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

Artist Interview: Brock Davis

Brock Davis is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed designer, creative director, and artist. He is known for his clever advertising campaigns, Threadless T-shirt designs, banana peel trucker hats, and  projects such as Make Something Cool Everyday and his iPhone photo series. His work showcases his incredible talent for creating hilarious, beautiful, and unexpected images out of what is most familiar to us.  We are honored to exhibit a selection of his 2012 iPhone Photos in our current show, SMART.


    


Where are you from, and where do you currently live?
I grew up in Marietta, Georgia. I moved to Minneapolis in 1995, and I currently I live in Saint Louis Park.

How would you describe yourself? (or how might someone else describe you?)
Curious, focused, spontaneous. I used to be more intense, especially when working, but over the years I've become much more relaxed. I'm an introvert. I think that would surprise people who know me. I feel more comfortable creatively when I am working by myself.

How would you describe your work?
Spontaneous and simple.

Clean Shaven

Tell is about your work life. What are the best/most challenging aspects of your job?
Currently, I work as a freelance creative director and art director. I worked at Carmichael Lynch for about 9 years before deciding to work independently. Creative Directing is fun and challenging. It's a good opportunity to motivate and inspire up-and-coming creatives. I'm pretty hands-off, and I like to give creatives as much freedom as possible to make the work their own. As far as challenges go, there is a lot of fear in advertising when it comes to ideas. Ideas get killed all the time. As an art director, you learn how to go back and try again without being discouraged. As a Creative Director, you learn how to motivate your creative team to do the same. Selling ideas can be harder than conceiving them. When you have an idea, you have to believe in it and present it with unwavering confidence.

Can you tell us about one of your most successful campaigns?
One of my more successful campaigns was the 'Messin' With Sasquatch' campaign for Jack Link's Beef Jerky. When we first presented the idea internally, people were afraid even though it was apparent that it could be great. It took some pushing just to get the idea in front of the client, and once the client saw the idea, they were afraid as well. Thankfully, risks were taken, and it ended up being very successful (and still is today). Whenever I see a great advertising or design idea, I'm often more impressed with the agency's ability to have pushed that idea through, since it probably had to survive layers and layers of fear and doubt. That's more impressive than the concept.

Build

What other jobs have you held? What was the best? The worst?
I grew up doing a lot of things that kids do to make money. Lemonade stands, cutting grass, shoveling snow. My mother would sell art at craft shows. Sometimes I would go with her and draw caricatures of people. My favorite job was working as a sign maker at Publix, a grocery store chain in Atlanta. My least favorite was working as a busboy at Old Country Buffet.

What are your ideal working conditions?
I love my home studio. It isn't much, but it's comfortable. When I'm thinking, I like to have a changing view. Looking out a window, watching things change and move relaxes my brain and is good for generating ideas. I also tend to do a lot of conceptual thinking while doing mundane tasks like cutting the grass or washing dishes. Some of my best ideas often hit during these moments.

At Ease, Soldiers

Where do you turn for inspiration?
Over the last few years, I've drawn most of my inspiration from ordinary things that people don't think too much about, like a door knob, or a toothbrush -everyday objects that have become ordinary and uninteresting. I like the challenge of trying to make them interesting again. I think every object has creative potential. It's just a matter of finding it.

Is there a trend in art/culture that is particularly interesting you right now? If so, is it influencing the work you create?
Recently, I've been interested in using social apps as creative outlets. I particularly love Instagram and Vine. Both are incredibly simple to use and come with some wonderful constraints. Parameters and limitations can be great for creativity.

Is there a work you’ve made that you’re particularly proud of? 
I tend to be drawn to the pieces that are the most simple. Sometimes these pieces can be created within a few minutes, from concept to execution. One of my favorite recent pieces is a little film I made on Vine. I was slicing an onion and was curious to see if I could arrange the onion rings, so as to resemble raindrops as they hit a puddle, rippling upon impact. I spent a few minutes filming this with my phone, and I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

What’s the most interesting feedback you’ve ever gotten about your work?
A creative director once told me that my portfolio looked like it was made by multiple designers. Looking back, I was adjusting my art direction with each piece so that every idea would fully resonate; I just didn't realize I was doing this at the time. This feedback helped me understand how execution and ideas relate. I try to let the idea drive the execution. One method of execution doesn't work for every idea. Some ideas resonate better through illustration, others through photography or another medium. I've never been hindered by whether or not an idea requires me to work in a medium I'm not as familiar with. For example, if an idea requires that I learn how to sculpt, then I learn how to sculpt.

