Carmine Magazine

Arlene Rieneke

Jami — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:24:07 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Arlene Reineke: I think the drive to create comes from my need to tell a story in a way that everyone can understand. I tend to have a very short attention span, and often find myself extremely bored while waiting for buses or queuing for a long time. I fill those blank spaces in my head with all manner of stories, images, sometimes from the songs that I listen to, a book that I read, strangers I encounter during my daily trips to and from work, beautiful random passages, or other people’s creations. My teachers taught me to never take everything I see, no matter how ordinary or trivial they seem, for granted. Those are my inspirations.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
AR: I studied art and graphic design formally in college, and I think it definitely helps, though perhaps not in the way I expected it to be before. I believe that the real education in art and design happens in life after and outside the confines of formal institutions, yet, at the same time, going to an art school really helps me to reshape the way I view the world and process my thoughts just by sharing opinions, collaborating, and competing in a creative environment. It opens my mind. While I appreciate the education culture in my country, they are often very rigid and one-sided, where you should consider that everything your teacher says is correct, or else. There’s no room for discussions, debates, controversial or politically incorrect opinions. There is such a strong emphasis on marks as well…going to an art school helps me to rid of those narrow-minded thought processes that would have left me an unimaginative person. They encourage me to take risks, be different, and push my potentials. It may seem clichéd, but it’s true.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
AR: My favorite drawing medium is actually the most elementary: pencils. I know mechanical pencils aren’t exactly one’s ideal art medium, but I love its fine point and the rich texture it can create with the right kind of paper and shading. I’m obsessive about minuscule details and tend to draw and color as I go instead of drawing outlines as a whole and coloring it later on, so pencil is an ideal medium for me. I love color pencils as well; they can create a mood both classic and contemporary and again, they are ideal for people who love to draw minuscule details. Another reason to love color pencils: I saw how magical they look on the works of the talented Lilly Piri.
But overall, my medium preference depends on mood. I try not to limit myself to certain mediums. When I’m in the mood for something loose and experimental, I use watercolors.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
AR: I couldn’t remember if there was one definite moment where it dawned on me but I realize I have been much happier and more productive these past one year, having found my calling in illustration and design.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
AR: For me, a good bookshop is the perfect cure for creative blocks- my favorite stops are Basheer Graphics and the art/design magazine section of Borders. Sometimes there’s a huge difference between browsing through your stack of magazines / reference books at home or on the internet and going to the bookshop. In a bookshop, there’s a sense of boundlessness in finding resources, and the ambiance—the rustle of pages being flipped, acoustic music, the smell of coffee—gets my brain working.

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
AR: I have only one solo art show so far. It’s a relatively low-key event, and I was lucky that the café management / gallery team had taken care of most of the preparations really wonderfully! For my part, I selected the works to be shown, wrote short individual write-ups for each artwork and made sure that they were all in good and proper condition as they were being delivered to the gallery / café management office.

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
AR: Some people have asked me about the so-called ‘dark and disquieting’ elements in some of my drawings. I find that interesting because I have never seen my works as particularly dark or morbid, although I do attempt to put quirks and twists into familiar themes and imageries, and the twists are often dark, simply because I couldn’t draw something sweet or cute without adding a chopped ear or two. However, I don’t consider myself a dark or overly melancholic individual—I’m a rather silly person. Such interpretation is intriguing, though, and I suppose they have more to do with the things I read and watch as opposed to my own personality.
I don’t know how to describe my own style…I think it’s whimsical and relatively intricate, definitely very feminine in choice of colors, equipped with a twist or sinister undertones to counter its sweetness.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
AR: I like a lounge or bookshop-like coziness, with soft music and relative quietness. I tend to enjoy working indoors more than outdoors, and I prefer warm, dim lighting to white, bright ones. I like working close to a computer and within internet connection, so I can search for visual references or do other form of researches quickly.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)
AR: My camera is currently on hide-and-seek mode, so I can only provide a verbal description. Hopefully this will do: At home, I mostly do my drawings on a study table, on which perched my four-year-old laptop, a table lamp, a cross, and a ceramic cup full of stationaries—pens, pencil refills, small ruler, ink, color pencils, and perforation cutter. The laptop is connected to a printer-scanner next to my table, where I scan my images and test-print some artworks. I do my cutting and gluing, as well as other form of crafting that requires more space on my bedroom floor, next to the magazine bin, where I stack all my magazines (D&C, Nylon, IdN, Print, etc), layout/design books and drawing tutorials.
My workspace in the office is pretty much the same, except I get to work on a Mac and the room as well as reading collection are far more enviable!

