Artist Interview: Amanda Lanzone

RSVP (Lavender)

Meet Amanda Lanzone. Amanda is an editorial and freelance illustrator, living and working in New York. Amanda is recognized for her attractive drawings, line quality, and intruging characters- creating narrative and concept-driven illustrations. As a freelance illustrator, Amanda has created many works for clients such as the New York Times, the New Yorker, Cosmopolitan, the City Pages, and Procter & Gamble among others.

We are honored to work with Amanda in the current Great Personality Exhibition and celebrate her as a person and outstanding illustrator. Through this interview, you can get to know Amanda, her process, background and inspirations, and her love for drawing!



Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I was born and raised in Queens, New York. I always loved drawing, and became very serious about it from a young age. From grade school through high school, I took art lessons in and out of school, including summer courses at Cooper Union in the city. I then got accepted to the School of Visual Arts, and graduated with a BFA, majoring in illustration. College was amazing, I learned so much there. I actually got my first editorial jobs while I was still at SVA, and won multiple awards for my work senior year. Those were defining moments, all the hard work was paying off, and things continued from there. . .Drawing is what I love to do, I draw all the time, even when it's not for work.

What is your studio practice and process like? Your materials, use of color, style, work habits? 

I like to look at things, and research. I draw using pens and ink brushes to create various lines, and I like to use a generous amount of black. Making a solid black and white drawing is first. When I don't stop there, I tend to work with a somewhat limited palette, and color and edit in Photoshop. Sometimes, subtle textures like a watercolor wash or colored pencil is added.

Shut Up (ver 2)

For the Great Personality Exhibition you were asked to create a character based on a personality description. How did you approach this project, what elements and characteristics did you include?

I based a character on the personality type INTJ otherwise known as 'the Mastermind'. They may be the 'quiet type', but they have other qualities, such as being very logical and driven people. I created the expressions based on typical feelings or reactions to certain situations. To accompany the character's expressions, I created the physical appearance based on what kinds of features I personally find attractive. I tend to be drawn to the various 'lean, floppy-haired male' types.

Shy Boy (Aaron) by Amanda Lanzone for the Great Personality Exhibition

You do a really lovely job of creating potent, beautifully composed and clean images. What is your ideating process like? How do you arrive at your final image? 

Thank you very much for the kind words. I like to pull from life; inspiration can really strike from anything, even if it's just something as minor as seeing colors that look cool together or something. I like to make things fresh, visually and conceptually. I articulate each detail of the illustrations, and I use my point of view to my advantage. Then it all comes down to the drawing really. 

Hunger (The Landing)

Can you talk a little about the differences between freelance and personal work? Do the subjects and themes overlap? Inspire one another?

Since I do draw what I am partial to, I think this definitely happens. When a client presents me with an idea, interesting visual storytelling is most important so the point communicates. There are defiantly reoccurring themes, and I think do overlap at times, but I work to make each piece it's own.

XO

You graduated from SVA a few years ago. What have  been some of your strategy in kickstarting your career? Best advice? And thoughts on freelance? and aspirations?

My best advice would be to keep pushing. Keep practicing, keep learning, and keep trying. Getting used to freelance work was a bit intimidating, but I continue to put myself out there. When you are passionate about what you do, it's worth all the effort. It's very rewarding, and things are continuing to progress. 

Can you talk about your creative community? Do you often collaborate and work alongside other illustrators and designers?

There have been times friends and I would give each other assignments and we would create an illustrations based on those themes, which was fun. I know a lot of creative people, but we all tend to work on our own things. Everyone I know has always been super supportive, and I am very fortunate to have that.

Cab

Thanks Amanda!

You can check out some of Amanda's upcoming projects, all of her illustrations and process on here website here! You can also see her work for the Great Personality Exhibition on the Light Grey website, and check out all of the archival prints on the Light Grey Shop here.

Studio Self Indulgence with Sam Wolfe Connelly - Weekend Recap!

Studio Self Indulgence with Sam Wolfe Connelly

We just finished a set of huge and inspiring weeks at Light Grey Art Lab! In coordination with the opening reception for Great Personality, we invited freelance, editorial, and exhibiting illustrator Sam Wolfe Connelly to teach a three-day workshop called Studio Self Indulgence!

The weekend workshop included a public artist lecture at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, a series of studio-intensive sessions, advice on practicing and professional illustration, locational brainstorming, business talks, and a guest lecture by Teagan White. Overall, the weekend was full of dynamic conversations, ideating, and a focus on each individual's art practice and aspirations.



The weekend began with the visiting artist lecture at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In the artist talk, Sam walked through his recent work, motivations, and voice in illustration. He shared his thoughts about promoting work, navigating the line between client-based and personal work, and some of the stories and history that make their way into his pieces- creating eery, interesting, and voyeuristic narratives.

It was an informative and very entertaining start to the night! If you missed the artist talk, we just posted it to the Light Grey Podcast. You can find an audio recording of the lecture here.



After the talk, we made our way to Light Grey Art Lab for the opening reception of Great Personality, the release of the Great Personality Dating Games, and an All Creatives Meet & Greet. It was an unbelievable turnout with artists, locals, and friends, who were all gathered for the big unveil! Guests were able to mingle and meet one another while looking at all of the pinups and environments on the surrounding walls. You can see more information about the opening reception here or see all of the photographs on the Great Personality flickr set here.



The studio workshops began on Saturday morning with bagels, coffee, and tea. We gathered around the big tables to meet all of the workshop participants, get to know one another, and discus our goals and focus for the workshop and thereafter.



After a few brainstorming exercises and individual reflections, we broke into teams and began idea generating and comparing interests. Each group was given prompts to expand upon and use throughout the afternoon field trips and locational workshops.

American Swedish Institute

Our first group trip was to the American Swedish Institute. There, students were invited to gather source images, sketch, and wonder through the halls of the Turnblad Mansion. The entire mansion is covered in gilded statues, giant bay windows, lookout points, bannisters, and hand-carved ornaments. It was a perfect place to sketch and work out some drawings!

Students sketching throughout the museum.



We then made our way to Midtown Global Market for a lunch break and conversation. Midtown is a colorful and diverse marketplace for all types of food and goods- It is one of our favorite places for people watching and grabbing a bite to eat.

Midtown Global Market

And after lunch we made our way to Northeast Minneapolis to the Bell Museum of Natural History. Here, there are tons of beautiful landscapes, dioramas, taxidermy, and carefully placed scenes for sketching and observing.

Bell Museum of Natural History

In the afternoon, we returned to Light Grey Art Lab for a lecture, presentation, and work time. And after a productive day, we settled down for a family style dinner and game night! It was a mystery themed game night that included Clue, Pandemic, Rolemodels, Who Killed Doctor Lucky, and more!

Mystery Game Night!

Breakfast and Business Discussion

The second day of the workshop began with a Breakfast and Business Talk. We all gathered around the big tables to pool our resources! The business talk included topics of promotionals, art directors, conventions, art reps, and more. It is a content heavy and incredibly important part of the workshop!

Then Sam gave two technique-based demos. We watched Sam create a small drawing in charcoal, and then how he translated and colored his work digitally. He talked through his techniques and tips for keeping material qualities and setting certain moods.

Digital Demo by Sam Wolfe Connelly

Artist Talk with Teagan White

Then we had an artist presentation by local illustrator, Teagan White. Teagan is an expert in her craft, style, and application. She shared information about what techniques and promotions have worked best for her, finding the right kind of work for her style, and her thoughts on illustration. It was an thoughtful and informative talk! You can see more of Teagan White's work here.



After our artist talks and demos, we had a full afternoon including one-on-one critiques, portfolio reviews with Sam, and group brainstorming for future projects. During the one-on-one meetings, Sam talked with each participant with their individual art goals, current projects, and questions. It was a chance to ask all of the specifics about their personal illustration work.



Groups met to talk about zine, exhibition, and project possibilities! Each group came up with a unique solution that brought together their common goals, inspirations, community, and resources.

Farewell dinner at Fuji Ya

And after a productive, inspiring, and collaborative weekend, we gathered around around for our final, farewell dinner! We had a great time talking with all of the artists and about new things on the horizon! I think we all left with a sense of possibilities and good things to come!

Thanks to everyone that participated in this weekend, attended the lecture at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, or came to the opening reception of Great Personality- this was an extremely special and community driven weekend!

Studio Self Indulgence, 2014

Artist Interview with Jo Yeh

Meet Jo Yeh. Jo is one of the participating artists in the 6 Degrees Exhibition and a current MFA student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. We were immediately captured by Jo's illustrations, her sense of color, story-telling, and influence of place in her work, and we are excited to share her work and celebrate her unique practice!



Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I was born in Taiwan, a tropical island country in Asia. There, the students’ academic performances in schools mean almost everything, especially in the urban areas, so almost every student has to go to cram schools after school to study more, and has no time to develop personal interests. Luckily, I grew up in a remote countryside in southern Taiwan, so I did not have that much stress. I could spend most of my after-school hours on my interests—reading and drawing—instead of going to cram schools, and here was the start of my art life.

I just received my BFA in communications design from Taiwan’s Shih Chien University in 2013, and I’m currently studying in the MFA program in Minneapolis College of Art and Design, focusing on illustration. When I was in college, I did mostly digital animations and I found myself really enjoying writing scripts and drawing storyboards, and I spent most of my time on those parts of the process. Therefore, after I graduated, I decided to pursue a career as a narrative and story-based illustrator.

Could you tell me about your art practice? What is studio time like for you and where do you find your inspirations?

I try my best to work on something everyday. In general, I have two kinds of working process. Sometimes I start with writing sentences or key words. When I write my ideas down, the images will subsequently appear in my head. Other times, when I have nothing specific, I start with doodling in my sketchbooks. My grandmother was a farmer and when we were living in the countryside, she planted different kinds of vegetables and flowers in our backyard, and I did many sketches of them. I keep this habit even now, I still draw flowers often, and they usually become the patterns in my work. After I moved to the city of Taipei, I carried my sketchbooks with me when I was taking buses or subways, and I drew portraits of random people on public transportations—there are always interesting people doing weird things on subways in every city. So, if I find something with potentials in my sketchbooks, I will develop it further to make it into a complete image. For example, the piece called “You Will Still Be Mine Next Winter” came from such place.

Most of my inspirations come from my daily life. Sometimes the idea just hit me when I am having a casual conversation with my friends, or a friend’s post on Facebook can also bring me some ideas. Because of its colonial past and geographical proximity, Taiwan is deeply affected by Japanese culture, so I also read a lot of Japanese fairy tales, ghost stories and comics, which also serve as inspirations sometimes.


You Will Still Be Mine Next Winter

Can you tell me about the piece you created for the 6 Degrees Exhibition. What is the significance/story behind the image?

“The Southland” is the piece I submitted to the 6 Degrees Exhibition. The elements (window frames, bougainvillea, swallows) in this image are all everyday objects that I could see on the street when I was a little girl. To me, the combination of these elements is a typical image of Taiwan. However, after I moved to the city, these things became more and more rare to see. The woman in the image is my great-grandmother, who passed away when I was in second grade. My memory of her is very blurry, and the only thing I can remember is that she had very long hair, and she always used chopsticks to pin her hair bun. This piece kind of represents my memory of childhood and the early era of Taiwan.


The Southland

It seems that most of your work is inspired by culture, your surroundings, and personal experience. Even viewing your work from home to your life in Minneapolis the color pallet, weather, and scenes in your stories have drastically changed. Can you talk about this relationship of place to piece?

