Spoke is currently featuring prints of pieces from the recent art show Quentin vs. Coen, featuring art from various artists and designers inspired by characters from the filmography of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. It’s a cool concept for an exhibit, and as a fan of (most) of the work produced by the subjects, I think a lot of this stuff is pretty impressive. Check out a couple of my favorite examples of what’s available:

If you’re near San Fran and you’d like to see the whole shebang in person, the exhibit will be opening there on June 2nd.

Also:
A huge thank you to everyone who spread the word about this year’s fundraiser benefitting the Maryland SPCA and who contributed by purchasing my keychain bottle openers and large magnets. We were able to raise over $1,200 this year!

I caught the old 1960 Disney live action Swiss Family Robinson movie on the Hallmark Channel this past weekend, which always makes me remember how desperately I wanted to live in one of the ornate tree-houses in the film.

So it was kind of coincidental that I happened upon this awesomeness on Sunday:

The most spoiled six year old in Minnesota was gifted with his choice of themed bedroom, as designed by Steve Kuhl. Wisely, the kid chose a pirate theme. The room features, among other things, a floating ship (complete with compartments to hang out in) , rope bridge to the brig (for storing pesky sisters), and crow’s nest. As if that weren’t enough, the walls and ceiling were painted to simulate the ocean, complete with “swimming” sea creatures. Click here to see more pictures and a description of exactly what went into the execution of such a cool concept. It is extremely sad that I kind of want a room in my house like this.

(Via My Modern Metropolis)

So much new art, you guys. A ridiculous amount. Not only do I have two new ones of my own in the can and more coming in the next week, but new guest artist Hidden Eloise dropped EIGHT beautiful new ones in my lap last week that I threw up last night. Here are a couple samples:

You can see the rest of Eloise’s designs here and here, and you can check out her online shop here to see her prints, jewelry postcards, etc. Now, everyone settle down and say hello to your new friend!

1. Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
I live in the North of England, in the rolling hills of Yorkshire. Not to be confused with “the” Shire, but pretty close none the less.

2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
The forests around here are enchanting, old but orderly somehow, not brimming with life but with enough little creatures to make every walk interesting and surprising. Whether I actually walk the forests around here or look at them from my window and imagine I’m there, there is a lot of the land in my art.

3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
The three art movements that have influenced me more than anything are Art Nouveau, Japanese Ukiyo-e and the Dutch Golden Age. You can see all of them seeping into my art, especially my latest collection “War of the Roses”. For specific artists from those bygone days, I love Rembrandt and Utagawa Yoshitoshi. On a slightly related note, I adore Shin Yun-bok!

4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?
I think my art looks well while listening to Cocteau Twins (Ed. Note: Yes, definitely. Maybe something early, like Treasure, Garland, or Victorialand), though I don’t necessarily draw inspiration from their dreamy world directly.

5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
Before I spent many misplaced years in university (getting a degree in Architecture that I have exactly zero desire to now make use of) I spent a year studying fine art. It was a great year, practicing classical painting and sculpting and I did get some knowledge out of it. I am mostly self-taught though and the greatest learning period has been the last three years that I struck out as an indie artist.

6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
First, I need ideas and this is something that cannot be controlled or easily quantified. I note down ideas and make sketches whenever and wherever they happen to appear in my mind and as a result I happen to have an impossible amount of notebooks! Sometimes my ideas are specific emotions that seek an image and sometimes there is a very specific image that I need to see on paper.

When I know what I want to work with my process changes radically. I work on every artwork persistently and analytically, with planning and many iterations until I’m satisfied. The whole process takes around 10 full days on average and during that time there is mostly music, some silence, no TV and as little background noise as possible.

I always start with pencil on paper and that could be anywhere in the house that I can find a flat enough surface. After the drawing is done I do most of the work at my desk and I paint most of the art digitally with my mighty Wacom Cintiq21UX, a tablet built onto a screen so I can draw with a digital pen directly. This is the technique I’m currently infatuated with and I’m still just scratching the surface of the possibilities.

