Artist Priscilla Kim generously shares with LFF about her work in the realm of fantasy realism and painting women almost exclusively, her latest project, advice for aspiring artists and more…
Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating?
I can’t say I have a specific place I’m from, as I moved around a lot as a child, but I am generically an urban American. I’ve most recently lived in Austin, Texas, but currently I’m traveling around the world for 2017, seeing a few countries and working remotely on the go.
I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember, and so originally I wanted to be a writer. (It’s still a goal, it’s just taken a back seat to being an illustrator.) That slowly shifted over time into art, starting from when I picked up roleplaying in my early teens and wanted to depict my characters.
Ultimately, I create because I enjoy the process of creating. It doesn’t get much deeper than that. I really enjoy the mix of calm and problem-solving that making an illustration provides, and I like having something at the end of the day that I can point to and say, “I made that.” I paint in the realm of fantasy realism because it’s what I’m drawn to the most; the subtleties and challenges of capturing light, color, form, everything in a realistic fashion, while also injecting magic, is endlessly fascinating.
Tell me about your current project and why it’s important to you. What do you hope people get out of your work?
While at the moment I don’t have firm plans, I do have a pet project - a series of illustrations, and possibly also some writing, showcasing a world based around a post-apocalyptic King Arthur, reincarnated as a girl in a world where most humans have died and the remainder have pulled in on themselves in tribes. It’s aimed at a YA audience, and I’m hoping that it pulls readers away into a new world with beloved characters in the same way that my favorite books/series did for me as a child and teen.
Artwork by Priscilla Kim courtesy of the artist.
Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work?
If collaboration is defined as something where multiple people have equal or near-equal impact on and sweat in a work, I can’t say that it’s something I do much. I tend to hole up in my room or at a coffee shop working alone, most of the time. I do, however, end up soliciting opinions and feedback on almost everything I make. There is no piece so precious that another set of eyes can’t provide a fresh perspective.
Beyond collaboration, though, I would be utterly lost and floundering without the community of artists that I’ve found; the support, feedback, and camaraderie has been irreplaceable. In a real way, I don’t know how far I would have gotten without them. Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference?
Honestly, my work is mostly entertainment - entertainment that I hope connects with people, as all the art I’ve been affected by has connected with me no matter its source, but I don’t deliberately seek to make big statements about the world or effect lasting change.
In general, however, I am saddened by the decreasing importance of the arts in the public mind, even as more and more of our media and everyday life is defined by the artists who make our entertainment, education, advertising, and everyday design.
On the other hand, the increasing access of the internet and the ability to connect with other artists and see art of all kinds online has, I think, resulted in a much broader palette of options for any beginning artist. You can get a stellar education and exposure just from resources obtained online, especially with the amazing databases that museums are photographing and putting up.
Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work?
Absolutely. I tend to paint mostly women, 80% because I just enjoy painting women, but the remaining 20% because I want to give a greater role to women than I have historically seen in the genre arts. I really enjoy seeing different takes on strong heroines with agency, and want to return the same. I’ve joked before that I paint warrior women as wish fulfillment, being tiny and not physically-imposing, but it’s one of those “just serious haha” jokes. I think everyone likes to feel strong, in one way or another.
Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.” What is your favorite advice you have received or given?
Make a lot of work. Use the process to a) get better, and b) figure out what you want to do. Everything else comes with doing the work.
Les Femmes Folles is a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world with the online journal, print annuals, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF was created and is curated by Sally Deskins. LFF Books is a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including the award-winning Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014), The Hunger of the Cheeky Sisters: Ten Tales (Laura Madeline Wiseman/Lauren Rinaldi, 2015) and BARED: Contemporary Poetry & Art by Women (Edited by Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2017). Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. See the latest call for work on the Submissions page!
Check it out, I got interviewed by Les Femmes Folles!
“White ink is the bane of all tattooers’ existence, if they choose to work with it. … I do single needle for everything, because it seems to heal with a bit more precision than using a 3 or 7 [needle] for shading, but that’s just my experience. For maintenance, it really varies from person to person and from piece to piece.”
Filled up sketchbooks of distorted portraits of passer-bys, mundane objects, personal notes, weird thoughts and meanderings are just a couple things in artist Brian Smith’s sketchbook and works. Textured with black and gray tones, Brian’s drawings are often personal, humorous, and observational. We’re excited to chat with Brian to find out more about his background, drawings, and what he has coming up for the rest of the year. Take the Leap!
Photographs courtesy of the artist.
Introduce yourself? My name is Brian Smith, I’m from a town called Hicksville, New York. Now, recently living in Los Angeles, California. I’m currently the sole employee of a warehouse and I like to draw.
What was your introduction to drawing and/or art in general? What were your early influences? I’d had a babysitter who showed me how to draw actual hands and not just the turkey ones you make when you’re little. That was pretty big for me. It got me interested in figuring out how to draw other things just by looking at them for a bit. I always had sketchbooks as a kid, and in turn would forget them somewhere. My Nana who was kind of a closet artist would find them and leave little watercolor drawings of shore birds, ladybugs on tall grass, pond habitats etc. That seeded some notion I wouldn’t come to until much later about the intimacy of sketchbooks and how good it feels to give and receive drawings. Early influences would definitely be those two women. There was also a lot of adolescent suburban troublemaking, the inevitable introduction to skateboarding and cartoons like Rocko’s Modern Life and Ren and Stimpy.