It is a little bit difficult to me to work on themes that have no direct connection/relation to me. As I mentioned, my inspirations come from my daily life, so my work is usually related to the environment I am in, things that happened to me, or some issues I am interested in currently. I project a lot of personal emotions and experiences into my work—For example, It rains a lot in Taipei, so rainy scenes appear in my work quite often when I was living there. Also, the streets in Taipei are full of artificial colors—neon lights, yellow cabs, green and red postal boxes, etc.—so I used bright colors more often before I came to Minneapolis. The snowy winter is a challenge, but also very fresh and new to me as an international student from a tropical country. Therefore, after I moved to Minneapolis, I use colder colors more, such as blue and purple, and snowy sciences start to appear in my work.

All of your work is beautifully made with such a powerful image- they are poetic. Do you have an art philosophy or idea of what art images should include?

In my recent works, I tried to visualize the subtle relationships among people. The themes mostly surround some specific human emotions such as separation, loneliness, longing and yearning. Because of the themes I have chosen, I would say I hope my viewer can feel the same as I do.

You are currently a MFA student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. What has that meant for a new community, group of peers, and teachers. Has this drastically affected your work?

Yes. My mentor gives me precise advice as a professional illustrator, which really helps me a lot to improve and create more mature work. Besides, I am happy to be in a brand new learning environment. The way it works in Western culture is quite different from Asian culture; all the teachers and students here at MCAD are very willing to share and discuss ideas and works with each other. It is helpful to gain different feedbacks from different people with different cultural backgrounds and professional areas. Some of the suggestions I received are really out of my expectations and surprised me. I think this is a very precious experience, which allows me to look at my work with different perspectives and even develop newer concepts for my future work.


Blue Mountain with Magic Power

What is the best piece of advice (for creators) that you have ever heard?

I have read an artist’s interview in a book once. The artist was asked the question of when did he start to be an artist, and his answer was that he was already an artist when he made his decision to be one. I think that answer kind of made me determined to be an artist.

This time of year, especially, we are thinking about deadlines, new goals, motivation, and changes. Do you have any goals or projects for the New Year?

I am writing a new story called “Joseph Paul” which talks about the Internet-addicted young generation. The story is almost there but not quite, and creating the illustrations for it is going to be the major project for me in the next few months.

Thanks, Jo! It is incredible to see about your illustrations and transitions in your work, as well as hear your personal ideas of making, influence of location, and story-telling.

You can see more of Jo Yeh's work on her website here. Or see her work for the 6 Degrees Exhibition along with the other 80+ works on the 6 Degrees Digital Gallery or Light Grey Shop.

Artist Interview with Simini Blocker

Meet Simini Blocker, a freelance illustrator, children's book artist, visual developer, and one of the participating artists in the current 6 Degrees Exhibition. After graduating from Bringham Young University in 2011, Simini received an internship at Disney Interactive, Avalanche Studios, and worked alongside the visual development team at Disney Infinity. She currently resides in New York as a freelance illustrator, working on projects such as Fairy Birds, illustrations for The Friend Magazine, and most recently, Goodreads.

It has been wonderful collaborating with Simini for the 6 Degrees Exhibition. It is always inspiring to see her characters and environments, and even more inspiring to hear about her never-ending motivation to create!

Can you tell me about the piece you created for the 6 Degrees Exhibition? What was your inspiration, place depicted, story?

I’m still pretty new to New York. Something I love about the city is everywhere you look there’s so much story. So many different people, lots of interesting architecture, all right outside your apartment. I like going for walks and just looking when I need to get out of my head. A few months ago, I moved to Queens and it’s much more residential than where I was previously in Manhattan- there are all these smaller townhouses, instead of big apartment blocks. I loved how lived-in and personal they seemed. It also felt more like a neighborhood, kids playing in the street and everything. I wanted to capture that feeling, as well as maybe a hopefulness for a new start in a new place.



Does travel and location inform your work? Are you most inspired by the people and places around you?

I’ve been lucky to travel a bit, in and out of the country, and even live in Uruguay for a time. A few years ago I was able to go to Israel and work on a mural for a children’s hospital. Travel is one of my favorite things, and even if the content of my illustrations isn’t directly related, I think it’s informed my world view. I hope that's something I can bring to my work. When you travel it’s amazing to see how many different people and ways of living there are, but at the same time so much that’s universal. And I do find my city very inspiring- something about the energy of the place that make me want to draw everything.



You are relatively new to the illustration world. What changes have you been through since being a student, new approaches to art making, new philosophies, etc.?

It’s been a pretty big change, especially going freelance. Suddenly there’s no supervisor to keep track of my hours or tell me what to do, no teacher giving me projects with deadlines and built in feedback. My personal projects and and the business side of things, networking, promotion, all of that, is all up to me, and if I draw or don’t draw, no one will necessarily hold me accountable (except for needing to pay the bills). It’s also very solitary working from home, and very easy to let the work overwhelm my life. I’m still working on figuring those things out, but at the same time, I really enjoy the freedom to set my own schedule and pursue the work I’m passionate about - that’s really excellent. I think my work has changed quite a bit since leaving school a giving myself permission to go after subjects I’m really drawn to, rather than what I think others want to see. It’s incredibly satisfying whenever that then resonates with someone else or fulfills the needs of a client.


You have been working on and toward several exciting things, such as your recent internship with Disney or your upcoming Children's book. Can you talk about your experiences,projects, and some of the highlights?

My internship with Disney Interactive was excellent. I worked with the team doing visual development for Disney Infinity for about a year. I feel like I progressed a lot as an artist, surrounded by professional artists everyday and working on real projects. As interns we were given design assignments just like the other concept artists, which made it a very experience heavy internship, and that was awesome. I learned a lot about collaborating as a team and designing to solve specific problems. And how quickly you must be ready to move on to another solution, and embrace it, even after investing a great deal of energy into something else.



Fairy Birds was the next big project I worked on. The authors contacted me with the opportunity, looking to expand their company into the children’s market. It was my first full length children’s book (I’d previously done some smaller readers) and a great opportunity to experience the whole process of getting a book out. I loved being able to take characters across a whole book in final illustrations, instead of quickly moving on from one design to the next. And I got to indulge my love of saturated colors and patterns which was really fun.

Do you often collaborate with other creatives or look to others for critique and conversation?

My favorite thing about my time at Avalanche was the collaborative atmosphere and being surrounded by other artists. Working freelance, I enjoy being able to see a piece through to the final product, but I do miss the collaborative process and the opportunity to get input from a team and expand on each other’s ideas. I think it’s pretty essential as an illustrator to get out of your head and get feedback from others. You get places you never would with just your own brain. It’s more difficult to do as a freelancer than it was at the studio, but then even working on your own, there’s still can be a lot of collaboration with clients or art directors. I’m working on incorporating it more in my day to day. I’m very grateful for avenues like tumblr and twitter, they’ve helped a lot- even just seeing into the process of another illustrator can be helpful.

What is the best piece of advice (for creators) that you have ever heard?

“Don’t be so precious with your work.” - from Natalie Ascencios at a lecture I attended. I think it sticks in my head because I struggle with perfectionism, and it goes along with the idea that any creative endeavor is learned by doing. There’s a lot mess you have to make before you can arrive at something good. But you’ll never get there if you get so bogged down in “perfecting” one thing and fail to move on and grow or are afraid to take risks. And then when you have something “good,” don’t stop there- keep improving, keep learning- don’t put it on a pedestal.

This time of year, especially, we are thinking about deadlines, new goals, motivation, and changes. Do you have any goals or projects for the new year?

A big goal for the year is to find a balance between creating and living. I’m easily completely absorbed in illustration (there’s so much to do!), but I know it’s important to keep “the well” filled and step away from the computer once in awhile- so I can continue to have inspiration and energy for the work. Because I do hope to do a lot of illustrating- I want to try some new formats- more sequential work, maybe some product or pattern design, and always more narrative illustration. I want to make it a year of doing!

Thanks, Simini! You can check out more of Simini Blocker's work on her website or blog here. You can also see Simini's work for the 6 Degrees Exhibition along with the 80+ other artists who created intimate and awe-inspiring images of their hometowns on the digital gallery or Light Grey Shop.

Artist Interview with Ulana Zahajkewycz

Meet Ulana Zahajkewycz, a talented freelance illustrator, book artist, illustration teacher, and creative living and working in Palmyra, NJ. Ulana has been creating great illustrations for over 20 years, and she is known for her playful and colorful style, unique and lovable characters, and narrative illustrations- her work is ambitious and inspiring to say the least! On top of professional projects, editorial works, and teaching, Ulana manages her own studio practice known as Ulanaland, where she created multimedia works for exhibitions and her online shop.

Over the past year, Ulana has participated in several Light Grey Art Lab Exhibitions such as The Light Grey Tarot, Beautiful Forever, and the current 6 Degrees Exhibition, and we are thrilled to have a chance to interview herabout her practice, her stages of making, and what is next in Ulanaland!



Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background in illustration?

My name is Ulana Zahajkewycz and I currently live in Palmyra, NJ, which is 5 minutes from Philadelphia, PA. I have lived in a few different locations, including Cranford, Montclair, and Mahwah NJ, Bedford N.H. and in Hastings and Minneapolis, Minnesota. That’s a lot of moving around! My BFA in illustration is from Montclair State University and my MFA in illustration is from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

I’ve been illustrating for a while now, since 1993. I also teach illustration. I’ve taught the subject at Montclair State University, Minneapolis College of Art and Design and now at Moore College of Art. Moore is the only private all woman’s art college in the country! When I am not working for a client, teaching or working on a show, I love to plant flowers and move dirt around. Springtime is my absolutely favorite time of year because I get to be outside working the soil. All the bugs are still asleep and they don’t even know I’m out there!

Could you talk about the piece you created for the 6 Degrees Exhibition? What were your stories/sources of inspiration?

For my 6 Degrees piece, I wanted to illustrate my romance with gardening and this plot of land I live on. We don’t have a lot of space in our backyard, but we still manage to grow a lot of food out there. That is the subject of the postcard.

Last year, I did some research on Palmyra and discovered that the Lenni Lenape tribe first settled this land and that some of the main roads in town are Indian trails from long ago. When I drive down those roads, I think about the Lenape tribe and I feel like were are traveling along together, past and present. We are only separated by time.


In the postcard, I am in the center, planting seeds and the woman with the braids is meant to be Lenape. She is holding the sun, because to me, I would not be here if it were not for her tribe establishing a presence in this area. The turtle in the grass is one of the symbols that represent the Lenape tribe on their seal and on their flag. The man in the back pouring water is meant to represent the non-Indian settlers that established the town. Some of the other characters, the gnome, faerie and fox are meant to represent the magical land that my house sits on. I like to believe that an unseen world exists all around me. I try to give respect to the land because only then will it yield its gifts. Of course my cat Underdog had to make an appearance in the postcard. She is definitely the heart and soul of this household and should be given her due.

You have actually lived in several different places. How does location influence the ideas, imagery, folklore, and materials?

Wherever I go, I try to collect stories. Sometimes a trip to the library provides what I need, other times local folks will tell me stories about the land and its inhabitants (both real and unreal). These days, it’s hard to find people that tell stories about their land. It’s an oral tradition that seems to be dying out. That’s why illustration is so important to me. You can tell the story in your imagery. That way, maybe the story will live forever.



I am extremely interested in all of the materials and techniques that you use in your practice. What was the transition like from illustrations to three-dimensional works?

I have been painting with gouache, watercolor, and acrylic for a long time. In my college days, I was working in ceramics (truthfully, I started working with clay when I was in high school!) and found the change in dimension so fun and freeing. For a little while after college, I tried working with balsa wood, but that always ended in disaster! To see a carefully cut and painted piece turn into a pile of crumbled wood is heartbreaking!

In 2007, my friend Margie McGee approached me to collaborate with her on a faculty exhibition piece. She showed my how to use a band saw and it took off from there. There is something really satisfying about working with wood and seeing your work in object form. These days, I have my own band saw and make wooden work on a regular basis. Honestly, if given the choice, I will always choose basswood over paper. It’s funny, when I look at my two-dimensional work next to my wooden work; it looks like a natural progression. What vexed me for so many years was how to create 3d work in a material that was easy to find and easy to work with. Wood is that perfect medium for me.