7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
I like C.S.I. Las Vegas.  (Ed. Note: I’d like to make a snobby remark about this, but I just realized I’m a regular Gossip Girl viewer) It’s useful though! Never know when you’ll have to cover up a hideous crime… (Ed. Note: True.)

8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
How about veganyumyum.com for animal-less eating? And then onto http://www.youtube.com/user/tedtalksdirector for something inspiring to watch during lunch! I think I have seen over 90% of all TED talks and I’m working on the last 10%!

9. Do you have any pets?
My kitchen-monster of a partner doesn’t count, I suppose. So no pets, not at the moment.

10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
Some light white wine is as far as my relationship with alcohol goes these days.

11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
One of my hobbies is reading history. Especially history of the far east. So despite my better judgement, my heart takes me to 17th century Japan, just after the great wars ended. I would take in the sights and live the idealised dream for a short time, before running away as fast as possible, back to the future, to avoid the swift and terrible end that those rough and brutal times would gift me.

12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
I am vegan for moral reasons, so pretty much all the sweets in the market are out of reach for me. So I make my own and I can be very specific in my desires! Currently in the fridge, wobbling blissfully, are a few tubs of vegan Japanese style caramel purin! Oh yes!

One of the most-broached topics among fanboys is and will always be “who has the worst/most useless superpower?” It’s a valid question—it stands to reason that since comic book companies have been churning out numerous titles every week featuring countless characters since 1939, eventually we’re going to run out of useful extra-normal abilities. It doesn’t help that the flagship superhero, Superman, got saddled with multiple powers, which were only added to over the years. Let’s do a quick survey of Clark Kent’s abilities since 1939:

• flight
• super-strength
• super-speed
• super-breath
• heat vision
• super-hearing
• micro-vision
• telescopic vision
• x-ray vision
• invulnerability (for all intents and purposes, anyway)
• super-intelligence, and on and on.

(N.B., some of these have been changed or removed altogether over the last 70 years.) Still, dude is a power-hog. This results in a lot of overlap; tons of heroes and villains that control ice/cold, or run fast, or are really strong. It’s when the creators try to be unique that we end up with Aquaman (talks to sea creatures) and Matter-Eater Lad (can eat any substance).

Thankfully, Minneapolis designer Kevin Delger has expanded the breadth and depth of superpowers over at his blog The Daily Superpower. Unfortunately, his leave a bit to be desired. I doubt many people want to pee rainbows, see farts, or mend broken hearts. Actually, that last one would probably come in handy. If you were going to come up with a new superpower, what would it be?

As you guys have no doubt noticed, I’ve been on kind of a cute kick lately. It’s hardly surprising, being surrounded by kittens. But with my newer designs skewing to the cuter side of the spectrum, it makes a lot of sense that the stuff Taby Kislanov covers at Milk Overdose appeals to me. Whether it’s cute & sad or cute & faux-delicious, you can be sure that at the very least she’s covering something cute. But Taby doesn’t just write about cute stuff, she also creates it: you can check out some of her illustrations and photography at Deviant Art. Some of my favorites are Post-War, I Tried…, and Alice Likes Tea. Check her out!

I know I’m off by a day, but cut me some slack; I’ve been laid low for nigh on two weeks by what has to be the worst cold I’ve ever had, and spent most of my weekend crying into my pajama sleeve over the fact that said cold prevented me from experiencing the Belgian Beer Festival being held mere blocks away. Plus, let’s not forget the high-maintenance kittens we’ve been fostering since Wednesday!

But enough of excuses; this week I’m happy to introduce two new designs in our guest artist series, courtesy of Milwaukee-based illustrator Matty Cipov: I Love Unicorns, and Tiger Owl.

Let’s go straight to the unicorn’s mouth for a little more background info on the artist, shall we?

1. Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and now I am back in MIlwaukee. I love it here.

2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
The only thing I think being in the Milwaukee area, or the Midwest has done is that it has made me love our art scene rather than feel like I am lost in the fray of too many artists. Don’t get me wrong, we have a ton of good artists, but we aren’t overly choked with them like some other parts of the country are.

