SENIOR SHOW FEATURE: CHELSEA CHUNG

In May, Light Grey Art Lab launched the virtual exhibition Senior Show 2020 to showcase the incredible work of 2020 graduates! This project is a celebration of emerging artists and giving them a warm welcome into the creative community. Through the generosity of this community, hundreds of grads have been provided with resources, connections, gifts, and more to give them a boost during these uncertain times. Take a peek at the amazing breadth of work featured in the show!

Meet Chelsea Chung, one of the participating artists of Senior Show 2020. Chelsea recently received her BA in Art from the University of California Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies, as well as a BS in Paleobiology. She is an illustrator and game developer interested in horror, romance, and existentialism–ideally all at the same time, but sometimes not! You can find more of her work here.

Process (left) and finished piece (right) for Chelsea’s thesis project.

“Hour of Emergence”, your thesis project, deals with themes of changing identity and things that are out of one’s control. Can you talk about what interests you about these themes?

I’m the type of artist that can’t separate themselves from their work, or at least not entirely. Lately, I’ve realized that a lot of my concepts have to do with the idea of escaping the inevitable– do people run away, fight back, accept their circumstances, or fundamentally change? I often wonder about how different types of people might react when they’re desperate. So it’s not as much “interest” as it is a compulsion.

Can you describe the journey to becoming the artist you are today?

I followed in the footsteps of many artists, which was non-stop fanart until I was able to become interested in my own original art thanks to the horror genre, which seriously came out of nowhere. I started training seriously in college and experimented a ton until I realized that I enjoyed games the most. Illustration also comes very naturally to me. Since my university didn’t offer extensive art education specifically for entertainment or commercial arts, it was a lot of fumbling to teach myself technical skills. Today, I’m a messy jumble of games, cutesy or romantic stuff, and horror. My never-ending journey is figuring out how to make my body of work less Frankensteinian. 

Who and what are your current inspirations in media? Movies, books, other artists, music, video games, etc?

I think what completely encompasses the kinds of stories I’d love to make is Swiss Army Man. It’s known as the farting zombie movie, but it also has a message about loving yourself and letting yourself love in the face of death. And all three apply to a zombie. It’s great! I tend to like my media bleak, but not nihilistic. I feel like that’s an important distinction, especially now. 

Other than that, I consume horror podcasts or movies pretty much every day. I’m also always keeping up with the work of contemporary artists. Asumiko Nakamura, João Ruas, Sam Wolfe Connelly, more game artists than I can count. Music is most important for my inspiration, however. I put whatever I need on repeat. Lately, it’s been a lot of BLOO’s It’s Not Love, I’m Just Drunk, then a mix of anything angsty, followed by R&B or K-pop to keep me going.

If you could do anything in the world, what would your artist dream job be? Or perhaps a dream project?

The job of my dreams is making earnest, meaningful games with people I trust and admire, as well as being involved in community-based efforts to improve the games industry to be safer, more diverse, and sustainable. In my dreams of dreams, I’d also be able to have personal projects and table at conventions to buy lots of merchandise and give lots of compliments! I’m not sure if it comes across in my work, but I’d also really love to work on a queer dating sim one day. (I’m available for a while now, just saying…)

What inspired your interest in developing games and visual development art?

I’ve always been playing games, thanks to my older brother, friends, and cousins. I didn’t consider the game industry as an option until I replayed Bastion by Supergiant Games as a freshman in college, and realized that this stunning game was made by a relatively tiny group of people. That was an “aha” moment that experiences like these were possible for me. Like, OK, this is my style. I paid a lot more attention to game development after that. I respect AAA games so much, but I might turn to dust in that kind of work environment. 

What’s next for you? Or what do you hope is next? Do you have any projects planned or in the works?

Things are very uncertain now, but I’ll be applying to studios or day jobs, doing some serious art training, and working on a few games– both of my own and with other people. I just finished the first prototype for a tabletop game about a highschool occult club, so I’ll keep the ball rolling with more projects, spooky or not. If I don’t deliver, you can personally come for me! Really! 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

To LGAL, thank you for this opportunity! To sponsoring artists including my own, thank you for supporting us! To my fellow graduates, we got this! Let’s take care of each other, and fight for each other. I’m terrible with social media but you can find me on Twitter to keep up with what I’m up to. 

Thanks Chelsea! We wish you luck with your future endeavors!

You can find more of Chelsea’s work on her website.

To see more senior thesis projects, check out Senior Show 2020!

SENIOR SHOW FEATURE: JASMINE SOOMPHOLPHAKDY

If you haven’t seen the galleries yet, this May/June, Light Grey Art Lab hosted a virtual exhibition to showcase the work of art grads from around the world! This project is to celebrate their work, connect them with industry professionals, and welcome the grads to the greater creative community!

Find the Senior Show Galleries here : lightgreyartlab.com/seniorshow2020

Meet Jasmine Soompholphadky, one of the artists in the Senior Show 2020 exhibit. Jasmine is a recent animation graduate from Maryland Institute College of Art. You can find more of her work here: cool-beens.com

My name is Jasmine, or some may know me as Beens. I’m a Lao 2D animator who also likes to dabble in 3D, play video games with friends, make funny jokes, and eat flamin’ hot flavored foods. I hope to work in the TV animation industry in storyboarding, but I can see myself doing anything.

Still from Jasmine’s thesis project, Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Can you tell me about the event that inspired Hack Attack? What about the event interested you in focusing your thesis around it? 

Talking about the inspiration of Hack Attack is always slightly embarrassing to me because it really puts a timestamp on how recently I was playing ROBLOX. Sometime during my junior year of college, my ROBLOX account was hacked. I like to check in on it every now and then because it's something very close to my heart that I’ve had for more than ten years. One day, I caught that my account’s username and password were changed, and all of my items in the game were gone. I was able to email the game and get my account recovered. While thinking of ideas to do my thesis on, I just kinda thought of this story like, wouldn’t be funny if one of my characters had this happen to her? And by using her chaotic energy, she travels through computers to attack the culprit– WITH A KNIFE? Then I developed the story around that joke. I decided to pick this as my thesis because, by the end of junior year, I fleshed out the story so much and had so many jokes I wanted to make. My multiple jokes made me want to make this thesis, but also kept me working on it. I never got sick of making my film, cause after one joke I had another joke I wanted to make next! 

Still from Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

You experienced what the being on the internet was like for kids growing up in the early 2000s, which is evident in Hack Attack. What about these platforms influences and inspires you?

I really was a 2000s/2010s internet kid. My family was never able to afford gaming consoles, so most of my life has been me using my dad’s home PC we had in the house since he worked with computers. My first memory of computer games is going on Barbie or Polly Pocket websites to play their flash games. I remember there was one game where you choose a flower to paint nails and stuff? LOVED that one. The most impactful one to me though is ROBLOX, of course. These old sites really inspire me because of nostalgia 100%. However, I think just the chaos, creativity, and the unknown of the internet is what really inspired me. Everything was so stylized and crazy. Nothing was really censored– not in a nasty way though. But because of that, the internet was full of creativity. I feel like the internet now is more reserved, conscious, and lacking in creativity. Every website is the same. Everyone’s trying to look like an iPad! I miss funky website designs and funky games. ROBLOX used to have new top games every day made by regular kids– did they suck? Yeah. Were they fun? Oh man, they were. Now everything seems too serious and made perfect enough that people can make a dollar off of it. I feel nostalgic for the old internet because of its creativity and how unpredictably chaotic it is, and it inspires me in my work.

Still from Hack Attack. View Jasmine’s thesis animation here.

Do you have any new projects planned, in the works, or that you hope to do?

Right now, I’ve been doing doodles of this kappa character I reworked from my old one, and its been really fun to draw! I made up some little scenarios, but I decided to take up animating some real short-shorts of it. I also animate snippets from the radio show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig on Beats 1 for fun, so I’ll definitely be continuing to do that. I actually currently have another short for that in the works, I just had to shelve it for a bit because I decided to change the concept of it. Just personal projects and doing things for fun for now. 

Still from Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig Animated. Watch here.

What other media inspires you and your work?

Things I always look back to are Tekkonkinkreet, Adventure Time, and Apple and Onion, which is my current favorite. I love the 3D works of Julian Glander. Japanese mascots inspire me as well, and I started to like Kappas after becoming a fan of Kapal from Shiki City, and of course, ROBLOX. Music-wise, my favorite band is Joyce Manor! I also have been listening to Inner Wave, Ecco2k, Girlfriends, Chicano Batman, and Now, Now, Every Children (But only their In The City ep/Cars album).

What advice would you want to pass along to aspiring artists?

Art is hard. Especially now that I’ve graduated, things don’t come easy. I’d say to make sure you have fun and you like what you do. Experiment a lot and figure yourself out and don’t be afraid to bend the rules to keep practicing what you want to do. Also, manage your time well and don't overestimate yourself. It’s easy to take up a lot of things and overwork yourself– you really gotta know and figure out who you are. It doesn’t come easy but have confidence, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and make work! Not everything is going to be perfect either; sometimes you just gotta make something bad to make something good. Practice, practice, practice, and move on, and keep making!

What personal goals do you have for your artistic practice?

My personal goals… right now it’s financial-wise. It’s hard to think of anything else right now. But my goal is to make meaningful content and make people laugh. I want to make people happy! So it always makes me happy to hear that I’ve made someone’s day with a video. And sometimes people keep going back. I’m glad that something I made can make an impact on someone’s day.

Thanks, Jasmine! Best of luck with your career!

You can find Jasmine on Instagram, Twitter, and see more of her work on her website.

If you would like to see more projects from Senior Show, click here!

SENIOR SHOW FEATURE: JULIE STONE

This past week, we launched SENIOR SHOW 2020! We want to send a big shoutout, congratulations, and way to go to all of the artists who are emerging into the creative community right now! This project started with a simple idea of trying to do something meaningful in the midst of the pandemic, and has been such a powerful experience bringing together young artists from around the globe and connecting them with professionals, resources, teachers, mentors, and more! 

Throughout the project, we raised over 14k for student scholarships, project sponsorship, in-kind donations, over 100 one-on-one meetings, and more! We are excited to celebrate the diversity and talent of the class of 2020! If you have a moment to take a peek or spread the word, it would be very meaningful to the grads! You can find their work here: lightgreyartlab.com/seniorshow2020

Over the next month, we will be highlighting some of the grad work, connections between sponsors, and some of the meaningful moments in the beginning of their art careers!

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Meet Julie Stone, one of the artists in the Senior Show 2020 exhibit. Julie Stone is a recent illustration graduate from Arts University Bournemouth. Julie is originally from Austin, Texas. You can find more of her work here: juliestoneillustration.com

I've really loved living and drawing in Bournemouth in the south of England in the last three years, and have found the university and area creatively stimulating and inspiring. My practice has found its home in the editorial field, as through the course I found myself drawn to the visual language of editorial illustration, which often utilizes the power of metaphor and symbolism. 

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Cognitive Dimension:

This is the next image from that article, which illustrates the importance of following your interests and doing deep-focused work.

Describe your creative journey so far? What have been some pivotal moments in shaping who you are/would like to be?

Although I of course always loved drawing, when I was about 15 I began making digital art commercially and publishing it via the online community of DeviantART, which I'm sure many artists of my generation would admit to starting on, although maybe reluctantly! After becoming experienced with Photoshop and discovering a love for the creative process, I decided to develop this skillset further in higher education, and did a two year art and design course in the UK where my mom lived, which gave me a qualification equal to A-levels here, or AP in the States. During that time, I explored lots of different avenues of design, such as various printmaking and 3D techniques, and even a bit of film. I eventually decided on illustration, as I found the experience of following a brief and successfully solving the potential client's problem to be quite rewarding. I then began the BA Illustration course at AUB, and, following a series of workshops on the field of editorial illustration, found where I fit into the illustration industry best. I think the challenges in the level of problem-solving and the quick turn-arounds common in this area really push and inspire me to make some of my best work. 

We all have a favorite professor that helped shape our practice. Can you share your most impactful schooling moments -- any of your favorite quotes, connections, lessons that resonated with you?

I was most inspired by the visiting industry professionals who gave lectures and workshops, specifically Eleni Kalorkoti and Richard Allen, two editorial illustrators who gave amazingly helpful workshops and advice, and who encouraged me to continue down this pathway. They told me I had a good instinct for visual metaphor and should trust my gut feelings and ideas, and I felt this support by two professionals helped validate my passion for the area.

A lovely tutor from college who also really motivated me was Zoe Kemp , whose print-making sessions were always something I looked forward to as a way of opening up my practice and developing new ways of working.

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We've Reached 'Peak' Wellness - Most of it is Nonsense:

This is the header image for an article by Outside on current trends and company products which claim to sell wellness. The article then goes on to outline several dimensions of wellbeing and how to nourish them. I did a series of editorial illustration mockups for this article as part of my final project.

What is the biggest overall lesson you've learned through your creative education? What advice would you want to pass along to other students?

Probably just to keep a very open mind, listen to everyone and try everything, but then also keep true to your core identity and language as an artist. I think if I had missed out on some key events or not tried something because I was afraid of failing, I wouldn't have found myself where I am now. Also try to avoid using extensions, because they don't exist in the industry and I think it's best to be able to treat deadlines for what they are. 

