After opening night, the exhibition then runs for a further month, from Friday 26 June - Friday 24 July 2009.
Opening times. Mon - Fri, 10am-5pm, Thursdays 'til 6pm. Or by appointment. Free entry

Also, we'll inform you about this nearer the time, but on Saturday 4 July 11am - 4pm we will be open and hosting a special opening and picnic, combined with a twisted storytelling event. More details TBC.

Hope to see you at the gallery!

Melanie & Rachel
xox

Further information: Colouring Outside The Lines - the exhibition

2009-05-26T04:56:00.009+01:00

Running from Fri 26th June to Fri 24th July, 2009, Gallery II at the University of Bradford is to host a provocative group exhibition featuring British female artists working beyond the bounds of the cultural, or artistic mainstream.

The exhibition is the first curatorial venture of two young women, Rachel Kaye (Gallery II, University of Bradford) and Melanie Maddison (Colouring Outside The Lines zine), and seeks to open the discussion of who has access to art – in terms of both curators and artists.

The exhibition will feature work by established and developing artists – from a variety of ages and backgrounds, who work across a range of less conventional mediums.

26 June 2009 - 24 July 2009
Gallery II,
Located on the University of Bradford campus, Bradford, W. Yorks, UK
(http://www.brad.ac.uk/gallery)
Exhibition opening times [weekdays only, 10am-5pm, Thursdays until 6pm.] Or by appointment.
Free.

Colouring Outside the Lines: The Exhibition will feature artwork and installations by Morwenna Catt, Helen Musselwhite, Abigail Brown, Carolyn Mendelsohn, Heidi Burton, Louise Art & Ghosts, and Naseem Darbey. The exhibition aims to celebrate, highlight, encourage, and support female creativity in its diverse forms.

Morwenna Catt
Bradford based Morwenna produces work across a range of media including textiles, painting, drawing and installation. Playing with narratives and creating stories around the objects she makes she explores themes of childhood, family and innocence lost.
Morwenna will be exhibiting work from her ‘Phrenology’ series, including six hand crafted textile heads.
http://www.morwennacatt.co.uk/

Helen Musselwhite
Helen uses bold colour, strong graphic lines and handcut and scored paper to create highly individual work. Her art pays respect to all forms of mid-century design, folk and ethnic art as well as current and future trends. Influenced by the natural world each piece is manipulated to become an intriguing place, a glimpse into another world of fiction and fairy tale.
Helen will be exhibiting her work both as framed papercuts, and an installation of papercuts situated within glass domes.
http://www.helenmusselwhite.com/

Louise Art & Ghosts
Louise is a digital artist based in Manchester who works across mediums of collage and illustration. Her work immerses the viewer in an etheral sphere of spectres, dreams and childhood stories. Often gothic, sometimes disturbing, her work is strange and beautiful.
Louise will be exhibiting prints from her ‘Anomolies / Metamorphosis’ series.
http://artandghosts.typepad.com/

Abigail Brown
Textile designer and creature maker extraordinare Abigail uses colour, pattern and texture to create a visual language which is quirky and playful, reminiscent of a childhood that she holds very dear.
Abigail will be exhibiting a selection of hand created textile birds, and wall hangings.
http://www.abigail-brown.co.uk/

Heidi Burton
Tea-drinking freelance illustrator inhabiting the lovely, historical city of Cambridge, UK. Heidi works with both digital and traditional methods, producing illustrations and modified moleskin journals which are both charming and uncanny.
Heidi will be exhibiting a selection of her modified moleskin journals.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5211919

Carolyn Mendelsohn
Photographer, film-maker, performer, and installation artist, Carolyn creates work that has been described as "enchanting" "haunting" "magical" and "moving", drawing influence from the moment before the curtain opens in the cinema.
Carolyn will be exhibiting work from her ‘Behind Closed Doors’ series, an interactive installation of images framed within curious cupboards that invite us to open doors into secret, strange and magical places.
http://www.carolynmendelsohn.com/

Naseem Darbey
Naseem is an artist interested in mark making using unconventional tools and means; primarily using her sewing machine as a drawing tool. Naseem utilises the sewing machine for freehand, fluid, and spontaneous drawings focusing primarily on portraiture and figurative drawing, incorporating the dynamics of the stitched line, tears and perforations.
Naseem will be exhibiting work from her ‘Tension’ collection, using colour, texture, and light to depict both traditional and reinterpreted fairy tales.
http://www.naseemdarbey.com/

Running from Fri 26th June to Fri 24th July, 2009, [weekdays only]

Opening night is Thursday 25th of June 5-7pm.