How would you describe your work now to someone who is just coming across it? I generally stumble through an explanation if I’m ever asked. I recently looked back at like two years of drawings for a show. Seeing a good chunk of what you’ve drawn over a period of time all at once is wild. I still don’t think I’ve got my answer. It’s all kind of vague, sad, funny and personal. I like it to be just so, where people can attach their own meaning to it or ask questions about it.
How did you find yourself going from maybe keeping a journal to actually getting work creating art or selling artwork? I’m still getting there. I think so far those things for me have a mutually beneficial relationship. Drawing in sketchbooks is where I’m most productive. Everything after that is selected and isolated into its own drawing. That isolated sketchbook drawing might become a print or an image someone wants to buy or use for something which is always great.
How do your ideas take shape? How do you get from start to finish? What’s your process? It’s a total crap shoot haha. Sometimes I’ll blast through something in a night and others, a half inked drawing will sit in a drawer for months before I’m ready to get back into it. I get my ideas from a lot of things and in a lot of different ways though. I have a very distracting internal dialogue from time to time, I don’t know what it is. Sometimes I’ll just hang on a phrase, words that sound funny strung together in a sentence and put it down on paper and save it, maybe draw what it makes me think of later on. This croucher character I started drawing came from a thought I had of how dumb I must’ve looked a few days earlier, scrunched down taking a photo in the city while a wall of people moved around me.
When are you most inspired? And what is your favorite subjects or things to draw and why? Inspiration strikes at random. I mostly like to draw at night or very early in the morning. I like drawing dogs and people, they’re emotional critters.
What artists inspire you these days? The artists in my immediate circle at Bill’s Bar (@billsbarla). Those people are constantly creating and progressing. It’s insane.
You moved to LA not too long ago, how has living here influenced your artwork if at all? What do you think about the art community in LA? I got out here in November. Lots of sketching and a few finished drawings in the bag since then. I’ve got a few ideas that’ll have to cook a bit longer before I figure out what to do with them. It’s definitely been a receptive town for me, showed a bunch of drawings I’d been sitting on and got a nice response. I’ve been to a few art shows and they got me pretty excited on what’s going on and what can be achieved with some elbow grease.
Tell us about a favorite project or collaboration you’ve done. What kind of challenges do collaborations pose and what do you love about them? My favorite collaboration has been with Austin England (@mochelife). We started sharing drawings through the mail over a decade ago. We did that for years before we actually met in person 6 or 7 years ago. Now we share a studio space with some other great artists and I’m currently babysitting his dog Lola. Collaborations for me can tend to lead to overthinking. Not always, but sometimes.. and when it gets to that point it’s tricky to dig yourself out and just relax and work with what the other person is doing. I love the whole process of it though, it’s fun and you never know where it’s going to go. You usually learn something new and wind up with something cool. That’s the best.
What was your last adventure that showed up in one of your illustrations, thematically or just visually? Driving through the midwest. Indescribable. I drew a bunch of roadkill from memory that was pretty fun and weird.
Every artist has a different way of making his or her artist career work. How do you make it work for you? Do you spend time maintaining an online store or just draw when you want when you have free time? I pretty much draw when I can. Sometimes I just don’t feel like it, which is always tough. I just draw in my sketchbooks, turn those pages into zines or actual finished pieces and let people know they’re for sale on instagram. I haven’t quite dialed in the online store thing just yet, but I’ll get there. Every now and again a drawing job or commission will pop up.
What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pursue art? Don’t follow in my footsteps. Go to lots of museums and art shows. Keep a pen in your pocket. Take the extra time to get an image to look the way you want it to.
What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks? Don’t write your artist statement in the 3rd person.
When you aren’t drawing or hustling, what do you do to relax or just stay fresh in life? Beers, talks, books and walks to relax. Going to a museum, taking a trip and or getting out of the old comfort zone to stay fresh.
What are your favorite style of VANS? I like the white Vans Authentic, especially all worn in and pretty raggedy looking.
Anything you can share that is coming up? I don’t have anything coming up which is nice. Everything’s pretty wide open creatively, so I’m just gonna keep my antennas tuned and try and get productive.
Where are you from, where are you now, where do you want to be?
I’m currently based in Taipei, Taiwan; it’s the city where I was born and raised. I’m still here because I’m too familiar with this place. It’s a place where I can do a lot of the things I wanna do. In Taiwan, there are cheaper materials, factories, studio space… It’s the best place for me to create art or my clothing project! I don’t worry too much, I just have to remind myself to not get lazy here hahaha but I am planning on moving to New York City very soon! In Taipei, despite the city’s conveniences, I always end up feeling depressed and sad haha! Probably because the people here are more tradition and narrow-minded. They are quite critical and cynical. You can be yourself, but people won’t like it. It’s a lot of pressure, so I want to leave here ASAP! Hahaha! I hope to have more opportunities in the future!
What has been the most rewarding experience in your life so far?
