Artist: Amz Kelso
Website: www.amzkelso.com
Who are you?
I’m a twenty year old Illustrator, living and working in Melbourne, Australia. I also consider myself a hobbyist Goldfish-keeper, devourer of Korean BBQ and an okay guitarist, too.
What do you do?
Digital art, mostly, but I do enjoy crafts, fashion and wearable art, three-dimensional objects… Anything I can employ in everyday life I tend to want to create a piece on. I have two skatedekcs I handpainted and a heap of silver jewelery I crafted based on the critters that pop up in my art. Useable art is so neat!
Why do you do it?
I think the desire to have people enjoy my art is a big factor. I’ve always believed that if I could just get a few strangers to see my art and enjoy it that it would all be worth it. In my mind there’s a real romance associated with someone seeing something you’ve created and
reacting to it- whether the reaction be a good or bad one.
How do you create these images?
If it’s not in my sketchbook with a mechanical pencil, it’ll be on Photoshop with a big ol’ Wacom tablet. Employing water-colour textures helps me a lot too, as well as taking photos of interesting textures and layering them digitally. I got a Canon 350D earlier this year so I could photograph my art and events… I usually take more photos of my goldfish to be honest. But, it’s definetly something that I couldn’t create textures without.
Who are your influences?
My illustrator buddies Taras Semeneko, Shannon Keane and Kitty Poduska. My partner is a screen-writer so defs his writing! In terms of up-there Illustrators I’d say Tomer Hanuka, and his twin brother Asaf Hanuka, Jasper Wong, James Jean… I also love Dali and Paschke, even though I’m too impatient to paint. I’m also a huge fan of street-art, (a lot of thanks to my buddy Shannon Keane for that one), a handful of guys I studied with were into the graff scene and exposed me more of that work- which is how I ended up dying over ARYZ. In terms of more of my sweeter stuff I’d have to go with Heisuke Kitazawa and Apak. I’m super inspired by designers too- Jeremy Scott and Bestey Johnson (she’s adoreable) are my faves.
What inspires your work?
Ooh, lemmie see… Japanese Pop-Culture, for sure. I was there a few years ago and just fell in love with the place. I grew up watching Anime and reading Manga so that’s had a huge hand in the way I create. Aquatic life- every two or three months I visit the Melbourne
Aquarium. Novels, my favourite books are by Raymond Chandler and the others by William Golding! Music, I think, that’s one that I think every creative induvidual credits. I’ve got such eclectic tastes when in comes to everything and anything. Wow, it’s hard to list them all.
What do you like?
Amateur modelling, photography, friendly shop-keepers, daisy chains, cherry wine, sorbet, miniature ponies, Unicorns, Intelligent people, bunnies, goldfish, long skirts, 1920′s-19’50′s, Lefton porcelains, French playboy magazines, Adventure Time and fashion. Anything miniature too.
What don’t you like?
Hipsters, The Kardashians, immorality, greed, cold food.
Find Amz Kelso here:
www.amzkelso.com
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