Cauliflower Space Shuttle, 1986

You're married.  Can you tell us about your wife?  Is she an artist as well? 
Alyn is awesome. We met many years ago while playing ultimate frisbee at Kenwood Park. She's from Grand Rapids, MN. I grew up in a small town in North Georgia, so we both have small town sensibilities. Most of her creativity comes out through cooking, and she is a great writer as well. She helps me out on projects all the time.  I'm always texting her, asking her to pick up various odd things for me. 

You also have children.  Has being a father changed you creatively? 
I'm inspired by my kids. Everything is new and spontaneous and interesting to them. There are no rules to their creativity; they just create. I apply this approach when working on my own projects. It's inspiring to watch my kids use their imaginations. Lately, my son Ames has been into severe weather, specifically tornadoes and thunderstorms. He makes radar weather patterns with play-doh. He flattens various pieces down on paper and waits for them to dry. Then he peels them off and arranges them in weather patterns. My daughter June does a lot of drawing. She creates her own made-up letters and weaves them in her pictures.

How do you spend your time when you’re not making art?
I love being outside with my kids and hanging out with my family around the house. We ride bikes, play sports and games. I help my son catch dragonflies and butterflies. We play music and watch a good share of tv. Recently, I've been into watching documentaries on Netflix. They don't have a great movie selection, but the documentaries are awesome.


Can you share with us a future goal of yours, professional or otherwise? Also, what would be your ideal collaboration/commission? 
I just want to always be able to make something interesting. It doesn't matter if it's professional or personal. I look forward to doing more collaborations with my kids.

Are there any artists you think Light Grey and its blog readers should check out?
Rich Barlow, Stephen Shaskan, Justin Newhall

What’s the best advice on being an artist you’ve been given? 
Ever since I was a kid, my mom always told me to have fun when making art. I still do that today, and I think it resonates in the work.



Check out Brock's work at: www.itistheworldthatmadeyousmall.com‎

Find Brock's prints in our online shop here

Artist Interview: Richie Pope

Richie Pope is another artist participating in our SMART show, and one of our most frequent contributors.  His work has been in six of our previous shows: Pokemon Battle Royale, Tarot, Mystics, and the Occult, Girls: Fact + Fiction, Macro + Micro, Beautiful Forever, and Night of the Exquisite Corpse. He will also be showing in our upcoming sci-fi show, Station Zero, and our RPG self-portrait show, Role Models.  Needless to say, we are very big fans of his work.

Where are you from, and where do you currently live?
I'm originally from Newport News, VA, but I've been living in Richmond for 9 years now. 

How would you describe your art? 

My work combines my sketchbook observational drawings with more imaginative concepts, resulting in very dreamlike images. 

Many of your illustrations are surreal.  Where do your ideas come from?
My ideas really just float around in my head until I can reach up and grab hold of one. Fireflies is based off a childhood memory of catching fireflies with my older sister outside our family's apartment.  I depicted the kid (myself) as a cartoon character. With Adapting to Extreme Conditions, I wanted to play with the idea of someone being out of place, yet finding a way to exist. The result was a man in a deep-sea diver suit waiting for the bus in an underwater neighborhood.  How Cats Find Their Way Home is about the mystery of how lost cats return to their owners from as far as hundreds of miles away. I imagined that cats might have some sort of inner compass.  I also made a visual connection between the shape of a cat's eye and the shape of a compass, so that became the driving idea. 

Over Nine Thousand by Richie Pope
Featured in Macro + Micro Exhibition

How long does it take you to make an illustration? 

Depending on how complex it is, anywhere from 2 to 15 hours. I usually start and finish in one or two sittings. 

