Rolemodels: Opening Reception Details

All New Fantasy Playing Card Game & Exhibition

Pack your crested armor, dust off your old cloak, and get your troops ready for battle!

Light Grey Art Lab's upcoming exhibition will take you on a journey through the ancient forest, over the rigid mountain spine, and through the land of fire, as you explore our fantasy land of Vyk' Tornaahl and the honorable, magical, and devious characters who reside there.


Detail of Murd of Lamb by John DeLucca

The Rolemodels exhibition is a fantasy portrait show, highlighting artist's personas, role-playing characters, and sharing more about themselves through their choice of weapon, talent, or epic legend. This show features the work of 99 artists, illustrators, games designers, and concept artists who hail from Microsoft Games Studio, Fantasy Flight Games, and more. These artists have traded in their pens and brushes for magic wands, massive broadswords, and supernatural abilites. Rolemodels celebrates each of these artworks, along with the artist and role model who created it: our real life art warriors.


A sneak peek at Toron the Unseen by Bart Tiongson

Rolemodels runs from October 25th through November 30th, with an opening reception on Friday, October 25th from 7pm-10pm. Visitors are invited to dress in fantasy costume in celebration of their RPG alter-egos and Halloween. Light Grey Art Lab will be transformed into a place of legends, our Hall of Heroes, featuring portraits and landscapes by 99 artists, an ancient map of Vyk’Tornaahl, banners of the four kingdoms, and a space for playing the Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk’Tornaahl card game.

You can see a sneak peek and read more about the Rolemodels card game here: Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl



This is also our Halloween party, so get ready for an exciting evening! We will have Witch's Brew and Goblin Cure drinks, artwork give-aways, and costume contests! To see more information about the opening reception, visit our Rolemodels Facebook Event Page.


Ansel the Half by Henry Christian-Slane

Click here to see the full list of participating artists!

We can't wait to see you here!

Create, Concept, and Collaborate Recap!

Wow! Create, Concept, & Collaborate is already over, and it was a huge success! This past weekend we were honored to have the incredibly talented duo of Mike Yamada and Victoria Ying visit us at Light Grey Art Lab to host a weekend workshop dedicated to visual development. As Visual Development Artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Mike and Victoria brought with them an incredible wealth of talent, experience, and insight.



The weekend kicked off with a public lecture in the Minneapolis College of Art and Design's auditorium, which was packed to the brim with excited artists. Mike and Victoria gave a great introduction on what it actually means to create visual development and concept work for a company like Disney. Their body of work is hugely impressive and it was a great lecture! You can listen to the full lecture it on the latest podcast episode, here.


A packed house over at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design!


Mike and Victoria share upcoming projects, animation stills, and concept art for Disney Animation Studios.

Afterwards, everyone moved down the street to Glam Doll Donuts, where we had a bustling All Creatives Meet & Greet. Spirits were high, fueled by Glam Dolls delectable donuts and plenty of coffee. It was a great event, and the people at Glam Doll happily dealt with the throngs of hungry artists like pros.


Artists line up to talk to Mike and Victoria, say hello to each other, and fill up on some delicious donuts!

The first day started bright and early, with introductions and an opener discussion with Mike and Victoria about personal work, their brainchild Extracurricular Activities, and sharing the portfolios that got them into the industry. Mike and Victoria highlighted some of their favorite pieces to date, shared current and in process works, and the differences in their personal and professional works. It was wonderful to see the changes from project to project!



Then, Light Grey led a series of workshop exercises, focusing on experimentation and exploration in story-telling. Splitting into groups, each team was given a short prompt and challenge to create a children's story with limited resources- Rorschach ink blots! As a humorous ice-breaker, this was a perfect project to start the day: it focused on group improv, brainstorming, and creative problem solving. The exercise was followed by reflective worksheets and discussion on project ideation.


Groups work on creating a playful and quick children's story, all with ink blots and abstract shapes!


A giant and fun brainstorming session to get all of us awake and thinking.

After a breezy outdoor lunch at Jasmine Deli and a coffee break at the Spyhouse, boardgame art director Mike Linnemann came by and talked about the relationship between art directors and participating artists. Mike is a bright and honest guy, not to mention an incredibly experienced and prolific director. Along with a presentation, students were able to peek at a few of the games and card decks Mike has helped produce.



Following Mike Linnemann's talk, Victoria led an incredible character building demo, where she talked about the shapes, relationships, and dynamics to think about when creating interesting character.





Victoria creates her version of Hansel and Gretel, showing how she ideates, creates characters, and builds personas.

The demo ended with a project prompt for a character building exercise, which the class worked on while each participant started in their one-on-one (or one-on-two, in this case) chats with Mike and Victoria. Individual students were able sit down ask questions, review their portfolio, and talk about their personal work.



After a long day, the whole workshop walked to Uptown's Chino Latino for some great food and some much needed R&R. We reflected on the day over colorful and exotic dishes and fun drinks!



Sunday morning started with an open and honest discussion about social media, promotion and marketing. This was a round-table discussion, and each person had great things to say about their personal experience, thoughts on promotion, useful and inspiring tools, and resources. From books to podcasts to online articles, this discussion was both insightful and necessary- shedding light on some of the most wondered and important questions. It was a very positive conversation, fueled by the variety of past experiences of participants, Mike and Victoria, and the Light Grey team.


Erik Krenz sharing his views on tumblr and social media.


So much enthusiasm!

Next, Mike led a lively landscape, character and painting demo. We all watched in awe as Mike effortlessly painted his interactive characters and background. He shared his personal techniques and tricks for painting in photoshop, as well as creating dynamic and informative compositions.



After the demonstration, we packed our bags and headed to Midtown Global Market for a quick and delicious bite to eat! Midtown is one of our favorite places to get lunch because of its endless and unique entrees, bubble teas, and handmade crafts. During lunch, we were able to relax and talk about our experiences so far, developing stories, and talk about our plan for the afternoon work session.



With the day half over, the group quickly got back to work! They spent the afternoon developing and working through their character building project. The review meetings continued throughout the afternoon, along with peer revisions, conversations, and a few Light Grey tarot readings!


Busy at work!


Partners were able to critique characters and look an each others work.

To close the day, Mike and Victoria walked through a portfolio building presentation, outlining the do's and don't's of portfolio creation, tips for unifying work, and how to make a portfolio a "reflection of yourself." The talk was not only about creating a portfolio, but how to share it, where to bring your portfolio, and how to get noticed. After a two full days of working, this was a perfect cap to share hopes and plans for the future.

To celebrate the weekend and new friends, the group moved to the Lowry for a great dinner and to give out final goodbyes. There were several drawing contests, such as "Cutest Kitten", or "Batman With Your Eyes Closed". Information was exchanged, including a hypothetical conversation about future workshops and dream projects.




Overall, it was an incredible weekend with so many talented and motivated individuals! Thank you to all of our participants, as well as those who were able to attend the lecture, meet & greet, or parts of the class! To see the entire collection of photographs from the weekend, you can check out the flickr gallery.

You can see more artwork by Victoria Ying and Mike Yamada here!

In Place Opening Reception Recap

A huge thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to the opening reception and book release for In Place! It was an incredible celebration with so many fantastic artworks, and we were happy to share it with all of you!