I think the most rewarding experience would probably be the release of my “JOHNYUYI SWIMWEAR X CLAY PROJECT”. It has allowed me to get in touch with a lot of new people, and get interviewed by some online media from different cities. After this experience, I’ve felt more confident and have more courage to do my own thing!
Where were you this time last year, and what were you doing?
I had just gotten back from New York! Though I was quite confused about my future at the time, I got a lot of positive energy from NYC, so I was still optimistic about my life. One year ago, I had just graduated, and was not intent on getting a typical day job, so my friend Estete and I designed temporary tattoo stickers and sold them. It was mostly for fun, and we earned very little money from it. Since I still needed to do some more saving up, I became a figure model for some painting classes. That way, I got the free time to do my projects and do the things I like at the same time! I also started to create multiple miniature clay art installations and photographed them. At the beginning, I started playing with clay to soothe my anxiety. I have some emotional problems. I get nervous really easily. So I made a lot of little clays. The process kept me calm and the colors made me happy, just like seeing a cute puppy or kitty’s pictures. Hahaha!
You work in sculpture, installation, fashion design, photography… What doesn’t John Yuyi do?
I don’t know, hahaha! I don’t know many things, but I will give anything a try if I have a chance to do it! I want to be a doctor or a surgeon. I respect and admire doctors so much, but I think I might not be smart enough hahaha!
Your swimwear collection is really taking off, what were the ups and downs to this project? What inspired you to create a swimwear line?
At the beginning I just thought, “If people like the swimsuits, I can sell them!” And if they don’t, at least it’s a good experience and something I’d be happy to put into my portfolio. So there was nothing to lose! I just needed to be brave and go for it, not think about whether or not others will like it! Just do it! My original plan was to create a zine based on “Clay Project”, but during that process, the swimwear idea just appeared! I wanted to do a swimwear collection because I thought people would enjoy trying something more creative and colorful when they are choosing a swimsuit. I love the one-piece silhouette; I personally would love to wear one of my own pieces, too! These swimsuits can be worn not only on the beach or at the pool, but also as everyday-wear on the street!
An interview with Taiwanese artist, John Yuyi, by Vivian Loh and Jessia Ma.
Footage of an asian girl’s eyes slowly engorging plays alongside a female narrator explaining and defending her desire to undergo Blepharoplasty (eye surgery). The narrator is matter of fact about the issues surrounding having Epicanthic fold eyelids, and explains with a clarity the logic behind her desire. It’s the only voice of the 5 in Record Recreate which isn’t drenched in apology or self-deprecation. But even that voice, like the others, recognizes a distance between self-perception and the body. Girls talk about their physical features and future selves with the same kind of language of desire one might use to talk about wanting an upgraded version of your old iPhone. An attitude of being able to pick, choose and upgrade, to question the quality of characteristics about yourself and be open to the pursuit of something, if not better, then different. This attitude towards identity reappears frequently in Jacqueline Lin’s work. Everywhere from the sacrosanct image of the buddha dissolving into cut-up pieces of itself in Machina Buddha, to the ‘Choose your own adventure’ style of Oriental Battle, to the changing traditional Chinese Opera makeup masks in Bian Lian. Identity, costume and desire are intertwined, with the body as the ultimate canvas for a fluid social negotiation of the self. The subject of Lin’s videos demand us to ask questions about ideals and quest for self-satisfaction, as well as provoking us to stop and consider where the logic of these superficial pursuits originate. We decided to turn the camera around, and ask these questions of the lady behind the lens.
What is your background and how has it influenced the way you see the world?
I spent my childhood growing up in Jeddah and Cairo, and then moved to Taiwan in 8th grade and went to high school there. Living in these different countries made it a little difficult for me to really find my own identity. I never thought I could completely relate to my friends from the Middle East because of social and lingual barriers, and when I went back to Taiwan I found that I didn’t truly understand the Taiwanese culture either because I attended an International school where we were taught in English, and influenced by Western culture. However, I never thought about this as something negative and I feel so blessed to have been able to learn from the Islamic, Chinese and Western culture. I think of myself as a mix of all these influences that have turned me into who I am today. Having experienced ethnically being in both the minority and the majority, I feel more culturally aware and appreciative of everyone’s views.
Though you work in a variety of mediums, video seems to be your go-to. What was your first experience with video? What do you feel is the future potential of the moving image?
I used to create short movies and ask my sisters to act for me - the movies were really silly though! I was around 12 when I directed my first video about this ballerina who hates going to ballet class and accidentally knocks over her teacher while pirouetting…seemed funny at the time! But what hooked me in was being able to immediately cut and edit within video camcorder – I would storyboard my shots to make sure I knew what to film first and last, and plan when to cut into close-ups of the characters or their actions. Nowadays video comes in all forms and is so easily accessible. I am always recording videos on my phone of things I come across that I find visually captivating – whether it’s the people, the shadows cast on walls, or the patterns created by reflections. I think that moving images don’t have to always be viewed on a screen, and I am more interested in video in other forms such as projected onto surfaces, or how video can change environments that we live in.
One of the primary focuses in your work is the character of an asian girl. Is there something specific you are trying to communicate? What kind of a portrait are you trying to paint?