A lot of your work has to do with metonymy, symbolism, and metaphor. Can you talk more about what you find interesting about these symbols or themes? 

I initially just loved the play involved in the visual juxtaposition of unexpected things and would fill up sketchbook pages with lots of different parallels and combinations of imagery when tackling a topic. I began to add more meaning and symbolism to the images over time and felt most successful when I managed to find a visual metaphor that struck a happy balance between being easy enough for a viewer to follow but still rewarding enough to decipher. When researching for my dissertation, I found theorists who backed up my ideas, such as Berlyne, McQuarrie, and Mick; they found that the complexity of the visual metaphor is in direct correlation with the resulting appreciation of the image. So I think both the initial gratifying puzzle-solving on my part, and consecutively on the part of the viewer, is what interests me most. I also think the visual metaphor is extremely effective in editorial, as it often can hook readers in immediately with wit and originality. 

In moments of doubt or confusion, what motivates you?

I think I just need to remember to trust my gut and experience and try not to be convinced by the false feelings that come with imposter syndrome, especially now that I've finished uni. Doodling in a personal sketchbook also really helps me remember why I started this journey, which is because of the amazing feeling of just being creative.

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Physical Dimension:

This illustration shows that moving your body and stretching is beneficial in many ways, and specifically for your brain's health.

What things outside art help shape your practice? Hobbies, quotes, books, places, fantasies?

I guess my hobby of watching beach sunsets influenced me more than I realized, as I sometimes struggle to not insert a setting sun into scenery! The three years I spent in China from 2012 also had an influence on my work I think, by living amongst all the colour and warmth, and also sparking my interest in traditional Asian art. The gradients and colours I use are often inspired by lovely historical Japanese woodblock prints. Going back to influences outside art, I would say cinematography is a hugely inspiring source of ideas and creative juice. I find psychology really interesting as well, and I love exploring the way the mind works in response to visuals, as well as general wellbeing and mindfulness in life.

What is next for you? Or what do you hope is next? Do you have any projects in the works?

I'm currently taking a small break from working during this time, and using it to refocus and plan. I'm still keeping busy getting ready to promote my university's online senior show and growing my online presence, and hope to soon get back to making work which is fulfilling and in line with where I want to go as an editorial illustrator. In the future I hope to gain the help of an agent, but will try and start off my freelance career and business promotion in a big way later on in the year! 

Is there anyone or anything you would like to give a shoutout to?

My parents, and my dad specifically, for being so so supportive of me following a creative career from the start. I feel really lucky to have parents who understand the importance of doing what you love, and who believe in me and my work!

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Wellbeing Calendar:

Another aspect of my final project is this year calendar, which I intended to risoprint in two colours before facilities were made unavailable. It serves as a reminder of various daily habits which improve your health and wellbeing, all of which are included in text at the bottom of the calendar.

Thanks, Julie! So excited to follow along with the next stages of your career!

If you would like to see more Senior Show projects, click here!

Artist Interview with Ashley Floréal

Ashley Floréal is a Haitian-Canadian illustrator living in Toronto who graduated from Sheridan College in 2013. Her work has spanned a variety of creative industries, from editorial and children’s illustrations to gallery art, game design and visual development. She draws inspiration from film, music and her own experiences to create work that balances and offsets the deeply personal with the visceral, eerie and fantastical. Check out the interview below to learn more about these influences, and how she creates her work!

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Can you describe your creative journey thus far? What was a pivotal moment at the beginning of your creative career?

I’ve been freelancing sporadically since I graduated, but I feel like I’ve been stuck in my creative infancy until very recently. I didn’t have a lot of experience besides high school art classes and my own doodling before art school, and spent my time during and immediately after college trying to get a handle on any medium and find my niche, and only in the last few years do I feel like things have fallen into place and become effortless. [This came] mostly through letting loose, opening up and worrying less about sharing my own experiences and feelings in my art.  

I discovered the work of James Jean when I was a teenager, and in perusing his art and digging deeper into other illustrators from there, it occurred to me seriously that there was a way aside from full-time gallery work to make art a career, and that there were a variety of avenues to do that. Album art, cover art, and comics, to name a few. [These are] all things I loved, but had never really considered where the art came from. It seems ridiculous now, but I feel like a lot of non-artists spend a lot of time absorbing art in their day-to-day without putting much thought into the source.

How do you think your environment affected the kind of art you make and the subject matters that you focus on?

I didn’t grow up surrounded by or exposed to much art other than what I worked on in my spare time, and even after exploring more illustration on my own, I rarely saw myself reflected in the work being praised or the art I appreciated. This was an experience I was already used to in my day-to-day life, and rather than challenge it, I assimilated, however subconsciously. The subjects of my work were always societal “defaults” in terms of race, weight, and features, and yet I never questioned it. It didn’t occur to me what I was doing, even in art school —  because it fit the status quo — until a classmate vented to me about how much she appreciated that I didn’t “just draw black people all the time”,  implying a commitment to representing yourself or your own community was somehow annoying or unappealing. Aside from being a ridiculous thing to say to someone, it got me thinking about why that was the case for me. Since then I’ve made a major shift in trying to center black women and women of color in general in my work, and centering some of my personal experiences or tough-to-work-through emotions. I feel so much more pride in standing behind what I create as a result.

On your site, it mentions that you are inspired by surrealism when exploring ideas about race and identity. Can you talk more about some of the important themes within your work?

I struggled with injecting anything remotely personal into my work for a long time — which is why a lot of my older work is restricted to mock movie-posters. I wasn’t comfortable sharing aspects about myself, so referencing things that inspired me directly was the safest way to communicate “me” through my work. Now, I try to work through personal struggles and issues that resonate with me artistically without shame. Rather than sit down with “I want to draw _____” in mind the way I used to, I tend to think “What does ______ feel like?”, and try to capture that in what is hopefully a more conceptual, evocative way that people can relate to, regardless of whether their own experiences line up perfectly with mine. I have inherently weird interests, so the symbolism I use to get a message or emotion across is often strange and/or grotesque. I’ve always wanted to embrace and highlight the stereotypically ugly by contrasting it with the stereotypically beautiful — [such as] soft, feminine colors or bright, high contrast palettes when working with dark concepts, or contrasting that darkness with florals, gemstones, etc. I’m all about juxtaposition.

What/who are your current inspirations? Books, movies, events, artists, etc. Are there any recent films that have really captured your imagination?

I can’t and won’t pass up any opportunity to talk about Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy from last year. I own the movie and I still must watch the trailer at least once a day for a concentrated hit of the atmosphere and aesthetic of the film that really feels like somebody yanked it out of my personal creative center. It really satisfies the part of me that loves the tug of war between this vibrant neon manic energy and moody, encroaching darkness — something I hope comes through in my work, or at least will going forward.

Film has always been a huge influence on my art; I was able to hear [director] Barry Jenkins speak about his cinematographer James Laxton and colorist Alex Bickel, and the art of lighting black skin with fearlessness - employing rich, dramatic color and never shying away from contrast. I try to keep the way the characters in Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk are saturated in mind when I’m picking a palette for a piece that involves figures of color with darker skin tones. Other than that, I’ve also recently rededicated myself to my longtime love of horror fiction and am making a conscious effort to inject creepy and/or crawly into my work.

We love your work for the show! Can you tell us more about the piece you created for the Tasteful Nudes Exhibition?

I approached this piece thinking about specifically two of my favorite classical paintings of all time: “Witches on the Sabbath/Faust’s Vision” and  “Balance of the Zodiac” by Luis Ricardo Falero. Specifically, their mythological energy, the feeling of weightlessness, and the way the bodies are intertwined and the poses affectionate. I also looked at a lot of classical religious paintings - the kind with gold embellishments and an intense variety of complex patterns in fabrics and backgrounds - and paired that down to the gold filigree in my final piece.

The original idea was for the painting to be really busy with that kind of varied pattern-work, but in the end I felt like it was important to give the bodies room to breathe and visually speak for themselves. I’ve been working with a lot of bold accent colors lately, so returning to something so soft and neutral was a departure.

One thing that has been really interesting working on this project has been trying to navigate appropriate/inappropriate content, taboos, and our cultural understandings of nudity, sexuality, and humor. It has been incredible to see the responses and focuses of creatives from around the globe. Is there anything specific you learned from this project, or were challenged or liberated by?

For me, personally, I define a ‘tasteful nude’ as one that isn’t explicitly male-gaze or objectifying. From the get-go, I wanted to subvert the often hyper-sexualized depiction of black women with something that had a gentle, sensual energy and was truly all about the women involved. Drawing fuller figures was most definitely a liberating experience and forced me to be made extremely aware of my own biases toward the social “norms” (despite the fact that the figures in this piece look more like me than any others I’ve drawn) and to work at every turn to subvert them. It was shocking how often my hand defaulted to a smaller shape, even as I traced over my own sketches. Depicting only one type or shape of person does both others and myself a disservice, and I want to take that with me in all of my future work.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects, concepts, or things we can watch for?

I’ve got a backlog of old or half-formed ideas I’m hoping to have the time to revisit and give a chance now that I’m more comfortable in my creative skin. I actually just stumbled upon some unfinished college work where my plan was to take a variety of songs that have clear narratives and retell them sequentially in paintings, without the lyrics as supplement. I’m really interested in storytelling without the use of words to help me paint the picture.

What things are you looking forward to this year?

Aside from hopefully expanding to take on work outside my current repertoire (so many years later, I’m still hungry for covers and album art!), [I’d like to] take the time to experiment with traditional media again. I developed the way I paint digitally based on how I used to work with gouache, and the one time I was able to try my hand at painting traditionally again last year, I couldn’t believe how rusty I was. Ideally, I’ll be able to make it a part of my week to do studies and small paintings I can share on a steady, regular basis.

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Ashley is constantly coming up with new amazing work that expresses her unique style. To find more illustrations you can visit her website at ashleyfloreal.com which she updates quarterly. She also posts most frequently on Tumblr (ashleyfloreal.tumblr.com) and is relatively new to Instagram and Twitter so check out @ashleyfloreal (Instagram) and @ashleyfloreal (Twitter) for more amazing content!

Awareness and Giving in Artistic Communities w/ Jasmin Dreyer

A Note from Lindsay, founder at Light Grey Art Lab

For the past 15 years I’ve been a teacher. Throughout the years I’ve felt more and more connected to the idea that giving isn’t necessarily always about providing, but it can be about mobilizing. At my most introspective, I wonder if I was meant to be a catalyst for change, and that the biggest contribution to positive progress I can make as a single individual is in assisting others in achieving a greater concept of their own potential.

I believe in the ripple effect of happiness and progress. I believe that success (in the emotional and spiritual form) comes from chasing opportunity and gaining perspective from the process. I think confidence grows from understanding and living, and with that confidence, great, new, different things are possible. So -- when I think again of what I can personally give, I think about support, about promoting innovation, about embracing research and investigation, and about subtly shaking things up for and with others in order to open up new pathways. Maybe this is how I’m meant to make my biggest difference.

- Lindsay Nohl

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Jasmin Dreyer is an illustrator based in Hamburg, Germany, whose colorful works glow with energy and motion. Her playful works portray a variety of people, animals, robots, and otherworldly creatures, all existing in the same space (and having a pretty good time doing so). Read below to hear her thoughts on giving, especially within artistic communities.


What is your definition of "giving?" Can you tell us about a time when you think the act of giving was life-changing for you? (Either you as the recipient or the giver?)

I think this is actually a very essential concept in the art community! Having fellow artists you can turn to for help and support and in return always being open to giving help and feedback has been such an important part in my creative development and I am forever grateful for it. 

Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?

We are all influenced by the constant flood of visual media around us (for better or worse) and we as picture makers have this very cool opportunity to create positive diverse representations of people and normalize things like different body types. I don‘t have any specific exercises for this, but I am always thinking about the way I portray people in illustrations and try to challenge myself on a regular basis.

Also, I hope that my work always has an aspect of joyfulness in it and that it can make the world a more colorful place, even just for a little bit.      

What made you choose the organization that you are donating to? What is this organization doing that you find especially important?

I chose the Humane Society because I love animals and I think living beings all deserve to be treated with respect. And we as humans still have a long way to go when it comes to how we are treating animals right now.

Beyond the causes represented in the SAFBC show, what are some worthy causes worth contributing to?

There are so many really. Two organizations that come to my mind are the Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention resources for LBTQIA+ people and Rainbow Railroad, who help queer people in dangerous living situations immigrate to safe countries.

You can see Jasmin Dreyer’s work on her website and instagram.

Spreading Positivity and Support For Others w/ Niky Motekallem

A note from Jenny, Gallery Manager at Light Grey Art Lab
Happy New Year from the Light Grey Team!
I hope your year is filled with curiosity, giving, and collaboration!

This is my favorite time of year. I live for curling up in a big chair with coffee, notebooks, and a calendar making plans for the future. It is exciting (my moon virgo is thrilled) to make lists of the things that were difficult, surprising, true experiences, and full of love this last year. I rarely stick to my resolutions (r.i.p. quickbooks) but it is interesting to follow the trail of how things diverted to create a new constellations made of current obsessions, mystery books, and the cause and effect of choices. I am so thankful for the soft, snowy days where the world outside mimics a sense of infinite possibilities.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt.
This quote has been ringing in my head all year. One of the Iceland artists-in-residence, Irma Del Valle Nachón, reminded me of this quote when talking about her own business, hiring local craftspeople and what it means to be a responsible maker. This is something that I remind myself of often when feeling helpless by the current political realm, trying to protect the environment, make a difference, be a good person, and also create in a meaningful way. In all of the possible ways to contribute, some of the most potent and impactful can be right here.