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
AR: Worst: First year in my Communication Design course. It’s a…long story, which basically boils down to two things: I tried too hard, and did it for all the wrong reasons. I have learned some things from the experience though.
Best: Seeing my artwork published alongside the works of artists and illustrators I admired…it was the most wonderful feeling, it’s absolutely surreal.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
AR: Magazines: Juxtapoz, Yen, Dazed & Confused, Ppaper (I’ve found only 2 volumes, but I loved it!), IdN, Flaunt, and Print.
Books: Illusive, Curvy, James Jean’s Process Recess.
Music: Sigur Ros, Explosions in The Sky, Jem, piano jazz, acoustic and instrumentals.
Movie: Old Boy, Amelie, Moulin Rouge, Nagi Noda’s short films and music videos.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
AR: Without internet, I wouldn’t have been able to view so many works of talented but unpublished talents out there, and I wouldn’t have been able to find a platform to showcase and gain feedback for my works as well. I think internet really revolutionizes the medium and process of self-promotion for artists, designers, photographers, writers, etc, making it much easier for those without representatives, agents, or people living in countries with lagging creative industry / lack of good art resources to get their works noticed. It really expands the possibility for idea-sharing, constructive criticisms, and collaborations between people from different continents as well. We become aware of styles and trends that emerged from the other side of the world. The entire universe itself becomes an art classroom. I think technology is a wonderful thing. I suppose there are downsides to this development, but well, there are downsides to every single useful invention out there.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
AR: I grew up with books…I build my world from and through them. I’m not a good writer but I appreciate the beauty of languages and the wit of wordplays and dialogues. I’d like to say I’m a reading junkie. My other hobby, this one inspired by the prolific Roger Ebert, is to dissect movies beyond their superficial layers, not mockingly or dismissingly but in appreciation of someone else’s hard work.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
AR: I’m currently working on a couple of things, but it has to remain a secret for now! Do check out my blog (crimsonstate.blogspot.com) for updates though!

Jinx in the Sky with Diamonds

Jami — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:55:10 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Jinx in the Sky with Diamonds: I’m not a person who talks much, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make my own thoughts about things. I’d rather say I think too much and often in strange, complicated ways, that words can’t express. So I have the need to paint to express my feelings and thoughts about life. Dreams are very inspiring to me. I have the ability to remember my dreams very detailed and if a dream is especially interesting I write it down in a dream diary that I keep beside my bed. I love reading it from time to time because it is so very surreal and otherworldly. Other sources of inspiration are: The underwater world (mostly because being under water triggers lucid dreaming for me when I’m asleep), mythology, music, fairytales…

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has
helped you or hindered you?
JitSwD: For the most part I’m self taught but I studied art at school until graduation at age 19. It wasn’t all there is to know but it helped me enough to get interested in Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and many other great artists of the Surrealist movement, which I discovered to be my sort of direction.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
JitSwD: Watercolours and gouache, mainly because they dry quickly and you can achieve great effects with them. I use coloured pencils for details and occasionally ink and even tea for background effects.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large
part of your life?
JitSwD: As a kid drawing was always something I was very good at, but I’ve only really started painting a lot since I moved from Austria – where I grew up - to New Zealand in 2006. That brought a huge change for me, new people, new language, new life, new dreams & nightmares that
needed to be digested and because I had quite a bit of time I decided to paint more and then I got more ambitious as I saw myself get better through practicing. And now that’s all I want to do.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
JitSwD: I’d like to illustrate children’s books. I love borrowing them from the library to discover new illustrators. The way you can make a story your own by creating the images fascinates me. I’d also love to write my own stories but I find it quite difficult to do. So I started a project where I only came up with single pages of imaginary stories and illustrated them. Only one page for each story
so it inspires each reader to create their own story of the before and after. You can view examples of it here.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
JitSwD: It is hard for me to run out of inspiration since I write down every idea I get. Things start to pile up and I can always choose to work on something from that pile. While inspiration is usually there I sometimes lack the motivation to actually sit down and do it. Sometimes I can make myself start working which in turn makes me feel more creative again, but often I need do something other than painting for a day.

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
JitSwD: I haven’t had the opportunity to do a show yet.

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or
something completely different?
JitSwD: It reflects a lot of things that fascinate me in a way and how I feel at times, that’s probably why I like painting people (especially women since I am one) because I can identify myself with them. My art also shows my love for growing things - I paint plants growing out of the strangest
places. I too want to grow and move on, to get new branches. I like painting animals, often for their symbolic meaning. Last year I went through a snail phase (I felt isolated and slow).

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
JitSwD: I like listening to music that suits the theme of my art. Other than that I like it if the room is warm, which is often hard to achieve in New Zealand’s poorly insulated houses. My productivity sinks with the temperature.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description
work for this one)
JitSwD:

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
JitSwD: I haven’t had any really awful experiences with art, I just don’t understand why some really (in my opinion unskilled ) art can sell for 100000s of dollars while lots of really good artists remain unnoticed, but I guess beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, as with everything.
Good experiences are when I see my paintings hang in other peoples houses. That always makes me feel special.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
JitSwD: Movies: Valerie and her week of wonders, Tideland, The science of sleep
Music: The legendary pink dots, múm, Kate Bush, Hair (the musical), Frank Zappa
Books: Anything by Haruki Murakami and I love “The history of luminous motion” by Scott Bradfield

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping
or destroying the art world?
Without the internet most people wouldn’t have the chance to discover many new artists around the world. In the past years I have found heaps of amazing art online and my own artwork gets shown to a
broader audience because of the www.
One downside is of course that people could easily copy your art and pass it off as their own.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything
else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
JitSwD: I have always loved photography, so I spend a lot of time snapping pictures. I recently bought my first digital SLR camera! I also enjoy playing the guitar (I used to have a band), and a bit of gardening.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
JitSwD: I recently opened a shop for cards, prints and even t-shirts (also kidswear) : See it here!
Thanks for looking!