I find myself returning back to this character of an Asian girl all the time because I draw my inspiration from my experiences of being one. I am constantly thinking about the social norms of being an Asian female specifically and how often they become categorized as one idea when really, each Asian female has her own identity that is completely unique. There are many assumptions about Asian females because of popular media that has given a lot of Westerners certain ideas about us. I am both poking fun at these categorizations because I completely disagree with them, and am exploring ways in which Asian girls identify themselves.
Outside of the asian girl, I also feel like you are constructing an entire body of work based off of a language of personal symbolism- hair buns, masks, nostalgic Chinese music… what do these ideas mean to you when you incorporated them into your works?
The symbolism comes from my curiosity to know more about Asian practices - the traditional Chinese performances or instruments like the Gu-Zheng and learn more about them because I myself am not entirely familiar with it. And honestly, the symbolism I incorporate in my works come from what I am obsessed with at the time of making those projects. For instance, the hair buns came from seeing some friends at RISD do their hair up that way – and I loved the way they looked so decided to create a character inspired by them!
You are now a senior in college, what was the worst moment in your college experience and how did you overcome it? What was your best experience?
If I had to pick out something I didn’t enjoy these past three years it would probably be times when I am assigned a project to work on and can’t generate any ideas for it. I dislike jumping into an idea that I am not happy about and creating something I don’t feel is very me. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and I am not proud of my work, and sometimes it surprises me because a project might take on a different direction and turn out great! My best experience is being able to work with others, collaborating with them, and asking them to be part of my projects. In art school, I am constantly surrounded by people I can share my work with and in turn see their work too. We are always giving each other feedback and sharing our love for art, and that is what I am truly enjoying the most about being here.
An interview with Taiwanese-American video artist, Jacqueline Lin, by Vivian Loh and Jessia Ma.
Well folks, we’re nearly at the end of our Square Carousel journey, and there are just two interviews left – both with two of our longest-standing members! Today, we reconnect with Caitlin Alexander, who has been with the Square Carousel Collective from its very beginning almost 10 years ago. Although we’ve featured an interview with her here in the past, it’s been so long that we are due for an update! When she’s not freelancing or performing her duties as an SC admin extraordinaire, Caitlin works tirelessly on her craft, creating prints, products, hand lettered posters, and artwork that embrace the earthy beauty of nature. With a strong focus on environmentalism and a sense of community, her artwork exudes a warmth and complexity that draws the viewer in and invites them to stay a while. Read on for her gems of wisdom!
Make Earth Cool Again
Q: Comparing your early work from your first few years after college to your most recent pieces, you’ve kept a lot of the textural, playful essence of your style while refining certain elements. Has your process changed much since those early days, and if so, what do you now do differently?
A: Such a great question straight out of the gate! My process has changed quite a bit since I graduated in 2011 (almost a decade ago… yikes!). In college, part of my crafted identity as a brand-new illustrator was my traditional use of gouache paint. I actually, in all honestly, was kind of a snob about it, because so many people in our department worked solely digitally. I felt that digital painting was a crutch, which I suppose can be true in some cases, and possibly even more-so when you’re applying that to college students, but I certainly had no ground to stand on. In reality, my snobbery kept me from learning critical tools, as I never took Photoshop or Illustrator classes, aside from the one that was required for graduation. This hindered my work a great deal outside of college, given that illustration is so often paired with graphic design, and editing work for clients was so much more difficult traditionally. In 2013, I got a job designing t-shirts, and lied to the company, saying I knew how to use Illustrator. Luckily it was remote, so I was able to teach myself without anyone hovering over me, but that was so foolish, looking back, given the expensive education I got at SCAD should have been my opportunity to learn those things. I introduced digital work more and more over the years, and by 2016 or so, I was primarily a digital artist. Gouache will always have a place in my heart, and I will still break out the tubes occasionally, but working digitally has allowed me to grow so much more as an illustrator, with the ability to edit, paint with more detail, and having more control over color and layering.
Q: Of all the projects you’ve done in your professional career, which would you say is closest to your heart?
A: Probably the picture book I worked on a couple of years ago, titled “Cool For You.” I had a lot of creative freedom for that project, and the subject matter of climate change is personally very important to me. Working with the author, Marianna, was really wonderful, as well.
Cool For You book cover
Q: The Southwest influence on your work is pretty significant, and I think it’s safe to assume you appreciate the majesty of the landscape in your region of the country. However, if you had to live in another state, which would you choose and why?
A: Funny you ask that, because I’ve actually considered moving from Texas to Colorado lately! The culture there is still very western, but I appreciate the liberal point of view (Texas has been grating on me lately, even living in Austin), and the landscape is even more stunning out there! I’d be close to so many inspiring National Parks. Plus, summers wouldn’t be 8 months of the year and over 100 degrees for half of it!
Travel West postcard (1 of 6)
Q: TV shows or movies?
A: Lately, Jordan and I have been watching New Girl on repeat. I’m not usually one to watch a show or movie over and over again, but I think we really just needed something light and fun, since life has been so very stressful over the last year.
Q: What’s your favorite subject to draw?
