Fantasy Artists Emerging

  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.

1. Sasha…you are currently a full-time art student, and run your online art business, and have what appears to be several major art projects (including a book) in the works…how do you manage it all, allocate time for each in your days?

That does sound like a lot, now that I think about it! Art and business are my two greatest passions in life (travel is my third). Because I love both disciplines so much, I find it very enjoyable to pursue them with all my time and energy. School is tough, but, as they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

2. I see you do traditional as well as digital art…do you prefer one medium more than the other, does one come more naturally to you, and why?

 I definitely prefer using traditional mediums for my paintings and illustrations. I find it takes me much less time to complete a picture traditionally than it does digitally (especially when it comes to things like inking an image). I also suffer from tendonitis when I’m on the computer too long which is actually the main thing preventing me from doing a lot of work digitally. My favourite mediums to work with are Winsor Newton Watercolours, Copic Sketch Markers, a pen with a nib and India Ink, and my trusty bic mechanical pencil.

3. You live in Vancouver, British Columbia—very beautiful country! Do you draw much of your inspiration from your surroundings? (I’m often curious if you take an artist out of their beautiful location, if it stifles their ability to create.)

 Thank you! Yes, we are renowned for our mountains, trees, city, and torrential rainy weather. I think the thing that inspires me most about my surroundings is the greenery. I didn’t realize how much it meant to me until I went to Europe. The thing I missed most about home were the lush tree-lined streets, and beautiful mountains and the view of the ocean. We tend to take things for granted and only truly appreciate them when they’re gone. I’m not sure how leaving my surroundings would affect my art. I think that I would try and use the change positively though and let it flow through my work.

4. Please tell us about your coming book project collaboration with other artists! You seem very confident of your projected follow-through plan for it. Are you intimidated at all by the amount of work involved? Do you have established plans for marketing it?

 The book project is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. My sense of confidence in the project comes from the talented artists involved, and the vision of the finished book I see in my mind’s eye. I have confidence in my ability to create unique and professional page layouts, and to blend all of our pieces together. I plan to make a different page template for each section of the book to keep it uniform and to ‘recycle’ it so that my work is cut down. I’m actually looking forward to designing the page layouts and working on the design part of the book. If I weren’t a fantasy artist myself, I think this is a career I would be interested in pursuing in an alternate universe. 

 The daunting part, that will surely test my ingenuity, is the publication. It involves a lot of shameless grunt work. I’m going make cold calls to agents, publishers, and book distributors; I’m going to send out draft manuscripts, and hopefully meet with some publishers and give them our pitch. I am lucky to have the added advantage of being in a program with teachers who are actually in the industries of art, illustration, design, and publication, and will hopefully give me feedback and contacts to call. 

 It may take a while (and immense determination), but I’m convinced that this dream is possible. I’m very serious and passionate about making a professional, worthwhile product and pitching it to major players in the publishing industry.

*I have also had some artists offer to help put everything together, and I really appreciate it. This is a team project to the  core. Something that will hopefully launch us into the public eye and inspire others. Are you excited? I’m excited.*

5. In an industry genre often referred to as “over-saturated”, what do you feel you do to stand-out and be unique? What must anyone do to stand out and be unique?

 Here’s what I try to do:

One, have kick ass art that competes with established artists. Take what inspires you (whether it be from life, imagination, other artwork) and translate it into something unique and personal.

Two, determination; never give up! Always draw draw draw! You are constantly improving.

Three, promote yourself in any way you can. Make a personal website, put your artwork up on sites like our Fae Forum, or Deviantart, participate in local markets and contests.

Four, be yourself and let your awesome personality shine. Have a strong online identity and you are less likely to be forgotten.

 6. Artists are so much more than their art. Who are you besides an artist–what other interests/hobbies/quirks/unique peculiarities?

I really love watching a good movie, having a strong cuppa joe or a soothing green tea, camping and kayaking, being nuzzled by my kitten, eating white cheddar popcorn, organizing my bedroom, reading the latest young adult fantasy novel, and carrying on with my crazy market pals.

7. Have you ever worked jobs other than art, and if so, what?

I’ve had a few. I worked in a movie theatre selling popcorn to the masses, at a grocery store as a demo girl, and selling soap at the market I work at now for my mom. I can’t wait until my artwork becomes my full time career.

8. Did you always know you wanted to be an artist? What tipped your scales into going to art school? What advice would you give other artists trying to decide about whether to go to art school or not?

 No. In fact, I never called myself an artist until I decided to go down that career path. I have a great love for history and archaeology (and Indiana Jones lol) and was convinced I wanted to be an archaeologist. When I got out of high school I took some college courses and discovered that I was more engaged in my drawing and doodling than my classes and school work. Then I did a little soul searching and decided I wanted to become an artist; specifically an illustrator (which I needed to be educated for to enter the industry).