You are extremely prolific and recognized illustrator making works for gallery exhibitions, editorial, personal pieces, commissions, etc. Do you have a different approach to different kinds of projects?

These days, the field of illustration is very unpredictable, so you have to find ways to get your work out in front of people. I began creating work for galleries because I wanted to keep making art, even if there wasn’t a client. It is a great way for me to create a new body of work to show people that I am here, I am working hard and I am always evolving and changing. Best of all, when I have completed the work for a show, I have fresh work to put on my website and to sell at the gallery and on Etsy. Many wins!



As far as my approach to different kinds of making goes, I try to ask myself the basic questions about the venue or vehicle. What is the message and who is the audience? It all starts with sketches and ideation. When I create my wooden folk, I have to also ask, will this hang on a wall or will this stand on its own? I choose the appropriate thickness of wood to accommodate the way it will be displayed. Everything is painted in similar way, which is why all my 2d work looks like my 3d work.

What is the most monumental project you have worked on? (changed your approach, appreciation, favorite piece)

In 2011, my work appeared in a two-person show with Tara Murino-Brault at the Lunar Boy Gallery in Astoria, Oregon. Utopia/Dystopia: The Shadow and the Light was an ambitious show and I created 15 new wooden folk pieces of varying sizes. This was my first all wooden show and it was by far, my favorite to date. It was the first time I realized that I could just create wooden art without any 2d work to accompany it. I felt that I had crossed over to that space where I wasn’t only considered an illustrator, but also a visual artist. It’s nice to wear many hats. Sometimes you are pigeonholed as an artist because of the type of work that you primarily create. It’s nice to know that you can do something completely different and then go back and forth between whatever type of work you feel like making that day.



What is the best piece of advice (for creators) that you have ever heard?

Marshall Arisman says, “Learn to illustrate your own words”. He also recommends that artists make a list of things they know something about. Illustrate those things and create a series of images based on your list.

This time of year, especially, we are thinking about deadlines, new goals, motivation, and changes. Do you have any goals or projects for the new year?

I have recently begun making sketches for some new wooden folk. I’d like to show them in a gallery when they are done, so I’ll need to find the right venue. If you build it, they will come!



Thank you, Ulana! It is always inspiring to hear the inside story and thoughts behind the maker! You can see more of Ulana's work on her website here, you can also see her work for the 6 Degrees Exhibition on the digital gallery or Light Grey Shop.

Artist Interview with Matt Rockefeller

Meet Matt Rockefeller, an illustrator, animator, and student, living and working in Baltimore, MD. Matt has created work for several Light Grey Exhibitions such as Station Zero, Rolemodels, and the upcoming show 6 Degrees, and it has been an honor getting to know him! In this interview, we were able to ask about his style, sources of inspiration, real-life heroes, and creation. His work is wonderfully captivating and continues to instill a sense of wonder in us all!


Can you tell me a little about yourself? Your background, where you are from and what you currently do?

I was born in Tucson, AZ and grew up in the unique landscape of the Sonoran Desert. I lived there until I moved to Baltimore, where I currently attend the Maryland Institute College of Art as an Illustration Major with a concentration in Animation. This past year, I completed an internship at Zenimax Online Studios working as a UI Artist on their upcoming game The Elder Scrolls Online. Earlier this year, my friends (Leonard Peng and Xanthe Bouma) and I conceptualized an idea for a gallery show at MICA called “Small Creatures Such as We” which recently had its opening on campus featuring over 700 3x3 illustrations by 15 MICA illustrators.

Can you talk a little about the character you created for the Rolemodels Exhibition?

This character is actually a part of a story I’ve had brewing that involves a boy and his dog finding a portal that takes them to space and eventually other worlds. I thought it was a good fit for my fantasy alter ego (since the characters were initially based on my dog and I), and I developed him into a sort of mythical explorer who travels eternally through these different environments. I love exploring, seeing new people and places and stopping to see the small details, so I thought that a character who is in a constantly shifting environment would be perfect!


Matthew the Curious: Explorer of Worlds

What was your process like creating a character modeled after yourself? Did you give it off of real life attributes or enhance feautures? What do you think this says about your personality?

It was really interesting! I based my general appearance off of myself and focused more on the clothing and armor to define the character. I definitely heightened my physical coordination and build a bit though; I guess I wish I were more physically active, since I tend to sometimes forget to go outside instead of drawing. I also typically wear ordinary clothing from day to day, so the choice to draw such a complex outfit might reveal something about where my true confidence lies.

What are some of your favorite character types to draw? stories to create?

My stories usually involve extraordinary things happening to ordinary people. I find that I can relate to these types of stories, and they feed my inner thirst for adventure. I love to draw mysterious, isolated characters who slowly, over the course of the story, reveal their complex history and warmth of heart. At the center of all of my stories, though, are the places my characters travel to or live in, since the setting can often be just as rich in personality as the characters themselves.



You are also a great draftsman of spaces. Are there types of spaces you are attracted to? moods you are trying to set?

Growing up in Arizona, I was constantly shifting between different landscapes – the vast plains of dead grass, the quiet, pine covered mountains, and the unbelievable cactus ‘forests’. Everything was so vast and inviting, and I try to recreate that feeling in my work. There is so much about the world that is beautiful and mysterious, so I am constantly considering light, time of day, history, and a place’s unique biology when drawing the setting for a story. I want to draw attention to the place- that there is something more to it than what is seen.


How important is collaboration in the things that you do? Do you work as a team? Share ideas? Work on projects together?

Having recently put together a gallery show with 14 other illustrators, I have a reinvigorated appreciation for collaboration. We were able to create a staggering amount of work, and I was continually inspired by the variety of ideas and personalities. Working on projects with others allows something entirely new to come to the surface. There’s nothing like having a group of artists whose tastes and opinions you can rely on when you feel unmotivated or stagnant. I’ve learned so much from my peers, and I hope to continue working with them after graduation!

Who are your real life role models?

My freshman year at MICA, I had Kali Ciesemier as my first illustration professor. She’s definitely been a rolemodel and mentor for me as an artist. She is very dedicated and hard working, and also takes the time to answer questions and share information about her process. She’s very genuine and open, which I try to emulate. Daniel Krall, another one of my professors at MICA, has also been an incredible mentor. He’s hilarious, friendly, and honest, and his ability to generate ideas and talk through problems is unbelievable.

I also have endless respect for what Hayao Miyazaki has done with his vision for animated films. I strive to some day have a fraction of his imagination and storytelling ability.



What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

“Never give up! Trust your instincts!” –Peppy Hare from Starfox 64. This one’s stuck with me for a while.

In all seriousness, the suggestion to always remain curious sticks out to me as being particularly relevant, to art and life in general. There are so many interesting people, creatures, places, and ideas to be uncovered; it would be a shame to lose that sense of wonder that makes life so exciting.

What are some of your favorite resources for inspiration?

I find most of my inspiration from books/comics, animation/film, and videogames- anything that can immerse me in a different world altogether. I find that I am drawn to visual storytelling due to its expressiveness and flexibility. I also have a book featuring woodblock prints by the Japanese artist Kawase Hasui, and I constantly reference these when I’m searching how to convey a mood in my environments.

In addition, being outside, hiking, camping, breathing, all of these things can pull me out of a rut and bring my motivation back.


Can you tell us about any projects that you have in the works or things we can look forward to seeing?

I am currently finishing the first half of my senior thesis, which involves narrative illustrations featuring folklore from around the world. Next semester I will be developing my own folktale/ legend of sorts that is inspired by these stories and draws from my own experiences. Perhaps I will develop this or another story into a book or graphic novel in the future, so you can look forward to that!

Thanks Matt!

You can check our more of Matt's work on his website here or purchase his piece for the Rolemodels Exhibition here.

Artist Interview: Hannah Christenson

I very excited to introduce Hannah Christenson, a freelance illustrator based in Arizona, and a graduate of the Brigham Young University - Idaho in 2011. Hannah has worked with Tor.com, Fantasy Flight Games, and Galileo Games among others. Her favorite jobs have always been fantasy related, and she has been generous enough to talk to us today about world building, strong heroines and heroes, and of course, her piece in the current Rolemodels: The Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl exhibition!

Can you tell us a little bit about your Rolemodels persona? What elements of their personality and class traits are the most reflective of yourself?

I chose a warrior with lots of armor and a ridiculously huge shield. I'm a very quiet person who probably puts up a lot of armor around myself. My personality isn't very sneaky or graceful like I imagine other classes to be. I can see my imperfect, lumbering self in the warrior class. I'm sure I was influenced at least in some way by all the cool fantasy stories and fairy tales that I've ever read, but perhaps what I was thinking of the most was "What is the opposite of a bikini-clad warrior in the snow?" and I kind of went with that and had some fun. There is a time and a place for bikinis, but it wasn't this time or place!

You mention going on many great, yet sometimes perilous adventures while you were growing up.  Do still find your self taking on risky yet exciting challenges, especially when it comes to your art?

I grew up in the country in south Texas where there were rattlesnakes and alligators literally in my back yard. When I went outside to play my mom would tell me to watch out for snakes instead of to watch out for cars. It was great and it taught me to be cautious and prepared, but also to take risks if you want to go play. I suppose you could say that's helped me in the art world with doing my best and not being afraid to email that art director I've always dreamed of working with.  

When it comes to world building and creating environments and persons, what resources do you tend to look to?  How much research goes into designing your characters and building scenery? What are some places, books, or websites that you go to for a jump start?

I love going to the used book store and finding all kinds of books on armor and the stuff that goes under the armor, weapons, photography of environments, various anatomy books, animal books. Of course you can use the internet to research all these cool things, but books are always around to inspire you later on as well. I like to go to Parka Blogs for art book reviews. 

Can you tell us about your process?  How do you go about making decisions on creating such expressive figures within consistently dynamic compositions?  How do you make sure that each element is convincing and suitable for the stories that you try to tell?

My process probably doesn't differ from that of any other artist in that I start with a thumbnail and go from there. It's important to thumbnail and get your good and bad ideas out. Personally, if I myself were to be convinced of the believability of a character in any story, I would look at the environment first and see how the environment has shaped the character. What is the environment? Does the character dress appropriately? Live in an appropriate house? Have the items that one would need in order to live in that environment? What's her job? Does she dress and have the right equipment for that job? It's easy to fall down the details rabbit hole, but it's important to at least consider those basics.  

Much of your work seems to deal with themes of high fantasy and powerful female characters.  Is there a reason why these subject matters take such a significant role in your work?

I try to make what I want to see more of. There weren't a ton of female role models for me in fantasy when I was a kid. My local library was very small and they would only have one copy of a particular book (I had to wait FOREVER to read Harry Potter) so sometimes I'd imagine that all the good books were out. I want to see more ladies in lead roles, powerful roles, roles where they're given names and pasts. They don't all have to be armor-clad warriors either. I just want to see female characters that are written and depicted as people.

When it comes to obstacles such as art block or a lack of motivation, how do you conquer them?

Just keep working. Work on your own stuff, that secret project you dream about. Personal projects are incredibly important. They help you in so many ways. They help you improve your abilities, it's cathartic, you're producing something you love and you're passionate about. You can put it in your portfolio to get more work that you love. Cory Godbey wrote a great post about personal work, go read it! My own personal project that I've been tinkering on for a long time has helped me get jobs, break down art block, and helped me find bits of myself that I'd hidden away. 

What are some things that you arm yourself with before jumping into new projects?  How do you psych yourself up when embarking on a new illustration, or maybe there are some artistic tools or supplies you simply cannot work without?