Places to find Jinx in the Sky with Diamonds on the web:
Official Website
Theirea on Livejournal
Jinxxx Shop on Redbubble

I am Batman!

Jami — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:16:05 +0000

To say that I am excited to see the next Batman movie brought to the big screen next Friday, here in the states anyway, is a bit of an understatement. The Batman franchise had a huge influence on me as a child and while it wasn’t my favorite cartoon based on a comic from the early 1990s (that prize goes to The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) it was definitely in second place. The movies from the 80s and 90s were also quite dear to my heart. Michael Keaton as Batman, Jack Nicholson as Joker, Danny DeVito as The Penguin, Michael Gough as Alfred and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman? I really don’t understand why people are talking so much trash about the original movies at the moment.

Of course since I grew up in the 1990s I was aware that Batman was a comic, but I had never had the opportunity to really read any of those classic comics from “back in the day.” In May I went on a day trip to San Francisco with my husband and one of our friends from school. While we were there our school friend picked up The Killing Joke written by Alan Moore and featuring art by Brian Bolland. This was the first real Batman comic that I ever had the pleasure of reading and I must say it was amazing. We had been searching for the comic for a while now, thankfully with the release of The Dark Knight we were able to get a reissue of it at Virgin records (I’ve seen it at all of our local bookstore and comic stores since then, they’re pretty easy to get your hands on now).
The writing was hilarious and well thought out, the artwork was classic, dark and gritty. As for the title of the comic? It’s very fitting and I’m still giggling about it months after reading it. When I do buy the comic for myself, I think I will invest in the special edition collector’s set that DC just put out.

The Batman: The Killing Joke Action Figure Collector Set includes newly sculpted versions of both Batman and the Joker, as well as the 48-page Prestige Format Special version of Batman: The Killing Joke. The Killing Joke storyline presents the Joker’s origin in a sympathetic light, blending melancholy flashbacks with the Joker’s present day attempt to prove the theory that one bad day can push anyone over the edge. The Joker stands 6.75â, and is blithely dressed in the eye-smarting tourist outfit he wore when he attacked Barbara Gordon and captured James Gordon. The Joker is armed with his accustomed rictus grin, and would presumably include accessories such as his camera and pistol. Batman, also standing 6.75″, is clad in the blue and grey version of his costume, his bat insignia silhouetted against a yellow background. Batman’s face is grimly pallid as it was throughout the majority of the book.

Check it out on Amazon.com.

In celebration of The Dark Knight and all things Joker, Batman and Two-Face many of the blogs that I frequent have been doing suggested reading lists for those of us that wish to catch up on the best parts of the comic series. Check out the list of links here, the artwork is not to be missed:

Firstshowing.net’s Suggested Reading: The Dark Knight - From Batman to Joker

IGN’s Ultimate Bookshelf: Harvey Dent / Two-Face Classic tales featuring Gotham’s most tragic figure.

IGN’s Ultimate Bookshelf: The Joker The greatest stories of all time featuring Clown Prince of Crime.

The Joker you’ll see in Dark Knight isn’t quite like any of the iterations in these books. Heath Ledger’s interpretation is markedly different. (Grant Morrison’s prose issue in Batman #663 is close though.) However it still does draw elements from some of these classics. Regardless, these are spectacular comics that no Joker fan should miss. We judged them not only on overall quality but how integral they were to defining the Clown Prince of Crime.

Personally, I can’t wait.

Julie Dillon

Jami — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:21:52 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Julie Dillon: This really isn’t the sort of thing that’s easily summed up. I’ve always enjoyed creating things; I can’t think of a time when I didn’t. I don’t think there is anything special or unique about it, though, nor is it fueled by anything specific, it’s just what I do and who I am.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
JD: Both, to an extent. I tried self-teaching myself for a while, but I didn’t start making any real improvement until I began attending art school. I’ve found that I personally have a hard time getting my head around some artistic concepts and I’ve needed teachers to help me understand. I have a BA in Fine Arts from a really lousy school, and to make up for it I’m attending classes at a good art school on a very part-time basis while I work as a full-time freelancer. This has been working out well for me; I’m building up experience doing art orders for various clients, and when I find areas that I’m really struggling in, I attend a class here and there to help me polish it up. I know I’d be improving faster if I attended art school full-time, but I just can’t afford it, so I do what I can with what I have.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
JD: I use Photoshop and Painter. I’d like to work more with traditional paints, but when there are multiple deadlines looming and I need to get things done quickly, I turn to my computer because I’m more comfortable with it at this stage in my career. I love working with real paint, but Photoshop and Painter are clean, efficient, and I can make adjustments rapidly. And thankfully, both programs have been expanding their brush engines to give artists more flexibility and options, so we can produce digital paintings that look more and more like they were made with traditional media.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
JD: It wasn’t really a realization; it’s just something that’s always been there to some extent, although only recently I started trying to make a career out of it, rather than keeping it as a hobby. I’ve always enjoyed making things, whether it’s part of my career (my illustrations and paintings) or smaller projects (knitting, baking, gardening, etc).