Personally, giving back and altruism looks like teaching, sharing skills, getting involved with organizations, and being kind. It is not always necessary or even possible to contribute in a monetary way, and that is okay. This year, I will ask myself, what can I do as an individual/collaborator/friend/manager and what skills/time/thoughts do I have to share. I look forward to posting some serious plans this week and hearing your resolutions and ways that you give back as well! If you have reflections or resolutions, you can tell us about them here.

Sincerely,
Jenny Wells

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Niky Motekallem is an Ohio-born, Minneapolis-residing illustrator whose work celebrates both life and death, especially that within the natural world. Using vibrant, eye-catching palettes and a unique blend of media, her work embodies an attention to, and compassion for, the world that surrounds her.


Have you used your creative voice / or your presence in the past toward bringing awareness to a cause? What was it / why did you want to participate?

The one that stands out most to me at this moments was a companion piece for a performance curated by Essma Imady in the MIA. It was shortly after the 2016 election. Before the performance began, flashlights were handed to the audience. Attached to the flashlights was a flier that I illustrated, reading "1. Use your privilege and experience to stave off injustice. 2. Don't take a break from being an ally. 3. Adopt a zero tolerance policy for overt hatred." The audience didn't know the purpose of the flashlights until they entered a dark auditorium where a dancer performed. They were suppose to use the flashlights to light the stage.  The purpose of this event was to remind us how to be an ally. To remind us that no matter the circumstance we need to prioritize our humanity over anything else. To adopt a zero tolerance policy for overt hatred. I think it's really important to remember that even when we get worn down. 

Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?

The sentences "Be gentle. Be kind. But be firm" often pass in my head. It reminds me of the kind of person I want to be. The ideal version of myself is gentle, kind, but unyielding. I'm not that version of myself yet, but this mantra helps. I think there is great power in being gentle and kind. But that doesn't mean we yield and bend to those who wish to do harm. So be firm. Be kind and warm but also tall and strong when other's can't. 

What kind of positive change would you like to see in the next five years? 

Maybe it's sappy, but I really want to see more kindness. More empathy. I think a lot of the world's problems come from an unwillingness to be empathetic. Personal interests muddy those waters. A lot of harm happens because there're profits on the line. So I hope in the next five years there's more empathy and compassion. 

What made you choose the organization that you are donating to? What is this organization doing that you find especially important?

When I saw videos and photos of the damage the wildfires caused, it made my throat tighten and my heart drop. Losing my home is one of my biggest fears. And so many people had to face that fear and are still struggling in the aftermath of all those flames. I picked the American Red Cross Wildfire Relief because they are helping provide shelter and resources for those who lost their homes, support emergency responders who have risked their lives, and create recovery plans.

You can see Niky Motekallem’s work on her website and instagram.
Part of the proceeds from Niky’s work will be donated to the American Red Cross.

You can find all of the work from the Small Art for a Big Cause show on the Light Grey Shop here.
Work will be on display through February 1st, 2019.

The Creative Power to Change the World w/ Emory Allen

A Note from James, team member at Light Grey Art Lab

The last couple of years, I feel like I’ve really had my eyes opened to just how powerful the voice of creatives and the creative community at large, really is. But, the responsibility we have to use that voice for positivity is hugely important. We have this wonderful ability to influence, educate, and support whoever and whatever we believe in, and now more than ever we have the means to get our work in front of those who need to see it most.

It honestly feel silly to say, but sometimes I feel like we have a super power. We have this part of our brain with the ability to visualize and process this radiating web of connected thoughts, individuals, movements, and feelings, AND we have the know-how to influence it. It’s incredible to think that someone can be inspired to make a difference or support a cause, simply based off something you created. 

Our hands are the tools of change that can make a difference in our lives and the lives around us. 

- James Lavella

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Emory Allen is a Minneapolis-based illustrator, designer, and organizer, whose work focuses on whimsical characters and their fun, imaginative worlds. Recently, Allen has co-founded a studio with his partner, Alicia Allen, called Foreign Fauna, which uses animation and design to advocate for issues important to the duo. But as Emory himself puts it, these issues can be tackled in the same lighthearted way that he handles his independent work. “Foreign Fauna takes making the world a better place very seriously, but we want to have fun with it, you know? That's why are motto is ‘Empathy through humor and surprise.’" Read more about Allen’s thoughts on giving and advocacy below.


What is the value of the creative voice - as compared to a monetary value - for something like raising awareness for good causes?

It's exactly that "voice" part of "creative voice". When you donate money, you're letting people know what is important to you. But, when you create something, you get the chance to explain why it is important to you.

Have you used your creative voice / or your presence in the past toward bringing awareness to a cause? What was it / why did you want to participate?

Foreign Fauna recently created a piece to try to get people to vote by helping them understand that even though they may have just one vote, all of those "just one votes" add up to something greater than themselves. Voting is teamwork with a team you've never met.

Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?

Our secret motto at Foreign Fauna is "Don't worry about changing the old. Focus on building the new". It's kind of a different way of saying "be the change you want to see in the world". We often catch ourselves saying stuff like, "Why is this thing this way? I bet we could make them change it", but we've found that it takes way less energy to create something new than it does to get someone else to change their ways to our ideals. That might sound like giving up on someone, but it really allows us to help more people. By not spending time trying to change one person's mind, we have the time and energy to safe/nurturing spaces for many more people.

What kind of positive change would you like to see in the next five years? 

It's easy to have this mentality of "this issue doesn't affect me, so it must not be a problem". So, I would just like to see more people exercise empathy when confronted with a weighty issue instead of only seeing things from their perspective. I believe that trying to understand someone else's pain can only lead to positive changes.

You can see Emory Allen’s work on his website and instagram, and you can check out Foreign Fauna on their website, vimeo, and instagram.

Using Your Creative Voice for Positive Change w/ Jessica Roux

A Note from Calvin Bauer, team member at Light Grey Art Lab

At some point in human history, our species shifted from a desire to support the community, to a desire to support the self. Maybe not just one point, but many points, that have lead to a world where many of us exist individualistically. This mentality leads us to forget our responsibility to each other: to help ensure that each human is able to live as beautiful and healthy of a life as we do. Further, this mentality relates to our connection to the Earth and its non-human inhabitants, and our responsibility to these as well. 

Realizing that we exist within the ecosphere of the Earth, and not above or on top of it, leads one towards recognizing that creating healthy communities and working towards a healthier Earth in turn would make all humans healthier, safer, happier, and more in tune with their individual strengths. 

As we exist on such a massive, global scale (and within all of the violence and selfish aggression that permeates so much of our societal world), it’s ultimately heartening to know that there are, and always will be, large groups within our strange and eclectic species that truly want to see a better world created. How can we ensure that we are one of these people, working to lessen the violence (meaning, in this case, verbal and subtextual violence as well as physical) within our own communities? Within our day-to-day interactions? Within our own mental constructions? How can we continue to break down barriers, moving towards a world that can truly coexist and help each other thrive? And what kind of benefits could this have on our physical, mental, and spiritual health? I think this pursuit is lifelong, and it requires us to remain ever aware of the Earth’s (and humanity’s) unique beauty, and our ability to promote and prolong that through the way we live our lives.

- Calvin Bauer

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Jessica Roux is an illustrator based in Nashville, Tennessee, whose work celebrates animal life and the natural world. We recently reached out and asked her opinions on altruism and the power of the creative voice, in light of our recent Small Art for a Big Cause exhibition. Read along below.

What is the value of the creative voice - as compared to a monetary value - for something like raising awareness for good causes?

Creative voices can bring beauty, awareness, and understanding to organizations and good causes. For me, making art is a way I process things like suffering and my impact on the environment - it helps me come to a greater understanding of the world around me. I think talking openly about it and sharing the work that comes out of those thoughts can help more people see and understand the causes I believe in, and hopefully create a sense of urgency and willingness to contribute in a meaningful way. 

Think about the concept of altruism. How much do you think the idea affects how you go about your daily life? For example. do you think about doing things for a greater social purpose often? Does this ever include teaching, volunteering, assisting others, ... or anything else?

Absolutely! As artists, one of the most valuable resources we have is our skills, and sharing them by educating others allows even more people to create work that will inspire change. I love teaching and sharing what I’ve learned with others. I would not know anything if it wasn’t for previous teachers, mentors, and friends who I’ve asked for help - and I’m so thankful and lucky that it was given willingly and kindly. The least I can do is share that knowledge and make more seats available at the table, especially for underprivileged voices that need and deserve to be heard.

Roux’s piece for Small Art for a Big Cause

Do you have any personal exercises, mantras, or reminders that help you work towards being a positive force in the world?

I tell myself that my efforts matter and that they count toward something. Taking individual responsibility is so important, especially when we’re talking about our impact on the environment, so taking any steps at all to help out is major! It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and then do nothing, or pass the responsibility onto larger corporations in the hope that others will make the change for you. When you tell yourself that your actions can have a massive impact on the world, it makes it more difficult to shrug things off - and easier to take small steps toward change.

What kind of positive change would you like to see in the next five years? 

I would love to see more (and more effective) protections put in place to save our environment, as well as more individuals taking responsibility for their actions. It’s truly scary to think about losing my main source of inspiration - nature - because of selfishness and corporate greed. I’m so afraid that nothing will change until it’s too late.

You can see Jessica Roux’s work on her website and instagram.

Artist Interview with Samuel Shumway

Meet Samuel Shumway, a stop-motion animator, illustrator, papercraft artist, and lover of all (I repeat, ALL) kinds of food. Samuel grew up in Baltimore before attending the Parsons School of Design in NYC, where he received his BFA in Illustration. His current work has him doing a variety of quirky and eclectic projects, including making costumes for pugs to building archeological sites in his bedroom. Read below to learn more about Samuel's life and work! 

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What keeps you busy in the day-to-day? You seem to have your hands in a lot of different places - sculpture, illustration, video, animation, and more; do you have any side hobbies you enjoy as well? 

My day job is as a fabricator and stop motion animator. I’ll get brought on to projects if props need to be made, but my passion is animation. As far as hobbies, I like reading, podcasts, playing pool, and being a homebody. I like traveling, and I try to travel as much as possible. That’s where the videography stuff comes in: I like documenting my trips. I think it’s a nice time capsule. 

What’s your workspace like? Many of your animations include a variety of colorful objects, do you keep any collections that help get you inspired? 

It’s chaos, to be honest, but yes, I have milk crates full of colorful props that I’ve used on set. My inspiration comes mostly from the digital realm, but I’m always combing thrift stores to look for objects to animate. I have a studio in my apartment where I work, and when I take on a project I put my whole life into it, so I usually try to reset every week or so. But no one would ever accuse me of being organized. 

Have you always been attracted to playful, poppy images? A lot of your 2-dimensional illustration work is rendered in stark black and white, was this how you worked before getting into bright colors and papercrafts, or do you still bounce back and forth between the two? 

I keep illustration in my back pocket now, although it comes in handy a lot. I have a little bit of an obsessive personality, so when I was in school that meant doing these crazy detailed black and white illustrations in pen and ink. Nowadays, I’ve turned that obsession into making things by hand. I love the therapeutic nature of construction. It’s also a trait that a lot of stop motion animators have, because when you animate objects you’re breaking them down into frames. Sometimes in a single second of video you’re dealing with hours and hours of work. I do feel like I was a different person when doing those illustrations though, especially when contrasted with my current work. 

Speaking of, when did you start getting into working with paper as a sculptural medium? 

This paper stuff really started as a hobby. I made my first paper meal in August 2017 and it just grew from there. I think my first one was a raw steak. I’d ask my followers to suggest paper meals they’d like to see made and I had an Excel spreadsheet with all the suggestions. I think I have something like 300 suggestions now.

But even before that, I’d always liked using paper. It wasn’t forgiving but it has such a nice texture to it. People really responded to it and that motivated me to make more. At the height of it I thought, “this could be ‘a thing’”; paper meals are about as niche as you can get. But in the end it’s just a fun thing I get to do in my spare time, and I’m pretty ok with keeping it that way. 

Yeah totally! Your piece in Foodies is incredible - an appetizing and gravity-defying bowl of brightly colored noodles created from paper and wood. Can you tell us more about it, what the process of making it was like, and what the recipe means to you? 

Thank you!! That’s very sweet of you to say. I’ve always wanted to do a gravity-defying piece and I thought the noodles were a great vessel for that. The process was not as bad as I’d thought, the main obstacle was shipping it, but building it involved a lot of math and planning. The concept isn’t super groundbreaking, but I knew that my pieces didn’t read very well as prints, so I asked for permission to ship a physical piece to LGAL and you guys let me! I had a “go big or go home” moment because it’s the first time I’d had my work displayed anywhere. 

What are some of your other favorite foods or recipes? You mentioned you travel a lot, what are some of your favorite things you’ve eaten on these travels? 