We can also arrange appointments to see the gallery outside standard opening hours, contact Rachel if you are interested in this.
R.Kaye@Bradford.ac.uk

Colouring Outside The Lines started life in 2003 as a self-produced zine. The publication interviewed female artists and included reproductions of their art, giving the women featured a voice over their own productivity beyond traditional art criticism and the meta-narratives of the art world alone. The zine focused on artists working in less-conventional forms; including comic books, poster art and textiles, and gave a platform to those artists whose feminist and queer agendas were less appreciated.

Based on the philosophy of the Colouring Outside the Lines zine the curators worked together to select work which departed from the 'traditional canvas' and conventional
mediums of creation and production - quite literally, work was selected which coloured outside the lines.

Melanie comments, 'The exhibition seeks to make an active comment about the cultural myth that art is reserved for the elite and privileged. By breaking down the barriers between creators and audiences, and including work in unconventional and populist forms which everyone has access to, we are asserting our belief that everyone can be creative in their own life'.

Rachel adds, 'the work exhibited is deliberately selected from a cross generation of artists and includes established and establishing practitioners. Although the exhibitors work is diverse in terms of form and media it is united thematically through reoccurring explorations of ideas of mythologies, fairytale discovery and surprise'.

(N.B: Issue 5 of Colouring Outside The Lines zine will also be launched at the exhibition)

Colouring Outside The Lines issue #4

2008-09-08T23:28:00.006+01:00

*Issue 4* out now.

(A4, 60 pages)

Includes artwork and interviews from:

Rachel Crans,

Lizz Lunney,

Enid Crow,

Meghan Murphy,

Sarah Maple,

Allyson Melberg,

Maya Hayuk,

Sara Rahbar,

Tara Jane O'Neil, and

Leonie O'Moore.

Cover artwork by: Eliza Lazy/Sarah Maple (front) and SALUTE! (back)

+ Gallery artwork from artists based in: The UK, USA, Germany, Australia, France, Portugal, The Netherlands.

The zine is now available from:

http://www.cotl.etsy.com/

& the Manifesta Distro (UK) at:

http://www.manifesta.co.uk/zines

Gallery artwork from issues 2 and 3

2008-08-05T16:27:00.000+01:00

Issues two and three of the zine saw the development of a paper gallery in the early pages of the zine, prior to the interviews.
The gallery pages feature submissions from a wide array of kickass female artists.
These gallery pages have recently made it online (thanks to Elke at grrrlzines.net); check them out below.

Gallery artwork from colouring outside the lines #2 (August 2006)
Gallery artwork from colouring outside the lines #3 (April 2007)

Phoebe Gloeckner interview

2008-07-19T22:26:00.000+01:00

Phoebe Gloeckner

* Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan. Northern United States.

* How would you describe your art? What art?

* Currently working on: Don't want to talk about it. Not because I'm coy but because it's frustrating me and I wouldn't know what to say other than to begin upon a long and painful description of my "process," which is no process at all. I fling myself into confusion and search the ground on my hands and knees looking for letters on the ground that might fit together to form words. I've never managed to work with any sort of “plan." Each and every project requires me to die each and everyday, and by the end I have no ego, no self esteem, no hope.... I'm round about that point right now.

* Day job: Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design.

* 3 Likes: Animal Crossing on my Nintendo DS, very long aimless walks, trying to speak foreign languages whether I have much knowledge of them or not.