3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
Here is a quick list (if I think about it too much, it’ll be painful to compile this): JACK DAVIS… CHARLES BURNS… EGON SCHIELE…. DC COMICS… EC COMICS…  DANIEL CLOWES… JACK KIRBY…  AUBREY BEARDSLEY… and the list goes on and on and on…

4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?
Another quick list:  RICKY GERVAIS… CHARLES BUKOWSKI… LENNY BRUCE… TRACY MORGAN… CORMAC McCARTHY… RADIOHEAD… WILLIAM BURROUGHS… MARK BORCHARDT… MY GRANDMA… KISS… SCHARPLING AND WURSTER…  GEORGE ROMERO (circa the 1970′s and 1980′s)… STEVE COOGAN…  RICHARD PRYOR…  I could go on forever.

5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
When I was a youngster, I was always drawing. When I was in middle school and high school, I took as many art classes as I could wrap my brain around. And then for college, I attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design where I got a Bachelors degree in Illustration. I’ve always wanted to be a professional artist.

6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
I like getting right to final art. I don’t like letting sketching or penciling guide me too much. I like getting right to paint and ink and the process of building my compositions based off of the core ideas I might have, but allowing for tangents and experiments to mutate what I think the finished art will end up looking like. And when I am truly inspired, art making is a fast process. Because of that, I limit myself to just pencil, ink and acrylic paint markers.

And I could never work in silence. I always have something playing in the background.  It could be a food show… a comedy album… some crazy instrumental music… or possibly an episode of one of the most amazing shows ever: Parks and Recreation. That show always makes me laugh; it gets the giggles out of me more in 22 minutes than most hour and a half movies can. It’s good art fuel.

And yes, I do have an office in my basement, but dang, in the wintertime, it is really hard to be down there and draw. At this time of year, I prefer working on my bed.

7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
Not really. I am a major geek and always embraced all of the kitsch and corny stuff that brings me smiles. I don’t take myself too seriously and because of that, I don’t have too many entertainment bones in my closet. Just ask my wife!!!

8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
I frequent far too many websites to even start this list. I have to keep my brain full of trivia… otherwise I think I might die. The internet keeps me full of facts and fun info and at times, confusion.

9. Do you have any pets?
Actually yes. Owing to my allergies to most furry critters, I have a pet cockatiel named Shadow. Many other parts of my life were enjoyed with pet turtles.

10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
I enjoy a nice size glass of red wine most nights before bed. It helps me relax and shake off the intensity and over-thinking that I fill my days with all too often.

11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
I’d love to check out the 1950′s.  The comic scene… the toys… the candy… the decor… the movies… I would love to hang out in the fifties and have a whale of a time.

12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
I go in and out of phases. Maybe a while ago, I would have told you I was more into cakes, or donuts. At the moment, I am most into all of the weird new fruity favors of gum that are coming out… but chocolate comes in a close second…. and who doesn’t love a slice of good pie????

Indeed, who doesn’t love a slice of good pie? You can check out more of Matty’s work at his Etsy shop and on his website. I encourage you to do so; it’s all very excellent!

Hey guys, sorry for interrupting my usual boozy Thirsty Thursday post, but we just added two awesome new designs from new guest artist Jamie Fales that I couldn’t wait to introduce!

Jamie operates out of NYC as Noosed Kitty, and her art mixes a love of Japanese pop art signifiers with western design trends to create a unique illustration style that’s very cool. Check out her designs Post-Apocalyptic Heartache and Injured Owl, and also her other art in her Etsy store.

1.Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
Long Island, NY

2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
Not really.

3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
Some artists I admire are Paul Barnes, Jessica Joslin, and Jonathan Weiner, but the list is endless.  I’m inspired by anything from mundane daily activities to a crazy dream I had.  Japanese art was an early influence on my work.

4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?
I’m sure there are but I can’t think of any as I’m typing up answers to these questions.