I’m very faithful to my crock pot; my significant other and I try to do meal prep for the week on Sundays. Aside from that, I love all foods. This might be a cop-out, but I love eating and I love food. One thing I am NOT is picky, so when I travel I’ll eat whatever is offered. The only thing I’ve turned down is pickled fish at 9am when my girlfriend and I were in Finland for a layover. I’m not that adventurous around breakfast time. 

You do work for a variety of companies, projects, and individuals, however your work is always distinctly yours. What’s it like to collaborate with these clients, big or small? Do you keep a lot of creative freedom? 

I try to be as nebulous as possible in my work. i was taught that the client gets what they ask for, because i’m being hired to accomplish the clients vision. That being said, sometimes it takes a little encouragement to help us both get the best possible product. The best kinds of gigs are the ones where the client says “do what you want”, but that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like

Who are some of your inspirations, within the realm of visual arts or elsewhere? 

I’m inspired a lot by low poly art, which is often rendered in 3D modeling software and has a geometric quality to it. I like my stuff to be a communication between geometric shapes, which is why math is so important to my papercraft. Using a medium that’s 2-dimensional and making it 3-Dimensional is super gratifying. If we’re talking in the broader strokes of inspiration, I like tropical/west coast vaporwave aesthetics, 20th century nostalgia and type specimens, and analog photography, among other things. Memphis-style patterns, high saturation and color contrast, sea foam, coral, mint... 

What are some techniques, narratives, or icons you want to work with in the near future? 

In the immediate future. I just want to make cool things. I’ve said before that I’m happy when other people are happy. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a spectrum of companies as well as a handful of stop-motion studios and, in the end, that’s where I thrive . Right now I’m super satisfied with taking things as they come. 

Any last thoughts? Where can people find you on the web? 

Sure! thanks a bunch for letting me do this interview. I’m on instagram at @yungshum and my website is www.samuelshumway.com

Artist Interview: Helena Perez Garcia

Meet Helena Perez Garcia, a prolific Spanish-born, London-residing illustrator who's worked with clients such as Penguin Random House, BBC Proms, Buzzfeed, and more. Recently, she's published two new books in Spain: an illustrated adaption of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, and La Isla de Los Libros Andantes, written by Vicente Muñoz Puelles. She's also published a new book in the US, How The Finch Got His Colors, written by Annemarie Guertin. Read below to learn more about her process and interests! 

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Hey Helena! What is your workspace like? What creates the perfect space for your practice? 

My workplace at the moment is a small corner in the living room. My desk is in front of the window, and I really enjoy working with lots of natural light. I also love how quiet the neighborhood is. My flat is located in a residential area, so there's no traffic. I enjoy the silence when I really need to focus on a very delicate task, but I also love putting on some rock music in the morning to feel energized.

I'm happy with my workspace at the moment, but I'd love to have a bigger studio; a whole room of my own. Lately I'm having a lot of trouble with storage, as I work with traditional media (gouache on paper) and big formats like A2 and A1. I've been struggling to find a place for all my Illustrations. At the moment they're in folders everywhere: under the sofa, on chairs, etc. My ideal future studio will have a big cabinet with a set of drawers where I can put all my completed work. I also like my studio to be tidy, as I can't work comfortably in a mess. Inspiration is very important for me too, which is why I have a shelf with lots of art books.

What is your usual process when approaching a piece? 

I start by doing some research: looking for information about the topic, images that might inspire postures and compositions, etc. I then start working on the sketches. I usually do two, three or even four sketches until I'm happy with the result, and then I start working on the final piece. When I work on a commissioned project, I always make sure that the client is also happy with the sketch before moving on to the final Illustration.

You cite literature and cinema as being 2 of the driving forces behind your work - what films or pieces of literature have affected you the most? What do you look for in these mediums? 

Regarding cinema, I admire the work by Jean Cocteau. I watched 'La belle et la bête' at the BFI in London a few years ago and I was struck by its inventiveness, beauty, and surrealism. I've been a big admirer of his work since then. I also love the work of [Jean-Luc] Godard and how he cleverly uses composition and colour within his films.

As for literature, I've always been inspired by writers like Albert Camus, Virginia Woolf or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, just to name a few. I've created some illustrations inspired by 'The Myth of Sysyphus', by [Albert] Camus, a piece that really made me think. 'The Waves' by Woolfe also struck me a lot, and inspired lots of sketches that are waiting to become illustrations.
 

When did you discover your love for the surreal? What draws you to this dreamlike imagery?

I've been intrigued by the work of Surreal painters like Dali since I was a teenager. But then I discovered the work of Magritte and was blown away. I really like when reality and fiction are blended and you can no longer tell the difference between one or another. I'm also very interested in philosophical ideas of how perception is subjective, questioning if what we perceive is actually real or just constructed by our imagination.

You’ve worked on quite a few books in the past, is there a specific genre that you get especially excited about working within? Is there any genre or type of story that you find particularly difficult to translate into an image, and how do you work through that?

I enjoy illustrating all genres. I like the challenge of adapting my style depending on the book; a story for children, a classic tale, a fantasy, a ghost story… I haven't illustrated a science fiction novel yet and I'm looking forward to doing so. I think it will be a challenge that will help my work evolve.

I think poems are maybe not the hardest kind of text to translate into an image, but the trickiest. When I illustrate a poem I try to create poetic illustrations that reference the text in a subtle way, but also give it a new meaning.

Nature and plant life plays a large role in your work, but you also seem drawn to classical architecture and the atmosphere of quaint towns. Are there any specific locales you find especially inspiring? 

I love the landscape of the English countryside. I'm from the south of Spain, and the vegetation is not as abundant as it is in other parts of Spain. So when I moved to the UK, I was struck by the intense green of the rolling hills and the beautiful vegetation in English villages. Regarding architecture, I really like the beautiful Tudor houses that you can find in many English villages, but I also love classic Italian architecture, with its large windows and bright colours.
 

Can you tell us about your piece in Arboretum, Vase?

This piece is part of a series of illustrations that explore the idea of identity and the self. I like to include plants and flowers in my work, as to me they represent a connection with nature that we shouldn't lose.

Are there any dream projects you’d like to work on, in the near future or beyond?

I'd love to illustrate the works of my favourite writers. I've just published a dream project; the novel Orlando written by Woolf and illustrated by myself, but I'd absolutely love to illustrate every single book she wrote. I'd also love to work on a mural, something on a larger scale, which is something I haven't done yet.
 

Any last thoughts? Where can people find your work? 

People can find my work on my website (helenaperezgarcia.co.uk) and my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/helena.perezgarcia/

Artist Interview: Ann Xu

Ann Xu is an illustrator and comic artist currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. Xu grew up in San Jose, California, and graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Her work can be found on the women-focused newsletter The Lily, published by the Washington Post, and has an upcoming comic featured in The Believer's June/July issue. Read more about her work and process below!

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Your work always has fantastic texture and line quality, what are your favorite mediums to work with, and what is your process usually like when approaching your pieces? 

Nowadays, I mainly have two modes of working I like to use: if I want thin ink lines, I like to use a very basic fountain pen, and for something more shape-based, I’ll tend to use a dark color pencil. Graphite is fine too, but I prefer color pencils because they’re less shiny and a little more crayon-like. If I’m planning a piece with less detail or simpler shapes, I’ll use pencils, but if I know I want to go wild with line detail I’ll use the pen.

Does this process change when approaching narrative works?

I don’t think it changes much; a lot of it is also just the vibe I have in my head while I’m thinking of what I want a drawing or comic to feel like. Or if I have one particular thing I want to draw in a certain way, then everything else will fall in line behind that. In a comic I did for an anthology called The Sun and the Wayward Wind, during planning all I knew was that I wanted to draw a lot of smoke and fire, and I wanted to build up all the smoke using pencil, so that’s what I decided to use for everything. 

Your work often features dreams, such as the dream sequence in Sleeper Train, or the drawings based on dreams of your own in your autobiographical work March Snowfall. How do you think your dreams influence your work or daily life? Do you keep a dream journal?

I don’t keep a dream journal anymore, but I used to do that a lot when I was a kid! I was really into lucid dreaming, so I would record my dreams in a lot of detail so that I could be in that mindset. Nowadays I only really take notes about a dream if it was particularly memorable or interesting, although I do have some more nightmare-adjacent dreams in the back of my head for making into comics sometime. I simply really like the feeling of dreaming, where anything can happen and you’re alone in your thoughts. They’re also quite vulnerable and I love having moments of honesty in a comic.

You also have several works about moving, traveling, or generally being in transit. Do these themes come from your own experience? What draws you to that narrative? 

Yeah, I did White Tape the earliest, and I was thinking of it as the prologue to something longer, so the main character’s family moving in that story was a way to set her up in a new situation. When I drew Sleeper Train half a year later I realized that I had accidentally written almost the same thing into the story—a girl moves a long distance away because of her parents. The theme of moving is definitely there in both, but for different reasons. 

Sleeper Train is much more personal to me. Every time I go back to China to visit family, there’s just so much traveling involved. The train ride between my parents’ hometowns is about 8 hours long and I have a lot of memories of those trips, climbing onto the top bed and lying there between waking and sleeping while the train clatters around me. I love the empty scenery and the long hours spent alone, even though you’re also frequently in the company of strangers. And I think in the case of Spring Break, a lot of the appeal of the bus ride to me was also the feeling of independence. Like if I really wanted to, I could just buy a ticket and get on a bus for half a day to go see my best friend in another state. 

Can you tell us about your piece in Arboretum, Princess?

I always liked The Tale of Kaguyahime when I was younger, which is about a moon princess who was found as a baby inside of a stalk of bamboo. The piece I made, “Princess,” isn’t so much directly based on that as it is inspired by the feeling that folktales like that give me. I think in general, stories about princesses and girls who were shrouded in mysteries really appealed to me, as well as the idea of people being born from or found inside of plants. When I was thinking about the theme of Arboretum, I kept coming back to Kaguyahime.

What are some narratives you want to tell in the future? Is there anything you’d like to explore more within your work, technically or content-wise?

I definitely do want to try writing more fiction. Personally I feel like that’s a weakness in my skill set. I made a sci-fi-ish fiction comic a year ago that I just haven’t been fully satisfied with, but I might try going back to that sometime. I love autobio and won’t stop doing that, but I want to be able to write and draw all kinds of things. I want to keep polishing my writing and drawing to be not only more technically competent, but more sensitive and emotionally detailed.

Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What other media or sources do you take inspiration from? 

I love Niv Sekar and Carolyn Nowak’s illustrations and comics. They have very different ways of working but they both have really great skills in conveying emotional depth. I read Nowak’s Diana’s Electric Tongue last year and it just changed me. Other than specific artists, I do also love turning to anime or manga for notes on atmosphere and feeling, which I think a lot of them really excel at compared to Western media overall.

Any last thoughts? Where can people find you on the internet?

You can find my website at annixu.com, and I’m on Twitter and Instagram @epershannd!

Interview with Ceramic Artist Samantha Longley

Meet Samantha Longley, a Minneapolis-based ceramic artist who subverts traditional pottery with unique, fluid flourishes. Samantha attended a liberal arts college in St. Paul, originally for painting, but discovered a "profound relationship with clay" in her second year. She now lives in Brooklyn Park, where she also houses her studio. Read more after the break!

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Based on your artist statement, your relationship to your craft is very spiritual (not necessarily in a religious way, but in your connection to nature, the universe). Where do you find the intersection of ceramics and this spirituality? 

It's interesting that I chose ceramics, something so tactile and messy, to talk about something transcendent- but I actually think it is a perfect marriage. Being a spiritual person isn't always about transcending and getting out of your body, or out of this world in order to contact something pure; I believe the pure spirit, that flow of the divine is actually within and all around right here, right now, indwelling and constantly colliding with this world, in the nitty gritty, the unexpected and the mundane.

I think this physicality can be seen as something to be escaped from most of the time instead of embraced, which is why clay is my muse. The process is not glorious; it's messy, frustrating, very physically involved, and rarely works the first time- but it creates a space for me to confront and embrace all my humanness.  It is an expansion of myself in both directions; the somatic involvement pioneers the space for my spirit to open as well (sort of like yoga). It is a beautiful, mysterious, intriguing, and seemingly contrasting harmonization that I constantly seek and find a lot in my studio (the meeting of physical and spiritual that I talk about in my statement) and I get to provide a literal picture for others: infusing dirt with energy and idea and life. Ceramics is how I practice this harmonization and attempt to diverge from my regular dualistic living. 

How do you subvert traditional forms (cups, pots, etc.) to convey these feelings? 

Perfection is not something I strive for in my life or my forms. I have often heard adjectives like "wonky" or "smushed" or "distorted" to describe my work, which I fully embrace. There is a Japanese world view called "wabi sabi" which can be, very simply, translated as "beauty in imperfection, humility and impermanence", but it is much more than that; it is an entire way of being. The aesthetic that tries to contain its essence really challenges western notions of glamour, showiness and symmetry; Wabi Sabi ceramics can feature cracks, distortions, and asymmetry and yet, they are treasured and appreciated for their imperfections. My pots don't look like typical, traditional pottery that is found, which is how I have found a home in the Wabi Sabi aesthetic and mindset. My work is intentionally distorted, sliced, carved and crumpled in hopes of being more true to life which is full of movement, ebbs and flows, imperfections, and is absolutely beautiful when it humbly embraces those things. 

What’s your process usually like? Do you have a specific shape in mind when starting a piece, or do you let it form as you work? 