I prefer to work digitally, so it'd be pretty hard to work without my Wacom 4 and some version of Photoshop. One thing that helps me start and finish a new illustration is a checklist. Even a very small one! My current checklist says things like gather reference, paint owl face, block in colors. It helps me stay on task and not get distracted by the shiny internet.
Tell us a little bit about your own role models; who are your artistic influences or even people who simply inspire you to keep creating?

Bear with me, this is cheesy, but my husband is my biggest supporter. When I create something I feel is incredibly stupid, I don't meet my goals, or I fail at something I had secret high hopes for he's there to push me back up above the waves. He does a good job at helping me keep my chin up. As far as artistic influences, there are so many amazing, truly inspiring artists out there that set such a wonderful example of hard work, persistence, and determination. Of course their individual work is amazing, but their sheer willpower is inspiring.  
Can you tell us about any new projects that you are currently working on, or are excited to start working on?

Outside of freelancing I'm currently working on my own secret project after hours. I can't share a ton about it but I'm excited about it. It involves a lady, some magic, some adventures and dog all in a webcomic format!   

Thank you so much Hannah! 

To see more of her work, take a peek at her website as well as her blog! Her piece is also available to purchase in the Light Grey Art Lab Shop!

Artist Interview: Miko Maciaszek

As the Nights and Weekends Exhibition is coming to a close, we would like to share one more fantastic artist, Miko Maciaszek. Miko is an artist and creative who was born in Warsaw, Poland, and currently residing in Toronto, Canada. Growing up in a world of European folk tales and history lessons from his family, Miko uses a mixture of traditional materials to create narrative illustrations. He has an exceptional style full of mystical figures and whimsical backgrounds- intimate images that can only be described as captivating and sublime. We are pleased to include Miko's work in the Nights and Weekends Exhibition and celebrate one of his collections of prints and zine Dusk.



Can you talk a little about your piece for the Nights and Weekends Exhibition? Where did this idea originate?

When this project began, I was fresh out of art school and kind of aimlessly treading water as a 'professional' illustrator. I was also very alone that summer, which gave me the opportunity to look closer at things I normally wouldn't. I was less concerned with conceptual coherence and more fascinated with the transition of day into night. There is a beauty at dusk, especially in the summer. When natural light fades and artificial lights come on, a different reality sets in, certain emotions become amplified. I intuitively drew and painted, venting my mind through these images, they became expressive and personal.



You have a really unique and fantastical style. How did you arrive at your style, materials, craft? Or what is your process like?

I am fascinated with historical, mythological and religious images. I love the naive idealization of figures and stories. . . I'm really a sponge, influenced by whatever I'm surrounded by or specifically looking at. I sketch when I can and I really like graphite, and ink sometimes. I finish most work digitally. My process sometimes works against me because I'll start to drift from the original purpose and feel of the image. I'm really thankful when I catch that and pull back to the initial essence, which is really personal and pure.



What is it like to work on a large series of work or zine? What are some of your considerations, limitations, and steps approaching the work?

My subject always defines my approach to making the image. When doing a series I have to consider consistency. From this project specifically I learned that I should work on all the pieces at the same time shaping them to fit together as I go. I've applied this more effectively to current projects.

What has been your favorite project you have ever worked on? Was it fulfilling personally, though feedback, or in process?

I can't say. I love fresh starts and I approach each project with passion. Personal work usually takes longer and if I'm working on it too long it just becomes abstract and structure-less to me. Things usually come when I need them most, usually that is a tight deadline editorial which helps me gather my thoughts and create something new.



Are you a guilty creator? Do you feel bad when you are not pursuing a project or finishing something?

I can get comfortable during a several week marathon of deadlines and illustrations. Catching a break and relieving that mental state -experiencing a 'normal' existence really warps time( a day feels like a week) and it feels like I'm doing something wrong.

What upcoming projects do you have in the works? What can we look forward to seeing from you?

I just finished a series for a literary review on a super tight deadline. I went a little mental working on these, but I learned a lot and I consider it my most successful attempt at blurring the line between my personal and editorial work. I'm currently illustrating some short stories for film and print with a writer in Poland. The stories are odd and clever. I want to make them look beautiful. I think of them as a modern European Twilight Zone.

Thanks Miko! It is great to hear your thoughts on process and a little more about your pieces shown in the Nights and Weekends Exhibition. You can see more of Miko's work on his blog and website, along with the entirity of his project on the Nights and Weekends exhibition page on the Light Grey Website and shop.

Artist Interview: Kim Ku

Meet Kim Ku, a freelance designer and illustrator based in New York City. She is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a Fine Arts degree concentrating in mixed media animation and design. During the day, she designs websites for books and authors, and has created work for various clients including Penguin Books, Random House, Harvest, Tapestry, Tonx, and others. In her free time, however, she uses her talent in mixed media and design to create wonderfully whimsical illustrations, books, and prints, and continues exploring her talent through silkscreening classes at The School of Visual Arts. She is not afraid to take on a slew of personal projects and is constantly motivated to learn and create, making her a perfect part of the Nights and Weekends Exhibition.



What are you most inspired by and how do you seek out inspiration? What do you do when you are feeling stuck?

I'm naturally a curious person so I'm inspired by learning new things, ordering unknown items off a menu, and even taking different routes home. Inspiration can be found anywhere so trying something new always helps me get out of a rut when I feel stuck.

When do you feel like is the best time to create?

  I really like sketching when I'm on the subway, which I know is strange. If the train isn't packed like a sardine can, I'll draw even if it's for a 10-minute ride. I don't draw other passengers, though some think I do, but I jot down book ideas and make to-do lists. This has given me the additional skill of being able to stand on the subway without holding on to anything.

What is your studio practice like? How often do you make? Are you working on multiple projects at once? Intermixing personal and professional?

For the most part, my professional work is digital-based and done during the day while my personal work is all hand-made and saved for the night hours. This keeps a nice balance and I don't get bored of either. For personal projects, I do work on multiple projects at once, but they'll always be in different stages. When I'm screen printing a book, I'll probably be making preparations for the next book at the same time just so that I keep the productivity flow going.

You are really great at initiating personal projects and books. Can you talk a little about artistic 'exercise' and building a variety of creative muscles? How do you decide to take on a new project?

Around 2011, my day job started taking up more and more of my nights and weekends (haha!) so I wasn't able to draw as much and started feeling like my creativity plateaued. At the end of the year, I made a resolution to start keeping a sketchbook of ideas so I could remember and make them real one day. The most important thing I've learned about my artistic exercise is to date each entry so I'm honest to myself about keeping up my regiment. After 2 years of steady sketching, those books are now a reserve of ideas that I can cherry pick from when I need a new project.

How I actually choose my projects is more of a gut feeling. Often times, if a project really makes me laugh or if it's just too weird not to exist, I have to make it.

Your art is so cute and whimsical, and fits perfectly with the style of screen printing and books!  Have you always been interested in this type of style, or did you find yourself simplifying it as part of your process?

When I started to silkscreen, I'd been making personal comics with a more serious look. At the time, to be honest, I was still struggling to find my style so silkscreen helped me hit kind of a reset switch. As a silkscreen beginner, I was forced to simplify designs to get used to the medium and found myself switching to cuter, simpler drawings. Even when I became comfortable with the process, my new style really made me happy and felt truer to my personality, so I kept pushing in that direction. That's how I got to making what you see today.

What is it that you love about printmaking?  Do you think it has affected your process and how you work when sketching or finalizing ideas?

Printmaking is an involving ordeal; it takes time to choose and gather a ton of materials and even more time to prep, print, cut, and assemble them but the quality of the final result has always been worth it. When I sell my books at conventions, I love when people pick them up and feel them because details like the paper and how the ink feels on it were all choices I made and they're part of the experience of "reading" them. So if you come across my book at Nights and Weekends, don't forget to pick it up!

As you can tell, I totally drank the printmaking kool-aid. I sketch mostly book ideas now. Sometimes I sketch book forms independent of ideas. I even make pockets for mini book mockups in my sketchbook.



Can you talk a little about the book project you have in the Nights and Weekends Exhibition? Where did the idea originate? What experience do you want people to have looking at your work?

I knew I wanted to make a book about a neighborhood haunted by ghosts and the viewer to see it from many dimensions, from just a peek to really soaking in the scene. Books though, normally don't function like that and often feel flat, as in you only see the cover and everything else is hidden. That's why I worked and worked to design the step accordion book form. Closed, you just see an inkling of what's going on, and completely open, you get the big picture of all the shenanigans.

I've heard that you are on the hunt for the best type white out!  It seems that the perfect materials are a very important part of your work and process.  What are some materials you absolutely cannot work without?

Yes! Finding good white out feels like an eternal search! If you have any suggestions, let me know.

If I had to pare down my materials to the essentials, they'd have to be Micron Pigma graphic 1 markers for sketching, a 0.5mm Rotring 600 drafting pencil for drawing, Rapidograph Technical Pens for inking silkscreen separations, and the Pentel pocket brush pen for general brush inking. Oh, and the Copic Opaque White for white out, but that one isn't set in stone. :)

Ghosts seem to be a big icon in your work.  Are there any other themes or objects that you love to depict?

Not much has made as big a dent into my work as ghosts. A distant second would be food. If you look closely at my books, you can probably find people carrying roast chicken or drinking a cup of joe. In one of my newer books, Ghost Noir, I reenacted a scene from the movie Psycho but I felt bad, so I made the character hold a drumstick instead of a knife.



What is your favorite project you have ever worked on?

Currently, my favorite project is called Ghost Hotel. It's sentimental for me because it was my first time making a ghost book!



Who are your art mentors, inspirational books, favorite resources?

My favorite inspirational books are comics. Chris Ware's "Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth," Brecht Evan's "The Wrong Place," Michael DeForge's "Lose," David Mazzucchelli's "Asterios Polyp," and Jeff Lemire's "Essex County," are a few of my many favorites.

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of art-making?

Reading comics, playing video games (The Last of Us, Katamari Damacy, Ico), and people watching (the stranger, the better).

Are there any other projects that you are currently working on that you are excited about?  We'd love to hear them!  

Recently, I started designing a series of screen printed pop-up books. I've loved pop-ups since I was a kid but I'm a newbie when it comes to the actual construction. This first book I just finished is called The Odyssey and it’s about about a guy trying to make his way home in a storm. (Psssst… There's a ghost in it if you look closely.)



Thanks so much to Kim for taking the time to talk to us us about her work, her process, and her inspirations! You can find more of her work on her website or on her blog, as well as check out her piece for the exhibition on the Light Grey Art Lab shop or on the Nights and Weekends Exhibition page.

Artist Interview: Antonio Rodrigues Jr.

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing interviews and podcasts by all of the talented artists who are part of the Nights and Weekends Exhibition. Each of these artists have plowed through the late night studio sessions, initiated large group projects, and made incredible works possible- all for the love of the project.

I would like to introduce artist, graphic designer, illustrator, and typographer, Antonio Rodrigues Jr. Antonio graduated from Visual Arts, University of Brazil in 2006 with degree in Fine Arts, studied illustration in London, and currently resides in Brazil. As a self-taught designer, Antonio has combined his love for drawing, type, and design into a massive collection of artwork, ranging from life-size posters to coasters, book covers to product design, prints and more. All of his work is beautiful, thoughtful, and unique, and it is clear that Antonio is not only a prolific and talented artist, but also a poetic maker and lover of many processes.



You have a fascinating body of work, ranging from photographs, to digital collages, products, typography and more! Could you tell us a little about your artistic practice? What is your process like? How do you choose your mediums?

Sure! In my studio, I have always challenged myself to be consistent, but not repetitive. It would be easy for me to include a particular style or technique in all of my projects (to preserve a certain aesthetic), but in the end, all the work would look the same- it would become boring and irrelevant. Instead, I like to challenge myself, asking what is best for that specific project. My work is all about telling stories, and for me, the stories speak louder than continuing a consistent language.





What are some of your largest subjects and most explored interests?