5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
Yes, I graduated college with a BFA.

6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
I tend to do all my work on the floor with the tv on in the background.  I usually work in watercolor and pencil but I’ve recently started using oil paints which I’m enjoying thus far.

7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
Not really.

8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
I probably spend more time on flickr than any other website.  Other sites I like: Etsy, Vinyl Pulse, All Recipes, Mental Floss, Crime Library… you know, the usual.

9. Do you have any pets?
One cat named George, or as I like to call him – Captain Awesome.

10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
None of the above.

11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
I’m pretty happy right here.  Perhaps I’d travel back a few years to when I had dinner at the Good ‘n Plenty restaurant.  That was one of my favorite meals and I wouldn’t mind eating it again.  Sorry if this interview is somewhat lackluster. (Ed. Note: It’s cool, we’ll just assume you’re Batwoman and trying to throw us off the scent of your crime-fighting alter-ego.)

12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
All of the above.  Cake – 30th Anniversary Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.  Pie – apple crumb.  Cookies – Girl Scout Tagalongs.  Ice cream – homemade cheesecake ice cream (that’s right, I make my own ice cream).  Candy – Swedish Fish and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  I like me some yummy food.

Alright class, that’s about it. Say hi to Jamie, and be sure to check out the rest of the guest artist series! We’ll be back on our regular blogging schedule next week!

Regular readers will know that for the last three weeks I’ve had the immense pleasure of introducing designs by some truly great artists for my guest artist series. The series continues this week with Houston-area illustrator Heather Matter. You can learn more about Heather’s work at her blog, as well as check out other pieces at her Etsy shop.

1. Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
I grew up in a small suburban neighborhood outside of Houston, moved to Minnesota with my husband after graduating high school, and then we moved back to my hometown a few years ago.

2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
Growing up near the coast has probably influenced my interest in the ocean and all of the mysteries that it has to offer. But where I’m from is mostly urban sprawl with little scenery, and I’m often dreaming of beautiful, dark forests, majestic snow-capped mountains and even arctic tundras. And anything that is far removed from reality. I think my surroundings have forced me to draw from the well of my imagination in order to escape the uninspiring landscape of motels, shopping malls, office buildings, and the unbearable heat.

3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
Camilla d’Errico and Camille Rose Garcia. Japanese art, both past and current, has been a big influence, including the works of ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai. I have also been really inspired by Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms From Nature; there is so much detail and accuracy in his work, it is stunning. And although there aren’t any specific photographers, I love abstract and macro photography, especially black and white.

4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?

Music, movies, and books are a huge source of inspiration for me apart from nature. Muse, Radiohead, and The Killers are what are playing right now, and I also listen to plenty of classical music as well. Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies are my favorite (even if they are terrible) and if you give me a good book to read you probably wont see me for days. If I’m not creating artwork, I am usually reading first, then doing what I should be doing second.

5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
I have been drawing since I was little, and I took art all through high school, but since then my formal training has included one photography class, one drawing class, and a brief oil painting class. So I am basically a self-taught artist. The idea of paying off student loans for the rest of my life never appealed to me. And I tend to change my mind frequently (no, seriously!), so trying to focus on one degree just seemed impossible. But I have always believed that you shouldn’t give up on educating yourself just because you can’t afford schooling or can’t make up your mind.

6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
Ha! If I had a process I would be doing good. Every day is something new. Usually I start early in the morning with a cup of tea, put on some music that fits my mood and try to focus on one or two projects to get me through the day. Some days it’s sketching out ideas and creating line work, other days it’s Photoshop. But most of my ideas form in the short period of time between when my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep. I’ve done a lot of my work using pen and ink, but right now I’m experimenting with the fluidity of watercolors. And I am lucky enough to have a room for my own studio, but I always end up in the kitchen/living area. From there I can look out into my backyard, and the birds and the squirrels always crack me up.

