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RECENTLY PUBLISHED
Artist Spotlight #52 – Karin Söderquist
Artist: Karin Söderquist
Website: www.karinsoderquist.com
Who are you?
My name is Karin Söderquist and I’m an illustrator. I grew up in Sweden but for the past three years I’ve made London my home.
What do you do?
I draw, cut, paste, paint and build things.
Why do you do it?
It’s something that I enjoy very very much and it’s also the only thing that I’ve ever felt that I’m really good at.
How do you create these images?
My 3D work is made out of laser cut MDF that I paint with acrylic paint. For my 2D work I’m really into making collages of colour full paper at the moment.
Who are your influences?
I like looking at all kinds of art, both old and new. My favourite illustrator is Tove Jansson, her children’s books are amazing, especially ‘Who will comfort Toffle?’ And I love that she’s created an entire universe of her own.
What inspires your work?
Anything really, things I read, music, movies etc. I’m often attracted to things that are a little bit strange. My latest big project was inspired by historic events and arctic explorers.
What do you like?
Vegetarian burritos, nice colour combinations, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 60′s girl groups, animals and going places I haven’t been before.
What don’t you like?
Rude people and parsnips.
Find Artist name here:
www.karinsoderquist.com
@KarinSoderquist
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Artist Spotlight #51 – Orne Cabrita
Artist: Orne Cabrita
Website: www.ocabrita.com
Who are you?
I’m a martian storyteller disguised as an artist, currently relocated from the beautiful but conflicted paradise that is Venezuela to the great, mystic and ever changing scene of Barcelona, Spain.
What do you do?
I paint my way through life.
Why do you do it?
Because I love it.
Who are your influences?
The work of my peers, and the good music they send my way, I also keep up with the work of Jeremy Fish, David Choe, Michael Sieben and recently Gui Bo from Barcelona.
What inspires your work?
I’m inspired by everything human, the good and the bad, the dharma and the karma. You know? love and hate, those crazy powerful forces that make the world go round.
What do you like?
Unspoken loyalty spiced with honesty…good friends basically.
What don’t you like?
Raging Fascism and it’s recent popularity.
Find Artist name here:
www.ocabrita.com
@OrneCabrita
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Artist Spotlight #50 – Jamie Lawrence
Artist: Jamie Lawrence
Website: jamielawrence.carbonmade.com
Who are you?
My name is Jamie Lawrence, artist, musician, future winner of both an Oscar and the Turner prize, and I’m an international man of leisure to boot. (“So you’re unemployed then” I hear you cry, far from it!)
What do you do?
I draw the pictures you can see here as well as all the other things mentioned above and more.
Why do you do it?
I love doing these drawings because they’re totally self indulgent, it’s just me with a blank sheet of paper and I can do whatever I like, pure self expression, total freedom.
How do you create these images?
They’re drawn in coloured pencil with an outline done beforehand in fine black pen. I also use compasses etc. to get the geometry right, I love engineering drawing(!) I’ll start with a basic idea which could come from anywhere, I’ll do a thumbnail sketch to work out a very basic composition then work from there. There’s no first draft or colour test so I dive straight in and what happens happens.
Who are your influences?
Artistically I suppose my influences are people like Alan Aldridge who did the Butterfly Ball amongst many other things and Simon Bisley who drew the ABCWarriors in 2000AD over twenty years ago. Their level of skill and detail fascinated me when I was younger and still does. Also the art of the original Star Wars movies, graffiti – I was a graffiti artist for years. All these things made my jaw drop when I first saw them, they really got me excited and that’s the kind of art I like. I’m from the original Star Wars generation, it blew my mind visually when I first saw it at the age of seven and I’ve never quite glued it all back together.
What inspires your work?
I worked in the special effects/animatronics businness for years at amongst other places Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in London (alas now gone), and the look of the work is somewhat inspired by the amazing engineering that went into making the creatures we had to do, that’s the skeletal/constructed look of it. I’m inspired to keep going because I’ve no idea where they’ll get me and I’m keen to find out. I’m also inspired to carry on by the simple fact that I don’t have a clue as to how the next one will end up but I’m impatient to know. I really enjoy doing them. Friendship is starting to become a theme, I also think it’s fine to create art for the sake of making something beautiful alone.