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
JD: I’m not sure? I’m enamored with many art styles, and I already try to include pieces of what I enjoy in my work. I wouldn’t want to work in just one, I think there’s much to be learned and absorbed from all styles.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
JD: I work on something else. Usually I have several projects going on at once, so if I’m completely blocked on one painting, I switch to another. If all else fails, I take a break, go outside, watch a movie. But when you have deadlines, you learn that you don’t have the luxury of sitting around waiting for a block to pass. Sometimes you just have to muscle your way through it. It’s incredibly hard sometimes when the ideas just aren’t coming to you, but a deadline is a deadline and I won’t get paid if I put everything off until I’m in the “right mood.”

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
JD: I’ve never had an art show or had my work shown, so I don’t know.

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
JD: It isn’t really something I think about or dwell on. I have a tendency towards bright colors and certain subject matters, but other than that I’m not specifically trying for any one style, I just do what I’m able to do. A lot of the times it comes out looking a certain way only because I was unable to do it any better at the time.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
JD: I’m not that picky; I can easily work in classrooms, on the train, in my computer office, in hotels, and pretty much anywhere I can set up my laptop or sketchpad. I work best when it’s relatively quiet and I can listen to my music. The only time I have a hard time working is if there are lots of people around (such as out in public, or in a crowded room) because it makes me really anxious and nervous if there’s even a chance of people looking over my shoulder. And the only thing I absolutely have to have (aside from my supplies, obviously) is tea. Can’t work without my tea.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)
JD: It’s just a computer on a computer desk with a comfy chair in an upstairs loft, nothing too exciting.

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
JD: The worst thing to happen to my art is the first four years of college. I didn’t know about the good, real art schools at the time, and I thought local schools would be enough. The art programs at my local colleges were so abysmally bad that I gave up art entirely for two years. In the community colleges, many of the teachers I was stuck with were often poor artists who gave poor advice and who completely ignored me. At my state college, teachers were openly antagonistic towards anything approaching realism or illustration, preferring instead to lean heavily on the crutch of abstraction (abstraction is great if that’s what you want to do, but you shouldn’t force it on every student as the only possible way to express oneself). I got into several arguments with teachers just because I wanted to learn how to paint a realistic figure or landscape. I wasted so much time trying in earnest to please these people, all the while sacrificing my education because of their refusal to teach me something useful. Often I can’t help but wonder how much further along I’d be if I had had the sense to start attending the art school I’m at now at an earlier age. They appreciate the importance of classical training and embraced technique and illustration (rather than dismissing it as worthless). I wasted years of my life on a degree at school totally opposed to what it was I really wanted to do, and that’s definitely hindered my development as an artist.
As for the best experience, I don’t know. There are a lot of ups and downs in anything. Just being able to create at all gives me great joy. I still have a lot of work to do, and a lot of time to make up for.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
JD: Why on earth would technology be destroying art? I don’t understand that at all. Technology doesn’t negate traditional media or methods, it’s just another tool. We have a countless array of new tools that we can use to create art, we can connect with artists at all levels all around the world, and our work can get far more exposure faster with technology than without. There are hundreds, thousands of artists I never would have met or been made aware of without the internet. And, most importantly for me, I can do pretty much all of my freelance work online, so I can work with clients all over the world from home. I would have had no chance at a career in art without the internet, simply because I probably would have only listened to the teachers at my local colleges and not realized that there was a bigger art world out there beyond their short-sighted aspirations and limitations.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
JD: I work full time, so art is pretty much all I do with my time. I read a lot, work in my garden a bit, attend art classes when I can and knit occasionally, but I don’t really have time for too much else. I watch a lot of tv, but I’m working on my laptop while doing it. Freelancing is a very time-consuming business.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
JD: Not really.

More places to find Julie Dillon’s work on the web:
JDillon.net
JDillon82 on DeviantART

Amanda Wong

Jami — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:44:10 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Amanda Wong: The funny thing is that although other people consider me to be a creative person, for whatever reason, I never think of myself as one. I think a creative person is someone who is always generating ideas that are new or at least entertaining. Fortunately, the field that I am in - animation - is very commercially-oriented. *g* I am inspired by many things - Disney’s Nine Old Men, Hayao Miyazaki, Tim Burton, the people in my class, music that I like…

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
AW: I am currently enrolled in a Commercial Animation program at Capilano College in Vancouver but I’ve been mostly self taught. Prior to taking this program, I actually completed a Business degree which has nothing to do with art at all. I felt that my abilities were hitting a ceiling from learning on my own and this - as well as a myriad of other reasons - was what drove me to go back to school. I think going to school for art has certainly helped me, although not always in ways that I expected: there is something to be said about being in a creative environment surrounded by like-minded peers that is as instrumental to learning as formal training.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
AW: I usually work in pencil, either 2B or colerase. I also use inks and Tria markers quite a bit. A lot of my art is digitally painted in a program such as Photoshop or Corel Painter. Frankly, it’s easier and cheaper for me than buying a set of paints, especially because of the handy “undo” button. I would love to be good at watercolour.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
AW: When I was younger, I was always creating things, whether it be through creating art, stories or crafts. I think most of us are like this.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
AW: Although going to school for animation has opened my eyes to a great wealth of wonderful artists from all periods, I still have a fondness for the Flight comics and would love to draw in the style of these artists.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
AW: Hahaha, I’m dealing with creator’s block right now. I would like to hear about how other artists deal with creator’s block because I’ve certainly never learned how. Usually I don’t fight it and do something else such as knitting or socializing until I feel like creating art again.