Each In Place piece was displayed in a larger-than-life format, allowing viewers to 'get lost' in the image and truly discover these breathtaking, culturally relevant, and magical, yet real places! Ranging from the Congo River, to the Shalimar Gardens, the Bavarian Forest, and Marakeesh, Morocco, each piece is captures the discovery of ends of the earth, our awe-inspiring journeys, and our love for curiosity!



The In Place books arrived just in time for the big event! Visitors were able to pick up a copy of their own, have local participating artists sign their In Place Books!



In the next few weeks, there will be several more opportunities to get to know these artists, check out the books, and hear all about the In Place book and process. Dates and information for signings (Magers & Quinn and Boneshaker Books) coming soon! Keep an eye out for all of the invitations!

In Place will be up and on display at Light Grey Art Lab until September 13th! Stop by during our gallery hours Wednesday-Saturday from 12pm-7pm, and Sundays from 12pm-5pm.

If you can't stop by in person, check out all of the wonderful work and In Place book on the permanent In Place online gallery and Light Grey Shop!

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.

In Place Opening Reception, Book Release, and Sneak Peeks!

The wait is almost over! We are extremely honored to bring you In Place: wish you were here, a large exhibition and collaborative book project incorporating nearly fifty works by illustrators, designers, and concept artists from around the world.

Each artist has created magnificent, breathtaking, and detailed works, capturing the experience and history imbedded in each place. From the ancient rows of temples in Bagan, to an abandoned power plant in North Carolina, a tiny alleyway in Toyko, Japan, and a the forgotten Easter Island, In Place is about the beauty and mystery, as much as the culture, ways of life, and mark in history and imagination. These are the places that inspire us to create and dream!


Sneak peek of work by Kim Smith

Come take a trip around the world, as we enjoy all these artworks in the In Place Exhibition, which opens August 23rd from 7pm-10pm. To see the full list of participants or more information about the opening reception check out our facebook event.


Detail of Hardangervidda by Maike Plenzke

Following the reception, August 24th from 12pm-3pm, Light Grey Art Lab will be doing a book signing, artist talk, and discussion at Verdant Tea! Stop by for some refreshing teas and traditional pouring, meet some of the artists, and learn more about collaborative book making and process! We are extremely excited to talk with the artists about their views and research along the way. You can see more about the book signing event here.
You can read more about the In Place book on our online shop, which is now available for pre-order!

Detail of Camelot by Jeff Johnson

We will be celebrating this project and exhibition for an entire month! So stop by Light Grey Art Lab or the permanent online gallery to see more about the show and view the entire collection. (available this Friday)


For more details about the project and the In Place book.

In Place Sneak Peek

This August at Light Grey Art Lab, we are celebrating the summer 'sense of travel,' our yearning for new destinations, and curiosity about mysterious places around the world, as we gear up for our newest exhibition opening, In Place.

In Place incorporates the work of fifty concept artist, background and gaming artists, illustrators, and designers from all over the work to collaborate on a awe-inspiring and sublime exhibition and limited edition artist book project.

Here is a preview and the preorder for the In Place book

And a sneak peek at some of the amazing artwork:


Chiang Mai Jungle, Thailand Sunrise by Angela An
Cenote, Yucatan Peninsula Cenotes by Juan Carlos Barquet
Congo, Congo by Francesca Buchko
Northridge Shopping Mall, Paris by Andres Guzman

Each artist has done an incredible job capturing these larger than life destinations, such as Chief Mountain in Montana, the Illuminated Caves in Okinawa, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the icy tundra of Antarctica. Each piece is accompanied by a written piece about the folklore, history, 'magical healing powers,' influence, and dwellers of each of these magnificent places. We cannot wait to share with you!

To see more information about the opening reception see our facebook event!

Artist Interview: Courtney Billadeau

With Station Zero going on right now, we wanted to take a peek into the minds of some of the many talented artists participating in the show. We were blown away at the expansive knowledge (and interest) in sci-fi that many of the Station Zero artists possessed, and wanted to give them a chance to speak more on the topic!

Meet C. Billadeau- a Chicago illustrator with a widespread pool of interests, ranging from comic art to book binding and much much more. Her work utilizes bold shapes and dynamic compositions (with just the right amount of texture sprinkled on top,) creating dramatic and eye-catching pieces. Aside from her work in several of our shows here at Light Grey Art Lab, C. Billadeau has been featured in Illustration West 48 and 49, CMYK 49, and Creative Quarterly 22. She has worked with Bioware promoting Mass Effect, and most recently participated in a short fiction anthology titled "THIS IS HOW YOU DIE."


Sebastian Orr Photography

What’s one sci-fi book you’d recommend everyone to read, and why?

As an avid reader and huge sci-fi fan, it is difficult to narrow the list down!

My favorite classic sci-fi is I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. The book itself is a collection of short fiction built on the premise of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and a logical society that believes them to be wholly comprehensive, with each story upping the ante in showing us robots finding loopholes in those laws and explaining how completely flawed the laws are. His other books in the Robot series are also really great.

If 'hard' sci-fi scares you or you're afraid of being labeled as a nerd or something (but really, it's great, come to the dork side), I'd recommend either China Miéville's The City and the City or the most recent trilogy by William Gibson, starting with Pattern Recognition. They both definitely fall more into the 'speculative fiction' side of science fiction along with "The City and the City", but are just as solid as any other futuristic sci-fi.


Work in progress for Station Zero

If you had to pick a sci-fi world to live in, where would you live and why?

Probably the world described in the Shadowrun tabletop gaming franchise (fun fact: the books are heavily inspired on the earlier, more famous William Gibson novels). See, a lot of my favorite sci-fi is about worlds or societies that are horribly, horribly flawed and that's why I enjoy reading stories about them (but not necessarily living in them).

Did you read the book you were assigned, or pieces of it? If so, what’s your favorite part of the book? Did that moment get included in your redesign of the cover?

I…didn't actually have a favorite part of "Cage A Man" because I really didn't like it! As someone who eats trashy pulp sci-fi like this for breakfast, I generally have a high tolerance for poor writing or dated ideas, but this was not the case here. There wasn't a lot of real plot to follow, as literally three-quarters of the book follow the main character's obsession with coercing and eventually forcing his female alien lover to get futuristic plastic surgery to make her look more human, simply because how she looks is offensive to his sex drive. No, I'm not actually kidding. All done in the name of "true love".

It's exceedingly problematic from numerous perspectives--feminist, racial, and otherwise--so it was difficult to digest because of that.

As such, I wanted little to do with the original content and ended up not specifically depicting anything from the book. I ended up relying on more abstract metaphors, instead, to describe a persistent theme throughout the book that didn't immediately make me backpedal away from the book--the concept of captivity, in its various forms.



What’s a piece of technology that you’d love to get invented in the near future?

Effective interstellar communication and/or travel--for research and knowledge! When I was a kid (and everyone else around me wanted to be a firefighter or a doctor or whatever their parents were), I only wanted to be an astronomer. Mainly to explore the unknowns of space from the comfort of Earth. I eventually grew out of that and into an illustrator, but I still find a lot of inspiration in the mysteries of the universe and deeply believe in what resources and knowledge we could find by exploring it.

What’s your ideal workspace?

My process is both part traditional mediums and part digital mediums, so having a large, dedicated desk where I can roll back and forth from messily inking something to my desktop is a must. As well as a huge scanner and copier nearby. I really prefer working with others, too--mainly for motivation and bouncing and sharing ideas off of each other.

Right now, I work in a space in my apartment with my significant other, but I plan to open up my own studio space with friends someday!