What do you like?
Being on a film set, the Beatles, the sea, dusty old funk music, considerate people, dogs, aircooled VW’s, Angel Delight (butterscotch flavour), Australia, here, the Faces, friends in foreign countries (no need for hotels!), Coca Cola, imagination, playing the bass, the Shard at London Bridge, my parents, lying in, Dad’s Army, Terry Gilliam’s vision, a free spirit, the sun (not the newspaper), Star Wars/American Graffiti/Close Encounters of the Third Kind, snow, everything.
What don’t you like?
“If you haven’t got anything good to say then don’t say anything” is a famous saying, but forget that…tea, coffee, baked beans, idiots.
Find Jamie here:
jamielawrence.carbonmade.com
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Project Spotlight – Marina Tadic
Artist: Marina Tadic
Project: Performance of the Social
View project: www.marinatadic.nl
Who are you?
I am a 21 year old illustrator and animator based in the Netherlands, born in Bosnia.
What do you do?
I try to make work that makes people laugh and realize how silly we actually are. I try to make a little world inside of every image. I love to observe. And especially little things. Daily things we know but don’t think much about.
Why do you do it?
Because I don’t know what else to do.
What’s your graduation project, ‘Performance of the Social’ about?
‘Performance of the Social‘ is an animation that tries to let other people observe what I have observed: the daily social rituals. They keep fascinating me, because these things are just so funny and strange and stupid when you think about them. I’ve used etiquette, tradition, gestures and body language to illustrate how ridiculous and complex we can be. Hopefully it will make people laugh about themselves and put things a bit in perspective.
View Marina’s project here:
Did you enjoy making an animated film?
Making the film was really fun to do. I got really crazy watching it for the 1000th time (which you just have to do when you make a film), but when the music was added, it was fun for me again. It could also become a much bigger project I think. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to make more animated films in the future.
Who are your influences?
I am very influenced by music. Mainly music from the 80′s/early 90′s + 50′s/60′s.
Also I love watching films and they are probably a great influence in my work as well, love David Lynch films among others. The dada movement. Some of my favorite artists are Charlie Roberts, Peter Blake and David Shrigley.
What inspires your work?
Science fiction, earth, people, social rituals, dreams and nightmares, nostalgia, stories and good music.
What do you like?
I like it when I make something that makes me feel like I have traveled through time, I like looking from an alien point of view, cheesy and lo-fi sounds, making music, making images related to music, experimenting and discovering new things, being happy with what I have made, making other people happy with what I have made, sharing ideas and thoughts with others.
What don’t you like?
Rules
Find Marina here:
www.marinatadic.nl
marina-tadic.blogspot.com
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Artist Spotlight #49 – Becka Moor
Artist: Becka Moor
Website: www.beckamoor.com
Becka is a new member of the Creature team. She loves to blog and tweet and is soon to start a brand new collaborative project via Creaturemag. Most of all she loves to make these lovely images. We hope you enjoy them too.
Who are you?
Becka
What do you do?
I’m an illustrator from Manchester. I specialise in children’s illustration and have a year to go before I get my degree in Illustration for Children’s Publishing from the North Wales institute of Art and Design.
Why do you do it?
I do it because creating imagery is something I’ve always done since I was a little girl, be it sticking random objects to brightly coloured cardboard or doodling in the back of school books when I should have been paying attention. I couldn’t imagine doing anything other than this, and besides, I’m not much of a logical thinker, so becoming an accountant was out of the question.
How do you create these images?
Hmm, that all really depends on what I’m working on at the time. I go through phases though, for example at the minute I’m really enjoying sketching my illustrations first, inking them up and then scanning them into Photoshop where I colour them digitally but I’m always looking for new ways of doing things.
Who are your influences?
From the top of my head, David Roberts, Sara Fanelli, Quentin Blake, Oliver Jeffers, Kate Hindley, Jon Klassen, Tim Burton… but the list could go on and on.
What inspires your work?