A: This one is hard! I’m torn between people and landscapes. People are more fun and comfortable for me, and I could knock out a bunch of them quickly. Landscapes are always intimidating, and I’m nervous the whole time, feeling like I can’t remember how I did it the time before. It’s so strange, because it always ends up fine! But since I feel that way, the payoff is so much greater when I feel satisfied with the final result.
Q: What would a perfect day look like for you?
A: I probably would have answered this totally differently pre-COVID, but in this current world we live in, I would absolutely love to have what used to be a normal, uneventful weekend day for me: Jordan and I would sleep in a little, see an early afternoon movie at the Alamo Drafthouse where we’d eat lunch, then spend the rest of the afternoon browsing used book stores and estate sales, and then meet our friends at the neighborhood coffeehouse for dinner and Trivia Night. I will be so happy to have that again.
Cover art for East Side Magazine
Book Lover Ladies series- The Book Clubbers
Q: What have you learned from your years at Square Carousel, whether organizing behind the scenes or as a contributor?
A: Oooof!! So SO many things! Wow… well, I’ll go with the most obvious first: as a member, I learned how to continue to make portfolio-worthy work, even without jobs coming in. That was definitely the most valuable thing about Square Carousel, in my opinion, and hopefully what everyone else got out of it, as well. It can be so hard for fresh graduates to keep up that momentum, and the group saved many of us from becoming stagnant. In terms of running the group… it’s been rewarding, but honestly very difficult throughout the years. There have been many ups and downs, and finding the right balance between structure and patience can be extremely challenging. I’m super proud of Elizabeth and myself (OG members!) for keeping it running through the messes– we’ve been through some shit together! My major takeaway is the importance of diligence. Projects, businesses, organizations– they all need at least a couple of people who just keep chugging along, always maintaining the structure (schedule and accountability) and balance (rules and lighthearted encouragement).
Moth magnets
Q: As the readers are aware, Square Carousel drawing to a close soon. Do you have any plans for what you’ll do with the extra time you’ll have after our tri-weekly challenges end?
A: You know, I actually haven’t thought about this too much yet. It’s probably because I’ll just fill it with more self-imposed projects and deadlines, since I was able to bring that skill I learned in Square Carousel into the rest of my career a while ago. (Or more real jobs! That would be ideal!) I’ll miss the community though, and hope to find a way to keep that aspect of freelance life alive. Instagram friends, anyone?
Q: What advice would you give to a newbie illustrator just starting out today?
A: I’d give them the hard advice that our professors didn’t really give us in school: there is no way this is going to work out for you if you’re not incredibly committed to pursuing it. Now, don’t get me wrong– I’m not telling anyone to have an unhealthy work/life balance because I think that’s a toxic sentiment. But you have to keep illustrating and illustrating and illustrating, and arguably more importantly, keep networking and networking and networking. You’re going to be rejected or ghosted more often than not, but if you really want it to work out, you’re going to keep doing it anyway. And taking critiques if industry folks offer them, to grow and become better. Don’t become stagnant in those critical building years.
Caitlin’s studio
Q: Anything else you would like the readers to know?
A: Yes – thank you so much for supporting Square Carousel through our amazing ten years of challenges! We really appreciate everyone who has kept up with us, checking out the illustrations for each prompt and reading our posts and interviews. Y'all are wonderful, and we hope you’ll continue to find us, wherever each of us fly from here!
DBH: Where are you from? I’m originally from Finland, but have been living in the Netherlands for almost two years now.
DBH: How would you best describe your art style? Oh, this is a hard question! I’m into many different art styles and mediums and firmly believe in not restricting myself from one if I feel like trying out a different art style or medium as I believe this is good for my artistic development and also makes me happy. I’m not a big fan of hyper realistic art though so all of my artworks are stylized, cartoony or cute.
DBH: Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art? I find inspiration everywhere! I don’t need to look for inspiration, but instead have too many ideas all the time. Most of my inspiration comes from the nature, from the games that I play and from the inspiring fellow artists who I follow in social media.
DBH: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world? I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember and loved drawing when I was a kid. Later in life I faced lots of hardships. These hardships and the feeling that my art is not good enough led me into a dark path of not making almost any art for quite a few years. Then something great happened. I got an opporturnity to take a long break from work, backed my bags and traveled around Southeast Asia for 8 months. Suddenly, I was filled with joy and happiness and slowly started to also draw again and realized how big source of happiness art is for me. I made a promise to myself to continue doing art, flew back to Finland, quit my job and applied to study game art in university, games being my other passion in life. I just graduated last Christmas and started my own one man art company this year and even though the journey of getting to the point where I am now has not been easy and there’s still hard days, I’m happy because I can now, and hopefully also in the future, do what I love as a living.
DBH: Where are you from? LC:I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now live in Berlin, Germany.
DBH: How would you best describe your art style? LC: Narrative and a bit whimsical. Mostly (but not always) digital meets analog. I work with a lot of clean shapes and lines combined with watercolor textures.
DBH:Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art? LC: I’d say it’s a combination of the world around me and a stream of consciousness that comes out in random doodles that I turn into more finished work. I’m also very inspired by the natural world – landscapes, plant life, animals – as well as by geometry and form. Nostalgia for my childhood in Hawaii plays a big role as well.