What materials/processes do you typically use? 
My illustrations usually start with a quick and loose graphite drawing. I like to use 2B-4B pencils because of their value range. Carpenter pencils are pretty much made of magic.  I sharpen them with a knife to get really irregular tips for a wider range of line width. I just started getting into gouache a couple of months ago. I paint on top of the drawing or on another sheet of paper that I scan in separately. Once I scan in everything, I just start collaging. The final becomes a mix of final drawing, drawings on different layers, stock textures that I made, scribbles and other things. In general, I know where the illustration is going, but there's a good chunk of spontaneity involved as well.  

As one of the artists in our upcoming SMART show, how are you interpreting the title? 
I want to communicate an idea, but how do I do it without spelling it out for the viewer? This question is what drives my illustration work, so I took the same approach with my piece 'Goodbye, Max' for the SMART show. 

Is there a trend in art/culture that is particularly interesting you right now? If so, is it influencing the work you create? 

It's really interesting to see my generation of illustrators and how big a role the internet is playing. It's easy to dismiss the number of ‘likes’ and ‘re-blogs’ as lacking any true value, but all of the recent opportunities that have come my way were because something I drew blew up on Tumblr, Facebook, or other social media. The internet is free promotion if your work is strong enough and seen by the right people. 

What are your main sources of inspiration?
Memories and dreams are a huge inspiration for my work. I like people and situations that are familiar but not quite 'right'. That ambiguity is really interesting to me. Anime (and manga), film, comics and video games find their way into my work. Street art is really beautiful to me as well. It's often so loose and full of energy, like giant sketchbook pages. I'm also a sucker for the composition kings of 60's and 70's illustration.



   The First Bionic Hand That Can Feel by Richie Pope

How do you spend your time when you’re not making art?

I like to make music, mostly EDM/hip-hop stuff. I'm a gamer for life, so video games are a nice interactive way to escape. I also practice scales on the harmonica. I can't play any songs (yet). 

Your lady, Nicole Hamilton, is also an artist.  How would you describe her work in comparison to yours? Do you collaborate often?

Nicole's animation and illustration work is really energetic and loose, which plays nicely with her clean line work and coloring techniques. I draw just as fast, but my line work is more raw and imperfect. We sometimes collaborate on some exquisite corpse drawings.  We had a blog with some of these drawings and actually thought about re-vamping it recently. There was the quintessential Adventure Time fan art that we worked on together. Nicole did the line work, and I did the coloring.  It turned out really creepy, bizarre, and beautiful. Our collaborations really just evolve into their own weird amalgamations of both our voices. Nicole draws a lot from her own imagination, which I had neglected in school in favor of a heavy reliance on reference.  Her work has definitely influenced me to trust my own imagination more, and it's given me more confidence in my work. In other words, she's pretty swell.

What are your artistic and career ambitions?

I want to build my illustration work and brand to the point where I can work on my own intellectual property, whether that be animations, comic work, street art, fine art or whatever. I want people to believe in the world that I'm building. I look to people like Mike Mignola, KAWS, Murakami, Aryz. People have complete faith in them as creatives and that's pretty amazing. It's a lofty goal, but I wouldn't mind being up there in that same league of creative freedom.

 What other artists should Light Grey and our blog followers check out?

Leslie Herman, Cathryn Hutton, Jeffrey Alan Love, Eric Pfeiffer, Dadu Shin, Julia Scott, Allison Smith, Chris Visions. They're all really talented, original and good people. 

We have an upcoming show about inspiration posters?  Do you have any inspirational words of wisdom you'd care to share? 
Take the advice that helps you. Throw out the advice that doesn't. This is how you'll carve your own lane. 

Goodbye, Max by Richie Pope
Featured in Smart Exhibition


Thank you for the wonderful interview, Richie!

You can see more of Richie's work and process  on his website here
And you can purchase the three piece print Goodbye, Max here

Artist Interview: Elisabeth McNair

Elisabeth and her dog Rufus

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


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


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

The Optimist

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


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

Good Taste

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


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


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


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



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



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


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

from the zine 'Fancy Pants'

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


Where do you turn for inspiration?
The past.



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


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


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

'A Year of Not Reading'

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



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



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



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


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


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

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