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
AW: I’ve yet to have an art show, so this question doesn’t apply to me.

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
AW: It’s hard to say.. the problem is that I feel that it’s rare that young artists develop their own personal styles; rather, style tends to be pretty derivative until an artist becomes confident enough to create with his or her own voice. Animation is especially bad for unoriginal, commercial work. I think I haven’t found my own voice in my art yet, but I’m getting there.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
AW: Could be anything, really.. I carry a small sketchbook anywhere I go just in case I feel the urge to draw the people around me during a long commute or something. Many people from my class enjoy drawing in groups in cafes but to be honest, I would much rather draw by myself.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)
AW: Hahaha… clean. All I really need is my laptop or sketchbook.

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
AW: I think the worst experience with art is when I start to see it as work that I procrastinate from and begin to dread. That is actually something that has begun to happen more now that I’m in school for animation (No surprise there). I think drawing well is its own reward, but I’m rarely satisfied with what I do. I’m my own worst critic.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
AW: Hmm, hard to say, because almost anything can inspire me. The movies that inspire me the most tend to be those with visual development that is carefully and well thought out. Music could be anything, I am embarrassingly non-discriminating in the music I listen to. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Bjork while I draw.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
AW: As young artists, I think we have a far greater advantage to learning than anyone else before us. We have access to tutorials, photo references and other artists. We can get instant feedback (Hopefully not the unhelpful sycophantic kind that you often find on deviantart ;) and build communities with other people. Many artists have published comic books that originated from a webcomic that grew popular.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
AW: I like learning new things. I traveled a tiny bit in the last two years (Japan, China, and the UK) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even if it was just staying in a hostel and meeting the people there. I love meeting interesting people. Beyond that, I also like knitting and writing.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
AW: No.

Find Amanda’s work at these places around the web:
windwoodrose on Blogspot
windwoodrose on Livejournal
nightblower338 on DeviantART

Some more artwork from Amanda Wong:

Zoetica Ebb

Jami — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:35:12 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Zoetica Ebb: I tend to answer the same to this question, so I hope this isn’t too redundant: it’s just who I am. Drawing is something I’ve always done, it’s never been an option so much as part of me. In recent busy times it’s more vital that ever to continue with it. That aside, my biggest motivator is the understanding of life’s brevity. With such a small amount of time allotted to each of us I fell compelled to produce as much as I can. Tick tock.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
ZE: I graduated from the LA County High School for the Arts and spent a short amount of time at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Being in such an environment - the environment of an Art Institution - is incredibly inspiring and simultaneously disheartening. Being surrounded by creativity is fantastic, while understanding how much artistic success is governed by one’s ability to sell themselves is a kick to the aspiring artist’s groin. It’s a double edged sword, but I will say I loved and miss having unlimited access to the museum while at SAIC.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with?
ZE: For my drawings I use Micron pens and I paint with Windsor & Newton oils. I stopped using mediums for the most part, save for thinner.

CM:At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
ZE: There wasn’t ever a moment of artistic awakening - it’s just always been this way.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
ZE: I’d like to perfect what I do already, actually. I have a habit of spreading myself too thin as is. Between art, traveling, writing, Coilhouse, photography and modeling I’ve got my hands full.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
ZE: In times of dire need I turn to museums, literature, film, music, fashion. There is so much out there! For me that’s most important to remember; it seems ridiculous to mope and lament with all the rampant information waiting to be harvested.

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
ZE: It really depends on the show. Sadly, I rarely have as much time to prepare as I’d like but the process does tend to involve at the very least an elaborate outfit for the reception.

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
ZE: I’ve come to think that “Rococo phantasmagoria wrapped in synthetic flesh” sums things up nicely. There are exceptions to this, of course. Regarding self-representation, I think that’s a given, no?

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
ZE: I can draw just about anywhere with pens and surfaces, but painting demands a much more controlled environment. While painting I tend to shut myself in, consume excessive quantities of caffeine and become an unbearable venom-spewing menace to anyone or thing that dares interfere. These are my most treasured hours, spent in hospital scrubs or old flight suits, with music and movies to accompany the sacred Process.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)
ZE:

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
ZE: I’ll have to reserve my answer to this question, I’m afraid. It is simply too horrible and simultaneously too amazing to be shared with your readers.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
ZE: Lately I’ve been reading Vurt and planning a trip to Shangahi, so much of my consumption involves cyberpunk or China. In general, all manner of art and photography books, film, music and adventures provide potential art fuel. Beauty is where you find it, or, in my case, pandrogenous cosmo-nomads and spacebeasts are where I find them.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
ZE: How could media destroy the art world when the art world depends on the media? Without technology it’s possible that you wouldn’t know my work just as I would have no idea of your art blog. The internet, for all its memes, cups, furries and LOLcats, has brought exposure to so much wonderful art that I forgive it’s hideous shortcomings and refuse.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
ZE: Most of my time is spent on Coilhouse magazine, whether it’s blogging or working on editorial for print issues. This collaborative project between myself, Nadya Lev and Meredith Yayanos has become a paragon of all that inspires and drives me and, I suspect, my partners.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
ZE: Yes! I hereby announce Off-world Cloud Hunters, Mutants and the Rest - a solo exhibit at the Plastik Wrap gallery in Toronto, Canada. The opening reception will be held on July 31 - my birthday, and will feature prints and original new work alongside older pieces. I’m particularly excited about this show because it inspired me to delve further into drawing than I’d done in a long time. And! A small product line. Limited edition high quality tees printed with my artwork will be sold at the shop for the first time during the reception. I’ve been dying to get my work on textile, so I’m thrilled.