With my unique forms especially, it is hard to picture exactly what the outcome will be. For these functional forms, I begin with the right amount of clay (about 1 lb for a mug or tumbler), then start by throwing a cylinder on the wheel. When I get close to completing the base object, I sort of stretch it to its limit and hold the top of the form while the wheel is still spinning; this causes the clay to twist and create a lovely soft movement that is unique to every piece; it sort of looks like a wave or moving piece of fabric. Then, if I did it right, the clay will hold its form and it will be frozen in movement forevermore. 

With my newer, more sculptural works that I cut into, I usually begin with an idea and a sketch, but the beauty of ceramics is that you can't always control it. Sometimes it will take you down a different path, and I like to ride that wave. It's good to have a starting place, but if I am trying to follow a 2-D sketch exactly, I don't feel like I'm being true to the nature of the medium and the movement I’m trying to capture; like trying to carve a line around a 3-D form. How to follow a flow around its curves is something you figure out in the moment. 

 

What is it like to be a Minneapolis-based artist? What makes this community unique? 

Being an Minneapolis artist is the best! I love making connections with fellow artists through sales and arts events- it's actually really easy to do since these folks are some of the nicest, most open people I know. I think what makes this community unique is that it feels like a community, not a competition. As creatives, we have an instinctively deeper understanding of one another and can easily bond over the joys and hardships of working as an artist. All of the makers I've met seem so open to connection and are very genuine people; it has helped me to open up and feel proud of my work and comfortable just as myself. I have been so encouraged and embraced by fellow artists in the community, even while working out of a secluded home studio. I'm so proud of this community, the creative, earnest, and beautiful work they make; I love that it is my home! 

Where do you see your practice going in the future? Do you have any dream projects you’d like to work on? 

My hope is to become more and more committed to my work and practice and to move into a larger studio space outside of my home within the next few years. I don't have a clear picture of what I imagine for my future, but I don't let that hinder me from progressing; just as my work begins with a small idea, then grows and evolves and leads me on, so do my dreams. 

Who are some of the other local makers whose work you’re really excited about? 

I love to see what other ceramic artists are doing around me, how they’re being innovative and original within the same medium. I am intrigued by Brett Fruend's extravagant aesthetic exploration in function and just wish I could reach through screens and touch his crystal formation cups forever. I'm also a huge fan (and collector) of Adam Gruetzmacher's work (note from ed. - see our interview with Adam here). It always seems fresh, like he's constantly innovating and never bored with the process. It's really inspiring to me. Autumn Higgins brings me into those quiet, sweet everyday moments with her gorgeously illustrated pots, and I am always inspired by Liz Pechacek's fascination and play with form. 

On a 2D note, I am also really digging Kelsey Oseid's (Kelzuki) fantastic illustrations lately! I love having those beautiful depictions of nature around; they make me so happy and I could look at them all day! I also enjoy Michelle Brusegaard's (MBMB) frankness and play with design over anything and everything. Before I leave the house I am usually wearing my edgy witch's finger power necklace by Betty Jager (3 Jag Design) and/or some beautiful lichen filled jewelry by Sudify. I am a proud owner of a lot of really superior local art and goods. 

See Samantha Longley's work in Winterland, and visit her website here! 

Interview with Ceramic Artist Adam Gruetzmacher

Meet Adam Gruetzmacher, a craftsperson and ceramicist living in St. Paul, Minnesota. Originally from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Adam attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout, graduating in 2010 with a BFA in Studio Ceramics. Read more about his practice and what drew him to the medium below!

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Hi Adam, How long have you been working in ceramics? What brought you into it?

Counting college, I’ve been working with clay for about 12 years. I like the act of making and it is important that my efforts result in something useful. I was attracted to clay in school because it was the most challenging and demanding medium.  I am never bored and never stop learning.

What is your studio space like?

My studio takes up the majority of the basement of our 1200 sq. ft. house in St Paul. It has a finished ceiling, tile floor, and plenty of florescent lighting. It’s not the dreamiest studio in the world, but very real, very functional, and I feel lucky to have it.

Do you have any philosophies attached to your craft? How important do you see the act of creating handmade goods in this day and age?

As someone who makes useful objects there are three planes of thought that I reference. Firstly, I rely on my applied arts education wherein the foundations are based squarely on the concepts of design.  Secondly, I strongly relate to the ideas and tradition behind craft and craftsmanship, which informs my approach to the materials that I use and the way in which I make.  Thirdly, I reflect on my values as a person to ultimately evaluate my work and add an element of humanity.  I am successful when I have made a well-designed, well-made object that I feel is an honest distillation of my personal values.

What is your process usually like? How did you develop your individual techniques? 

I use traditional wheel throwing and forming techniques, mixed with some occasional cutting and altering to create linear structure in some forms.  I think the repetition associated with any traditional craft naturally leads to the development of technique, which is visible in the finished piece. As the maker grows more skilled in his or her craft, the work more closely reflects the person who made it. This process of developing identity through the physicality of the work is a special aspect of handcrafts.

What is it like to be a Minneapolis-based artist? What makes this community unique? 

There is no better place in the country to be a potter.  There is a lot of studio pottery history in this specific region of Minnesota and there is great public support for the continuation of the craft. I feel lucky to have ended up here.

Where do you see your practice moving towards? Are there any new techniques you’d like to try in the future? 

I am open to anything when it comes to my practice.  In the last couple years I have become interested in carving green wood spoons.  I don’t know a lot about my family, but I have a collection of spoons and scoops used by my grandmother and likely made by my great uncle- and it feels good to practice a craft that can connect me in some way with the history of my family.  The more materials and craft concentrations that I explore, the more I understand the cultural and personal importance of the act of making useful things by hand- no matter the medium.  

Are there any other local makers whose work you’re really excited about?

I’m excited about the broader art and craft scene in Minnesota.  It seems like this state is covered in people who make things by hand either to explore new ideas or maintain and rediscover craft traditions that do not exist anywhere else in the country.  We have a wonderfully supportive public and it’s exciting to be a part of it all. 

You can see Adam's work in the Winterland show in the gallery or on our website, and visit his website here!

Artist Interview with Alex Dos Diaz

Meet Alex Dos Diaz. Between working on cover art for the tabletop game Champions of Hara, creating work for the New York Times, and working on his personal project The Ghost Alchemist, he’s plugging through RPG’s and flipping through his collection of art books. Dos Diaz was born and raised in Uruguay before moving to the US at 13, where he would eventually attend the University of the Arts in Pennsylvania, where he currently resides. Read more about Alex's work and interests below, and see his piece in our current show, SWARM! 

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Hi Alex! What's your workspace like? What do you prefer in your creative space? Do you have any collections that help you get inspired? 

Right now my workspace is just the essentials: My desk, iMac, Wacom Intuous and a few books I love to browse through from time to time. I love my space being neat and organized 99% of the time; I can never really concentrate otherwise. I also love to work at coffee shops, especially at the beginning of a project. For that stage in the process I use my iPad Pro and Procreate, which is awesome because I can always go back and forth between my iPad and my desktop. 

As far as collections go (besides my art prints), I love getting my hands on collective works from video game series’ I really enjoy as well as other art books. Seeing the awesome concept sketches of character designs and their all around development is just so cool. Though, I have to say I probably own more of James Jean’s stuff than any other artist.

You make such good use of the digital medium: the color use, rendering, and movement in each piece is absolutely gorgeous. Is working digitally something that came naturally to you, and did you work in other mediums before? 

Thank you, I did and still work in other mediums, mostly Verythin color pencil and mixed media. I used to just draw all the time, which evolved into practicing inking and water color washes. I discovered digital painting back in 2006 (my junior year in high school), when I borrowed a tablet from my art teacher and started to practice outside of school. After I got through my “digitally realistic rendering fever,” I went back to drawing traditionally, scanning the pieces and coloring them digitally, which I did mostly through college. Painting fully digitally is something I pushed myself into getting used to, and it only started in 2015-16. To answer your question, I guess it was and still is something I am working to get better at.

You mentioned that you’re influenced by video games, anime, art nouveau, and baroque art. How do you find a center point between these different influences, and how do you use them to create something truly your own? 

I grew up playing video games and watching anime so that was the thing that started it all. However, It wasn’t until I was in college that I discovered the organic fluidity of Art Nouveau, and the over-exaggeration, beautiful detail, and high contrast that is Baroque art. I don’t really believe anything is truly new or unique, but a remix of pre-existing subjects and styles. However, I believe it’s all about the percentages used in the creation of the work, which varies in every new piece. The trick is not to force a piece to go one way or another; if the subject matter lends itself to the style, then by all means I will incorporate it. As much as I love them all, the truth is there are many things about each of these influences that I don’t like, and that’s where my personal touches and preferences come into the mix.

Many of your pieces are focused on the figure. Are these figures purely an aesthetic subject, or do you try to imagine their backstories and worlds? 

I like to set up a lot of my illustrations much like a sculpture, with a central figure and other symbolic elements around it. I just love the way it looks, which may be due to my design sensibilities. When it comes to Baroque art's influence on me, it is mostly the sculptural and architectural part of the movement that made an impact on me moreso than the painting. In particular, I absolutely love Bernini’s sculptural work. I also love these figures and all the emotion and meaning they can bring to the work. In my more recent pieces, however, I have started to play with more narrative compositions. I guess we will see where that goes. 

Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Swarm? Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece, or anything you discovered while working on it? 

I knew from the start that I was going to be doing something more designed and decorative, similar to what I did for the Fortune show. I’ve been really looking forward to spending some more time exploring that style of work, which I honestly really enjoy. I wanted to create something that looked aged and overall more symbolic than narrative. You can definitely expect to see more of it in the future. 

What are your favorite creatures of the dark? If you could become one of them, which would you be?

I find most insects super creepy to be honest, but I would probably chose a moth. Besides the fact that they have really awesome wing patterns, I feel I can relate to a lot of their associated symbolic meanings.

What are some of your favorite films, music, other pieces of media? And who are some of your favorite artists right now?

Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Baby Driver, and Your Name are some of the more recent movies I’ve seen and really enjoyed. I also pretty much love everything Evangelion, Full Metal Alchemist and Gurren Lagann. I can’t say I am a huge fan of a lot of new anime out there today. Music varies a lot for me; I genuinely love a lot of different music except for country music. However, The Devil Wears Prada, Northlane, Being as an Ocean, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd have been some of my go-to’s recently, all mood permitting. My favorite current artists are Tobias Kwan, Molly Egan, Ching Yeh, Alexandra Fastovets, and of course many more.

Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet (art-wise or just in life)?

I love playing volleyball, lifting weights and playing video games, mostly RPGs of some sort. I also love traveling which was kind of a new discovery after my trip to Japan with LGAL (go team Inoshishi!) I am really excited to travel more soon, that’s for sure.

What would be an absolute dream project for you? Where would you like to see your work applied? 

I would really love to see my personal project The Ghost Alchemist come to life at some point, perhaps even animated… that would be super awesome! Besides that, doing something for a new game like Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy or Castlevania would be incredible too. 

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?

The Ghost Alchemist is my main priority when I am not doing work for anyone else. I am also working/planning on doing some traditional work, which I am excited about. That being said, it will all fall within The Ghost Alchemist’s realm. 

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

People can find my work on my website www.alexdosdiaz.com, but it is a curated portfolio. If you would like to see my process and all other work, you can follow me on Instagram: alexdosdiaz. Fair warning, though: you might run into the occasional picture of the most adorable dog in the world, Clementine. 

Artist Interview with Grace Kim

Meet Grace Kim, a South Korea-born, Canada-raised illustrator, comic artist, and animator currently working in the world of childrens' animation. "Growing up, I’ve always liked to draw, but when I moved to Canada, drawing intensified because I couldn’t speak any English.  Looking back on it, I think I used drawing as a way to cope with adjusting to a different culture." After attending Sheridan College in the Canadian city of Oakville, Grace lived and worked in Ottawa and Toronto before moving to Vancouver, where she is currently working as a Special Pose Artist at DHX Media. Read more about Grace Kim's work, interests, and her piece in the upcoming show, SWARM, below! 

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What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice? Do you have any collections or things that help you get inspired?

No matter where I work, I always seem to create clutter.  I cleaned up a bunch of stuff for the photo, but usually there is quite a bit of books and mugs and toys scattered about my desk space. 

I love to have the things that inspire me in close reach of me at all times, because I feel like they give me a creative boost.  Really clean, minimized spaces give me a bit of anxiety and the blank canvas syndrome (the one where you can’t think of what to do).

Usually I have a lot of books on my desk; art books, novels, encyclopedias... Just whatever holds my interest! I also love having a cup of coffee right by me all the time!

You seem to be experienced with a variety of media, what is your favorite to work with? And what is your usual process when approaching a piece? Does it change depending on the medium you’re working with?

My all-time favourite art tools are pen, ink and markers! I love them because the result is immediate and there is less colour mixing involved.

When working on a piece, I usually do a very rough thumbnail, then dive straight into the final product. I'm not very good at restarting or fixing a piece, so If I make mistakes, I usually call them happy mistakes and live with them. It’s part of the beauty of inking! Although if the mistakes are BAD, I will redo a piece, but differently than the one I had been working on before.

You mentioned that you’re an animator for childrens’ television shows, is this something you’ve always been interested in pursuing? Are there things you’ve learned by working in the industry that have influenced your personal work?