Work in progress for In Place

Do you listen to any music while you work? If so, what kinds?

Anywhere from industrial grunge to low-fi electronica. Music works, for me, less as a source of inspiration and more of a barrier between me and everything around me. I really can only focus on creating if I shut out the outside world for a bit.

What is your favorite medium to work in, and why?

I love working with ink. I make a lot of my textures by hand, mostly by slinging around ink with brushes on rough bristol.


Limited edition run of C.Billadeau's Mass Effect print through Bioware

In the future, what are some things you’d like to be working on/where would you like to go with your art?

I'm currently in the planning stages for a historical-fiction, surrealist graphic novel I've been doing the research for some time. I'm a commercial illustrator through and through, so, while continuing to do editorial and marketing work, I eventually plan to do more conceptual work for independent game design while making comics that I will likely serialize online.

Thanks Courtney!

To see more of her work, check out her blog or website, and be sure to check out her piece for Station Zero!

Sketchbook Project Sneak Peek

This September, is all about self-initiated projects here at Light Grey- about the work of the go-getters, their completed comic anthologies, artist books, and large series. It is all incredible work made by an individual artist out of pure motivation and interest. During the month we will celebrate these bodies of work in the Nights and Weekends Exhibition (we are accepting applications until August 1st. Click here for details) along with the process, rough sketches, and brainstorming found in the diverse and global sketchbooks of the traveling Sketchbook Library!

With the Sketchbook Project rapidly approaching (September 20th), we wanted to give you guys a brief preview of some of the super exciting things to look forwards to! First and foremost, a big thank you to everyone who chose to submit/participate in the event! It was a blast getting to look at the amazing diversity of the work created.

Collaborating with the Sketchbook Project on their 1703 Miles and Back Tour, we're excited to be bringing this phenomenal collection to Minneapolis for the first time!

Ulana Zahajkewycz

Not only will there be tons of brand-new sketchbooks joining the movement, The Traveling Library will also stop by Light Grey- letting you take a peek at around 4,500 sketchbooks from that year's collection (a small sliver of the 27,600+ sketchbooks collected total.) The Traveling Library will only be here for the 20th, so be sure to swing on by!

Amanda Brannin & Margriet Bokma

Besides the Traveling Library, we will be printing and displaying excerpts from many of the inspiring sketchbooks freshly collected here at Light Grey Art Lab! Unlike the Traveling Library, these will be here all month.


Monika Grubizna

While you're waiting for this awesome event, you can take a look at the Digital Library, to get an idea of some of the incredible work created through this project.

We also have a facebook event!
https://www.facebook.com/events/478252142268597/

Station Zero Opening Reception

Get ready for Station Zero!

Light Grey Art Lab's newest exhibition will bring you on a journey through the most epic and adventurous ideas in artwork and science fiction. From galaxies light-years away to brain swapping machines, urban technological landscapes to the experimental science labs of the future, this exhibition is all about science, cover art, re-imagined designs.

"God Rising (World Without Stars)" by John DeLucca

Inspired by the beautiful, bizarre, and neon covers of vintage science fiction novels, each artist was given a book, with the challenge to redesign and illustrating the covers. The original book covers will be on display alongside the giant collection of our contemporary revisions: large-scale, awe-inspiring, and celestial posters!

Such an awesome collection of work!

"What Strange Stars and Skies" by Ariel Elliott

Station Zero opens Friday, July 19th from 7-10pm. There will be space themed food, a giant photo booth with science fiction props, aluminum foil hats, and the official opening of our Light Grey Shop! For more details about the reception see our facebook event.

"One Million Tomorrows" by Jesse Tise

You can also view the entire collection of artwork on the online Station Zero Gallery and on our Light Grey shop! Hope to see you here!

Artist Interview: Jessica Roush

With a great love of life, and endless enthusiasm for the outdoors, meet Jessica Roush. A textile artist by trade, Jessica draws inspiration from the everyday. She is in a constant state of art-production: spontaneous sketches, typography, watercolor critters, and a wide variety of product design. A newcomer here at Light Grey Art Lab, our current show You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It is the first time we've had the chance to work with her.

Master of camouflage: Jessica Roush

Where did you grow up, where do you currently reside, and where is your dream home located?
I was born in Bakersfield California, but moved with my family to Raleigh, North Carolina when I was 6 years old. I graduated from NC State Univsersity in 2010 with dual degrees in Textile Technology and Art & Design. Right after I graduated, I packed up and trekked to Milwaukee to start at my current job.

As far as dream home... I went to Panama a year or two ago and really fell in love with the lost-in-the-jungle, Swiss Family Robinson type lodge my boyfriend and I stayed at in Bocas Del Toro. I'd love to plant myself there one day when I retire... I could be a crazy old lady hanging out with sloths, sleeping in a hammock! (It's called Tesoro Escondido, if anyone's curious.)


What is your current job, and what is your dream job?
I'd have to say that the two are fairly similar. My current job is an artist at Kohls Corporate Office in the Home department, doing prints and graphics for anything from dinnerware, to kitchen towels, bedding, bath towels, decorative objects or even christmas ornaments. I get to paint, draw and be creative the majority of the time, so I feel pretty fortunate.

If I could choose a DREAM JOB though, it'd be a combination hotel reviewer/ travel photographer. And maybe pasta-taster. A girl can dream.

What was life like once you graduated from North Carolina State University?
It was a huge learning curve. And I realized just how sweet I had it in school. Own screen-printing studio? Weaving studio? Laser cutting? All these resources I could leisurely use, (most of the time in the middle of the night) whenever I pleased? I'd kill for that now!

Also - that huge blizzard of 2010 happened right after I moved up here - Welcome to Wisconsin! ...And then I got towed. That was the REAL learning curve - City of Milwaukee's ridiculous parking rules.

Wisconsin Winters strike again

What are some hobbies you have outside of art?
I love the outdoors ... that's one thing I love about Midwesterners is that they really take advantage of the good weather - because it's so rare! So whenever it creeps above 50 degrees, you'll find me biking around town, or hiking, or kayaking, or just lounging on a picnic blanket, drinking some beer...

I also adore traveling. Researching before a trip, the trip itself, and the photos and inspiration gained afterward - I love it all. My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Thailand and Cambodia in the fall. We were originally thinking about South America, because we've both wanted to backpack there, and I speak a fair amount of Spanish. But Southeast Asia will be so rewarding I think - I've always wanted to go, after hearing my dad's stories about getting bit by a monkey, crazy jungles, and other adventures from when he lived there shortly as a kid. And of course, anywhere WARM. I mean, seriously, I need a break from Wisconsin winters sometimes.

When is your favorite time to make art?
Late at night - even though my definition of "late" has changed since school. My "studio" pretty much consists of a big drafting table with my computer/wacom/etc, and bookshelf. My boyfriend also has his desk in the same room, so we just put on music or a whole season of Arrested Development or Flight of the Conchords or something, hang out and have burping competitions. Just kidding. ...Maybe.

At work, all of us artists sit in a line of cubicles, and joke, sing, and curse all day. They're the best. I have a cubicle-mate, named Sampson, who is an African Water Frog (or so I'm told). He is the most handsome amphibian you'll ever meet.

Hello Sampson.