DBH: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world? LC: Honestly, I never thought I could make a career out of it! I always considered myself a random doodler at best – it wasn’t until sites like DBH started exploring the crowd-sourcing frontier that I found an actual outlet for my work and, more importantly, a reason to keep working and improving.
DBH: How does art impact your day to day life or your impression of the world as a whole? LC: I suppose I look at things more carefully sometimes. I appreciate colors and shapes and lines in the environment around me. I’m constantly collecting ideas for designs when I’m out and about.
DBH: What does a day of creating artwork look like for you and how to you start your creative process? LC: My creative process is all over the place, it’s not very disciplined. And it rarely happens in a day. Most of the time, I’ll start out doodling while watching tv or talking on the phone. If I’m lucky, I’ll see something on the page that I like and want to take further. I may make some more sketches, or go directly to drawing on the computer with my graphic tablet. Usually I’ll spend a long time tweaking the composition and color scheme. If I need new textures I’ll bust out the paints and do some painting. This all happens over a few days, or I’ll start something and put it aside and come back to it much later.
DBH: When you’re not creating, what do you like to do with your time? LC: I have a five year old, and I love watching her observe and define the world around her. Traveling with her and watching her experience new things is amazing and inspiring. On the flip side, having a five year old is also exhausting, so I love having free time to just chill out and read, watch tv, go out to eat with my husband, drink a beer in the sun and be lazy.
DBH: What artist (either current or past) do you most admire and why? LC: Of one my favourites has always been Paul Klee. I love the humour in his work and the way he plays with shapes and forms. His work can be so scratchy and doodly and absurd, but also very sophisticated and he does such beautiful things with geometry, color and texture.
DBH: What’s the best advice that’s been given to you as an artist? LC: Keep at it, and eventually you will define your own style. Let yourself be inspired by other artists but don’t copy – keep refining and exploring until what you create is truly your own.
DBH: Where are you from? Jack Teagle: I’m from the UK, I live in the South West, in Cornwall.
DBH: How would you best describe your art style? Jack Teagle: Deceptively simple. I like creating bold, eye catching imagery in a naive way. I can focus my drawing ability when I want to though, and I like to keep a balance between detailed pen work, acrylic paintings and the more graphic digital work.
DBH: Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art? Jack Teagle: I take it from anywhere I can. I used to keep scrapbooks of comics I cut up as a kid, posters, odd toys I grew up with, anything that had a lasting impression on me. I love the work of cartoonists Gary Panter, Jack Kirby and Julie Doucet, and the Fort Thunder Collective. I love outsider art like Daniel Johnston’s work, Bruce Bickford’s animation, Howard Finster’s paintings. Anything visceral, with a lot of personal vision.
DBH: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world? Jack Teagle: Since I started to take notice of art on book covers, album covers, art on the things I enjoyed as a kid like video game box art. I used to really like concept art and old science fiction art books.
DBH: How does art impact your day to day life or your impression of the world as a whole? Jack Teagle: It’s impacted my entire life. I work full-time as a freelance illustrator, I exhibit my paintings and I’ve had my comics published all over. I’m always working on something. It’s just an integral part of who I am at this point. When I had full-time jobs, I was still making things all the time, in the background.
DBH: What does a day of creating artwork look like for you and how to you start your creative process? Jack Teagle: For personal work, I tend to make it when I don’t hear anything from a client, or I’m waiting for approval on freelance jobs. If I know I have a free day, I try to plan to work for as long as possible. Time is precious. I’ll tend to go to the gym half way through the day to break things up, run some errands, and I’ll usually finish up work at 2AM if I’m really into something.
DBH: When you’re not creating, what do you like to do with your time? Jack Teagle: I try to go to the gym as often as I can, just general exercise. I like going for walks with my girlfriend, taking photos of nature while we’re out and about. I love reading comic books, I play video games when I can find the time, and I love cult films. The kind of films that had a real vision.
DBH: What artist (either current or past) do you most admire and why? Jack Teagle: Possibly Henry Darger. His work was discovered after his death, so for him it was just for himself. He created an entire world with his body of work. It’s imaginative, and in Darger’s own way, highly spiritual. I was lucky enough to see some of his original art at the American Folk Art Museum in New York ten years ago, and it’s always left a lasting impression on me.
DBH: What’s the best advice that’s been given to you as an artist? Jack Teagle: I’m not sure if anyone has ever given me any real advice, but I’ve definitely had to learn from a lot of my mistakes. I’ve had to learn a lot from time-wasters and people that try to exploit you.
I suppose my advice would be to try to remain positive, and do what’s best for yourself. Clients, companies and other artists are not looking out for your best interests, only you can do that for yourself. You’ll avoid burnout, exploitation and frustration. Don’t bind yourself to a set way of making images. Experiment but always focus and try your best. You’ll never know where your work can take you. It’s all about balancing your expectations, and ego. Work smart and work hard.
DBH: Where are you from? @noviluniumeyes - Hello everyone! I was born and raised in Bergamo a city that I “Odio et amo” (translation: I hate and love). It is a beautiful medieval town near Milan, Italy.