My advice to those artists that want to pursue a full time career in the arts to definitely go to school. At school you get to use state of the art equipment, and are taught by people who work in the industry and have important knowledge to pass on. Also, you have the opportunity to make connections with like-minded people and key industry pros that could lead to future career opportunities.

From my experience, art school is divided into two groups; artists and designers. Artists are, to be cliche, those funky, expressive people, who are more about the message than superficial looks of the piece itself. They want to share their messages (such as environmental, social, and political issues) with people in shows and public places. They focus on experimentation and ideas, and are generally into modern art. Designers, on the other hand, focus more so on the aesthetics of a piece. They create art that can be used in commercial work and publication or even galleries (such as a company logo or an illustration for a magazine or a group art show). Figure out which side you fit in, and choose your courses/program from there.

9. If the world did not have the internet, how do you imagine you’d be marketing your art?

The internet has been an amazing asset to artists. To be honest, I’m not sure how artists marketed themselves in the past. I imagine their success depended on connections, exposure, and luck.

10. Is there subject matter you’ve not attempted yet to paint that you wish to, and if so, what?

I’m trying to work on more pieces that involve characters interacting with each other. Like hugging, kissing, or walking together… It really challenges me! I’m also practising painting backgrounds. I would really like to get a convincing old craggy stone effect like other artists I admire do.

11. What other artists (living or deceased) have had the most lasting effects on you in developing your own style and why?

When it comes to colour, style, and mediums, I’m most inspired by Kmye-Chan, Lois Van Baarle, Nati Pierandrei, Stephanie Law, Antonio Gaudi, and Alphonse Mucha. I love the Art Nouveau feel and careful colouring and textures created by these artists, and hope to emulate a similar style in my own.

12. Does the most rewarding compensation from others for your art come via sales or appreciative compliments? What drives you most to create art? Is it for you, or for others?

I really appreciate thoughtful comments on my work. Even if they aren’t compliments, the fact that something I drew made someone stop and say or write something to me… that’s just too cool. When I was younger, I drew to express the characters and worlds running through my imagination. Since I started posting my work on the internet and gaining a small following of online friends and admirers, I find that I am driven to create art for them. I want to hear what they think and feel about what I’ve made.

I feel most confident when I’m drawing or painting something. I feel totally in my zone.

~Sasha Fitzgerald

http://www.solarissky.com

http://solarissky.deviantart.com

 1. Alyssa…..how long have you been arting to have amassed so many different art skills? I see you do traditional art, pencil art, clay, wood, stone, metal…my gosh you’re an ambitious gal! Are you self-taught at all of these talents?

I started as soon as I made the connection that one can create something with various objects – sticks in sand, crayons on paper, pencils and pens, etc. My family has a strong artistic bent and my mom always encouraged me. She was also very crafty and I sort of went along for the ride – so I was making my own clothes and doll clothes at like 7 and I had a massive stuffed animal collection that I made myself. My mom and I did all the typical Tandy and Michael’s (I think the store was Michael’s even then) crafts, and I learned how to work in leather, cross-stitch, embroider, crochet, rag fabric weaving, hook rugs, stained glass, fake stained glass, glass etching, painting, ceramics, pottery, porcelain painting, china painting, miniature scenes, doll houses, dolls, drawing, pretty much every one of the craft trends in the 70’s and 80’s me and my mom did. LOL.

Probably the coolest part about my childhood really. My granddad on my dad’s side had me making jewelry and doing basic lapidary as early as 5 years old. So that got me into the world of minerals, crystals, gemstones, metal working, jewelry making, carving and cutting stone, and he would make little critters out of semi precious stones and so I learned that too – so I guess in a way I was making dolls in stone from a very early age LOL. From him I learned wood carving, and manipulating natural materials and a bunch of other things – he also grew and did gourds.

I was just extremely lucky to have a family that exposed me at insanely young ages to things their hobbies so they had the finances to explore so I had my hands on things that likely most kids don’t get a chance to normally. As a result I wound up with a wide and very expansive list of hobbies and interests, and that’s just talking about the art end of things.

But yeah, mostly self taught – in the sense that I didn’t take classes – but the reality is that I often had folks I could ask questions of around me and I often had someone older than me for me to bounce things off of, so not entirely alone in my self teaching. If that makes sense.