Also, look for Coilhouse Magazine’s very first issue in stores everywhere, this summer!

The show will run July 31-August 30th
Opening reception July 31st between 7.00 pm - 11.00 pm
Gallery: Plastik Wrap 2235 Dundas st, West, Toronto, ON M6r 1X6, tel 416 778 4967
Plastik Wrap

CM: And where can we find you work online (Flickr, myspace, livejournal, official website, blog, deviantart, etc.)?<
ZE: Ah, a list! Pencils ready?
Personal website: biorequiem.com
Flickr: Zoetica
My and my comrades’ web and print magazine dedicated to alternative art and culture: Coilhouse.net

Dapperfish

Jami — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:00:21 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Dapperfish: I’m not sure what drives me exactly, I just can’t imagine my life without it. I am constantly thinking of things I want to do whenever something new inspires me. Those things come at random, it might be a song and a pretty picture, but it can also be waking up really early in the morning and going to town for breakfast.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
D: I always have tried to learn by myself everything I took an interest in, and I have been drawing and painting ever since I can remember. So, in many ways, I consider myself self taught. The courses I decided to take are just an extension. I started studying oil painting at fourteen, and have continued to do so for six years. Art was my main subject in highschool, and on the side I took many other art courses and workshops. During that period I also taught myself graphic and web design and was very enthusiastic about it. Afterwards I went to the local Theatre & Cinema college to study Stage & Costume design. It’s a subject I love very much, learned a lot of wonderful things, but personal issues made me quit after three years. Although I think it was a good experience, I lost a lot of the freedom and confidence I had, and stopped all extra curricular activities. I felt I wasn’t good enough and that nothing I did was worth it. So it was kind of a bad period, and for over a year after I quit college I was unable to start a painting. But I still think art college is a good thing, it gives you discipline and experience, even if it didn’t work out for me. I never want to stop being a student! So in the meantime I got myself a diploma in make up, and occasionally work as a make up artist. Next year, I plan to take a three year course on Illustration and Comics.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
D: I used to be very fond of working with oil and pastels, and would like to get back to using them. But lately I can’t live without my 0.28mm uniball pens, they’re great for very thin lines, dry really fast and are a lot cheaper than most other brands. I’ve been working a lot with them, watercolours and my lovely Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens (more like markers, really). I don’t really know why, they’re just perfect for the kind of pictures I like to do these days. Working with pastels and oil is more about feeling their texture, and that’s what I miss about them so much. Actually getting dirty.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
D: I don’t remember not realising it. I never wanted to be anything else but an artist, if I can’t do that I’m ruined. I suck at everything else.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
D: There’s still so much I would like to do! In a near future, I would love to learn more about photography, and actually take some kind of course in graphic design. Also I would really, really love to work in fashion, but since I left college my sewing skills are very rusty.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
D: It’s very hard for me to overcome it. When I’m feeling blocked it’s really hard for me to create at all, I feel completely powerless and talentless. So it’s too painful for me to force anything out and can spend weeks refusing to touch a pencil. When that happens I try to feed my brain with different hobbies. But when I can’t waste time and really need to become productive, I try to focus just on practicing and developing certain skills I feel uncomfortable in. If I succeed, that makes me feel better about myself and makes me want to try new things which may or may not result in new creations!

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
D: I don’t…!

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
D: I think in a way, it does represent an inner me. I’m one of those people who are always inside their own head. I think my work is a reflection of my own fantasy world, made of shapes and creatures I fall in love with inside my head. None of it is planned, it’s just what naturally comes out.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
D: I need space, and I like to be alone. It’s important that I feel completely shut down from the outside world so I always feel the need to put on some music, or some episodes of whatever TV show I’m watching. I hate it when people interrupt me, or come and look over my shoulder, unless I am asking for their opinion. Space has been a huge handicap for me these days, I wish I had the money to rent a studio!

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)

Basically a big desk in a corner. There are two drawer sets. In one of them where I keep my drawing & painting materials, papers, newspaper and magazine cut outs, and so on. The other one has Aishiteru Honey (my accessories brand) materials, chains, pendants, ribbons, lace, fabric, and so on. But there’s stuff all over the place, really. There’s also lots of books and magazines I look at when I need inspiration. I also have a picture of Oscar Wilde with a speech bubble which reads “My dear friend, this is utterly delightful! Keep up the good work!”, so I can decieve myself from time to time.