Usually quirky little situations and conversations, either from my imagination or real life events. I get inspired when I’m listening to certain music and watching films – which I do a lot of. Other people being inspired, inspires me also.
What do you like?
I like a good dry sense of humour, noseying at people’s blogs/websites for hours on end, watching and re-watching films, especially animated ones. I like Pixar a LOT, new pens, Harry Potter, nostalgia, animals, children’s picture books and a healthy bank balance.
What don’t you like?
Sharks, spiders and tardy people.
Find Becka here:
www.beckamoor.com
@beckamoor
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Artist Spotlight #48 – Alice Tams
Artist: Alice Tams
Website: birdsinhats.blogspot.com
Who are you? I’m Alice, a 21 year old recent literature and creative writing graduate, attempting to pay my rent in London.
What do you do? When I’m not working on a bar or bothering my friends, I draw different birds wearing different hats!
Why do you do it? I’ve managed to carry on for so long because: a) There are loads of hats and even more birds out there. b) Some people seem to like it. c) I enjoy illustrating with fine liners and crayons more than anything (and it gives me an excuse to listen to Harry Potter/Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy audio books even more!)
Who are your influences? Generally lots of people, although I can’t really blame this particular project on anyone!
What inspires your work? A trip to a natural history museum always helps me mark out the more obscure birds (I’m considering doing an extinct line). Hat-wise, Royal Ascot helps!
What do you like? Gin, pugs, adventures, cheese, wine, Derren Brown.
What don’t you like? Moths, rudeness, slow-walkers, Piers Morgan.
Find Alice Tams here:
birdsinhats.blogspot.com
@alicetams
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Artist Spotlight #47 – Miranda Sofroniou
Artist: Miranda Sofroniou
Website: miranda-sofroniou.blogspot.com
Important: Images are only detail – click them to enlarge.
Who are you?
Hello I’m Miranda; a student living and working in London
What do you do?
I am going into my third year, studying Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts. I am really interested in making children’s books; I’m currently working on a series, titled ‘Things that Blow my Mind’ each book is a collection of interesting facts about a different topic, such as Space, and the Ocean. I like to mix different materials such as paint with more detailed line drawing and collage. My work is very colourful, playful, fun and tactile.
Why do you do it?
Because I love it, because it’s fun, because I don’t have to think about it.
Who are your influences?
Brian wildsmith, Jockum Nordstrom, David Hockney, Michael Sofroniou.
What inspires your work?
A lot of my work comes from a desire to learn, there are a lot of things I find fascinating, and mind blowing..there are my main sources of inspiration: Space, The Sun, The Earth, Landscapes, Weather, Volcanoes, The Human Body, how things work, and more. My aim is to explore science using a different, more artistic approach, but specifically in making it exciting and visually easy to understand for children.
What do you like?
Breakfast buffets, Adventures, Colours.
What don’t you like?
Rain.
Miranda Sofroniou:
miranda-sofroniou.blogspot.com
facebook
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Artist Spotlight #46 – Daniel Zender
Artist: Daniel Zender
Website: www.danielzender.com
Who are you?
Daniel Zender
What do you do?
I am a freelance illustrator, designer, print maker, and garden enthusiast. I also watch a lot of movies, and drink too much coffee.
Why do you do it?
I can’t imagine doing anything else, really. I love doing it, I want to do it every day, and if I wasn’t I think I might slip into a deep, nasty depression.
Who are your influences?
Mirko Ilic, Cedomir Kostovic, Eric Pervukhin, Ben Shahn, Brian Stauffer, Caravaggio, Luba Lukova, James Victore, David Lynch, Noah Lennox, Federico Fellini, Seripop, I dont know…I could go on and on. These come immediately to mind.
What inspires your work?
I think day to day life, traveling, the news, nature, I think movies are just as inspirational to me as pictures in books and magazines. My friends and my city inspire me to keep making stuff and hanging it around. Sometimes really high brow art, but other times its noticing things that would normally be walked by or ignored.
What do you like?
Tomatoes, delicious beer, clever drawings, loud music, dogs, double short espresso shots, big cities, small cabins and forests, walking, bicycling. I like coming up with a good idea and making it come to life. That is my favorite thing.