7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
Eh, not really. I don’t get into most of the obsessions that a lot of people do. Anything Sci-fi or fantasy is cool, and I do have to admit that I would love to go to ComicCon, but I’m not over the top obsessed. Over-marketing and commercialism turn me off to a lot of things.

8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
I love National Geographic for the amazing photography and inspiration, and I’m frequently on Wikipedia looking up anything from the history of tarot cards to Ancient Egypt. I’m all over the place. I like everything. I’m also on Etsy and Flickr way too much.

9. Do you have any pets?
I have one amazingly crazy cat. She’s part-horse, part-monkey, and part-squirrel, with a little bit of cat thrown in. She is extremely talkative, likes to gallop around the house, and jumps to the tops of our doors. She’s a handful all on her own. I love all animals, especially the ones that are fuzzy and goofy!

10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
If I could get drunk off of root beer I’d be an alcoholic. But I don’t drink.

11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
I probably wouldn’t be able to make up my mind! Definitely any time before I was born. I don’t feel the need to relive any moments of my past, but maybe I would want to see what life was like here before the states were colonized. And I think visiting the 1920’s would be fascinating. There was so much going on in that era.

12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
If cheesecake were a drug, I would have overdosed a long time ago. It’s killer.

First there was Melinda Farrar. Then Ginger Nielsen. Last week, it was Fee Harding. This weeks, we keep the guest artist ball rolling with Andrea Zuill, whose playful and cartoonish illustrations make me squeal with delight! Check out her squirrel and magical unicorn designs:

Now say hi to Andrea!

1. Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
Born and raised in California. I started life in Bakersfield and currently live near San Diego.

2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
Have you ever been to Bakersfield? Well you need a pretty good fantasy life to survive. (Ed. note: No, I haven’t, but my brother is currently courting someone who lives there, and he said basically the same thing. To be fair, at least it gave us Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.)

3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
I like the work of Mark Ryden and Camille Rose Garcia. Lucien Freud keeps my head straight. Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame is my god. (Ed. note: It’s true; a lot of Andrea’s work has a very Watterson-esque flair to it.)

4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?
Music is very important to me. I can’t hardly create without music playing. I listen to Los Lobos, REM, Cake, Rogue Wave, and Beck.
I enjoy the work of the Coen Brothers. Their movies are near-perfect to me.

5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
I’ve taken one life drawing class, part of an oil painting class, and one beginning drawing class. I’m not a very good student.  I get bored easily which sometimes causes me to argue with the teachers. With one exception (my teacher Lori), art teachers can be real jerks. (Ed. note: this is true.)

6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
I try not to think too much. Thinking is my enemy. I get  a flash of an image in my head then I try to get to a sketch pad asap. When I am creatively empty I search the net for images that will inspire me. I need noise to create. I need music when I paint or work on the computer. When I do my fiber art I watch TV.

7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I love that show.  Documentaries on Bigfoot.  I’ve been keeping up with Bigfoot since I was little.  I have a big-time crush on Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs. Did you know that he sometimes takes his shirt off on his show? It’s awesome.

8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
I like simple pleasures in regards to web haunts. Daily I look at Cute Overload, Cake Wrecks, Engrish, Awkward Family Photos and Funny or Die to see Drunk History. When I get sad I go on YouTube and watch baby goats. You can’t stay sad after watching baby goats.

9. Do you have any pets?
I have an excellent dog named Homer,  2 cockatiels and 1 very evil parakeet.

10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
I don’t drink liquor. My family doesn’t do very well with liquor. But, I do like a mean ginger ale. You know, the kind that makes your nose bleed from the fumes. (Ed. note: any beverage that causes bleeding from an orifice is not for me.)

11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
I am a history nerd. It might be boring, but I would like to see colonial America. Did you know that they used to crap out their windows if they where feeling lazy, or if they where feeling able they poured buckets of their waste in the street outside their houses? The good old days!

12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
Cake, cake, and cake. I love cake. But it must have very good frosting or no frosting. Chocolate is my favorite, but I also like red velvet, carrot, Black Forest and almost any other type you can think of. I love to eat cake for breakfast. I even like it a little stale. I don’t eat a lot of cake because once I start I can’t stop.  I have actually done a series of cake paintings. It’s food porn for me.