What materials do you typically work with, and what is your favorite medium?
Watercolor would be my usual go-to medium, because the result can be unexpected and natural, and it's easy to set up, clean up, and doesn't take forever to dry like oils. This is especially important at work - when they want a sunflower today, or a bunch of painted leaves this week, or spring flowers in repeat by tomorrow, etc - it would be silly to use a process or medium that takes a lot longer. It's really made me results-oriented after working a few years, since coming from school where everything was so process-driven - and that has also spilled onto my personal work as well... for the better I think. Instead of tons and tons of exploration or sampling, now I just kind of ... dive in, whatever medium it is.

What are your biggest influences as far as types of art? Like graphic design, sculpture, screen printing, modern furniture design, etc.
Interior Design, photography, vintage travel books, gig posters.... I could browse through flat stock all day long.


What are your favorite subjects to draw?
10-year-old-me would without a doubt say unicorns and horses. Well, that might still be true. But 26-year-old-me, along with painting, loves drawing from nature, in the moment. I try to keep a good sketchbook of quick doodles of whats going on around me. My friend took a picture of me a few years back sketching / taking a nap in Pamukkale, Turkey, and I recently pulled out that same sketchbook to look through, and there was that same sketch I was working on in the picture!

What do you like most about being a textile artist/designer?
As a corporate artist, I love the continual challenge of creating graphics that will be both marketable and also new and fresh.

Thanks, Jessica!

To see more of her work, take a peek at her website, as well as her piece for our You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It show.

Artist Interview: Taryn Gee

Meet illustrator and pom-pom enthusiast, Taryn Gee. Born and raised in Canada, Taryn uses bold, flat colors accented with phenomenal line-work to create captivating portraits and places. A Light Grey veteran, you can find her work in several of our shows: GIRLS: Fact + Fiction, Beautiful Forever, Macro + Micro, and of course our current You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It.

The lovely Taryn Gee

Where did you grow up, and where do you currently reside?
I am Canadian and have never left the country! I currently live in Oakville, Ontario but grew up in Ajax, Ontario. I basically have always lived around Toronto, but never in it.

What is your current job?
I'm currently working part-time as a framing assistant and part-time as a freelance illustrator.

When and how did you decide to be an illustrator?
I have always loved drawing and it just made sense to pursue a creative career. When applying to schools, I decided to go into illustration because it would teach me more of a business aspect as well.

A wall of inspiration

How do you stay active with your art making?
I always keep a sketchbook on me to draw in when I find myself unoccupied. I try to sign up for as many projects as possible to keep me active. Unfortunately when it comes to self directed pieces things don't get done as fast, so I try to work with others as much as possible.

When I get the chance, I love do draw with Kelly Bastow and Ashley Mackenzie! We usually visit independent/quieter coffee shops because there's less people in them. They live in Toronto and it isn't the easiest for me to travel out there often. When I was in school cafe sketching with other illustrators was very common, but now it's been a while I feel sad that I don't do it as frequently.

I wish I had a studio away from home! My studio is totally half of my bedroom. I love to go out to have a change of environment and brainstorm/sketch/paint in the mall, the lake or a cafe. Actually it's really hard to tie me down to one spot when I draw in my sketchbook, I'm all over the place determined to find inspiration.

What materials do you typically work with, and what is your favorite medium?
My favourite medium changes between graphite to ballpoint pen (I definitely go through phases) and colouring my line work in photoshop is a really important part of my process. Though I have been experimenting with acrylic and pencil crayon and have been really enjoying it. I'm always trying to find something new that can add to my technique!

A peek into her sketchbook

Can you talk briefly about your sketchbook? Is your sketchbook a place for ideas and experimentation, or do you spend more time finessing the drawings inside, like an artist's book?
I have different sketchbooks for different things! One is always on me that I invest more time in, it's more like an artist's book. There was a point where everything was done in my sketchbook, including finals. I think it was more of a comfort thing that I thankfully grew out of - lugging giant sketchbooks across campus was tiring! When I'm not feeling happy with a spread, I draw and paint over the previous pages until I am satisfied with it. It's this place where there's no external expectations and I have the power to show others only if I want to, which I think is really important. I have another book for concepts and rough work and it's definitely not as pretty, haha. Actually... I throw them out after they've served their purpose, which is probably not a good thing.

Who is your biggest influence as an artist?
The people around me are my biggest influence, I draw a lot of observational studies of them! As for artists I love, Kent Williams is my hero (I recently helped frame one of his original pieces and nearly cried). I also enjoy Klimt, Yoji Shinkawa and life style illustrations from the 50s and 60s! I find textiles super inspiring, I really enjoy knitting and cross stitch.

Do you have any big projects in the making?
Nothing big other than trying to really promote my work and get more illustration jobs. I'm working on some little zines for conventions and craft shows.

Can you tell us about some of your zines?
I only have sketchbook zines for now. I do a lot of personal comics of my experiences and I was hoping to make it into a zine in the future! There's a Goosebumps fanzine coming out in the fall that I will be taking a part of, it's run by Jennifer Ilett + Sabrina Parolin. I'm actually really excited to read the book I was assigned, it'll be so nostalgic! I'm still in the process of applying to several craft fairs and Art in the Parks, but I will definitely be at Fan Expo this year with the wonderful Kailey Lang!


Thank you, Taryn!

To see more of her work, check out her website, and be sure to take a gander at her piece for You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It.

Artist Interview: Elana Schwartzman

Meet the super talented, motivated, and go-getter local artist, Elana Schwartzman. Although she is currently running her own printmaking studio, Elana actually has a background in marketing and communication. She has worked with nonprofit, for-profit, and electoral organizations and campaigns throughout the Twin Cities, with a particular emphasis on social media strategies and online development. About four years ago, she began printmaking, and since has started Fontlove, a letterpress studio working with nonprofit organizations and collaborating with other creatives! Wow! Elana is the perfect person to interview for the You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It exhibition, a show all about flexing your creative muscles, getting out there, and getting to work.

 
 
Can you tell me a little about yourself, your background, and interests?
I am a Minneapolitan by way of the Chicago area, and I've lived here for about 13 years. My background is actually in non-profit work – while doing communications for a small organization, where I had to do everything from PR and social media to web content management and publications, I discovered that I loved graphic design. Around that same time I took a class in letterpress printing at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts – and fell stupid in love with it. Typography has always been of intense interest to me, but I also love the machinery involved in letterpress printing, and the smells and textures of things like ink and paper. I stayed in communications for several years before jumping into the deep-end and freelancing. I am self-taught and constantly worried that someone will come and strip me of my (metaphorical) graphic designer / printmaker badge. When not worrying about that (or cleaning ink off my hands) I love to walk the lakes, drink local beer, and make snarky commentary. I have been a collector for as long as I can remember, and I obsessively look for vintage objects and ephemera with the patina of everyday life. 

How did you get started in printmaking? 
 Like all kids, I was creative when I was young and unencumbered by the inhibitions of adulthood. I was a mostly solitary kid, but I took a lot of art classes. I still remember taking a printmaking class when I was 9 or 10, and how much I loved it. One of the prints I made then still hangs in my mom's bathroom. Then, I grew out of it. I felt like I didn't have natural talent (I can't draw a likeness to save my life) and I was passionate about social justice and working in a field where I could make an impact. But bit by bit, I found that I loved the parts of my job that let me be creative. The 2008 Obama campaign had a huge impact on me – I saw the power of typography, of Hoefler & Frere-Jones' Gotham typeface, to bring a movement together and inspire people. The Shepard Fairey poster that reached down and influenced many people, not just those that pay attention to graphic design or street art. I started playing around with basic relief printing in my apartment, carving linoleum, and then took the class at MCBA. I got truly addicted, buying my first press before that class even ended and haven't looked back since. I now have four vintage presses and operate a full-time letterpress and graphic design business. 



