1. Maryanne, your art is beautiful! Are you a full-time artist or part-time? I see anime/manga style influence, but not strictly so. How would you describe your prime influences , what draws you to draw?

Thank you! Currently I am a part-time artist. I have a full-time job in order to pay the bills! My primary influence growing up was Wendy Pini. I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon properly (I honestly have! We have pictures of the mural I drew on the walls when I was 2! It wasn’t exactly pretty, but it was big. And purple. Very, very purple.) but I wasn’t serious about it until I was 11 or so and discovered ElfQuest. I used to sit for hours on end, painfully copying the comic panel by panel. I was pretty heavy into anime in college and I’m still fond of Rumiko Takahashi’s work (Ranma ½ and InuYasha) but I never got 100% into the style. The traces of it still linger.

2. Your use of Swarovski crystals to embellish originals and prints is gorgeous! Is this a signature of yours you plan to use indefinitely?

Thanks again! Yes, I do plan on using this indefinitely. I really like the decorative look it gives, and it shows really nice when you’re outdoors at a faire. Plus if you hang them in the right spot inside, when the light hits it right, they just sparkle non-stop.

3. You list watercolor, ink, pencil and PS CS2 as your main tools of the artistic trade. Do you have a favorite? And have you had any professional training or are you self-taught?

Watercolor pencil has got to my very favorite tool. I like the amount of control you have with them versus watercolor paint, which can sometimes come down to luck. They don’t have as many special effects as paint, but I found them much gentler to learn. I’m now branching out into watercolor paint and I usually blend the two now. I love India ink for line work, and I use a nib pen for it. I can’t get quite the same feel using something like Micron pen.

I majored in visual art in college, but I’ve also taken additional courses offered through one of the local art studios and got a certification in graphic design through an online school. My favorite extracurricular class was Comic Book Illustration. I still work on my education with tutorials and books. I have to give my parents a lot of credit for my education! Growing up they always made sure I had plenty of art supplies, from construction paper and glue as a child to art tables and easels in college. In fact, my mom was the one who got me into art class in my junior year of high school when the school insisted I wait another year.

4. Do you use reference material, follow trends, or are all ideas plucked from your fertile imagination?

I do use reference material. I’m constantly flipping through the Art section at the bookstore to find any book that I think I’ll be able to take something away from. I have a heavy background in figure work, but I just recently purchased manikins to help with the more difficult poses. I’d love to be able to get to some live drawing classes; sadly they’re all while I’m working.

I try not to follow trends too much, but if I get an idea for a piece, I run with it, regardless of if it’s trendy or not. Most of what I do is from my own imagination, but I sometimes do research on folklore to discover new faery types. I start with rough sketches, then move onto illustration board. I find it much more durable to the torture I put it through versus my old standard of bristol. I get a lot of ideas from music and find that my iPod is a bit of a savior in that respect.

5. What has been your most successful mode of marketing? Online? Shows/faires? And what would you recommend to newly emerging artists as their best bet for breaking-out in the art world?

Renaissance faires have been my biggest success thus far. I really like being able to get out and talk to people who are looking at my art. I think people like to hear from the artist about their inspiration, how they create their art, how much fun they had while doing a certain piece or what gave them problems, all sorts of things. Connecting a face to a name is always a good thing and I do like to gauge the reactions my work has on people. Bringing a smile to someone’s face, however cliched that may be, is a huge boost for me.

I’d recommend a couple of things to new artists. One is to always keep a small sketchbook with you. Jot down ideas and thoughts, do rough sketches whenever you get the urge; keep it by your bed. Keep it by you at all times. Show it to interested people, to gauge what they like or don’t like. Put yourself out there as much as you’re comfortable with. Get a website on Elfwood or deviantart (both are free, so that’s very cost effective for new artists), join art forums (like FAE!) and participate. Take the constructive criticism to heart and ignore any nasty or negative ones. Don’t take it personally, you’ll learn quickly enough which comment is meant with an honest interest in seeing your technique grow and which one is only meant to try and make you feel bad.