I think I’ve wanted to be an animator since grade 4.  Though the work is rather different than what I imagined it to be when I was a kid (no more 2D traditional animation! I didn’t even know what a cintiq [tablet] was), I love working in the animation industry.  I do wonder sometimes what it would be like to do on-paper animation as my job.

Every show I’ve worked on has definitely influenced my drawings to some degree or another. Especially working as a special pose artist, I’ve learned to be more economic and effective with my linework.  However, the themes in my personal work have always been mine, unaffected by the work created at my job. 

Your work always seems to tell a strong story, whether you’re making a comic, a sketch, or a complete illustration. How do you go about crafting these stories, worlds, and characters?

A few years back, I went through a very long art block.  I never knew what to draw, and my sketchbook was full of headshots.  So one day, I promised myself to do more drawings that told a story.  Even if it was just a sketch, I spent more time on the emotion I’m trying to convey.  Now it’s almost become a habit for me to try and draw “stories” instead of drawing mindlessly.  

These stories or ideas don’t always come to me immediately.  I’ll usually draw a character or a surrounding based on something I was inspired by, then I start to build the world based on those drawings.  If I draw a character I like, I want to build a world for it to live in.  If I draw a surrounding I like, I want to inhabit that world with creatures! 

Crop of Bright Night by Grace Kim; See the full piece in SWARM on October 27th!

Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Swarm? Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece, or anything you discovered while working on it?

The piece I did for Swarm is actually kind of interesting, because it is kind of an extension of a story I’m working on slowly.  It works as a single piece, but I would love to finish building the story around it.

What are your favorite creatures of the dark? Are there any that you think get an unfair rap?

I love, but am also terrified of insects.  I love watching them in HD documentaries, but when I see them in real life, I freeze like a rock! So I understand when people are scared of bugs, but at the same time I think they’re the amazing.

What inspires you? Favorite films, music, other pieces of media? And who are some of your favorite artists right now?

A lot of things inspire me... Movies, music, books… Since moving to Vancouver, nature has been a big inspiration. I love looking at different types of moss and foliage in the forests. There is something about small intricate vegetation in a vast forest that just draws me in.

I am a big fan of horror movies.  I love Darren Aronofsky and Guillermo Del Toro very much. Their films are amazing because they don’t just focus on horrific images... They explore the beauty within those disturbing moments.

In terms of music, it seems like there are two people living inside me… I love bands like Joy Division, but at the same time I’m a big fan of k-pop.  They’re polar opposites of each other!

Right now, I am really enjoying the art book for Nier:Automata.  So far it's my favourite game this year!

Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet (art-wise or just in life)?

During the colder seasons, I love knitting/ crocheting. I like making little dolls and giving them to my friends.  I also love playing video games; as an adult, it’s really hard to find the time to binge playing through a game, but I try to free up some weekends so I can just stay home and play all day.

What would be an absolute dream project for you? This can be personal or commercial!

I would love to make my own show or publish a collection of comics some day!  I think it would be really cool to have a brand where my personal works can be kept.  

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?

I am planning on making some t-shirts this year.  I’ve never done it, and I’m not sure who’d want them, but I want to make them so I can at least wear them with my friends!

I’m also working on a collection of comics this year. One is a slice of life sort of comic featuring one of my characters Worryball, and the other is a comic about a cult!

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

This was fun to write! Thanks for the opportunity.  

If people want to see more of my work, it can be found at:

Twitter @JjacssoKim

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjacsso/

Tumblr:  http://jjacsso.tumblr.com/

Artist Interview with Lilian Crooks

Meet Lilian Crooks, East Coast resident and creator of bright, graphic works that are simultaneously effectively simple and deceptively complex. Read about her practice, her piece in our current show, PARALLEL, and her various inspirations below! 

Hi Lilian! Tell us a bit about yourself, where did you go to school? What kind of work do you do? What kind of projects have you worked on recently, or what projects are you currently working on? 

I graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art in May of 2016. I grew up in Massachusetts and currently reside in Philadelphia, PA. I'm a full-time graphic designer at a small college and also do freelance illustration. I've been working on "atmospheric comics" (for lack of a better term) in my spare time, and used the same approach for my Parallel piece. They're not part of a major project, per se, but they have been a really fun way for me to experiment with comics-adjacent work without having to commit to sequential art, which I'm not really fond of doing. I've also made pieces for a bunch of zines over the past few months, the most recent being Strut (a retro anime fashion zine) and Ideal (an LGBT art zine). Being out of school and working a 9 to 5 job means I actually have free time now. It's been both really exciting and a little overwhelming, and I've been happy to take the time to create lots of self-indulgent personal work.

What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice? Do you have any collections or things that help you get inspired?

It's just a small desk at the back of my living room, as unexciting as that is. My work is almost entirely digital, so I rarely need much more than my computer, tablet, and an enormous cup of coffee. I've been told the decor in my apartment "feels like" my artwork, so maybe it's all just one big mood board. I'm an inveterate collector of tchotchkes and thrift store gems, which includes two huge Chinese opera masks that keep an eye on me while I work. I try to keep the space as tidy as possible, as I feel like a messy desk can discourage me from sitting down and getting to work. I keep a bunch of favorite comics and art books within reach for when I need a little inspiration, but wouldn't recommend this as I usually just end up reading them instead of drawing...

What is your process when approaching a piece? Your work is so beautifully poppy and graphic, do you often think about color and shape first or line and form? 

Thank you so much! I definitely focus a lot more on shape and color than I do on line. I start with a mood board (usually on Pinterest) for more detail-specific pieces and fill it with reference pictures and inspiration. I draw a handful of thumbnail pencil sketches before moving on to one slightly more "finished" sketch. I scan that and start laying down blocks of color right away. I rarely create work with line art, so this color blocking step is often where a lot of the real "sketching" and planning happens. Once I have my basic layout of shapes I move on to adjusting colors. This can be a pretty finicky and time-consuming step. I feel that because my work is lineless the colors and values need to be juuuust so. My favorite part is probably the last step, which involves fleshing out details and laying down textures, gradients, and patterns. It brings everything together in a way I find really satisfying.

Do you have any favorite resources, materials, or research materials?  

Right now I'm obsessed with the Internet Archive Book Images gallery on Flickr. It's home to over 5 million scans of antique book illustrations/photographs, and I can easily spend hours trawling it for inspiration. It's a great source for beautiful, gross, and/or delightfully bizarre images that would probably be forgotten otherwise.

Retrofuturist Landscape by Lilian Crooks, created for PARALLEL

Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Parallel? What kind of world did you want to create? 

I was looking at mid-century futurist illustration and really loved the genuine optimism that comes across in many of the landscapes. They envisioned a kind of sleek, modular utopia that both embraced and juxtaposed the natural world around it, and I wanted to create my own vision of the future with this retrofuturist lens in mind. Our present earth feels increasingly marred by centuries of unchecked and unscrupulous corporatism, industry, and technology. It's interesting and bittersweet (and definitely Panglossian) to try to imagine a society that manages to harness technological innovation with the health of the people and the environment in mind. I imagine my parallel world as being a tranquil post-scarcity colony city on a small, distant planet.

Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece, or anything you discovered while working on it? 

My Parallel piece is the third "atmospheric comic" I've made, and the entire panel-layout approach is very new and exciting for me! Keeping the entire illustration in mind as I work on each individual vignette is a fun challenge, as is attempting to balance micro and macro to achieve the gestalt effect I'm aiming for. I also tend to prefer making figure-centric work and probably have a tendency to lean on that, so these have forced me to try to create visual interest through environment alone.

What inspires you? Favorite films, music, other pieces of media? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? 

Lately, I've been really interested in German Expressionist films. While my work is pretty bright and colorful, I'm enamored with the way they use light and dark, sharp angles, and stark shapes to evoke a mood. I saw The Night of the Hunter for the first time this year and certain scenes were so strikingly composed that they're more or less crystallized in my mind. My Own Private Idaho and The Ascent also come to mind as films I love and find really visually inspiring! At the moment I'm extremely into the illustration work of Matteo Berton, Vincent Mahé, and Jee-Ook Choi.

Various pieces by Lilian Crooks

Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet (art-wise or just in life)? 

I do a lot of reading, shamelessly love to watch super trashy reality TV, and I'm involved in work with a local political organization. Art-wise, I'd really like to figure out how to use 3D rendering programs, and have just started to clumsily acquaint myself with SketchUp. I'd also like to work on learning how to create motion graphics in the not-too-distant future. I really, really want to go to one of those gyms (I think you'd call them gyms?) where everything is trampolines and foam pits. 

What would be an absolute dream project for you? This can be personal or commercial! 

Oh, man... What a hard question! I think I'd love to design/illustrate an enormous mural or billboard and be able to see it in person. Or to create an album cover for Young Thug. Maybe illustrate an enormous billboard advertisement for a Young Thug album.

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?

I hate to say it, but I don't have any major projects on the horizon! This is a really busy season for my design job, so I've been short of time and energy. Once that calms down I'd like to continue my series of "atmospheric comics" and make another A-Z drop cap alphabet poster.

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

Young Thug, if you're reading this, let me design your next album cover.

My work can be found on my website, Twitter, and Tumblr. Thanks so much for interviewing me! I'm incredibly excited to see everybody's work for this show, and it's an honor to be a part of it.

Artist Interview with Pat Presley

Meet Pat Presley, a San Francisco-based illustrator who has had an artistic hand in many franchises, including Star Wars, X-Men, the fighting game Injustice 2, and many more. Read about his views on being a professional concept illustrator, his piece in our upcoming show Parallel, and his fascinations with the Apocalypse below!  

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Tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you go to school? What brought you into the art world? What kind of work do you do? 

I was born in Bangkok, Thailand. I spent most of my childhood there dodging traffic and taking in a steady diet of movies, comic books and ghost stories. My formative years were in eastern Kansas where I got my degree in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State. Initially, I was studying to be a Psychiatrist because I wanted to make loads of money, but I almost flunked out because I'd rather be hanging out in the Billiard hall and playing Street Fighter. Then one day, I accidentally walked into the College of Architecture's gallery and thought "Hell, I can do this!" 

Architecture didn't exactly work out as a career either. It was stressful and I like sleeping too much. So I moved to California looking for a different path. I got my first break with a game studio, Factor 5. My first project was a PS3 game LAIR, which was considered one of the "Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of the Decade". Hard to top that accolade! After that I spend over 5 years with Lucasfilm in Marin County working on several Star Wars animated series, The Clone Wars and Rebels, as well as a few other SW related projects. 

Another project I've worked on is Subnautica, a Sci-fi underwater exploration game developed by Unknown Worlds. It was a refreshing experience working with an indie developer on this unique project.

Now I am a freelance concept designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, working in Film, Animation and Games. I have done work for Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, and Disney Imagineering, among others.

What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice? 

We have a tiny apartment in The Bay Area, a hallway really. Because I like to work in a cave, my workspace is in the darkest corner of the place, and is boxed in by a large bookcase. Most of the time it is really messy. I feel like a little chaos creates a good workspace: things on the walls, books and papers piling everywhere, etc. Usually my desk looks like it's just about to spin out of control.

What is your process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources, materials, or research materials? 

My main approach, which is typical for my professional work, is through problem solving. It's a simple idea of identifying problems that need visual solutions. For example, if the client asks for "a spaceship", then you start asking various questions that are pertinent to that. What is the function of the ship? What is the type of speculative technology at work? What are the story elements that take place here? What is the history? Sometimes I ask those questions to the clients, other times I just ask myself those questions. It helps me to identify a clear target. After you identify the "problems", you start doing research, which usually means collecting tons of references relevant to those questions. These early steps of the process are pretty crucial but the important aspect is to have fun with it. I draw spaceship and fantastic cities for a living, I can't take myself too seriously.

What's it like to be in the concept art industry? How do you maintain your artistic voice when working in a group of people, or is the collaborative atmosphere something you find exciting? 

It is a lot of fun and very challenging at the same time. Because of my Architecture background, I find concept art to be very similar since it deals with solving problems visually. My "artistic voice" isn't so much an expression of self but a communication of ideas. It is done in a community. When you come together behind an idea or a narrative and answer to its needs, it becomes part of the satisfaction.

A lot of the work you do involves machinations, futuristic environments, and amazing structural detail. Are these things you've always had an eye for? How do you invent things for worlds and realities that have rules and cultures totally different from our own?

I guess you can blame it on my love for architecture and science fiction. Also, I’m a bit enamored with a sense of place and how it can affect you. So I end up painting things I want to see. 

I can't create out of a vacuum. My output needs a lot of input. Most of the work is a reflection of things I see in the real world, and I either look at it sideways or add a twist to it.

What's your dream locale? You've spent so much time creating and exploring these new worlds, is there a specific environment that you yourself would want to inhabit? 

I’ve always wanted to be on earth when it ends. I have a recurring dreams of the end of the world. So I would love to have an opportunity for a front row seat to the apocalypse. It would be really terrifying but it would be so impressive to see such a rare cataclysmic event that you can only experience once...literally. Unfortunately I think that we are in the most boring corner of the universe where not much happens.

Crop of Presley's piece The Floodplains; See the full piece at the opening of Parallel! 

Can you tell us about the piece you created for Parallel? 