There are a few reoccurring threads in my projects. The first is color (in both uses of the word). I love connecting the audience with color- providing a colorful and meaningful experience, even if the piece is in black and white. Secondly, many of my projects are about fantasy and imagination. There is an origin of real people and real objects, but there is a sense of transformation into the fantastical.

Could you talk a little about the series you have in the Nights and Weekends Exhibition? What were your inspirations and intentions?

There are three different series that are featured in the exhibition. The first is a collection of floral typography cards, which originated as a personal project to combine polite phrases and florals to be used in a variety of ways- on billboards, bus stops, subway stations, street panels, greeting cards, etc. I wanted the project to act as daily reminders of kind words to help us endure the rigidness of our everyday routines.

The second was the Model project, including three giant illustrations of fantasy models. There is a distortion of scale and sense of realty, mimicking our own perception and lack of ability to see things around us as they really are.

I also had a series of faces paired with miniature type illustrations. The Face series is all about the mismatch of the things we are made of, and how it affects our sense of love, fear, and change.


It is rare that we see such a prolific self-taught artist. Can you talk a little about your resources, network, and how you promote yourself?

I’m blushing - such kind compliments!
I am constantly inspired by the people around me. I love to watch people on the streets- there is so much to learn from them! I often sit in a busy place and observe for hours. I am also inspired by music, architecture- both have rhythms, structures, and stories to tell, but leave history and parts to the imagination.

For resources, I have a great collection of design related books and magazines, plus a massive collection of online bookmarks that I check on a daily basis. When I lived in London, I would regularly go to the museums, galleries, and street markets. Visiting galleries has become part of my schedule when I visit a new city.

Self promoting is a huge part of working freelance. I spend time maintaining my personal website and sending samples to directors and publishers. Most of my work and connections come from Behance and my LinkedIn Networks.



Professionally, you do a lot of design work, branding, and logos. What are the differences and similarities in approaching professional and personal work?

The greatest differences for me between personal and professional is vision. When I start a personal project, I usually have a clear mental picture of the visual result that I am aiming for. When I work for a client, I often need to read their mind and use conversation and sketches to articulate their ideas. All other aspects are quite equal. I am always challenging myself to bring something different and relevant to the table. It doesn't have to be extreme and extravagant, but minimally meaningful and something to be proud of.



Are you a guilty creator? Do you feel guilty when you are not making or getting things done?

Definitely! I am hyper by nature and I always need to be engaged in some activity; it is not always related to my graphic projects, but eventually, all activities fuel my work.

What is the toughest thing you have had to do/make?

Work wise? I started my career over in my mid-thirties. I tried to become a designer in a field where most aspiring artists were a decade younger than me.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

‘Don’t settle: life is not short, but it happens pretty fast!’ That was what my mom told me when I was uncertain about leaving it all behind and trying to start a new path in London.



What are some of your favorite sources? artists? Books? Media?

In the Fine Arts realm, I just can’t get enough of Amedeo Midigliani and Richard Long; among the graphic designers, I equally love the works by Stefan Sagmeister and by Mario Lombardo; in music I enjoy Mozart, post-grunge and everything in-between.

Thanks Antonio for telling us all about your artwork, process, inspirations, and aspirations! You can check out more of Antonio's work on his website here, on the Light Grey Art Lab shop, or on the Nights and Weekends Exhibition page.

Artist Interview with collaborative team, Anne Ulku and Michael Derus

Meet Anne Ulku, a talented illustrator, designer, and typographer residing in Minneapolis, MN. Anne has participated in several past shows at Light Grey Art Lab including the Expletive Typography Poster Show, HOT PARTY, and currently, the Nights and Weekends exhibition. Anne works for many large clients creating freelance design, as well as creates personal work, weekly projects, and design challenges. Anne is known for her beautiful designs with excellent use of color, arrangement of graphics, playful style, and clever concepts.

In the Nights and Weekends exhibition, Anne has a selection of work from a recent collaborative project with writer Michael Derus. The two of them began their collaboration, Haikuglyphics, in January 2013. "Haiku writer Michael Derus and designer/illustrator Anne Ulku came up with the idea to create written poetry - haiku - in graphic form. The work is inspired by life, culture and experiences while juxtoposing concise thoughts and ideas. With Haikuglyphics, the ancient Japanese form of writing poetry has taken on a new turn in the form of illustrated, typographical designs . . ." This week, I had the chance to interview Anne and Michael and ask a few questions about their project- thoughts, reflections, process, and ideas for what is to come. Below, we can see both of their responses to the questions.


Michael and his family at the Nights and Weekends opening reception

What was the inspiration for the project? How did you decide to commit to a weekly assignment?

Anne: The inspiration for Haikuglyphics is bringing a source of structured writing to an approachable visual deliverable. Creating a visual haiku on a weekly basis allowed us enough freedom and thought for the week leading up. But the discipline to post weekly, also allowed us to keep the project on track and moving, and to keep ourselves inspired and waiting for the next haiku to create. It's been a goal to create not just one, but an entire collection of Haikuglyphics for others to enjoy and connect with.

Michael: I've been writing Haiku Informally for about 8 years. Prior to Haikuglyphics, I would generally write a haiku every Friday for friends and family and send them via text. Anne is my sister-in-law and a talented designer. I was impressed with her Six Word Story Every Day project a few years back. At that time I had an opportunity to write a number of stories for the series and I found it incredibly rewarding to see my writing interpreted in open-sourced design. I also enjoyed telling my friends that I was a "Author and poet". Though in reality, I was and continue to be more of an author in the sense that YouTube commentators are authors.

In late 2012, I approached Anne about doing something similar to Six Word Story Every Day but incorporating my Haiku writing. We decided that we would commit to writing and designing one haiku every week for at least a year and publish them on Fridays in keeping with my original text-based approach. We agreed that one haiku per week would be manageable and also allow each of us to spend the time we thought necessary to create something worthwhile.



What was it like working as a team? Were you dependent, inspired, reactive to one another?

Anne: I have always been an advocate of working and collaborating with others. I think it always bring another level of inspiration to your own work. Working with a writer brings a sense of story telling and allows me, as a designer, to bring the text to life. We most often work separately on our creative process - he does the writing, and I take that to produce my own visual thoughts to it. We rarely work and collaborate on any single piece since the spirit of what we produce allows us to separately interpret what we are most happy with.

Michael: I've been honored to work with Anne on this project. I admire her ability and her humility. For my part this is a dependent project. I don't have any design skills. Anne is an ACTUAL artist and also much more knowledgeable about publishing and utilizing multiple delivery methods. In terms of our process, I send Anne a Haiku on or about every Friday and she in-turn publishes the designs the following Friday. Since this was always meant to be an informal project for our own amusement, and given that we each have full-time jobs outside of Haikuglyphics, we keep that schedule somewhat open to revision as necessary.

Where did the Haiku's come from? Daily life inspirations? Conversations? And how did that influence your design and connecting?

Anne: The Haiku's are written by my brother-in-law, Michael Derus. . .they always have a sense of daily life inspiration, or lighthearted humor, as it is a way for others to connect and/or relate to. It's always interesting to read the Haiku he has written for the week, and to see how design can be used to interpret it. The design and illustration is a way for the piece to become not only something others can relate and connect to, but also something they may find beautiful, inspiring or amusing enough to hang in their home.

Michael: If you research haiku you'll find that the essence of the poem is not the structure but rather the juxtaposition of two ideas. I interpret that pretty loosely. I just hope they're fun to read… I hope they're funny, sometimes… but that's up to the reader. The subject matter comes from all kinds of different sources. I always had a dream of getting up on stage and doing stand up but I think I'm the kind of guy who can maybe be funny in a group of friends sometimes but probably not on stage. I've always had these half baked ideas that I thought might make for good stand up bits but had no place to get them out. Sometimes I use those ideas for Haikuglyphics. It's challenging because the limited space and structure force you to get your entire idea across in 17 syllables.



You have done several continuous projects. How does this relate to your overall design and illustration practice? What does this format offer to you creatively?

Anne: As a creative, it is always important to just keep creating. Being able to commit to a daily or a weekly project forces you to always be thinking of the next and to always stay inspired. Experimentation happens quite a bit through this process, as with this volume of work, you're always looking to do better than the last, or to try something new. It is a learning process with both producing work, and with your own visual style. As you keep creating, it can expand your own library of design and illustrations, as well as finding the best way to produce the objectives for a project.



Are you a guilty creator? Do you feel bad when you are not working, growing, progressing?

Anne: I always feel that it is important to keep growing as a creative. Doing small personal projects, like Haikuglyphics, allows me to keep on top of creating new things. Because, yes, I am guilty of being a guilty designer. If I am not creating something or working on something new, it eats away at me, and I long for more creation. Though, I do think it's always important to step back, evaluate and really find the most important things to be doing in your life. New inspiration doesn't always come through the computer, it's important to travel, get out and see things, and explore.

Michael: Yes

What is next for you? Will this project continue? Has it transformed into other projects?

Anne: I am not sure how long the project will continue for. Perhaps just until the end of the year - though it could extend further. I'm always looking for the next thing to do. But I see a lot unfolding with Haikuglyphics - even with the work that has already been done. We've started to sell made-to-order prints and other items on society6. But we may continue to do more gallery shows, and prints or perhaps make a book of the Haikuglyphics.

Michael: I hope so. Once the year is up, I hope to open the project up to include other writers and other designers.



Thanks Anne and Michael! It is always great to hear both sides of a project like this- the differences between the writing, design, completion, and everything in between. You can see all of the designs on their Haikuglyphics website here, check it out on the Nights and Weekends Exhibition Page, or purchase some of the prints on the Light Grey shop. You can also see more of Anne's design work on her website.

Artist Interview: Sarah Marino

This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with In Place artist, Sarah Marino. Sarah is an extremely talented illustrator, designer, and visual developer currently working at Reel FX Studio in the feature animation department. She graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2009, and since, has been extremely busy creating works for companies such as Simon & Schuster, Blue Sky Studios, and CMYK Magazine, and has been exhibiting illustrations in galleries throughout the country.

It has been great getting to know Sarah through her participating in the exhibitions. It is clear in her personal practice as well as at work, she is collaboratively focused- a true team player! In this interview, Sarah shares her perspectives on feature animations, studio practice, keeping busy, and being passionate about your profession.



Can you tell us what you currently have in the works? What you are looking forward to?

Currently, I am on cast working on a film called the “Book of Life” with Guillermo Del Toro as creative producer and Jorge Gutierrez as director. It has been an amazing project to be involved with! I also recently wrapped on a project with Simon & Schuster.When I’m not at work, I like to make my own children’s book illustrations. All of these projects have been great because I like to keep busy! I feel guilty if I’m not working, so I’m glad I love making art so much!

You are a visual development artist for Reel FX. Could you talk a little about your role at the studio, your favorite parts of the process, and the community?

Working in animation doesn’t really feel like work – you’re making movies primarily for kids, so it’s great to use your imagination all day. As a vis dev artist, I work in the art department, which is the group of artists responsible for bringing each director’s vision to life. One thing that I really love about working on movies, is that even though you might be on a project for over a year, the range of assignments you undertake keeps it interesting and fun. Working at a younger studio like Reel FX also means the talent is fresh and passionate- it’s a really inspiring environment. Everyone I work with is amazingly talented and we’re all friends outside of work, which I don’t think is always the norm for most larger studios. I love the tight-knit community that’s developed even though our company has grown.



What do you think most people would find surprising about the type of work you do at work or the way an animation studio works?

Making movies is extremely collaborative. I would say a majority of the assignments I’m given have been worked on by someone else in some way, whether they already did sketches, designs, color keys, etc. I’m primarily a painter/surface artist, so a lot of the time I’ll be given a designer’s drawing, and flesh it out with color and form, explore what it’s made of (e.g. stone, wood, organic material, etc), and how it might be lit in a scene. A lot of the work you do in the beginning is exploratory, but once production deadlines hit, you just have to commit. Every assignment given to you is the art director trusting that you’ll make it happen in the allotted amount of time. Deadlines are so important in animation, especially when you’re at the beginning of the pipeline like those of us in the art department. Everything we do has to be passed on to the next department so they can begin bringing the movie to life.