Don’t forget to check out Andrea’s other pieces at her Etsy shop!

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m kind of excited that the holidays are behind us—I just have not been nearly as productive the last two weeks as I would have liked (I don’t think drinking excessively while watching the Buffy marathon on Logo can be termed “productive”). But I have been able to set enough time aside to continue prepping some awesome new designs, both from last week’s guest artist Ginger Nielsen (check out her Timberhooves and Encounter designs), and this week’s guest artist Fee Harding! I have three designs to present courtesy of Fee: Panda Love, You Make Me Weak At The Knees, and Pink Elephant. Check ‘em out!

Without further ado, please say g’day to Fee:

Where are you from (both originally and currently)?

I was born in Brisbane, Australia, but recently moved an hour up north to a place called the Sunshine Coast. I love where I live now; it’s a coastal spot with equally beautiful hinterland areas (so never short of adventures to go on!)

Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your
creative processes?

I moved up to the Sunshine Coast to live with a friend who pushed me to get my art out there, so I guess indirectly, yes! I’ve done art since a I was a wee little lass—it’s always been my love but I was too scared
to pursue it any further then my bedroom walls. In some sense I moved away from a comfortable but slightly mundane existence to a new life, with a new attitude that anything is possible

Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?

My all time favourite artist is Miss Van; she can do no wrong—great females figures, strong style, awesome application! I also love Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. Actually, I’m totally in love with his sweet yet sinister characters! For the Aussie team I’ll go with Beci Orpin, who does incredibly clean design work and has an amazing strong, sweet style—simple lines, patterns and incredible colours!

How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?

I love films and I have a few favourite directors, the first being Tim Burton; always loved his aesthetics and the kind-hearted characters he puts in his dark worlds. Next is Wes Anderson and his amazing attention to detail and colours; I could easily watch his films with no sound at all I also love for the same reason Sofia Coppola, she creates amazing characters as well! I think I cheated with this answer because I tend to view all three as visual artists in their own right

Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?

I topped art in high school and I had no doubt in my mind that I would do visual art at University. I prepared my portfolio, went in for my interview and felt I aced it all. When acceptance time came around I searched for my name, not one moment doubting I wouldn’t get in. I never found my name. It was a huge setback for me; I felt this one thing, that I held so dear, that had only been encouraged, faced its biggest rejection ever and it really crushed my soul. That may be why it’s only in the last few years I’ve worked up the courage to put my art out there for judgment (which by the way has only been an incredibly awesome thing)! The story does have a happy ending, though, and I did end up doing a creative industries course at Uni with art as one of my electives

What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?

I work in silence in my little one bedroom flat. I have a drawing table but tend to gravitate towards my dining room table instead. I always work on watercolour paper and I use pens, inks, acrylics, gouache and watercolours.

Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?

My work is heavily influenced by pop culture, so yes, many many guilty pleasures. I guess my most cringe-worthy would have to be the movie Twilight. Love that sappy romance, which is a big leap from my once too-cool-for-school attitude. I’ve learnt you should just enjoy what you enjoy even if it pulls your cool status down into unreachable depths!

What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?

I have a whole list of awesome blogs I read, listed over my own blog (right hand hand side under “daily reads”). I love blogs!

Do you have any pets?

Does a pet rock count? No pets at the moment, I just live vicariously
through others to get my daily dose of animal happiness!

Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?

I like wine, sweet sweet wine! But really I can drink anything

If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?

Oh so many choices! You know what, I’d probably first stop in at few years ago, sit down with my high school self and be like “oi punk, stop caring what others think—they are just as insecure as you are!”

Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?

Black forest cake! I used to have a lolly addiction, but I had to give it up; now I replace lollies with chocolate, which probably wasn’t what my body had in  mind when it wanted me to give up the sugar ***

Be sure to take some time to pop on over to Fee’s Etsy shop and have a look around at all her artwork!