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
D: My worst experience was maybe when I took a painting workshop where we spent a weekend at a farm in the north of the country, painting nature. I was facing some college issues and it would’ve been very pleasant if i wasn’t so scared of failing. I spent most of the time staring at a blank canvas! As for the best experience, I had so many of those. I think the one that relates the most with what I’m doing now, is the first time I did an illustration workshop. I felt really confident, the teacher was very fond of my work and I felt like I could do it for the rest of my life.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
D: Oh, this is such a hard question for me! I don’t know where to start. A lot of people say my work reminds them of Tim Burton, and even though I don’t think much about it nowadays, he was a huge influence on me ever since I was a kid. Another director who influenced me, but not in such an obvious way, would be Wong Kar-Wai. I also take a lot of inspiration from horror film characters and Bollywood movies. I really love music, almost every kind, and I spend a lot of time researching and listening to it. That of course has a great impact on what I do. My favourite album, “Torment and Toreros” by Marc & the Mambas, inspires me immensely as a concept. When I was a teenager I listened to a lot of japanese visual kei, which of course had a huge influence to the way I dress my characters. I take a lot of inspiration from fashion, and the fashions in music inspire me the most. As for books, mostly illustrated ones from my childhood, as well as “Neverending Story” by Michael Ende and a lot of the usual classics. I buy a lot of art and graphic design books to get my creativity flowing. My favourite painters of all time are Egon Schiele and Caravaggio, I have a million books on both of them and flip through them for help a lot. I also own a lot of books on kitsch, which I love!

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
D: This is a really good question, and a complicated subject to talk about. In college I actually had to do an essay on the “banalization of art”, in which new technologies, etc. were to blame. But I don’t think that’s necessarily bad. Thanks to all of these things, the art world isn’t as elitist as it used to be, there are new doors and a million possibilities. There’s a lot more information available, it’s easier to learn, create and share. Of course it has it’s downsides too, but as an aspiring artist, I prefer to take advantage of the amazing possibilities, and be grateful that I am living in this day and age.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
D: My favourite pastime is meeting my friend Liliana (and partner in Aishiteru Honey), who lives just across the street, at the nearest coffee shop. Other than that, I have lots of hobbies. Like doing origami, learning the tarot, journaling, making lists… I love making lists! I also watch a lot of movies, and spend a lot of time on the internet reading blogs and checking street fashion websites.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
D: Not at the moment. But please look forward to the grand opening of my website and etsy store!

Find Dapperfish’s work at these places around the web:

Sarah Ferrick

Jami — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:07:33 +0000

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Sarah Ferrick: I think what drives me to make stuff is the fact that I get bored easily and quickly.
I get inspired by other artists but I also draw from other sources such as astronomy, music,
mythology, geology, optics and lots of things I don’t understand very well at all. Sometimes I spend a lot of time on Wikipedia and just follow a whole bunch of links. I’ve got a folder labeled “ideas” with a big list of bookmarks to various random Wikipedia articles.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
SF: Both I guess. I think everyone is self taught in many ways, otherwise he or she wouldn’t progress. I’ve got some formal training too. I’m in college at the moment. I definitely think having some art classes has helped me a lot. It never hurts. I haven’t run into any bad teachers yet so I’m lucky in that respect.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
SF: Ballpoint pen, ink and acrylic are usually what I wind up using. I really dig Winsor & Newton’s drawing inks. They’re pretty good to work. I find myself using drawing materials most often because they seem more direct.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
SF: Maybe when I was 11 or 12. That’s when I started drawing a bit more. Up until then I wanted to become a paleontologist or a bird breeder.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
SF: I’d love to start doing animation or installation art. Or maybe something really big. Or something that’s more interactive with viewers. If I was a smarter person I’d do something with games or programing. I’m trying to learn Python now but I’m really…really bad at grasping stuff like that. Choreography would be really interesting to get into but I know nothing about dance or how people move.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
Not very well. I think I’m constantly trapped in some kind of block.

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
SF: I haven’t really done any shows yet.

CM: How do you define your style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
SF: I’m not really sure at this point. Also, the work I’ve made so far is kind of not what I want to do. I think that the comics I’ve made so far (about two…more like one and a half) rely on repetition a lot. When I make drawings they tend to have some kind of narration so I feel like I’m constantly working on a bunch of comics. Or something like that.
I think some kind of vague pseudo-science also comes through at times. Specifically, for work that’s really linear, I try varying the color based on where the line would be in space. Things that are closer wind up being more reddish or warmer and things moving further away become bluer and cooler. That’s kind of not right though and it’s based more on color theory and psychology rather than natural science. Sometimes I put a lot of effort into doing the opposite because technically light would appear bluer when traveling towards us and redder while moving away. I find that I set rules for myself and try to follow them.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
SF: I’m usually pretty good at working in a variety of environments but being in a quiet, isolated, comfortable place is much better for me. Somewhere with readily available food.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)
SF: Usually I sit on the floor of my bedroom to work. I have horrible posture as a result but it works.