DBH: How would you best describe your art style? Starting from the assumption that drawing has always been a true “language” to me that I use to express myself to others. Over time my art has grown with me transforming into mature symbolism, sometimes concealed, researched, understandable or incomprehensible. I find that “symbolic” and “personal” are the right words to describe my style and my themes.
DBH: Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art? My inspiration comes from several factors. First of all, what enters into my emotional sphere is an inspiration, even just one object can arouse something like an image. I do a lot of research and also the work of other artists (more capable than me) inspires me to improve my illustrations.
DBH: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world? Probably ever since I can remember. I have done artistic studies and after many highs/lows my project Novilunium Eyes was born about two years ago.
DBH: How does art impact your day to day life or your impression of the world as a whole? My illustrations are my shelter, my home, what makes me feel good and bad when they are missing. I read the world and I transfer it to the paper, I am what I illustrate and what surrounds me.
DBH: What does a day of creating artwork look like for you and how do you start your creative process? I do not have a real creative process, but let ideas flow free. I do some sketches. In some cases I’m developing them while in others I set aside the idea to develop later.
DBH: When you’re not creating, what do you like to do with your time? It’s hard to stop drawing, but usually I read, go out, cook (I make good cookies). I always invent a new recipe. Lately I started to clay and I’m learning how to model jars.
DBH: What artist (either current or past) do you most admire and why? Hard to say. Having an artistic education, I’ve learned that there is always a cue, a detail of some artistic currents that I’m interested in, whether it’s a brushstroke, an artistic revolution, an installation…I usually love the world of tattooing and I try to take inspiration from that reality.
DBH: What’s the best advice that’s been given to you as an artist? The best advice comes from a person who has always been alongside me, my sister who has never stopped believing in me and has always pushed me to do my best in the world of art and life. It has not always been easy, but having her in my life has made me realize that I am very lucky to have a person like her next to me. Believe in yourself and keep trying.
Camille: I’m from France and currently live in the UK.
DBH How would you best describe your art style? Camille: Minimalist and digital, mostly with surreal settings
DBH: Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art? Camille: I’ve been influenced by my environment and dreams since I was young. I’m also quite an observant person. I stop a lot to look at things that interest or intrigue me.
DBH: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world? Camille: I was quite young! I remember wanting to be an art teacher when I was around 8 and when I became a teenager I realised I wouldn’t have the patience to do it.
DBH: How does art impact your day to day life or your impression of the world as a whole? Camille: Like I said, I observe my surroundings a lot. You see the light in different ways, colours, people etc. But it’s not just visual observations, I think it’s atmosphere overall, like the different smells depending on seasons for example.
DBH: What does a day of creating artwork look like for you and how to you start your creative process? Camille: In any case, I will always take the time to stop everything I’m doing and If it’s for myself, I have notes where I write down all my ideas. I usually pick the one that inspires me most on that day, do a quick sketch, then do the illustration.think, a lot. If it’s for myself, I have notes where I write down all my ideas. I usually pick the one that inspires me most on that day, do a quick sketch, then do the illustration. If it’s for a client I usually work from whatever material they need me to and do some brainstorming. Then the process becomes pretty much the same as for myself.
DBH: When you’re not creating, what do you like to do with your time? Camille: I like to spend it with friends and loved ones. Going for walks, to museums, exhibitions, for drinks, for nice food, travelling if I can etc… I also like to watch movies, play video games and read stories (fiction or non-fiction). Nothing that might sound over-exciting but I think it’s a matter of how you enjoy things, and not what you enjoy. You could do the most interesting things in the world but if you act like you’re not fussed about it, it’s not going to make you excited about life.
DBH: What artist (either current or past) do you most admire and why? Camille: The first person that came to mind was Van Gogh. I absolutely love his work, very distinctive. I also have a lot of sympathy for his personal life and I think he is a great example of the stigma that was, and still is sometimes, placed around mental health.
DBH: What’s the best advice that’s been given to you as an artist? Camille: Try, a lot, and do things. Keep on learning new things, keep on doing until it feels right. Then do it again because you need to get out of your comfort zone. I don’t always have as much time as I’d like to learn new techniques but I’m getting there.
German artist Mirco Tomicek aka MTVenom brings his detailed illustrations to life using both the traditional medium of quill and ink and his graphic tablet.
Over the years Mirco has drawn artistic inspiration from the likes of artists Pushead and Godmachine as well as from listening to music. “I always listen to music while drawing,” he tells us, “this is where my inspiration comes from.” When asked about the artist he most admires, Mirco tells us it’s his father for teaching him how to draw, showing him artistic tricks, and for offering advice to this day.
Mirco’s best advice to aspiring artists is “Practice, practice, practice! With every sketch you make, you will learn more and more and your skills will get better.”
I’m from South Alabama, bordering Florida. It’s crazy hot there but beautiful. I’ve always felt out of my element there so I recently moved to North East Wisconsin last year and I love it. Everything is so different than the South, and I love the culture and weather change!
Q: How would you best describe your art style?