Go to local faires (art shows, renaissance faires, arts & crafts) and see what the market is like in your area. Ask vendors how they’re selling right now and base where you want to start from there. Start small, start local. Keep in mind that most arts & crafts fairs tend to have a heavy ‘window shopper’ crowd, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing so long as you make your table fee back.

And oh, invest in good business cards! Always keep a few on you.

6. I see you have a great interest in gaming, role-playing, LARP’ing…..tell us about your involvement in this and how it influences your art, ….or does your art influence your gaming? Do you do portrait commissions for game playing?

I’ve been gaming since I was roughly 12 years old. My older brother played D&D, and I got my interest from there. LARPing is a natural progression from wanting that really in-depth immersive character, but I got into it in college. My dad and my older brother were both heavy into Tolkein when I was little and my mom is into sci-fi and horror/monster movies, so I was kind of fated from the start. Gaming really introduced me to fantasy artists like Larry Elmore. I don’t do as much gaming art as I used to, but yes, I do take character portrait commissions.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to LARP as much since the birth of my son. But he’s three now, and we’re starting to introduce him a little here and there to the idea of people dressing up and ‘playing’ even though they’re all grown up.

7. Are there art subjects you’ve not explored yet, but want to, or have a burning desire to try?

I’d love to try my hand at different cultures, but I’d want to research them before I do. One of these days, I’ll get more into digital art.

8. Do you do other arts or crafts? What are some of your non-art- related hobbies or interests?

I used to sew pretty heavily, along with dabble at jewelry making. My non-art hobbies, beyond tabletop gaming and LARPing, are playing World of Warcraft and watching horror movies (when my son’s asleep!) I love to read books about true hauntings, folklore and cryptozoology. I’m starting to introduce my son to Godzilla movies now and in a couple years the classic Universal monster movies. I *love* the creature features of the 50′s and 60′s.

9. Your Elfwood profile quotes, “Maryanne is a very odd individual. She prefers the term ‘freak’.” How do you define your own personal “freak”?

Hoo-boy. Yeah, I wrote that in my twenties, one of these days I need to change it to ‘charmingly kooky’. I’m into fantasy, hauntings and cryptozoology, which are usually considered odd at best. So when I got into the work force and didn’t mesh personality wise, kind of led me down into that ‘I must be a freak or something’ mentality. Fortunately, I’m now comfortable with the fact that my interests are somewhat off the beaten path and no longer keep quiet about whatever I was watching on TV the night before. J Yes, I would rather watch a good horror/monster movie verus the latest ‘chick flick’. Oh well!

10. You mention an interest in belly-dancing! How long have you been dancing, where do you do so, and what can you share with us? Do you use and make your own costumes?

I have been dancing at least 10 years now, on and off. I have studied cabaret, folkloric, tribal fusion and now tribal/American tribal style (ATS). I dance in the local area with some wonderful, gorgeous ladies under the tribal/ATS troupe Mahasti. Sadly, we’re all on a bit of a break right now due to everyday life kind of intruding on everyone and killing our schedules. I used to make all my own costumes, now I find deals on eBay or through reputable vendors. It’s actually had a big influence on my art, as a lot of what I draw has a belly dance feel to it, either through poses or clothing,

11. Are you attracted to other artists who mainly do the same style of art as yourself, or what other styles capture your attention?

I’m attracted to all styles! I love everything from light and delicate watercolors to digital pieces created in Painter. I’m pretty eclectic in what I like. Anything that has a really strong sense of humor to it generally leaps to the forefront though.

12. Do you have a personal totem? I see hints of wolf in several of your works. What is the meaning behind your screen name of “Wulfemoon”?

Oh yes, Wolf is definitely my totem! Wulfemoon is a wink and a nod to my first inspiration, ElfQuest, as well as being two things I’m naturally drawn to. Why I spell it “wulfe” as opposed to “wolf” is pure chance. Years ago, when I was on AOL, I went to get the screen name Wolfmoon, which was already taken. It was my husband who came up with the alternate spelling. I’ve been Wulfemoon ever since.