How did Fontlove begin? What was it inspired by? 
 It began in stages. At first it was just me, in my basement studio, teaching myself to print and hating everything I made while falling more and more in love with the process. It was a confusing time. Then came the "notebook stage" – I carried Field Notes notebooks around with me everywhere and jotted ideas for products I would love to make, or make up pretend schedules for what my day would look like if I quit my job to pursue this full time. There were a lot of pro/con lists, too. Then there was the "oh crap, I have all this stuff, now I should put it to use" phase. Like I said, I'm a collector, and I pretty quickly had spent a lot of money on equipment, so I got to work getting good enough to be a printer for hire. I would say that it was inspired by the obsessive need to print/make stuff. 

Most of your work is text based. What are some of your favorite phrases, words, subjects to work with?
I usually start with the typeface. Because I work with real moveable type – both metal and wood – it's not just like the endless options on your font menu on a computer. You really get to know a typeface, and understand in a physical way what it means for a font to be "condensed" or "italic" and how those are best applied to a given situation. I don't necessarily have favorite words or phrases, but I do have favorite letters. The uppercase R in the typeface Antique Extended is one of my all-time favorites, and it's one of the reasons I used it in my work for You Can Do It Put Your Back Into It. My grandfather used to say that one should "plan your work and work your plan", which I love on its own as a motivational phrase – but it also uses a lot of R's. 

What is your favorite part about traditional printing? What other materials and mediums inspire you?
Letterpress printing is a centuries-old process. I am most interested in working with the original tools of the trade – wood and metal type, old halftone cuts, borders and ornaments. That means that my work is often defined by my constraints. I can't just make the text bigger or smaller. I can't use a font I don't have. Kerning involves physically carving up the type, sawing through wood or lead. I find these constraints inspiring, and it has defined my personal style. I love the imperfections of the type and the variations in inking and texture – but it's also what I have to work with. 

What is your studio practice like?
Currently, it's a bit of organized chaos. Day to day I could be working for a client on digital graphic design, printing business cards or invitations for hire, or printing personal projects for my Etsy shop – and sometimes all three. And the reality of working for yourself is that a lot of my time I'm also replying to emails, sending proposals, and data-entering receipts. I work in the front half of a storefront studio with huge windows and lots of light. I'm a very neat person at home, but my studio tends to be an explosion of type, paper scraps, failed experiments, and bits and pieces of inspiration. I love to try new techniques, like pressure printing or experimenting with overprints – but those things rarely make their way into my work for show or sale. 

What is your biggest motivation when you are stuck on a project? 
I usually get stuck when my confidence takes a dip. So if something isn't going right – the inking is inconsistent, the impression is wonky, the registration is tough, or I'm just not liking the way it's turning out – I take a break and make something else that I know will be successful and look beautiful. I do tend to get easily demoralized, so my biggest motivation is just to remember that there will be clunkers and there will be stars, and a lot in between, and not to sweat it too hard. Unless it's a paying client, when my motivation is making sure they get the highest quality printed goods I can provide. There are no shortcuts in letterpress, really. 

Can you talk a little about collaboration? How do you collaborate? What is the best thing you have collaborated on? (For both person projects and Fontlove)
To me, getting to work with a wide variety of talented and passionate people is the second best part of freelancing. I'm really fortunate in my graphic design practice to work primarily with non-profit organizations that share my passions and interests, and in my letterpress work I tend to work with other creative types. Even when I'm printing someone else's design, it's a beautiful coming together of process and product. I also really love collaborating on personal projects, especially with artists that have strengths where I am weak. I made a beautiful set of cards with the artist Lisa Luck of Hello Lisa!, and got to work with artist/man about town Andy Sturdevant on an infographic for Common Roots Cafe. Both involved hand-lettering and illustration, and it was so much fun to incorporate those things into my designs when they are normally not in my wheelhouse. 

Do you have any favorite resources, books, blogs, sources for inspiration?
Too many! Present & Correct is a London-based stationery shop, but they curate a fantastic collection of vintage packaging and ephemera (much of it letterpress-printed). I have always been very inspired by maps, and I love exploring the David Rumsey Map Collection, which has a fantastic digitized archive. For excellent wood type references, I go to either the Rob Roy Kelley Collection at the University of Texas, which has uploaded and identified many specimens of wood type, or David Wolske's Letterpress Daily blog. 

What is your dream project? Something you have always wanted to make/do? 
If they would let me hang out at Hatch Show Print, that would be my dream. I could clean type, sweep the floors – whatever! They are a huge source of inspiration for me and I would love to be around that shop and absorb things by osmosis. What is the best piece of advice you ever received and why? I don't know if he would even remember telling me this, but my former boss Jeff Blodgett once told me, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Sometimes I feel that this philosophy flies in the face of the typical M.O. for printers and artists, but if I was striving for perfection, I'd never be doing what I am doing now. I believe in getting things done and moving forward, while being true to yourself. 

Who are you inspired by? Other artists, musicians, teachers, etc. 
The list is very long. There is a select group of hugely talented letterpress printers working today, and thanks to the power of social media I get to see their work and process pop up on my phone every day. Besides my Instagram feed, one inspiration is the photographer Vivian Maier. She was an amateur street photographer whose work was never discovered or shown until a collector bought a box of undeveloped negatives from an auction house after Maier stopped paying for her storage locker, just 2 years before her death. The images are arresting, with a powerful energy, but she took them for herself and never saw most of them. There is something I like about that. I also am very inspired by sign painters, folk artists, craft beer brewers and pretty much anyone that makes things by hand in an impractically slow way in small quantities. 

Thanks, Elana!

You can see more of her work and projects at fontlovestudio.com and see her work on the Light Grey shop here

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

Words of Advice

Whether it’s finding the strength to roll out of bed in the morning or climbing a mountain, everyone needs a little bit of motivation from time to time. Here at Light Grey Art Lab, we asked many different people all around the world to share their favorite uplifting quotes with us through our You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It show. From silly to spiritual, everyone was able to bring something exciting to the table.

At our show opening, we reached out to the community once more, and asked those who visited to give us “the best piece of advice they had received or heard.” As thanks for these extra bits of inspiration, we’re giving two lucky advice-givers a print from our show, for the best words of wisdom we received. Here is what they said:

-Giveaway Winner-

“If you want things to change you’ve got to change direction.”
-M Weitz

-Runner Up-

“Don’t pay attention to what people say; rather, pay attention to what they do.”
-Louta

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Never put things in boxes.”
-Anon

“Stay calm, and make art, even when it’s frustrating.”
-Kyle And

“Sometimes you just have to start.”
-Dana Caprio

“If you don’t want it bad enough, you don’t deserve to get it. (Roy Griak, 2007)”
-Mike Linnemann

“Dream things that never were and say why not. (Shaw)”
-Elena

“Never kill yourself. There is always an easier alternative to death.”
-Dennis

“Be content but never be satisfied.”
-Jason Loettler

“Live like a puppy would.”
-Nicole Huebner Briese

“It is more important to be happy than it is to be right. (My mother-in-law)”
-Jade Patrick

“Bet on the horse that poops last/Count to 10.”
-Steve Robbins

“Never Give Up! Trust Your Instincts! (Peppy Hare)”
-Josh Olson

“The first step to achieving your goal is showing up!”
-Anon

“No one is responsible for you. You’re responsible for yourself. Don’t feel guilty, just feel responsible.”
-Analaura

A big thanks to everyone who stopped by for the You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It opening, and congrats to M Weitz and Louta! Be sure to check out our website, and stop by our store for all the wonderful art featured in the show.