This is a piece I recently created and thought it would be fitting to submit to Parallel. The piece is titled The Floodplain, and it's actually the second piece from a series of paintings called Postcards from Asia. It's a visual travelogue of an alternate universe. I was having fun with the idea of how we are increasingly defined by our surroundings and more importantly, water. It's an imagined life in this flood area, including the strange machines and technology necessary to live in that zone.

What are some of your favorite pieces of media? What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists right now?

I draw a lot of influence from film and architecture. These two mediums are, in many ways, a nexus of various art and science. I also have great respect for comic artists, animators and the art form of visual storytelling. People like Moebius, Hayao Miyazaki, Otomo Katsuhiro have transcended the medium and took it to places you didn't expect. 

On favorite artists front, I will always have J.C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, John Singer Sargent, Moebius, Ralph McQuarrie, Syd Mead and many others. 

That said, there are many other bright spots out there currently. I love Nicolas Delort's work and the way he's doing things. When I first saw his pieces The End of the Road and A Rumor of Angels, I was blown away by how elemental they are. His work is classical and fresh at the same time. 

I also enjoy Sterling Hundley's illustration work. His work is one of those rare breeds where it serves its function as communicator of ideas, but is also able to move you on emotional level. Somehow he is able to find that balance.

What would be an absolute dream project for you? 

Outside of drawing and designing, films and reading are my little happinesses in life. Making a short film or writing a book (or a comic book) would be an absolute thrill.

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about? 

I recently finished concept work on one of the "X-Men" films in production. I was working directly with the wonderful production designer, Molly Hughes. They’re shooting the film right now. As an artist, you're always curious how much of your work survives the final cut, so I am very excited to see that.

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work? 

Thank you for allowing me to share a bit about me and my work! You can find more at www.phattro.com, and you can follow me on instagram at @phattro

Artist Interview with Evan Kang

Meet Evan Kang, a Pennsylvania-born connoisseur of the splashy, colorful media of the late 20th century. Although very illustrative, much of Evan’s 80’s-tinged work exists in 3-D space, in the form of models and dioramas. Read more about his interests, processes, and how he creates these playful worlds below, and check out his piece in our upcoming show, Parallel! 

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Tell us a bit about yourself! Where did you go to school? Where did you grow up? Where do you currently reside? What brought you into the art world? 

I grew up in and am currently back in my hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It’s the state capital, but nobody's heard of it! That’s for good reason though, it’s a small and quiet town with not much to do, and I’m only here temporarily to be closer to family.

I was briefly in the illustration program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, with the prospect of refining a more conceptual approach to image making (working with abstractions, coding, etc). It was a bit of a struggle, because my process doesn’t really mesh with what was being taught. In art school I feel like you’re supposed to fit a certain mold, at least to an extent, and that just wasn’t happening for me. Even so, the overall experience has been invaluable, and I definitely came away from it a stronger illustrator.

Working with models and dioramas have been my primary focus lately. Miniatures have this sort of allure and charm that I find really attractive, so I’d like to push my work further in that territory.

What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice? 

I’m currently sharing a studio space with my partner (who is also an illustrator), which is actually just a tiny extra bedroom. We have a pretty standard setup: a desktop computer, scanner, printer, and an extra desk for analog projects. In between the two desks is a little tube TV with an N64 and Sega Genesis, for those quick but frequent breaks… The responsible thing to do would be to move the games into another room, but that’s just not going to happen. There’s also some shelves and bookcases filled with toys, comics, and lots of reference material.

In terms of perfect spaces, I’m not too picky. All I need is to put on some background noise and to have my partner working in the same space (so it doesn’t get too lonely). Throw in a bit of ambient or natural lighting and I can get into the “zone” pretty quickly!

What is your process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources, materials, or research materials? Does your 3D work require different processes than your 2-Dimensional illustrations, or do you find that they actually come from similar places?  

My process is a little backwards and probably counterproductive. I’ll typically lie down, shut my eyes, and try to visualize a scene/narrative in my head without actually putting things on paper. Pretty off the cuff stuff, and I don’t recommend working this way, it just happens to work for me. Now and then I’ll make some chicken scratch notes or incoherent scribbles, but I mostly wing it. It’s sort of like image making improv. This approach is the same whether I’m working in 2D or 3D, model-making just requires a little more trial and error because there’s some engineering involved.

For research and reference I’ll usually look up things through online sources or I’ll snap my own reference photos for a very specific gesture. Pretty straightforward. Occasionally, I might revisit a movie or video game to make mental mood boards.

The materials I like to use most are Evergreen sheet styrene, Super Sculpey [modeling clay], and Vallejo model color paints for all 3D pieces. Most of my 2D work is digital, so my ancient Wacom Bamboo tablet has been my go to. 

What brought you to the idea of creating your characters and spaces in model form? Did the techniques required to create these models come fairly naturally to you?

Growing up with Nintendo Power magazines: the covers would sometimes feature models or clay dioramas that always made a big impression on me. I loved that these pieces were specifically crafted just for a one-off image! I’m also a big toy collector and drawn to all things miniature, so the desire to build in model form has been there for a long time. 

As far as the techniques I use, I find that there’s a lot of overlap in skills between working in 2D and 3D. Model making is just drawing in a 3D space. You’re still thinking about planes, forms, and overall composition, but with an added technical aspect of physically puzzling pieces together. Kind of like a jigsaw.

Crop of Evan's piece Garbage Day; full image coming soon! Parallel opens September 22! 

Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Parallel? What kind of world did you want to create? 

The piece [is] a physical diorama composed and then photographed as an image titled Garbage Day. It’s set in an off world trash heap. I wanted to create an environment that could take place at the end of an 80’s sci-fi/action movie. A lot of these films have their climaxes take place in these run down, industrial backdrops. To capture that mood but then combine it with a mundane and unflattering job performed by martian-like characters seemed really funny to me. Civilizations produce waste and it needs to be handled by someone, what would it look like in another dimension and what kind of pests do they have to deal with?

Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece? 

I’m really aiming to shoot everything in-camera and have all the pieces be physical objects. Usually, I’ll edit in a photograph to use as a background or use digital tricks to finish an image, but I’d really like to make this piece as tactile as possible. It’s going to be a real challenge!

What are some of your favorite pieces of media? What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? 

Bad sci-fi movies like The Stuff, R.O.T.O.R., and Robot Jox in addition to the classics like RoboCop and Terminator have a large influence on the work I make. There’s sort of an endearing quality to bad movies, and the special effects are always fun to look at no matter how terrible they are. I grew up watching these films and I often subconsciously pull from these sources when I’m working.

Sean Chao is an artist that I really look up to. He creates incredible dioramas with clay, cut paper, and found objects that are just full of character and charm. His work is meticulous, look him up!

Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet? 

Video games and collecting are two of my biggest hobbies. Nostalgia is something that influences my artistic practice and personal interests. Over the years I’ve collected some of the consoles I played when I was younger, as well as some of my favorite action figures (like G.I. Joe, as an example). 

In my practice, I’d really like to explore the techniques and capabilities of 3D printing. I’ve done some freelance and personal projects using digital 3D modeling and would love the take that to the next level. There are a lot of interesting things being done with 3D printing, so I’d love to learn more about it for myself.

What would be an absolute dream project for you? This can be personal or commercial! 

Eventually I’d like to launch my own toy line in the same vein of franchises like G.I. Joe, complete with TV show or comic book tie ins. Things like that were highly influential to me as a kid, so as an adult I’d like to bring my own stories to life in a similar way. I started a project called Rad Warriors when I was at PNCA that included my first experiments in designing and fabricating my own action figures. I created the figure itself as well as the packaging for the finished piece. It was immensely challenging working out the kinks but also hugely rewarding to hold the finished project.

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?

I recently finished a cross country move and I’m still settling in, but I’m working with my friend and fellow artist Anthony Anello to crossover the characters from my Rad Warriors series into his comic series, Fallguy and Car-man. 

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

You can check out my work over at my personal site www.evankang.com and follow me on instagram @therealevankang

Artist Interview with Sishir Bommakanti

Meet Sishir Bommakanti, a current MCAD MFA candidate, Ringling alumn, dream enthusiast, and lover of oddities. When he's not creating visually stunning depictions of chaotic neverwheres, he's exploring the subtleties of his favorite films and spending quality time with his oddly characteristic cat, Alfe. 

Read more about his processes, work, and current Light Grey exhibition below!

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Tell us a bit about yourself! Where did/do you go to school? What brought you into the art world? What kind of projects have you worked on recently, or what projects are you currently working on? 

I am currently a canidate at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design MFA program. I am focusing on Visual Studies, however my main line of work is illustration and painting. I got my BFA at Ringling College of Art and Design (class of '12) in Illustration, and I currently live, study and work in the city of Minneapolis.

My illustration work is focused on editorial, publishing and everything in between, but within my own practice, I tend to focus on "the fringe" and the odd corners of our world. This ranges from the paranormal, supernatural, and mythological to other weird areas that people tend not to look into.

My process is wide-ranging: from pen and ink to mixed media, painting, glitch distortion and so forth. Depending on the project or context, I adapt my process to a specific structure. Most of the individual elements I create end up becoming assets for collages, so I can build a narrative using individual shapes, textures and lines.

Recently, I worked on a major project with Popular Mechanics, creating a series of images about everyday objects that can kill you. I also recently worked with the VCU [Virginia Commonwealth University] Communication Arts Department on a cover illustration for their student run comic anthology. Currently, I am working on a series of spot [illustrations] and a full wraparound for an independent publisher, as well as finishing up a series of drawings and paintings for my solo show [The Sleep of Reason] at MCAD's Gallery 148. 

What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?

My workspace is part study room, part editing station and part traditional painting studio. Although I am a messy person, I still tend to organize that mess in its own rows and columns. I initially work traditionally, and most of my experimentation tends to be within the traditional application, so I have a large part of my studio dedicated to drawing and painting. I have another part of my studio dedicated to editing, composing and processing things digitally. Finally, I also have a nice little couch where I can chill, read and ideate for new projects or images.

A perfect creative space for me is one where i'm most comfortable. Too often, previous iterations of my studio have been incredibly messy, unorganized spaces, which inhibited my work process. I've been learning and appreciating how important it is to have at least some form of organization within a studio space to allow for a more stress-free environment. 

What is your typical process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources or materials? 

When approaching a piece, I start with a bit of research, drawing and thumbnailing. Although my process is generally reactive, I still build a 'container' that will allow me to limit my process. After building some structure, or getting a 'general idea', I start reference gathering, often trying to find various angles of certain subjects. This allows me to build upon my thumbnails, but still limit myself to the shapes and elements that I already decided on. Finally, I draw the elements out individually using traditional media, scan them, and composite/collage them into an illustration as a simple line drawing that can then be colored and pushed further via digital processes. 

My favorite materials are pen and ink! I also use a range of brushes: nice clean ones to damaged ones that I use for textures. I have an Epson v700 scanner and spend a lot of time scanning in various textures I've made at incredibly high resolutions to create my own unique and personal library of assets. Another favorite resource is collecting old black and white photographs, both in real life and through online sources. I don’t necessarily use them for any major reference, but they work as interesting compositional materials, especially since older, analogue photography involved a reasonable understanding of composition and value. 

Can you tell us about a little bit about your current show up at Light Grey? 

The series featured within Light Grey’s Fairly Dark exhibition includes a series of my illustrations and drawings that lean towards the abstract. The illustrations provide a good summary of imagery I often repeat, such as ghosts, demons, rotting creatures and other surreal elements stitched together as if they were a set. However, my drawings are more experimental. They were a ritual of reaction: drawing one element at a time, I reacted to each image to see how the composition would work once the entire page was filled up. 

For me, emotions such as stress, anxiety, mania and other psychological ailments are what I consider demons from the darkness. Each image is meant to provoke that feeling of being overwhelmed or in a panic, like the initial shock of having a hundred things go through my mind when dealing with a situation. It's an interesting phenomenon we all deal with, some more than others. The ritual of drawing, for me, would then be an act of sealing these demons, so they can’t bother me again, at least until the next time. 

The work in this show and much of your other work seems to draw from dreams, chaos, and the surreal... Do you do a lot of research when approaching your subjects, or does it come more subconsciously?

Definitely a mixture of both. My illustrations are more research-heavy, in order to create an image that can compliment the article, story, or idea that I’m given. My personal work operates within this same process, but I get the opportunity to be a lot more esoteric and layered with my approach and execution. Personally, I like layered narratives, like those incredibly subtle references within movies, stories and video games. 

With my work, I want to be able to provide a clear compositional narrative, while allowing the layers of content to become an opportunity for the viewer to look into the image even more. I guess I’m kinda haunted/bothered by the quote, "You spend more time with your work than your viewers." [Creating these layered works] is a way to extend the viewing time of an image, and allow the opportunity for dialogue whenever possible. 

What draws you to these themes in the first place? Do you feel like it's just a natural part of who you are? 

My upbringing. I'm glad I had the opportunity to grow up in India with a good family that allowed for diversity in my beliefs. That's often not the case where I came from. This opportunity allowed me to ask questions about religion, science and history without being criticized or ignored because I was a child. I grew up around grandmothers reciting Hindu prayers, cousins studying science, my father explaining the structure of the universe while fortunetellers were explaining astrological charts. I find the surreal, the spiritual and the sublime very fascinating because of how weird and interesting legends, folktales, and dreams can be; yet the historical, scientific world we live in is equally or even more stranger than fiction. 