What styles and work from your professional work carry into your personal work? Are the processes similar different?

I’ve learned just as much, if not more so, at my job than I did during school. The amount of talent that I’m surrounded by is really high, and I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from my peers. The biggest difference between what I do at work and what I do at home is the final product. When I do a book illustration or a personal piece, I’m putting a finished painting out there as a standalone image that I created from start to finish. Animation is a lot different – most of the work I do will never go public, and mostly everything I work on is only a concept of the final product, not actually the final.

For example, if I do a painting of what a certain prop might look like, I’ll paint it the way it should look in the movie, and then the CG artists will take my painting and sculpt, surface, animate, etc. the actual asset for the movie. It seems discouraging at first, but I actually find it really rewarding to see what the CG artists can do with the work I handoff to them. When I watch a movie I worked on, I can point at a certain prop or character and say ‘I created that. And my one friend modeled it, another textured it, another animated it.’ That collaborative part is something that I really love about animation.



What personal projects do you have in the works? Is there anything you have been dying to create?

Storytelling is my passion, and even though I primarily tell stories with illustrations, I also love to write. One of my books in progress is an illustrated middle-grade fantasy novel. CTN Expo is coming up in a few months, so I’m going to try to see how many new pieces I can put together in time for that. There are a lot of old Russian and Eastern European fairy tales I’ve been researching in hopes to use as a jumping off point for a new body of vis dev work. The last thing I’ve been up to (this is the first time I’m saying so publicly, in fact), is that I’ve had the pleasure to do some voiceover work for FUNimation Studios, an anime distribution company here in the Dallas area. Being able to dub over for anime has been crazy fun, but also incredibly surreal! My first credit will be on the Fairy Tail movie coming out later this year.

You create beautiful landscapes and scenes everyday, and are well versed in fantastical imagery. How did you select your location for In Place? What were you drawn in by?

I'm really big on watching documentaries while I work, and luckily Netflix has a great selection of them. I had recently watched a documentary on Myanmar, and the Bagan Temples really stood out to me visually, despite the current disparity in the country. I instantly wanted to learn more about the history of the temples. I try to set goals for my work, and adding more larger scale landscapes to my portfolio was one of them. The In Place show was a great opportunity I had to jump on while the images of the temples still buzzed around in my head. With my work, I'm definitely attracted to subtleties and quieter moods, so learning about the history of the Bagan Temples and the monks who still inhabit them really resonated with my aesthetic and design philosophy.



I spent some time searching for photography of the temples and referred to other documentaries. Especially with a piece like this that was so grounded in reality, I wanted to make sure I honored the history and architecture of the culture I would be illustrating. I think with the case of this piece, the reference images I found really inspired my thumbnails. I was drawn to the photographs that showed the temples in the early morning or late sunset and I knew I wanted to explore the foggy glow that bounces off the tops of the gold-gilded buildings. I was also really drawn to the monks and their day to day lives; how after all of these years, they still walk with purpose throughout such ancient and impressive structures.

What other topics inspire you when making? What are some of your favorite types of characters, scenes, stories?

I’m a sucker for anything whimsical, fantastical, or romantic, so if a story or character or place has anything to do with one or all of the above (huge bonus), then I’m immediately drawn to it. I actually made a list of a bunch of my favorite characters, and I found that my favorites tend to either be heroes (especially the reluctant kind, like Harry Potter or Sailor Moon) or dashing rogues with sensitive souls (e.g. Han Solo, Spike Spiegel). I’m a seriously hopeless romantic, and if two characters fall in love despite all the odds set against them, I’m completely invested emotionally. I’m sure this is probably why a lot of my work tends to feature heroines or couples. At least I’m consistent!



And lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring character developers?

Draw every single day. If you’re having a bad drawing day, seek out things that inspire you! Play guitar, go for a walk in the park, go to a bookstore or see a movie. There are so many resources out there today for people that want to work in animation–from workshops or online classes, to CTN Expo or SDCC. Networking will get you the job, so be friendly to everyone you meet in the industry–your work ethic and good attitude means more than your portfolio. Don’t be afraid to edit your portfolio. Submit your portfolio with work that applies to the job you want. It’s a competitive industry, but if you want it bad enough, and you work for it hard enough, you’ll get there. My path to being a vis dev artist wasn’t easy, but with a lot of hard work and dedication (and a little bit of luck), I made it. You can, too.

Thanks to Sarah for such a great and insightful interview! You can check out more of Sarah Marino's work on her website as well as check out her artwork for the In Place Exhibition and the In Place book on our Light Grey Shop.

Artist Interview: Lauren Airriess

Meet Lauren Airriess. Lauren is an extremely talented character and visual developer, illustrator, and artist living in San Francisco, California, and currently working as a sketch artist and animator at Pixar Animation Studios. For years, Lauren has been creating and sharing work through her online blog Tula Noodle, and professionally contributing to works on feature length animations such as Tangled. Lauren has exhibited work at Light Grey Art Lab in Searching for Secrets during the Message and a Bottle Exhibition and in the current In Place Exhibition. We are excited to get to know Lauren more, hear about her process, and get the inside scoop!



What are some of your favorite projects so far? Professionally or personally, what projects have moved you to create?

I absolutely loved working on Tangled. The mood and look they were going for when I was on the project was in Rembrandt's style, which I absolutely love. It was my first experience on an animated feature, and I couldn't have asked for more. I feel like when you have a director who really inspires, and a theme and style that hit a chord with you, the artwork just comes flowing out, and you never want to stop.

Has your experience working on animations shaped the way that you think about space, environments, and experience of places?

I have been working either on getting into animation or in animation ever since I was eight or nine, so I wouldn't even know how to do things in a different way. I would say that in the animation world, everything has to be influenced by the main character and how they are feeling at that moment in time. If the character is sad, that will effect the environment, lighting, composition etc. Everything you draw has to tell a story about that character.



You create spectacular and intricate backgrounds everyday and there are so many interesting places around the earth, so how did you select or find inspiration your location for In Place?

I have had this weird reoccurring dream ever since I was a kid about a Victorian conservatory. It was usually kind of run down and overgrown, so I thought that the Palacio De Cristal would be a good choice because it was gutted after left abandoned for a many years. I brought it back to its more wild state. It's now used as a gallery space for sculpture and art installation.



What was your research and development stages like for In Place?

I started by looking up different observatories and the stories behind the architects who created them. Observatories became a kind of status symbol for cities all over the world. The goal was to create the largest, most elaborate collection of foreign plant species - almost like a plant zoo. They weren't just used by scientists to study exotic plants; they were also used to house fantastic parties. I found the juxtaposition very interesting.

Can you tell us what projects you currently have in the works? What is on your personal agenda?

I am developing my own idea based off a Finnish folktale called the Forest Bride. This is really just for my personal development and to teach me to create a world from scratch. It's been challenging, but I have learned a lot.

On top of your professional work, you are creating plethora of personal work, and we are impressed by the amount and variety you make in your free time. Could you talk a little about the differences in approach to personal and professional work? What keeps you motivated?

I try to do the kind of work at home that I am not doing at that moment for the studio. Either creating pieces in a flat graphic style that fit more into the illustration world, or with styles or plot lines that speak to me. Doing things in different styles at home enables me to stay fresh creatively.

What are some of your favorite themes, types of characters, things to make?

Coming of age stories. On a design level, I love movies that have a lot of organic elements. Either with a lot of vegetation, or architecture that falls more on the organic side, with a lot of character and flowing lines. I would say that I like period films the most, but it all depends on the story.



What are some other types of media/people (other artists, books, television, movies) that you are inspired by?

Oh man, I get inspired by so many artists. I would have to say my go to guys are the giants in the art world, such as Toulouse Lautrec, Rembrandt, Monet, Sargent, and Waterhouse. I love their sense of design and color, their worlds are so rich. But on the other hand, whenever I get in a tough spot with something I am working on, I go straight to my Tumblr feed. It helps to see that people are constantly creating new art, and it makes me feel like creating good artwork is possible and within my reach.


You can check out more of Lauren's work on her website or blog, and you can see and purchase her work for the In Place Exhibition and Book here!

In Place Opening Reception Tonight!

The wait is over! Join us tonight to celebrate the work and collaboration of 50+ illustrators, concept artists, and designers as we take you on a journey around the world...and back!


Salar de Uyuni by Victor Maury

The In Place opening reception and Book Release begins at 7pm at Light Grey Art Lab! There will be several local artists, the In Place Books, and of course, all the the sublime and majestic large-scale works of places from around the globe. From a tiny alley way in Shinjuku, Japan, to an expansive mountain scape in Germany, In Place celebrates all sacred, mysterious, cultural, and awe-inspiring places- the places that inspire us to create, travel, and wonder!

You can see more about the opening reception on our facebook event page
Or check out the entire collection on our permanent online gallery and Light Grey Shop!


Marakeesh by Victoria Ying

We hope you can make it to the opening, as well as our book signing and discussion Saturday, August 24th from 12pm-3pm at Verdant Tea! At noon, we will kick off the event with delicious tea and conversation. Starting at 1pm, we will talk about the process of the book, inspirations by Light Grey and the participating artists, and tons of images and books to look at! Stick around after the event for a traditional tea tasting and a Q & A. You can read more about the event here.

Shalimar by Sidharth Chaturvedi

Let's honor these inspiring places and all of the incredible artwork!

Artist Interview: John Lee

As the Station Zero show comes to a close, we wanted to take one last opportunity to speak to participating artist John Lee. John Lee is an incredibly talented illustrator, with clients that include National Geographic, FedEx, Harmonix, and The National Park Service. We wanted to ask John about his influences, experiences and process behind his gorgeous and expressive work. And of course we couldn't help talking about his favorite aspects of Science Fiction.


Hi John! I know you're not local to Light Grey Art Lab, so where are you from? Where'd you grow up and do you think your surroundings playing a large role in your career as an artist?

I grew up in Memphis, TN and am absolutely influenced by the South. My childhood was spent playing war in the Memphis summer evenings, surrounded by fireflies and honeysuckle, watching kung-fu movies after eating home-made fried chicken at family gatherings, and drawing spaceships on x-ray backing boards with fruit-scented markers.

I always drew a lot as a kid, and my parents picked up on that at an early age. They exposed me to a lot of Caldecott award winning children's books, comics like Calvin & Hobbes, and traditional Chinese art collected by my grandparents or family friends. I also remember trying to duplicate the visuals from the video games that my brother and I would play (since we could only play a certain amount every week).

Currently, I find myself thinking a lot about the South in terms of my specific racial experiences within it when I was growing up. Memphis is a city with a deep and complex history when it comes to race relations-- after all, it's the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered, and where rock was born from the blending of black and white musical traditions. However, I'm a 2.5 generation Chinese/Filipino, and there weren't a lot of kids who looked like me in school. There also wasn't really a place for Asian-Americans to fit into the larger common narrative of black/white racial history in the South, even if they were just as affected by prejudice as any other group. Recently, I've been doing a lot of research through museums and first hand accounts of family members, trying to piece together just how complex this history is.

I guess what I mean to say is that I think artists should reflect the times in which they live. And I think as illustrators, it's always best to inform your work, not just stylistically, but through content, with personal stories and experiences. You hear this idea tossed around as finding visual distinction through one's illustration "voice." Right now I'm mining my own formative experiences for -- something. Somewhere in this weird intersection of X-Men comics, Super Metroid, Han-dynasty guardian lions, dogwood trees, cicada broods, and schoolyard scraps, there's a story to be told that is currently influencing my trajectory as an artist.