Artist Interview: Danamarie Hosler

Currently living in Baltimore, MD, with dreams of Portland, ME, Danamarie Hosler has a great love of all things creative. She draws inspiration from all corners of her life, perhaps the most readily noticeable being pigeons (and the many parallels they present.) Her work spans across a great deal of mediums, ranging from small gouache illustrations, various plush creations, large-scale murals, and much, much more. Here at Light Grey, she has participated in several shows, including Macro + Micro, Smart, and our most recent You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It.


You work in quite a variety of ways (plush dolls, accessories, murals, paintings), do you have a favorite among them? How do they overlap?
I can't choose a favorite! Are you kidding me? They're like my kids! I think its less about having a "favorite" and more about which medium I'm finding most interesting or most challenging, or even most appropriate at any given time. In general, I tend to only be able to do any one thing for a few weeks before I find myself feeling antsy and wanting/ needing to try something else (which is why being an artist is so perfect for me). I find that I learn a lot from each medium & way of working & when I get tired of one thing, the next one is waiting for me and I'm able to bring something new to that way of working. Gouache, for example, is a new medium for me--- I'm a teacher too & I realized it wasn't fair that I couldn't say anything nice about it to my students, so I made myself learn to use it and now I LOVE it. It's made me a better watercolorist & its given me a new way to think about pattern & application.

I think they all overlap when it comes to my style & my subject matter. I tend to talk about the same things, no matter how I am making the piece-- my aesthetics are the same. I just tend to choose the medium based on what will work best for my message & for the audience I'm trying to reach.

How does your family influence your work? Does your son like to make art as well?
Definitely! My husband and I met in college-- we were both Illustration majors, but we have very different styles & approaches to art making, so that's a pretty big thing-- having a partner who is also an artist. Its nice having a studio mate & a build in guest critic at home!

My son is 2.5 & yeah, he's pretty creative. We've always let him paint & draw; I think its really important for children to have opportunities to create and experience outlets with no wrong answer. He goes to an art program at a local museum I used to teach at & usually comes home from those classes very inspired. At home, he's basically living in an art gallery. Our work & our friends work is hanging on every wall. He spends a lot of time in my studio, so he's no stranger to color or texture.

My background is in Children's Book Illustration, so I was making work for kids long before I had a child of my own, but actually LIVING with your audience is a huge advantage. He's the reason I created my Under Appreciated Animals ™ series! I feel pretty proud to be able to bring things to life for my kid.

Various pieces on the fabled "pretty sure this is done" wall

What is your ideal work environment?
Having my studio in my home is a big part of what I'd consider ideal. Being able to roll out of bed and walk a few yards to "work", in my pjs, and never have to get in a car or commute anywhere? That's pretty awesome. My studio is an extension of the family room-- I'm able to close off my work space if I need to really concentrate on something, but otherwise, its nice to be able to paint in the same room my son is making epic Lego awesomeness. In terms of the ideal work environment, I've pretty much got it-- great natural light, big windows, tall ceilings, lots of wall space to cover with things that inspire me, a great big desk & room for all my gadgets. I could probably use more storage for my fabric and yarn stash though.

Who is another artist you’re greatly inspired by and why?
I have a lot of favorite artists, who I look to for different reasons: John Singer Sargent is my favorite painter--- if you ever get to see one of his paintings in real life, you'll know why. The man just had the most amazing sense of color & what, to me, just seems like the most confidence I've ever seen exhibited in a brush stroke. In Illustration, I love Mary Blair (I'm a huge Disney fan… Small World!?! The colors and patterns. Ugh. Amazing), Lisbeth Zwerger & Ed Young-- their compositions and use of texture & line work. Jim Henson, because he was brilliant & his work has shaped SO much of my world view. Kermit for president, am I right? And of course John James Audubon. Oh the birds.

And then there's the murals… I could spend months just walking around Philadelphia chronicling them all. I find a lot of inspiration in art I see on a daily basis, that might not even be considered "art".

Progress shot of Danamarie's piece for the Smart show "Pigeonholed #7"

What made you choose the quote you selected? Any personal attachment to it?
SO much attachment. I mean, I grew up with the Muppets-- Sesame Street was my first babysitter (I think that goes for most of my generation)-- and The Muppet Movie just gets me. The song 'The Rainbow Connection'? I have literally never been able to sing it or hear it without melting into a puddle of blubbering tears by the end; I can get through it dry eyed until the "there's something that I'm supposed to be…" part. That just wrecks me. And if I think about it too much now, I'm going to ruin my keyboard, so I'll move on…

Obviously, I wasn't going to be able to illustrate THAT song, but the reprise, at the end of the movie, with all the Muppets coming in behind Kermit & joining in, after they've all had this awesome journey, together, to create something meaningful… I dunno… its just so beautiful. When I think about wisdom I want to impart to my son, I think that's what I want him to really understand. You write your OWN ending. You're in control of you & you should never stop dreaming or pretending. None of us should. I get to spend 85% of my day dreaming and pretending… for a LIVING. That's pretty awesome. Kermit taught me that.

Do you have any words of encouragement for the world?
Listen up, world. You've got this. Ask for help if you need it. We're all in this together. Be kind to yourself.



When you’re having a bad day, is there something that never fails to lift your spirits? A favorite comfort food?
My kid has a pretty incredible gift for saying something so unbelievably cute & perfect, at JUST the right time. These days, he's pretty much the spirit lifter. Even when he's wrecked something and then had a tantrum and screamed in my face about it, he manages to remind me what really matters, just by virtue of existing.

And when that fails, watching Gordon Ramsay yell at people, with some jalapeño Cheetos or pizza & a frozen Kit-Kat bar will usually do the trick.

I also have a special place in my heart for Space Unicorn, by Parry Gripp. I share this with all my Seniors before they graduate, because I think you need to have a go to song to snap you back into place, especially if you're going to be a creative person for a living. Bad days can be really tough. Anyway, if you aren't familiar, you need to google it. Immediately.


Daily Pigeon #122

As they are generally under-appreciated creatures, why are pigeons special to you? I mean this with *all* the sincerity in the world-- I could talk about pigeons for DAYS. You don't have the data allowance to upload everything I could say about pigeons. I promise you. Hmmm… let me summarize. Give me a sec.

Ok.

Basically, pigeons *should* be special to everyone, because they are intrinsically linked to humans and are, in a LOT of ways, very like humans…And, because if you take any amount of time to actually look at a pigeon (really look at them), you will realize how much information they hold. I seriously think that the world would be a better place if more people appreciated pigeons.