I would like to, as an illustrator, bring some of these concepts I’ve been researching into an environment where people can be introduced to something new or surreal. Currently, my interests are focused on dreams and their limitless potential as a from of storytelling. I think our contemporary culture has fallen out of favor with allowing dreams to be part of our lives; they have become peripheral events that are meant to be dismissed in order to function in society. With my work, I hope to be able to rekindle this conversation with people.

What are some of your favorite pieces of media? What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists right now?

Music has been a major influence in my work. I can't listen to music when I'm working because its direct influence is too distracting, but while taking walks or just in my room, I like to create associations with imagery, narratives and made up movie scenes when I'm listening to something. I’m mostly interested in the more abstract, ambient and instrumental music of Tim Hecker, Stars of The Lid, Dead Texan, Matthewdavid and Arca (just to name a few).

I often find my biggest inspirations to be media completely unrelated to my line of work. Currently, I’ve been obsessed with photographers such as Daido Moriyama, Joel-Peter Witkin, Sally Mann and Weegee. Also, experimental filmmakers such as David Lynch, Bill Morrision, Andrei Tarkovsky and more recently, The Vasulkas. An all-time favorite for me will always be the film Decasia by Bill Morrision. 

Within the realm of Illustration, I keep looking at Kathe Kollwitz, Hannah Hoch, Dean Cornwell, Harvey Dunn, Barron Storey, Robert Weaver and Mucha, to name a few. 

Is there anything significant or process-changing you've learned recently? Something that you feel really pushed you in the direction that you're going? 

Repetition. My fear was always that repetition would cause my work to lose its evolution, so for a while I was working with a variety of media using a variety of approaches. This was both a good and bad experience: the good being that I learned a lot, the bad being that I had no general direction, and I was throwing away potential processes before they could bloom into something substantial. There was no real improvement in my work. 

Through my MFA studies, I’ve started to embrace this concept of repetition. The biggest thing I’ve learned recently is that repetition will allow for evolution. Like studying, doing a specific process, approach or style over and over will allow you to understand it better, and eventually discover more efficient ways to approach an illustration or image. It’s a process that allows one to build upon and then divert to a different direction. The Horror Vacui drawings done for Fairly Dark are a good example of me embracing this process of repetition. Drawing similar subjects over and over, but in a diverse manner, allowing me to find new ways to say the same thing. This process has not only helped me push my drawing and compositional skills, but also to begin to create a consistent body of work.

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?

I'm currently finishing up a body of work for a solo show [The Sleep of Reason] at MCAD's Gallery 148 in Minneapolis. I’ve spent the summer working on a series of images that relate to a dream journal that I created in 2011. I've been using that journal as a point of inception to build narratives and imagery related to reoccurring dreams, nightmares and other liminal states. I wanted to create a show and environment where I can have a dialogue with people about dreams and their potential application in the waking world. Hopefully I will be able to have those conversations during the opening on August 31st! Tell your friends! 

Do you have any dream projects that you’d like to work on, either personal or commercial?

I had a dream project that was recently corrupted by the Great iMac Crash of 2017. However, a few days ago, I discovered that the main files for it were backed up in a corner of my dropbox! I've been building a fantasy world full of its own culture, history, and geological landmarks. I wanted to take all the research I've been doing in history and mythology to inspire and allow me to create my own world. It’s the slowest, most inconsistent, and most ever-changing project ever, but I'm totally ok with that. It's a corner of my own creative world where no one can ever bother me, and I'm free to create as I wish, knowing that the only deadline is my own mortality. As a child I would create my own world and narratives (as I’m sure a lot of us did), and this project is meant to maintain that child-like imagination whenever I get the opportunity. Needless to say, I never get bored during long lines. 

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

You can find my work over at www.sishir.com

You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @cadmiumcoffee

My tumblr is Cadmiumcoffee.tumblr.com

Artist Interview with Kathleen Jennings

Meet Kathleen Jennings, a Brisbane, Australia-based illustrator and writer who creates playful, fantastical worlds and characters. Most recently, she has illustrated Kij Johnson’s upcoming book The River Bank, which will be out in September via Small Beer Press. 

Check out our interview below to learn more about Jennings’ literary interests, artistic process, and the work she currently has up in the gallery!

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, recent projects, etc.?

I was raised mostly on a cattle property (aka a cattle station) in Western Queensland, Australia. It wasn't incredibly remote, but far enough from town that I did most of my schooling through School of the Air (over-the-radio schooling using a Royal Flying Doctor radio) and spent the last two years at a boarding school. I then went to the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where I still live. I didn't study art – I studied English literature, German, and Law, and practiced for a while as both a translator and a lawyer.

I've always drawn and written, but when I was working as a lawyer I decided to make a point of drawing every day (using the website Illustration Friday as a source for prompts), as well as putting something on my blog every week. It was through that – and contacts from writing circles – that I got my first book cover job from Small Beer Press, with whom I still frequently work. 

I've always worked on the literary end of science fiction and fantasy publishing for adult readers (more grown-up books need pictures!), but lately I've been moving into young adult and children's books. Kij Johnson's The River Bank is coming out from Small Beer Press this year, and I’ve also been working on upcoming projects within the publishers Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster.

I've recently spent six weeks in the USA, attending the Illustration Master Class at Amherst and Nico Delort's workshop at Light Grey, as well as Readercon in Boston and publisher visits in New York, so I'm just setting up my studio again now.

What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?

What it currently looks like is both predictably untidy and unnervingly not a cascade of paper for once. I currently live alone, so my studio is usually set up where the living/dining room would otherwise be. I had some friends house-sitting while I was travelling, so I had to tidy it all up, and then I bought a new sit/stand desk that I can (hopefully) also use as a drafting table. I'm just getting properly unpacked again as we speak. 

The perfect creative space for me and my practice is in the middle of everything. I like being surrounded by life – sometimes I'll do thumbnail sketches at the café or bar, and I love rambling with a sketchbook. I know more people in my usual haunts now, though, which makes it harder to concentrate. I also like being surrounded by other people quietly working, so sometimes I will round up a few friends and we'll set a timer and work between conversations. 

If I could do anything to my house I would put a deck on the front so that I could see and wave to my neighbours while working there. 

What is your typical process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources or materials? 

Most of my work is based on stories written by other people, and all of it has a strong narrative basis. My first step is to get a handle on the story presented to me. I'll read the manuscript while making little visual notes – drawing on a printed copy, flagging up a book, or taking screenshots if it’s digital (which ends up being the most unwieldy of the three). If it's a new story, or my own version of a fairytale, then I'll draw my way into it more – sketching characters into costumes or turning events into interesting compositions. 

Pinterest is very useful for rounding up references and inspiration, even if I don't refer back to them when working on the final piece. I don't usually draw from a reference directly, but I do spend time drawing references until I feel out a visual shorthand I can use. I try to work out the quirks of the animal or the tailoring or the line of movement which expresses a particular vehicle. Then I can use this to more usefully do my own thing. 

An indirect type of research is reading a lot of old non-fiction – memoirs and obscure older histories. They capture the human idiosyncrasies of their subjects and writers so beautifully and are a reminder to put that into my illustrations, as well as being a frequent source of stories of high adventure and romance. Regency memoirs and early aviation anecdotes are my current favourites. For the same reason, I like to go out and about sketching people walking and working. It gives me a visual library of motion and expression.

My favourite tools are fairly simple ones – black paper and a knife, a dip pen and ink, scratchboard, pencil and a faint tint of watercolour, flat digital colour. When I'm sketching from life, I use markers so that I have to draw confidently and commit.

Can you tell us a little bit about your current work up at Light Grey?

Light Grey invited me to bring art to the gallery when they heard I was visiting Minneapolis. I was already travelling, but fortunately I had just attended the Illustration Master Class in Amherst, Massachusetts and had also left some illustrations with Small Beer Press the last time I passed through. So my current work at the gallery is a mixture of work from this recent trip and forthcoming publications. The work includes ink and wash illustrations I have done for Kij Johnson's new book The River Bank, which is coming out from Small Beer Press this year. It's a genuinely delightful sequel to The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame , and I highly recommend it. It was a delight to draw. 

There are also a few gouache pieces I worked on at the Illustration Master Class in Amherst this June – a relatively new technique for me – and some cut paper silhouettes.  One of those silhouettes is an illustration from Light Grey's TOBEYOU exhibition, and is about growing up on fairytales in western Queensland. The others are bats, because they're so much fun to depict.

Oh, and if it's still up, I have several watercolour pieces in the Wanderlust exhibition: illustrations for a fairytale based on Light Grey's Iceland residency, which I attended last year. 

Your work seems to draw a lot from fairy tales and fantasy, what draws you to these themes? Are there other themes or subjects that you find yourself consistently drawn to? 

I've always liked fairytales. It was probably the illustrations that first drew me in – beautiful ones from an Italian publisher, if I recall. But growing up in the country, surrounded by trees, fairly isolated and with rather primitive technology at the house, the stories seemed to seep into reality more than they might have otherwise.

Fairytales are also a wonderful vocabulary (almost an alphabet) of storytelling among people who know them. You can use fairytale elements to build entirely new stories; images that work as independent pictures and narratives for viewers and readers who are new to them. But once that audience becomes aware of the depth of history and the ongoing conversation that is happening through all those layers of tellings and retellings and reimaginings, there is a splendid depth and resonance you can access. 

I also find myself drawn to Regency stories and history. There's a wild energy and a sly delight in their communication and a very particular visual vocabulary associated with that time, and the possibilities of clothing and drapery within storytelling are generally attractive to me as an artist. I also love the adventure and romance of the early stages of many technologies (railways, aviation, etc), although as I don't like drawing straight lines I'm still working out how to incorporate those elements into my art. 

What are some of your favorite fairy tales, and why do you feel like they're so strong?

Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Ravens/Swan Princes school of stories are two to which I frequently return. Both have a lovely balance of action (birds, questing sisters, twining vines, seven-league boots) and beauty. Tam Lin, for the sheer energy and malevolence and bold efficacy of the story (my Iceland illustrations are for a story that draws in a lot of Tam Lin themes, as well as a bit of Cinderella). 

But the one I come back to most often is Little Red Riding Hood. There are so many versions and nuances in that story – [Charles] Dickens constructed the sprawling, gorgeous Our Mutual Friend around them, and I refuse to believe it wasn't deliberate. The paths of needles and pins, the washerwomen helping the heroine in her flight, the balance of threat and safety: I think it is a very useful tool to use when keying in emotion in a story (whether drawn or written). 

Who are some of your favorite artists, or favorite pieces of media right now? 

You're making me pick favourites? There are so many amazing artists out there, and many of them friends! But for resonance with my own storytelling sensibilities, I really love Rovina Cai's work – an intense beauty, but never saccharine, and with a constant sense of movement. 

Most of the books I've been reading recently haven't been published yet, so here's an old one (apart from Our Mutual Friend): Time Was: The Reminiscences of W. Grahame Robertson. He was a Victorian/Edwardian theatre set designer and friend of the Pre-Raphaelites, and it's just charming as well as being fascinating for artists and dramatic types. 

Is there anything significant or process-changing that you've learned recently? 

Yes! Stacks of things – I've been on a six week study tour, after all. But one of the many lessons I learned was to commit to an angle and push it further: Choose a particular emotion for a piece? Go over-the top. Want to play with scale? You're not playing nearly enough with it. Identify a compositional weakness? Try doubling-down on it. It was a theme at several of the workshops and conversations I was part of. I'm naturally inclined to compose safely, so I consider myself challenged! 

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?

Many are still on the quiet. However, I'm completing an MPhil [Degree] on Australian Gothic literature, and I'm illustrating my written project for that. I'm looking forward to getting those images together: I'm going back to my old home town and also to Hanging Rock (as in: Picnic at) as part of the research. There's a Hokusai and a Dior exhibition on in Melbourne at the same time, so I'm planning sketching trips with some of my art and writing friends.

I'll be able to announce some big projects for several young adult novels soon, and I have a few projects on foot with British and World Fantasy Award winning author Angela Slatter, as well – we work together a lot.

I also have a number of smaller projects on foot through my Patreon, mostly focused on the monthly calendar I illustrate.

Do you have any dream projects that you’d like to work on, either personal or commercial?

I'd love to be turned loose on Pride and Prejudice or Time Was or Harriet Wilson's Memoirs or Cold Comfort Farm – or some new classic-to-be, like Naomi Novik's Uprooted or Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series – to simply draw my way chattily through it, catching the movement and humour and humanity. Oh, and to illustrate a theatre set, like [Edward] Gorey's designs for Dracula.  Or illustrate a published script for a play, e.g. Liz Duffy Adams' Or, and do the art for a board game... so many things.

I'd also like to spend more time officially drawing at events. I've been the Artist at Large at the Brisbane Writers Festival and got hooked – it would be great to be engaged to formally sketch people at work or having fun at, oh, an exhibition or air show or behind the scenes at a theatre.

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

You can find my portfolio at kathleenjennings.com and my blog at tanaudel.wordpress.com. I'm on Patreon at patreon.com/tanaudel, and am tanaudel most places, including Twitter, Instagram, Redbubble and Spoonflower.