What don’t you like?
Really mean or negative people. I am trying to eradicate them from my day to day life.
Find Daniel here:
www.danielzender.com
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
David Litchfield Drawing a Day Exhibition
On 30th June 2011 David Litchfield’s epic drawing a day project came to a climactic end. His final image of a tattooed strongman included the names of all the fans that gave support via his facebook page throughout this year long project. On Friday 12th August and for the first time, the entire collection of 356 Illustrations was displayed in David’s home town of Bedford. This was not to be missed.
I arrived at the gallery in Castle Lane Bedford to be greeted by everyone’s new favourite artist. His face was beaming, the atmosphere was buzzing, jovial and warm and the walls were hung from top to toe in images, each individually framed and lovingly labelled with a title, number and date.
“It starts over there and continues over there.” Said David, pointing simultaneously at two corners of the room as he was pulled back into the heaps of praise.
There is a lot to take in here. On one hand you have the spectacle of the entire collection, 365 drawings by the pen of one man. On the other hand you have each individual piece to consider, taking into account the mood of the artist on a particular day, the medium, colour, detail, texture, right down to the piece of paper it was drawn on. Dotted among the sketchbook pieces were more opportunistic works scribbled on Guardian pages, writing paper and stickers.
It’s a universal show, appealing, endearing, friendly, a little bit dark, there is something for everyone and this will no doubt propel the project beyond the borders of Bedford. It is a clear success and David is admired.
How does David feel to be stood in a room full of people stood in a room full of his drawings?
“It was great. I was a bit shocked that there are so many people here. They all had so many questions and everyone was really interested in the project and why I started it… I think- apart from my wedding- it was the best night of my life. Even tho I was left a bit overwhelmed by it all.”
If we take a minute to consider this… Let’s say that on average David spent 1 hour a day on this project, that’s 365 hours, approximately 15 days and nights, solid drawing. It really puts into perspective the dedication and passion that is required to complete a consistently impressive drawing a day for an entire year.
David may be the first person to embark on and complete a drawing project on this scale , he is definitely the first person to do it in such style, attracting such interest and developing such an involved audience. This is not just an artistic triumph it’s also a fine example of innovative artistic practice, the power of self publishing and the use of social media to connect with an audience and effectively launch a career in illustration.
So what’s next for David Litchfield and his 365 drawings?
“This was never meant to happen, it was only ever meant to be a sketchbook project… there are people here tonight that want to turn this into a daily calendar… The show is to be taken to Sheffield and there is interest from a gallery in London….”
Just goes to show that if you have got something good it will grow on its own. David’s got talent and he has created a monster here, it’s a project with legs and life, a fine example of one mans dedication to his artistic and self development.
Find David here:
tinkerd.tumblr.com
@le_david_tinker
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
Artist Spotlight #45 – Felice Perkins
Artist: Felice Perkins
Website: feptopiachronicles.blogspot.com
Important: Images are only detail – click them to enlarge.
Who are you?
I am Felice
What do you do?
At the moment I’m making these digital landscapes which are all vaguely inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’. I also do some freelance work as an illustrator and paint.
Why do you do it?
I know lots of artists say this, but I guess its just something that I’ve always done, its a way I communicate ideas or emotions that I can’t communicate in any other way.
Who are your influences?
I have so, so many! Chris Ofili is probably my biggest influence though. After that the list is endless some of them are Skwak, Raqib Shaw, Pepon Osorio, Olafur Eliasson, James Turrell and Matthew Barney. Bjork has also been a huge huge influence on my work as well.
What inspires your work?
Literally everything…. the list is endless, anything that I see could go into my work. I have this need to collect and catalogue all my experiences, desires, fears etc. My art is how I make order out of all of this.
What do you like?
I like the sky and watching the clouds change, I like pigeons and detail and I like things that are abnormal
What don’t you like?
I find it disgusting that wealth is so unequally distributed throughout the world and that people suffer on a daily basis because of mone
Find Felice here:
feptopiachronicles.blogspot.com
@fepulous
facebook.com/felice.illustration.art
You can be a featured artist too, click here to find out more.