2. You have quite a few websites that are either yours or you are the steward or assistant-steward of…how do you manage to manage them all? And do you find it an advantage to keep certain art themes separate vs. lumped altogether? (I’ll list them here for anyone to visit!)
http://ElfWitch.com

http://HeebieJeebies.org

http://Dragonlings.com

http://FeyRealm.com

http://OOAKguild.com

http://MermaidArtists.com

http://CollectibleACEOs.ning.com

http://DragonArt.ning.com

http://OOAKArtDolls.ning.com

http://HalloweenArtists.ning.com

http://PencilArtists.ning.com

(still working on this one)

http://ACEOaddix.com

(just an admin/mod for)

I’m sort of addicted to websites. LOL! does it show?  That’s actually not all the sites I have – but those are my “art based” sites – along with the art based sites that I either co-run or help with. It can get to be a lot of work sometimes, yeah. Many times I think I am just insane. LOL.

I do not know if there is a certain advantage to having themes or not – it’s really more due to my addiction to making websites – I LOVE LOVE LOVE creating a new theme or website – so it’s one reason I like building stuff for others cuz once it’s done I can go onto the next one without adding to my extensive personal website collection. LOL!

The dragonlings site was just because they are planned to be a series – and I thought that they had enough potential to be streamlined and polished enough of a theme/series that they would warrant or deserve their own space. I expect at some point that I will launch into a resin series of them – though I will also always create OOAK dragonlings. And sort of the same thing for the HeebieJeebies and the Halloweenie HeebieJeebies … they just seemed to lend themselves to their own line.

3. I was especially intrigued with your in-depth fairy wing and mermaid fin tutorials…beautiful! How long, and how many attempts did it take you to arrive at these clever designs?

I mostly did the tutorial because at the time there was NO such tutorial in existence that either clearly explained ALL the steps or had clear and high quality pictures, and actually clearly listed all the supplies one would need. I spent TWO years chasing those wings because the artists doing them were not revealing how – or were only doling out pieces of the process and I just was so annoyed that it was so easy to do and that it took me 2 years of fiddling and chasing down false leads and being misdirected that I swore I would share it once I found a way to duplicate it.

The main thing for me was just in letting the glue dry entirely before messing with the film … but either no one said let it dry, or they said you could do it immediately after gluing. I just wanted to help artists that wanted to get that particular effect they were looking for and prevent anyone else from having to jump through the hoops like I did.

I still need to do one specifically for mermaid fins. Also Angelina film can be used instead of the Fantasy Film since they are basically the same thing.

4. Please tell us how you arrived at your charming name “Elf Witch” for your main website.

I’m going to be lazy, LOL, and just cut and paste from my site … hope that is okay!:

“Many people have asked why I chose “ElfWitch” as the name for my site. I chose that because I do find sculpting and drawing to be sort of medicinal, as well as magical. Medicine women were often commonly called witches in the old days and art is sort of magical all on its own so it just seemed like a great name. The image that name called to mind is the drawing on the right, an elfin maiden who is also a medicine woman versed in magics. Plus it just rolls off the tongue and I just like the sound of it!”

5. You mention that metaphysics and meditation play a key role in your creativity process….can you tell us more about what you practice, any tools or schools of thought you particularly embrace, or care to share?

I’m just sort of seeking my truth, and my path. I’ve had a really severe creativity block that lasted near 18 years that I’m emerging from, and I do think it is tied to a lack of meditative space in me and in my life. I’ve been starting to study a shamanistic path currently as that really feels the most “right” so far for me.

6. Your clay Heebie Jeebies are such charming little buggers! Do you have your own kiln to fire them? And please tell us what your art area is like to organize so many crafts you do! Do you have any links to studio photos?

They are done with polymer clay – so they do not need a kiln. I do however have a dedicated convection oven to bake all my polymer creations in so that I am being as safe as I can be. Right now all I have to work on is a folding table in my living room. I am a severe hoarder of art goodies though – and I have enough to fill studio. But we’ve had to move 3 times in 2 years so most of my stuff is all in boxes buried in the garage because I am a pack rat and I have WAYYYYY too much stuff. So I make little “forays” into the jungle safari that is my garage every so often when I need something that I know I have … out there … somewhere…. I still haven’t been able to organize or root through all my stuff so gods knows where everything is. I want to set up the second bedroom as my art room – but am terrified I’ll get it all set up only to have to move…. again … and that just gives me nightmares. So everything stays in boxes so far and I just root for items every so often.

7. You are of Native American heritage…Choctow, I believe you mention on your site….do you feel you bring your ethnicity to your arts in any way, and if so, how? Is there any family lineage to your crafts?

Yeah – I’m an eighth Choctaw, (I’m a mutt – what can I say? I have an interesting lineage I guess – but in the end, I’m still just a mutt! lol) and have been trying to teach myself their language – so far unsuccessfully, LOL! I think at some point, being partially native American will play a part in my art, but right now I feel like I’m just “playing” mostly, more of my stuff is light hearted, doesn’t dig deeply into anything, doesn’t have meaning or messages from me any way, but I think at some point that will come. Right now I’m just getting used to being creative again as a regular or daily thing.