I’ve always had a hard time describing my style. I don’t like labels so I guess I’m a bit of a free-spirited artist. I just do what comes to me in the moment. Eclectic has always been a good word for describing myself so maybe that works for my design style too.
Q: Where do you find your inspiration when creating your art?
Mother nature in all of her forms. I love spending time in nature and it’s definitely started coming out into my pieces in the last couple years. All of my pieces always can relate to the earth in some way or another and that is always my first thought when I start creating.
Q: When did you know you wanted to make a career in the art world?
I’ve been an artist since I was a child and it’s always been my passion. I always knew I wanted to have a career in art and design. I took so many art classes in high school that I was often in AP classes by myself. I ventured into massage school, which is just another form of art. Then I was a street artist, a photographer (still am), and the art director for a magazine. Now I have many revenues of income for my art and I own a web design company. So I guess I never really got out of it. It’s always been what I’m good at and what I’d look for when finding jobs before deciding to work for myself. Now I have complete freedom to create anything I’d like!
Q: What does a day of creating artwork look like for you and how do you start your creative process?
I don’t have a schedule. Like I said earlier, I just do what comes to me. So that means I only create new art when I’m in the zone, whether that be once a week or several times a day. I don’t force myself to create anything. I usually end up on Pinterest to get the juices flowing, then I wait for it to come to me and then let my imagination take over. If you are a creative type you will understand what I mean, lol. When it’s nice out I will lay in the grass and draw. There’s something about connecting with nature while you’re creating inspired pieces that is magical.
Q: What artist (either current or past) do you most admire and why?
I actually have several artists that I love and I find them on Instagram. I love nature inspired art so that’s what I usually resonate with. Some of my favorites right now are Copper Corners, Hannah Adamaszek, and Kayti Luna.
Q: What’s the best advice that’s been given to you as an artist?
Create what makes you happy. Art is about expressing yourself and is great therapy. If it becomes stressful it’s not worth doing.
We recently had the privilege to interview the awesome @charapoo !
Artists and illustrators are turning more and more of their designs into patches and pins recently, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.Sara Talmadge is a talented artist who works in a vast variety of artistic mediums. Based in Oregon, Sara has achieved success as a comic book cover illustrator, game asset designer and now patch designer!
Many of us at Stadri Emblems loved her first patch design. The “Yes Please” doughnut patch had an amazing design and stitched beautifully. After the first design was well received by her fans, Sara also designed a “Queen Bee” patch with gold metallic threads!
What are your biggest artistic influences or inspirations? For me, inspiration is hard to pin down because it comes from everywhere- I live in the Pacific Northwest so the nature that surrounds where I live is a constant source of inspiration. I also love fashion and period dress so that works its way into my artwork as well. As far as artistic influences go, I take cues from everything from animated films (particularly midcentury Disney films like Fantasia, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland), children’s book illustrators like Beatrix Potter, and mainstream comics both American and manga!
What made you want to start making your own custom patches? I started tabling at conventions a few years back to sell my wares and I quickly found that while there is still a market for art prints, many people wanted something different. People told me over and over that they liked my work but they had run out of space on their walls for more posters, which got me looking into alternative ways to showcase my work. This was right when enamel pins were really catching on and I wanted to do a different kind of wearable art- naturally patches seemed like the perfect fit!
We really love your “Yes Please” Doughnut patch designs! Would you consider yourself a doughnut enthusiast? I love doughnuts! I think they’re the perfect treat- they’re cute, they’re sugary, and no one bats an eye if you eat it for breakfast! I even named one of my art books “Donuts for Breakfast”. I’m really picky about my doughnuts though: Oregon is famous for its hip and trendy doughnut joints but I’m all about the flavor, not the hype. I find that the best doughnuts come from the most unassuming hole-in-the-wall joints and while I love to draw the pink frosted ones, a simple glazed is my true love.
Do you have any plans to make more patch designs in the future? I certainly do! I would like to join the enamel pin wave first so I have a few ideas there, but I think patches will always be my favorite. No spoilers but I’m constantly coming up with new ideas and filling my sketchbook with them.
I see that you’ve done everything from traditional art, digital painting, 3-D animation and pixel art. Is there any medium that you haven’t tried yet? Or want to try? By virtue of going to an art college, I’ve really tried most everything at least once- I’ve even done metal sculptures! (I can’t say I was very successful with it, but I’ve tried it!). The only thing I haven’t tried is oil painting, and I would love to give it a shot. I don’t touch real paints very often (it’s hard to find the space to get messy in a rental apartment!) but there is something thrilling about the permanence and texture of oils.
Where can people find you online if they want to follow you? I’m all over the place! I’m most active on Twitter andInstagram (I go by @charapoo on both) and I update my website, www.saratalmadge.com, regularly as well.
We want to thank Sara for taking the time to answer our questions! Make sure to follow Sara on social media to keep up with her latest art and patches! If you’d like to make your own custom patches, don’t forget that you can get a free quote with us!
We had the privilege of interviewing @Nina-Bee about her experiences creating patches and pins with Stadri Emblems! Nina has made plenty of adorable patches and pins, mostly dog themed, and we are happy to have helped her create them! https://www.stadriemblems.com/blog/interview-nina-boyce/