* 3 Dislikes: committee responsibilities, gum-chewing human mouths, fathers-in-law when they're feeling cranky at me.

* Daily Inspirations: PipSqueak my three-legged cat, clever children, people like Anna Nicole Smith who look so beautiful that I just can't understand it.

* People & artists you admire: Paquita la del Barrio, Janis Joplin, Jiri Trinka, Frank Geeslin, Lori Lubeski, Bruce Botts, Milena Lamarova, Jiri Kalousek, Louise Suits, Jane Adams Clarke, Mary Louise Carpenter, Carlos, Levon, Richie Hazen, Sabrina Pickford, Guy Robichaud, Elizabeth Bianca, Jonathan Frid and Redd Foxx. And many many many many more so very many more, really it would take much too long to name them all.

* Favourite album(s) to listen to when working: honestly, at times I can tell you in certain terms that each and every sound distracts the hell out of me.

http://www.ravenblond.com/pgloeckner

- - -

This interview took place between March and April 2007. All images reproduced, with permission, from Phoebe ©

- - -

I first became aware of your work via the piece ‘Minnie’s 3rd Love’ which featured in Diane Noomin’s 1995 collection, ‘Twisted Sisters 2.’ I must have read that strip hundreds of times since first getting it and every time it does something to my insides - still to this day.
I remember you once saying of your love and connection with Janis Joplin that ‘her performances seem to equalize the amplitude of my brain waves, her music makes me feel loved and understood’
In reflection of this, do you appreciate the ability that your art work has to connect with your audience?
Melanie, if you are hereby telling me that my work has made you feel loved and understood, I suddenly feel that I must deserve the space I occupy on this earth (oddly, this space moves with me wherever I go). I could hope for no better result.
However, if you're NOT suggesting such a thing, well, I wish my work had that effect- but it's difficult to achieve such sublimity.
Excuse me, I'm going to shut up and go work for a little- the story I’m struggling with now doesn't respond when I punch it in the face. It’s either dead or too mighty for me to take on. I can't tell. But it’s driving me crazy.

I read a lot of collections and anthologies of comics art, and a question that often crops up in the biographical index is that of the materials with which artists use to create their work. I’ll always remember the answers that GB Jones and Renee French gave in separate collections; GB Jones stated ‘a pencil and paper’, and Renee claimed ‘a black pencil.’
In looking at your work, it appears that you ascribe to similar basic requirements: allowing your talents and exquisite artwork a voice of its own, uncluttered by extraneous marks or techniques. Would you agree with this observation of your artistic process?
OF COURSE I would hardly flatter myself as you flatter me so I’ll leave out terms such as "exquisite artwork," and simply say that I try to use a tool as a means to an end. I've used tools that are quite simple and other tools that are more complex- although I must admit no tool is easy to master. By mastery of a tool, I suppose I mean that in the work, the tool is subordinate, of no consequence, really-- because it is just a tool-- it's the creator that supplies the song, the meaning, the beauty-- not to imply that learning to use the tool well is not essential, but that the "better" it is used ("better" will have a different meaning for every artist within the context of his or her own work), the less significant it becomes. I don’t limit myself to ink and pencils, although I love them. I also love cameras and computers and all sorts of recording devices.

You have had a wide range of artistic experience and practice over the years, presumably all of which have contributed to honing your individual ‘style’ of artwork today.
Which specific experience and techniques have you found most influential over your current ‘artistic style’?
I'm sorry. I forget what my current style is! I don't really mean that flippantly. Right now I'm in the middle of a project (finishing up one, and continuing on another- one is about the murders of women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and will be a chapter in a set of books to be called I Live Here. The other project is a novel-length book, and for both works I'm initially working 3-dimensionally)
Over the last few years, I've been re-tooling my studio, teaching myself new techniques applied to doll-making, furniture-making, photography.... I'm satisfying, in part, my fantasies of making stories that recall (for me, at least) the work of Ladislas Starevich (aka WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw Starewicz), Jiri Trinka, and others--- eastern European stop-motion animators of yesterday.