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
SF: The worst might be my first year at art school. I had a lot of trouble adjusting and there was a lot of work to be done. I also let myself get discouraged and wound up falling behind and I eventually dropped out and transferred to a smaller school. Looking back now, I wish I had stayed there. I did learn a lot after all and I’m learning now that I did better in that sort of environment. I can’t think of any experience with art that I’d describe as the best. It hasn’t happened yet.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
SF: The Secret Garden is one of favorite books ever. I don’t know, it never gets boring for me. It’s energizing. I also love reading The Lord of the Rings, various folk tales and works by James Joyce. With music I get inspired by Bjork, Animal Collective, and too many other people to name.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
SF: I think it’s helping a whole lot and opening up so many more concepts and opportunities. This is coming from someone who really doesn’t have any perspective on the art world but that’s what I think. It’s great though having easy access to information and different artists. And it’s great seeing people use it as a medium. The same goes for technology in general.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
SF: I am a passionate whistler. But I don’t do it in front of people. And I’m not very good at it. Still very much into it though. I practice a lot.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
SF: Not at the moment.

More places for find Sarah Ferrick’s work on the web:
Tea-For-One
Elf-Shojo on DeviantART
Okageaberdene on Livejournal

Campaign Cola

Jami — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:36:56 +0000

The cult-favorite, Canadian soda company Jones Soda doesn’t like to miss a chance to create a new themed soda. You can usually find them on the end caps of Big Box stores like Target or Wal-Mart around the holiday season with their seasonally flavored sodas. With flavors ranging from Turkey & Gravy to Christmas tree and Ham.

Each Jones soda bottle has a unique label with fan-submitted pictures and a fortune under the metal cap. I used to have plastic sandwich bags full of old labels and old caps with fortunes on them laying around my junk drawers. Jones was a favorite of mine for a long time and it is one of the few brands of soda you can find that come nearly exclusively in glass bottles as well.

While I can admit that while their flavors are good, I’ve never found them to taste that much better than the competition. I do believe that their unique design, brilliant branding and quirky flavors that make people curious enough to buy their holiday flavor packages certainly helps them last in a world of sexed up corporate soda.

Their latest limited edition flavors? Well, they have a far more political leaning this time around. That’s right they are jumping on the bandwagon of creating merchandise to celebrate the 2008 US Presidential race. Jones Soda Co. presents: Campaign Cola 2008. On this site people can order cases (6 or 12) of cola themed after their favorite (or least favorite, depending on who is buying the soda) presidential hopeful. That’s right there is Capitol Hillary Cola, Pure McCain Cola and Barack Obama themed Yes We Can Cola.

As you can see in the picture above, they are keeping track of how many units of each of the flavors they have sold as if people have been voting for the candidates through the soda sales. It’s quirky advertising, but I’m sure it will gain quite a few more fans for their Soda. Here is some more information about the campaign from the official site:

Welcome to Campaign Cola, the one and only website where you can vote for your candidate by purchasing their bottle of cola, regardless of age or residency. Campaign Cola wants YOU to run with the little guy, create some change and cast your vote early for the 2008 presidential election. There’s no limit to how many times you can vote, here at Jones you can buy your candidate’s way to victory! Votes will be tallied every 15 minutes so be sure to check back periodically to see who is deemed the true people’s champ.

(Read more (and perhaps even buy your own case of presidential hopeful soda) at Campaign Cola.com)

Lilypad, A Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees

Jami — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:20:03 +0000

Lilypad, a floating ecopolis for climate refugees
(Source & Source)

According to forecasts from the GEIC (Intergovernmental group on the evolution of the climate), the ocean level should rise from 20 to 90 cm during the 21st Century with a status quo by 50 cm (versus 10 cm in the 20th Century). The international scientific scene determined that a temperature elevation of 1 degree Celcius will lead to the water levels raising 1 meter. This increase of 1 meter would bring around ground losses of approximately 0.05% in Uruguay, 1% in Egypt, 6% in the Netherlands, 17.5% in Bangladesh and up to 80% in the atoll Majuro in Oceania (Marshall and Kiribati islands and step by step the Maldives islands).

If that first meter is not very funny with more than 50 million people affected in the developing countires, the situation only gets worse with the second one. Which has the potential to produce 250 million climactic refugees and 9% of the Gross domestic product will be threatened if we don’t
begin to take preventative measures quickly in order to protect ourselves from such a threat.

The Lilypad project is one idea, brought to us by the people at Vincent Vallebaut Architectures, for how we can work together in order to survive such a climate crisis, should it happen. This floating Ecopolis will attempt to do two things at once, to widen the amount of sustainable land to offshore territories surrounding deveopled countries such as the Principality of Monaco, but it will also provide housing to future climate refugees. A new biotechnological prototype of ecologic resilience dedicated to the nomadism and the urban ecology in the sea, Lilypad travels on the water line of the oceans from the equator to the poles following the warm marine streams ascending the Gulf Stream or descending the cold of the Labrador.

It is a true amphibian half aquatic and half terrestrial city, able to accommodate 50,000 inhabitants and inviting the biodiversity to develop its fauna and flora around a central lagoon of soft water collecting and purifying the rain waters. The ballasting is entirely immersed in the artificial lagoon
at the center of the city, which enables the heart of the structure to survive in the subaquatic depths. The multifunctional design of the city is centered around three marinas and three mountains which are dedicated to offices, shopping and entertainment. The whole city is covered by a stratum of planted housing in suspended gardens and crossed by a network of streets and alleyways set in an organic outline. The goal is to create a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, also to explore new modes of living with the sea by building with fluidity collective spaces of proximity, overwhelming spaces of social inclusion that is suitable for all inhabitants denizen or foreign-born, young or old.
(More information.)