In process work by John Lee

I see you're an instructor at the Memphis College of Art! What attracts you to teaching?

I actually just quit teaching at MCA this summer, so my website is a little out of date--which I apologize for! I had the privilege of teaching there for 2 years, and taught foundational level courses for illustration (composition and color), as well as a senior-level portfolio development and professional practice course.

I think what I love the most about teaching is that I get to share. You can sit in your studio and just absolutely geek out about a color temperature shift in a Winslow Homer piece, and then bring it into the classroom where everyone not only gets it, but is just as excited about it as you are. This idea of being unapologetically ecstatic about things that you love is essential for leading a creative lifestyle. It's also the lynchpin that binds the illustration community together, and why I feel like illustrators are some of the nicest people out there.

Additionally, for me teaching is one way to pay it forward. I remember when I was first starting out as an illustrator, I was fresh out of school with a tangential degree and nothing but a barely functional ability to draw. I was referred to Nathan Fox, who was living in Kansas City at the time, and I dropped him a line for lack of any other options really. Nathan was really awesome, invited me over to his studio, and essentially got me set up. He did a review of the work that I had cobbled together as a "portfolio", showed me how he interacted with clients, and even went so far as to give me some of the documents that he used to for invoicing and contracts. It was the crash course that got me started, and I owe a lot to him because of it.

So when I would interact with students, I would try and keep that experience in mind. What did I want to know at that stage in the game? What did I need to know? Every student's path and style of learning is different, and my knowledge base is only so deep, so I definitely felt like I had varying degrees of success as a teacher. But at the end of the day, I wanted to feel like I helped someone towards their larger goal in some small way. Because everyone deserves that chance, and maybe one day they'll pay it forward to someone else.


Typography process for Station Zero by John Lee

That seems like a really wonderful and generous approach. So if you could give one word of advice to anyone who's just starting out, trying to be a successful freelance artist, what would it be?

My very first piece of advice would be to be careful on whose advice you internalize. Know the context in which people's experiences are formed. In my case, I still consider myself a journeyman illustrator in a lot of ways, and that I still have a lot to learn and a ways to go in terms of my career.

My second piece of advice for students and artists just starting out would be to reevaluate what your definition of success is. Decide what your goals are within art, or illustration, or whatever, and use that as your true north for every decision that you make here on out. Maybe you want a Ferrari one day. Maybe you want to write a children's book that changes how a whole generation thinks about storytelling. Maybe you want to settle down and have a few kids.

Whatever it is, be honest about what you want and then go for it with all of your being. I think about an awesome interview with Bruce Lee that I heard: "When you want to move, you're moving, and when you move, you are determined to move. (If) I'm going to punch, man I'm going to do it."


Process for Station Zero Show by John Lee

From looking at your work it seems like you like to draw everything under the sun! Is there any one subject that you like drawing the most and why?

For a while, I was really into drawing little feral Mononoke-hime-like kids. I like to draw foliage, and also rocks because I'm boring. I've also been drawing little cartoon sheep since I was in 4th grade, and I use them currently for my "branding." But mostly, I just like drawing people. And I don't really mean figure drawing in the academic sense. Honestly, anatomy, muscle groups, etc. kind of bores me to death. I mean drawing people in a way that captures some kind of honest expression or story. I think Harvey Dunn said to his students something along the lines of "if you want to paint the people, you must become one of the people." Sterling Hundley put it another way in a critique at the Illustration Academy when he said "the great unwashed masses are us." So, I really like just going out in different situations and drawing people as much as I can.

You post on your blog a lot of images of you doing observational drawings in your sketchbook at museums and other inspiring places. What about drawing from real life do you enjoy most, and what is your favorite environment to make art?

For me, drawing is much more effective at capturing an experience than say, photography. When I look at a drawing that I've done, I can remember where I was, who I was with, whether the sun was on my face, or it was windy at the time. etc. It's probably a byproduct of having to invest a lot of time and concentration into making a drawing, as compared to simply clicking a button. Drawing is more personal, and becomes more than just reproducing what's in front of you. You have to constantly edit information, accentuating some things while downplaying others.

On a more technical note, drawing from observation allows you to perceive form, value, and color more precisely than from a photograph. These repetitions build muscle memory and strengthen your perceptual vocabulary, which you can then use back in the studio.

My favorite situation for drawing is when it starts a dialog. So like when I'm drawing, and someone who is into it comes says hi, and a conversation starts. I guess it goes back to that idea of liking things unapologetically.


Sketches by John Lee

What is your process like, and what materials do you typically use?

My current illustration process is in a lot of flux as I'm figuring things out currently. But in general, my finals are either some kind of linework with digital color, or messy digital paintings that are collaged together from scanned bits and scraps of all sorts of things like monotypes, palette paper scraps, blotting sheets, etc. On the digital side, I use an older 09 Macbook Pro, Wacom Intuos 4, PS CS6, and a Canoscan LiDE 600F scanner.

I'm a drawer first and foremost, so all of my painting sensibilities tend to emerge from that. For instance, I have a tiny Winsor & Newton watercolor set that I have for sketching, but most of the heavy lifting is done with Caran d'Ache Supracolor watercolor pencils. I use Nasutomo Niji water brushes, one with water and one with 60/40 ink and water, a technique I stole from James Gurney. But again, I really like them because they kind of remind me of scummy Chinese calligraphy pens. I also use a little Zebra ballpoint pen for drawing when I don't have anything else, because of James Jean.


John Lee's art making materials

Most your work has an amazing rough quality to it, but is still very recognizable and controlled, with beautifully harmonious color combinations. What are your biggest influences that have helped created you as an artist and how have they helped mold your style into what it is today?

I think in general, I don't like having absolute control over my imagery. I want things to surprise me and my drawing to have elements of tightness and looseness, all within the same image (which is funny considering I work mostly digitally). I love when you're looking at a John Singer Sargent painting, looking at all these chunky daubs of murky browns and blues, and then suddenly this beautiful portrait emerges from it. I love the idea behind Cezanne's paintings where you're giving just enough information and then your brain has to reconstruct the rest.

Absolute representation is already known. We know what something looks like when it's realistic. Where's the fun in that? I tend to focus much more heavily on composition and design than the actual rendering of things.

In terms of color, I heard it explained this way (by Jeffery Alan Love, again at the Illustration Academy): "There are those that have to sneak up on color, and there are those that explode it." My grasp on actual painting color theory is tenuous at best, so I tend to sneak up and "find" my color schemes halfway through my pieces. However, the undergrad printmaker in me comes out at certain times and says "if it's red, make it freaking' red" so that's why you'll see some pretty garish saturated colors in my drawings. I think it's important to be honest about your influences. It's terrible when people won't admit being influenced by someone, even when it's really obvious. I think it's also important to look at who your influences were influenced by. I look at and absolutely love a lot of work, but I find myself only really going back and looking at certain people. Chronologically, it goes something like: John Singer Sargent, Howard Pyle/Harvey Dunn/Dean Cornwell, Charley Harper, Coby Whitmore, James Gurney, Gary Kelley, Sterling Hundley, James Jean. Obviously, the more contemporary your influences are, the more dangerous it becomes.

Graduating with a BFA in Creative Writing, I'm sure you have a list of favorite books. What are some of them and if you read sci-fi novels what are some of your favorite of those as well?

My favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I don't know if it's not cool to like that book, or whatever, but man. I love the scale of that book, the weaving narratives, and beautiful matter-of-fact vignettes of the supernatural. Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics is on that list for much the same reason. And as a Southerner, I love Flannery O' Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find. I actually don't read a whole lot of sci-fi! I think the last one I read before The Jewels of Aptor was A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller. I get most of my sci-fi dosage from other media. So like, Battlestar Galactica, or the original Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed comics by Masamune Shirow, or incompetently dropping marines off to their deaths in an occasional game of Starcraft.

What about Sci-fi intrigues you, and how did that influence your approach to your cover?

My absolute favorite thing about science fiction is that it stretches our imaginations. How many scientists, programmers, physicists, etc. discovered their passion by watching something like Star Trek or Star Wars as a kid? I also love science fiction when it can make an otherwise fantastic situation feel emotionally real. A series like Battlestar Galactica does that really well-- it forces us to engage with the story in terms that we can all relate to. For my cover, I chose to show one of the main characters, the White Goddess Argo, as the figurehead on the bow of an old frigate. The Jewels of Aptor is a post-apocalyptic story, so there's been a tech reset for the surviving humans/mutants and they use old sailing technology to get around. The true identity of Argo is constantly in question throughout the entire story, so I wanted her to feel kind of ambiguous as to whether she was actually a carved figurehead, or if there was some actual life behind her. I also wanted to use the heavy drapery to tie her back to a previous period in art history, to suggest that the world that the book is describing is actually one that we know very well.

Thanks again to John for taking the time to chat with us! You can find more from John Lee on his website, on tumblr and on twitter @johnleedraws.

Artist Interview: Kelsey King

Meet Kelsey King- A Minnesota-native freelance artist and recent graduate from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Kelsey is one of the exhibiting artists in the Station Zero Exhibition, but has also shown work in various other institutions, and has had several works featured in Juxtapose Magazine, ImagineFX, and Scientific American among others. Her illustration work is captivating- delving in fantasy, science fiction, folklore, and intimate and imaginary subjects.

What are some of your favorite subjects to illustrate and why?

If you look through my body of work, it is obvious to see that young women is probably the most common thing I draw. But honestly, who doesn’t love drawing pretty ladies? I think that’s why pin-up and pulp covers interest me so much. The art is really beautiful but unsatisfying or just plain ridiculous. I love using the imagery as inspiration to make something more complex.

More recently, I’ve been drawing animals in a folk kind of way. I’ve found it’s fun to do something unexpected- contrasting the more realistic landscapes and simplified animals.

Station Zero touches on some of the subjects and themes found in your work. Can describe the process of your work for Station Zero, thoughts, enthusiasm?

I thought it was really cool to work with a book that was so female-centric, especially in the Science-Fiction genre in the 1960s! I love seeing a SF story that is focused on a young female protagonist who is extremely relatable- struggling to try and seem older than she really is, growing up way too fast.

When I started working on my cover, I wanted to bring certain characteristics out. I really liked how powerful she looked on the original cover and the moody blue tone, I also wanted to emphasize that she was described as 15 years-old with tanned skin and dark hair. When the story begins, she is on vacation, and dressed like the kid that she is. In the end, I tried my best to capture the powerful feeling and the look of a 15 year-old on vacation in the future!

You have a large series of work incorporating Women and Wolves (including your piece for Station Zero). Can you talk a little about these two subjects, what they mean for you, and why they are narratively important?

The Women&Wolves series started when I became re-interested in Little Red Riding Hood story after I read "In the Company of Wolves" by Angela Carter. I was fascinated by reading a version of the story where, instead of being a cautionary tale about the ‘big bad wolf’, it used wolves as a metaphor for desire, death, and fear. I loved that wolves could be more than a generally masculine icon. I wanted to continue with that idea, so I made a series that paired wolves and women in a natural setting, in an attempt to convert the wolf to a feminine icon.

I don’t think women are often shown as both the positive and negative impulses of nature, honestly and without exploitation. This series was a subtle way to explore these themes, while also experimenting with different techniques and styles of working. Also, I was able to draw crazy long-bodied wolves is a lot of fun, and I’ve just only recently discovered how much I love drawing environmental scenes!

What are some of your hobbies outside of art-making?

Cats? Cats. That’s a weird answer, but I spend a surprising amount of time cat-sitting for people. Right now I’m taking care of my Mom’s two cats at my place while caring for a 9 week-old kitten that loves biting everything. They’re not getting along very well and take a lot of work, so getting things done and sleeping is difficult for me!

My biggest hobby outside of art-related things is watching movies. I watch them constantly, while I’m working, when I’m not working, while I’m washing dishes. I love stories! Lately I've been watching documentaries, especially ones narrated by Leonard Nimoy.