They're hugely misunderstood (but so many people perpetuate stereotypes & negative falsehoods about them). They operate in family units, with both mom & dad (monogamous partners) raising the young. They're actually quite smart & have been at the center of tons of research, holding the key to questions about magnetic fields, sonar, the extreme possibilities in areas of memory & genetics. Heck! Darwin used pigeons to uncover the mysteries of natural selection. They've saved lives in times of war, doing things that human soldiers couldn't do. AND pigeons are doves. Everyone loves the pretty, solid white dove-- symbol of peace and whatnot. I could go on… But they're proud history & scientific contributions aside, I'm most fascinated by them as a parallel to/ stand in for, human society. You could easily look at a pigeon and say they all look the same, but each one has a unique & special coloration & feather pattern-- even if the difference is slight. Most people, I think, look at a group of pigeons in the city and see one big nameless, faceless mass-- not the individual birds that make up the group. And those birds all have families & special skill sets & unique features. I've lived in an urban environment my entire life, and no matter what city I'm in, I've experienced people looking at & dismissing groups of PEOPLE with the same nasty assumptions they'd place on those birds. I don't think anyone should be written off based solely on where they live or what they look like, or what someone told you might be true about them. Pigeons have a bad reputation for being dirty (they really aren't), for spreading disease (they really don't), for being dumb (totally false) and for being expendable (no living thing is expendable). And what's more, I see pigeons as a mirror for humanity. For example, people despise pigeons for pooping everywhere (where *should* they poop, by the way?) and the damage it does to our property, but did you know that if WE didn't litter & make OUR food available to them, if they were able to just eat the food nature intended them to, their poop would rinse away with rain, and damage nothing? So that part fascinates me too, because what we really don't like about them seem to be things we've either caused them to do/ be, or things that we don't like about ourselves.

I could go on. But seriously, if anyone is interested, I invite you to follow my tumblr & my Daily Pigeon project. I have already heard from dozens of people who've told me I've converted them & they look at pigeons totally differently now. Mission beginning to be accomplished!

Daily Pigeon #127

Where do you find inspiration for your Daily Pigeon project, and how long do they usually take you?
Inspiration comes from all over the place-- sometimes I go out on pigeon "meeting" trips (where I walk around the city looking for them & when I find one I always say "Hello, my name is Danamarie. May I take your picture?" and then I take their picture, because that's the polite thing to do…. Totally not kidding). Other times I draw them from my head (which I've gotten pretty good at by now). I try not to over think the Daily Pigeons too much-- I want them to have whatever feeling the day had for me. In my bigger works I can get more cerebral, but these are really just trying to pique peoples' interests; give me a way to use different tags on my blog, find new followers, get them seen more. I might explore pattern or text. It might just be a doodle. They can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 8 hours. A few of them so far have been much bigger pieces, which are obviously not completed in one day, but on the day I finish them, they are that day's Daily Pigeon. I like being able to "reward" people with something more substantial every now and again. Really, this project is a way to get people to see beauty in them, the way I do & hopefully get them looking at real pigeons with the same kind of enthusiasm as they do my renderings of them.

Thanks, Danamarie!

To see more of her work, check out her website, and be sure to take a peek at her piece for the You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It show.

Artist Interview: Chris Hajny

Artist Interview with Chris Hajny
by Lindsay Nohl


Meet Chris. He’s the stealthy part of Light Grey Art Lab—the behind-the-scenes guy. He works for Paper Bicycle LLC and Light Grey Art Lab, and spends his free time playing video games, making artwork, petting pets, and hanging out with friends. He is a funny, quick witted, and super tall guy.


Chris, can you describe what you do at Light Grey?

I am the photographer, podcast producer, press contact, dog walker, errand boy, Dungeon Master, and IT support. I also move all the heavy things that need moving and reach all the high things that need reaching.


What are your other claims to fame? (What else are you doing with your days?)

I’m not sure fame is the right word, I try to keep a pretty low-profile. I work as a product designer at Paper Bicycle with all my bestest buds (both of them!). That consists of concepting, design, illustration, pattern making, and production-work.


Tell me a little bit about the art you make? Any favorite subjects? Materials? Themes? Do you have some defaults?

I love drawing, although everything I do ends up digital in the end. One thing I’ve found, which took some time to actually come to understand and appreciate, is that I value mark-making and spontaneity over refinement and precision. I don’t differentiate between sketching and a finished rendering; it’s all just drawing. I try not to treat anything precious. Material-wise I don’t really have any special tools, I’ll draw with (and on) whatever I can find.




Conversely, I also love working with illustrator, where I mainly use the pen tool and mouse. It’s obviously a very different experience than putting pencil to paper, but I enjoy them both.

Subject-wise I tend to make things that are very cute or very ugly, but lately I've been really into on-site observational drawing. People, architecture, nature; it doesn't really matter. I find it soothing and rewarding, which is only odd because I didn't enjoy it much in my younger days.


When you travel, what do you like to do and where do you like to go?

Traveling is a love-hate relationship for me. I hate to plan ahead and think about the bad things that can happen, and all the work I’ll be falling behind on while I’m gone. So getting out the door is the challenge. But once I’m there, I usually fit in and get lost in the experience pretty quick.

I’ve traveled a fair bit and there’s definitely a theme to what I like. I like cold climates. I’ll take mountains, glaciers and bulky jackets over beaches, oceans and swimsuits any day. I also don’t like schedules and plans. I’ve been to Japan a couple times, and I spent my days on the trains without much of a plan (apart from hitting all the arcades) which was great. In Iceland, we rented a car and hit the road with no plans or places to stay. My favorite thing about vacations is discovery; coming across things you didn’t know existed, and you feel like you might be the first to ever see it (even though you are most certainly not).


One of the things that I think is really interesting about you is that when you get into something, you get really into it. For example, the podcast. Or D&D. You also have an encyclopedic knowledge of what’s going on in the videogame industry and encyclopedic knowledge of movies before 2000. How often do you find a new obsession? What kinds of things have you obsessed over in the past?

I’m not sure. I don’t find a new obsession often and I don’t actively look for them, either. I don’t have enough time to spend doing the things I love as it is, so adding more to the mix isn’t something I usually seek out.

But when I do find something I actually care about, I tend to research and learn as much as I can about it as fast as I can. It’s not something I consciously do, I just can’t help myself.

Previously I've been obsessed with Printmaking, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Film & Video, Street Fighter, Hip Hop, and musicals.


I also know that you are a pretty good dancer. How did that happen?

It did not happen. It is a gift. I do not dance, I am but a conduit for the jams to express themselves visually.

What is your favorite song to sing in karaoke?

It was ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ by Poison, and that song still holds a special place in my heart. But it’s so cliche that some karaoke places won’t even play it. So I guess Meatloaf’s ‘Paradise By The Dashboard Light’ or RUN DMC’s ‘Tricky’ if Ryan Michlitsch will duet with me. Or anything from any musical ever.

Name something that is intense.

Camping. Circuses. Boners.

 

Thank you, Chris!
You can see more of Chris's artwork on his hilariously out-of-date website here and follow his slightly more up to date blog here. 

Artist Interview: Rory Phillips

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, meet Rory Phillips: illustrator, graphic designer, printmaker, animator, and all-around art enthusiast. His work encompasses quite a bit, from character design to typography. You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It will be the third show Rory has participated in here at Light Grey, alongside Macro + Micro, and Girls: Fact + Fiction. His dynamic compositions, detail, and bright color choices are featured in a wide variety of projects, both collaborative and independent.


Rory Phillips, hard at work

How would you describe your work? Your favorite thing to draw?
Magpie-ish, I'm really curious and have a wide range of inspiration that influences my work. Also I am lucky enough to work on a lot of different kinds of projects for a wide range of audiences and that adds a lot of diversity to my work. I say lucky because I really like new challenges, and get bored if I'm not pushing myself. As a graphic designer I'm used to adapting my style to the needs of the client/job and I find I bring that approach into my illustration and printmaking as well. While I know I have a certain style, I think it is process that defines my work more than anything else. My favorite thing to draw are people, they are infinitely interesting to me.

How do you plan your compositions? What’s your sketch process like?
I start by exploring a concept with a bunch of really quick thumbnails in a sketchbook. When I think I have explored the idea enough, I usually do a few more just to be sure. I pick the concept I am most drawn to and I explore it with more thumbnails, these won't be as rough, but I still don't spend more than a minute or two on them. When I get something I like I will start laying out the actual piece using the thumbnail as a reference, this is where I usually struggle with preserving the loose feel of the thumbnail. Once I have that larger sketch I just start rendering it out in what ever medium I'm using.


Progress shot for Rory's You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It piece

What sparked the idea behind the Versus series with Fred DiMeglio? What’s your favorite piece you’ve done so far?
It started when we both attended a WeMake SketchXchange here in Portland that focused on a collaborative project between Jon MacNair and Santiago Uceda. After a few beers that night we decided we should collaborate on a project that; involved the community, was based on screenprinting and got us out of our comfort zone. Soon after we brainstormed over a few more beers and came up with the concept for Versus, a print series of Heroes and Villains each print in the series based off the last print by the other person. To get us out of our comfort zone we decided no computers, everything would be done with a variety of analog screenprinting techniques. To involve the community we decided we wouldn't see each others work and would let volunteers give us four words to base the next print on.

My favorite piece from Versus is probably "The Bad". But I was really excited about the "MS Gundam" print because it was the first time I'd played around with oiled photocopy in my screenprint process. Even though I don't think it's necessarily reflected in the end print, my process was a lot looser and organic, which is something I've been striving for.


"The Bad" by Rory Phillips

What are your top three book recommendations?
Only three!? That is super hard, it probably would vary from day today, but right now. Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, because everything Gibson does is thoughtful and smart, plus it specifically appeals to the designer in me. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, because it's hilarious, and I can recommend two great authors with one book! A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, It probably doesn't need my recommendation but I feel it would be wrong not to big-up it, since I'm reading it again for the third time.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My wild uncle told me when I was a kid something to the effect of "The greatest danger in life is to not take chances". It's advice that I've lived by and it has lead me on many great adventures.

What’s the worst weather you’ve ever had to bike through? The best?
The worst would be during hurricane Georges when I lived in Key West, I foolishly went out in the eye to take some photos and nearly didn't make it back (seriously don't try this at home). I think the best, the one I remember as the best, was one fall night when I lived on Nantucket I left work early and rode through the quiet empty streets. The weather was mild and the leaves were falling, the only light was from the moon. I ended up not going home and riding for hours, it was very peaceful.

What brought you to the quote you chose for the show? Were there any other quotes you considered?
I did consider other sayings like "What is not started will never be finished", or "You’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind". Something to help motivate the procrastinator in all of us. But I ended up choosing "Don't let the bastards grind you down" because it felt a bit more punk rock and irreverent, and I wanted to juxtapose that sentiment with something that is stylistically more sweet.


"Wonder Woman Redesign" by Rory Phillips

You’ve done several homage/re-designs of superhero gals, do you have a favorite superhero? Why are they your favorite?
I'm not sure I have a favorite superhero. Though I do really like sequential art, honestly when it comes to superheroes and comics I'm a bit of a dilettante. I've never really read them, I think because I didn't have access to them growing up. But even so they are such a cultural phenomenon I find myself really curious about them. For me those redesigns were more of a subversion of superhero aesthetics that have their roots in lurid boys' own pulp illustration (which I still really like). But I wanted to get away from that and depict characters that visually reflected the strong women I know in my life.

Thanks, Rory!

To see more of Rory's work, check out his website, and don't forget to check out his piece for the upcoming show You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It!

Sneak Peek: You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It

Let's all get motivated, get back on the horse, put in some elbow grease, and sharpen those pencils!

Next Friday, is the opening reception for You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It. This is a motivational poster show featuring work by a talented group of type-loving designers and illustrators who have taken their favorite motifs, words to live by, and inspirational phrases to create large-scale art prints.

The entire space will be filled with these inspirational beauties! There will also be print give-aways, many words of encouragement, and musical jams to hype our creative enthusiasm. Hope to see you there!

The opening reception is Friday, June 14th from 7pm-10pm. 

You can see more about the opening reception on our facebook event here

Here is a sneak peek at some of the incredible work. The entire collection is available for purchase and viewing on our website and online shop.

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Love Conquers All by Taryn Gee

The Grass is Greener by Jen Mundy

Take Courage by Blok Magnaye

Reach for the Stars by Leonardo Peng

Ask For Help! by Carey Pietsch

You Will Make It Through the Night by Aimee Fleck

Artist Interview: Teressa Ong

This week we had the pleasure of getting in touch with our Smart show artist Teressa Ong. Teressa currently lives in Singapore although she likes to pretend she's a fish living in a well. Teressa works with a range of medium from 3D Animation to felted toys. She also illustrates children's books and designs astounding characters. Her enticing illustrations are just a sample of her vibrant fun world. It was great to find out more about her process and development as an artist.

 

You’re a graduating animation major, what school did you attend? What was your experience like? 
I'm actually already a graduate! I attended Nanyang Polytechnic for Digital Media Design (Animation), though it was a tough three years of sleepless nights and trying to be friends with 3D softwares, everything was very refreshing for me. I knew close to nothing about animation before I entered [school] and we had lecturers who had been in the animation industry for many years. It was really cool that we got to ask them for advice, critique, etc

What made you start illustrating?
My mum used do lots of crafty things, like making cards, so I guess that is what made my six-year-old self decide to start drawing and be artsy. I only got serious about illustrating when I was in high school, thanks to an incredibly talented friend of mine.

You trade off a lot between traditional and digital mediums. Is there one specific medium that you like working in most for your illustrations? 
It's tough to pick because I love the different mediums all the same! But if I had to choose, it would definitely be watercolours. 

What are you working on right now? How is it different from your past work?
I'm currently messing around with felt to make plush toys and badges that are similar to the characters I draw. If by past work you mean days before polytechnic, then the content differs as well as the mediums and styles of characters. All I drew was semi-manga style people back then.


 

Who/What is inspiring you right now?
There are a lot of artists that I'm inspired by currently, but I'd say Louise Evans aka Felt Mistress since I'm working with felt for now.

What are some other things you enjoy doing?
Besides drawing, I very much enjoy sewing, reading comics and children books, and watching cartoons! If sitting around doing nothing (except listen to music while looking at whatever is going on outside) is counted as a thing, then I'm adding that to the list!

Who would you consider the smartest person you know? 
That would definitely be my younger sister, because she reads the news, is very into literature and knows a lot more than I do in general. I have a mind of a six-year-old. 

What is your work environment like?
It has to be quiet except for music. If I'm dealing with traditional mediums, I like to surround myself with art materials to keep me hyped up about painting, so it's always a big mess. I don't have a proper workspace so I usually hang around the living room or dining area depending on whether I feel like sitting on the floor or the chair.


 



Thank you so much to Teressa for sharing her "mind of a six-year old" with us! Check out her process on her SMART piece "All Hail The Wall." You can also find more of her work on her Website and Tumblr. She also accepts questions on her Ask FM page. Teressa's piece is also available for purchase in the Light Grey Art Lab Shop.



 
Process for All Hail The Wall







All Hail The Wall