What is your biggest motivation? How do you get yourself inspired?

I always find that my motivation to work and my inspiration never happens at the same time! I’ll have a great idea of something I want to work on it, but I'm not in a place to actually work on it. Conversely, whenever I am inspired to make work and sit down at my computer to do something, I have no idea of what to work on. So now, I keep a list of ideas and things I want to make, things I think are really cool (even if it’s something as simple as ‘draw food') Then, whenever I sit down I just pull up the list and have some ideas to get excited about.

Motivation has been easier for me since I decided to do illustration full time. I always feel like I have to be making something, even if it isn’t for a job, because making things is my job- if I’m not doing something productive, I’m failing at doing my job.


You recently graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. What is next for you? What projects, goals, or series are you excited about?

Yup! I just graduated in May! It seems like forever-ago though- it has been a busy summer for me, full of changes! Other than professional illustrations, I’m planning and working on two larger personal projects. The first has to do with my new house- I’m going to try and paint a new mural in the basement every month. I love working large scale, and murals are always a ton of fun. I’ve just started my first one the other night, and it was a great break from staring at my computer screen!

My second project is somewhat of an offshoot of my Women&Wolves series, and I’m still not sure where I’m going with it yet. It’s a story centered around three contrasting young women, all from different fantastical backgrounds, who are all forced from their homes until they can resolve whatever problems that they are facing. So far, I’ve just been having fun designing and drawing the girls and coming up with their back stories! It has been awhile since I’ve tried to create an entire universe to base characters around, and it’s really something I want to get back to- trying my hand at more concept art and environment creation. Also, it’s just a great excuse to draw more ladies with weapons and bad-ass animal sidekicks!

Thanks, Kelsey! To see more of Kelsey King's work you can check out her website or view her work on the Light Grey Art Lab shop and view the entire collection on the Station Zero online gallery.

Artist Interview: Leonard Peng

Meet Leonard Peng. He is a current student at the Maryland Institute College of Art pursuing a degree in Illustration with a focus on Book Arts. His unique illustrative style and interesting concepts have allowed him to be featured on Juxtapoz.com and in many shows at MICA. Leonard enjoys illustrating narrative based work, especially for children, but adding his own fun conceptual twist. Leonard is one of the artists in the You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It exhibition, and will be displaying work again with us this August, in the In Place Exhibition.

Where did you grow up, and where do you currently reside?
I grew up in sunny California and I currently reside in Baltimore pursuing an illustration degree at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

What are some hobbies you have outside of art?
There are only two things that I like more than art and that is swimming and watching movies. I have grown up near the ocean so swimming has been something important throughout my life. As for watching movies, I love the idea of escaping into another world and experiencing emotions and thoughts of other people in film. Also both activities help with my creative process. When I'm swimming, I clear my thoughts of distractions and think clearly. While watching movies I am able to feel motivation and find inspiration.

What materials do you typically work with, and what is your favorite medium?
For the bulk of my work, I use acrylic paint and add highlights or details with either graphite or color pencil. In "Reach For The Stars", I used half acrylic painting and half digital and it worked out better than I thought, so that's something I'm working with now. I like using traditional mediums especially acrylic because of how versatile it is. You could use acrylics for washes or for dry brushing and also I find that using traditional mediums come with more variety of control. Sometimes surprises and mistakes can make a piece far more interesting than what I was expecting.


Detail of "Reach for the Stars" by Leonard Peng

What is your favorite historical art period?
My all time favorite historical art period is a tie between the golden age and the 1910's - 1930's lifestyle illustrations. The illustrators that influence me the most are Erté, Kai Nielsen, and Jon Bauer. The illustrations during these times all had beautiful and smart shapes that were integrated well as design elements – not to mention the figures are very elegant.

What are your favorite subjects to draw?
My favorite subject to draw is people. It's extremely satisfying to capture moments in time of someone's reaction or pose. Through drawing people, I get a sense of personal intimacy with that person. Sometimes this helps me jumpstart new ideas that I want to work with for future projects.


Illustration by Leonard Peng

What is your favorite aspect of working with type?
Finding the right type is difficult but once you find one that fits the illustration, it feels like a real accomplishment. I don't have much experience with type so it was hard choosing which typeface to use. I always feel that choosing the right type either makes or breaks a piece, so my favorite part is meeting the illustration halfway to complete it.

What do you like about illustrating different types of stories? Like fables, folk tales, and children’s books.
What I love about illustration is its narrative properties. Ideally, I would work as a children's book illustrator so working with stories is what I look forward to. I love the fact that an illustration can represent an entire story from beginning to end. It's magical in its storytelling qualities and pleases people with its aesthetics.

What inspired you to depict the quote “Reach for the stars”?
After bouncing off ideas with my friend we came up with "Reach for the stars, and never look back". I quickly became inspired and motivated to create something fantastical and imaginary. I ended up only using the first half of the quote because I felt it was so applicable to everything you do and that looking back isn't always a bad thing. In "Reach For the Stars", I combined two elements that I loved as a child, aquatic animals and space. I am enamored by both subjects because of how mysterious they are. It's interesting how vast the ocean is and how much unexplored territory and new creatures have yet to be found. I thought it would be appropriate to have a futuristic space like fantasy setting along with these weird fish like creatures.


"Reach for the Stars" by Leonard Peng 2013

Are there any quotes/mottos you live your life by, or feel strongly about?
I don't have any mottos that I live by but there is one quote by Maurice Sendak has said that I feel strongly about. In an interview on what being an illustrator means, Maurice Sendak said that he felt being an illustrator was the closest he could get to being a writer. In a way I felt that was applicable to me because as an illustrator you are giving life to sentence, you're supposed to make a simple sentence into a fantastical story. And that's part of the magic of being an illustrator!

What do you like most about being an art student?
My favorite part of being an art student is being in a community filled with artists. I think it's important to be in a place where other artists can help critique, motivate, and inspire you. Even though at times being an art student isn't as glorified as people believe it to be, I think it was worth it just to meet the people. It's also nice to have the security of being in school!

Thanks, Leonard!

You can see more of Leonard Peng's artwork here

You can also check out his poster on the online shop and the entire collection of work on the Light Grey You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It Gallery Collection

Artist Interview: Elisabeth McNair

Elisabeth and her dog Rufus

Our current exhibit, SMART, features a wide array of goofy, clever, and intelligent art. To showcase some of the artists we're particularly excited about, we conducted a series of interviews. Our first is with illustrator and zine author Elisabeth McNair.  She kindly took time out from her schedule to tell us about herself, her creative process, and her inspirations.


Where are you from, and where do you currently live?
 I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and that's where I'm currently living.


Where/how would you ultimately like to live?
I'm not really sure where I would ultimately like to live. My goal is to freelance full-time, and I think I'd actually be happy living anywhere if I could just work for myself and set my own hours.

The Optimist

How would you describe yourself? (or how might someone else describe you?)
I'm not very good at describing myself, but I love personality tests, especially the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The profile of the INFP personality type describes me really well.


How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I try to make art that is intelligent but not pretentious, funny but not stupid, and nostalgic but not kitschy.

Good Taste

As one of the artists in our upcoming SMART show, how are you interpreting this title? 
I gave it a lot of thought, and ended up deciding to interpret the title literally, and so I created an illustration about the desire to be "smart." A lot of people, myself included, are plagued by the anxiety that we will never know enough. Information is so accessible and easily-attained through the internet that we consume it faster than we can really absorb it. The piece I made for the show is an observation of the way that we constantly devour culture and knowledge, and how that information becomes wrapped up in our identities, a process that can either bring us closer together or make us feel more isolated.


What materials/processes do you use?
I always begin with lots of sketches. Once I've roughly figured out how I want the illustration to look, I make a detailed pencil drawing. Sometimes I create just one composition, and sometimes I draw all of the elements separately and compile them in the computer. Once the drawing is complete, I either paint it with watercolor and gouache or scan it and color it in Photoshop. As much as I love the idea of something being completely hand-made and original, painting in Photoshop is actually very freeing to me because there's no stress involved--I can change the colors as many times as I want! However, it's important for me to at least begin with a real drawing. I would really love to start printmaking again.


On your website, you site the writer Flannery O’Connor as a major influence. Can you tell us about a favorite story or passage?
In "Mystery and Manners," Flannery O'Connor wrote: “There are two qualities that make fiction. One is a sense of mystery and the other is a sense of manners. You get the manners from the texture of existence that surrounds you. The great advantage of being a Southern writer is that we don't have to go anywhere to look for manners; bad or good, we've got them in abundance. ” I think this idea pertains to any kind of art, not just fiction. There is truth in mystery and humor in manners, and since truth is often painful, it's best to express it with humor.


How much of a story do you create behind your illustration images?
There's usually an elaborate story that no one will ever really hear. Coming up with the story is more fun to me than actually making the illustration.



Are the people in your illustrations based on people you know, imagine, or see out and about?
I never intend for my illustrations to be based on real people, but it's possible that people I know sometimes sneak in!



There are quite a few animals in your illustration work. Can you talk about your relationship with animals? 
I've always loved animals, which is why I'm a vegetarian. Gandhi said that the "greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated." I think that animals understand more than we know, and I wish that our society did a better job of protecting them.


Do you have a day job? What jobs have you held? What was the best? The worst?
Right now, I don't have a day job because I'm attending school full-time; however, I'm doing freelance work and I also sell portraits on my Etsy shop. I have been a substitute teacher, an art teacher, a barista, and I've worked at a pet supply store. The pet supply store was fun because it was nice having dogs as customers. The worst job was substitute teaching.

from the zine 'Fancy Pants'

 You received your B.F.A. in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking, and now, you’ve returned to school for Illustration and Design. Why did you decide to go back to school?
I've never been good at figuring out how to make a living with my art; in fact, just thinking about it has always made me a little squeamish. I have always had a "day job" and made art in my spare time. I went back to school in order to figure out how to support myself doing what I love.


Where do you turn for inspiration?
The past.



What artists are most inspiring to you? 
Edward Gorey, Maira Kalman, and Yuriy Norshteyn are constant sources of inspiration.


How long does it take you to make an illustration?
It depends on when my deadline is! I can tweak things forever, so if I have the time I could spend weeks on a single illustration. However, if I am pressed for time I can complete an illustration a day.


Can you describe a typical work day?
Every morning while I drink my coffee, I get caught up on my reading. (I'm using Feedly now that Google Reader is being phased out.) If I come across something interesting, I might write about it on my blog. Then I walk my dog, and after that I spend the rest of the day at my desk, until late afternoon, when it's time to walk my dog again. After dinner, I work for several more hours.

'A Year of Not Reading'

I love to read. I also enjoy spending time with my dog, Rufus--I hate to think of how much time I would spend inside if he didn't beg me go on walks! Before I became too busy with school, I played keyboard in my husband's band, Noel Stephen & the Darlings.  (http://nsatd.bandcamp.com)



You have a blog called “A Fine Day For…” Are there any particular blogs you’re fan of? Some blogs I've been reading for a long time are Brain Pickings, Design*Sponge, Pugly Pixel, Swiss Miss, and of course Pikaland.



What’s the most interesting feedback you’ve ever gotten about your work?
Some people have described my work as depressing, which makes me laugh, because I try so hard to make it funny!



What’s the best advice on being an artist you’ve ever been given?
I can't think of a good answer for this, which probably means that I need some advice.


You say on your website that you are open to collaborations and commissions. What would be your ideal collaboration/commission?
My ideal collaboration would be to work with other creative people I admire to create and self-publish a quarterly zine. My ideal commission would be to do a cover for The New Yorker.


We have another upcoming show about inspirational quotes. Is there a particular quote that inspires you?
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
 --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Check out Elisabeth's work at:  www.elisabethmcnair.com