8. With so many art skills….are there arts you’d yet like to tap into and if so, what’s on your To-Do List?

Sculpting in stone, fiberglass, wood, and metal – on museum level in terms of size. I want to do LARGE pieces. The reason I do polymer is just because I do not have the funds to own or run a kiln or have a place where I could actually sculpt in marble or whatnot. I pretty much want to dabble in everything LOL. I love glass blowing but only done a little of that so far. I want to do more work in metal crafting too. I’ve always wanted to learn how to forge and how to build a forge from scratch and maybe make blades and swords. I also want to learn carpentry and woodworking – I have an insane desire to build my own furniture and do inlay work. Puppetry also fascinates me and I have an urge to explore that as well. I just want to play with everything. LOL!

9. What is your most successful mode of selling/presenting your art and what advice do you have for up and coming artists inspired by your work? Do you feel it is an advantage to have so many types of art to offer, or is it easier for you to focus on one thing at a time when your mind is moving in a a direction on a project?

eBay has been good to me relatively. I’ve been kicking around offering prints and originals on my site – but I think I might actually give that a shot since all it would cost me is time. LOL. I have yet to sell anything on Etsy and not much off Zazzle to date. I can’t imagine anyone being inspired by my work LOL – I really find most of it sooo tame and mellow, it’s not edgy or punchy or complex or even really meaningful. I hope that might change someday though!

My biggest mantra to new artists is <b>YOU CAN DO THIS</b>. The ONLY thing that makes artists different from non-artists is that we have the drive and motivation to keep trying even though we fail over and over at capturing what is on our heads. If you practice ANYTHING every single day for years on end -n you cannot HELP but gat the very least get somewhat adept and decent at it. It’s just a matter of doing it over and over and over even when you fail, getting up and doing it again – THAT is what makes someone an artist in the end. JMO.

10. Can share with us what your favorite brands of materials are to work with for all of your arts?

I try to never pick favorites in anything – I think it winds up limiting you, I try to keep all doors open and ready for me to walk through – as I might not be in the right space to do well with a particular medium but years later might be RIPE for it. Watercolors being a perfect example. I avoided watercolors for decades because of an unsatisfying experience when I was much younger, and if you had told me I’d enjoy watercolors and be using them so gleefully and with as much joy as I am now like even a year ago – I’d have laughed in your face and thought “Yer craaaazy!!” to myself LOL. Turns out, the time just wasn’t right for me to accept and be interested in that medium until late summer of 2008. Go figure. LOL.

11. Where do you envision yourself being with your art, and doing what, in 10 years ?

Hopefully I will be a lot closer to the highly ornate and complex pieces I have glimpses of in my head. I want to do pieces that reach inside and outside myself. I want to rip pieces of my soul and of the world and my imagination and arrange them and hang them up is unexpected ways and just step back and go THERE. Lookie that sucker, weird one isn’t it? LOL

12. Who or what have been the three most influential forces upon your art inspiration?

Wendy Pini I think would be one – she was the person that captivated me with her art SO much that I simply HAD to learn to draw like her. The other influences come and go – maybe my mom would be one, cuz she really opened a lot of artistic doors for me. Maybe Kandi – who was my best friend and drawing buddy and introduced me to Wendy Pini’s art – and who with her and our buddy Mike taught ourselves to draw while tracing ElfQuest lol. Maybe I haven’t meant my other two yet – or maybe they are always meant to be in flux and ever changing.

1. Tiffany, your artwork demonstrates mastery of several mediums. Is one
your favorite and if so, why, and how do you decide what medium you will
use on any given art piece when the idea first sparks and you begin to
plan your piece?

Why thank you!  I’m not sure I really have a favorite, it differs every
day.  One day I’ll be frustrated with digital painting, and I’ll really
like watercolor pencils, and then I get frustrated with pencils and
really like digital painting, etc.  But of all the mediums I’ve
experimented with, digital illustration and watercolor pencils are the
only two I continue to use.  Typically when I get an idea I know what I
need to use to paint it, and if I try to use anything else it doesn’t
turn out right.  A lot of the time I don’t really plan the piece out,
either, I just sort of get an instinct about it and go for it.

2. You live in beautiful Roslyn, WA (pop. 800) a quaint and charming
town once a logging and mining hub. I understand it was also the set
location for the very popular TV series Northern Exposure as the
fictional town of Cicely, Alaska. Does your lovely environment inspire
your creative process, and if so, how?

It definitely does.  I’m lucky enough that my house is on the outskirts
of the Wenatchee National Forest, so it is surrounded by massive
Evergreens and Pines.  When I was a child I would spend most of my
afternoons wandering around my family’s acreage drawing winged people. 
I don’t believe I had been exposed to faerie lore at that point in time,
I was only 3 when it started.  But I felt like I could sense little
forest spirits or more specifically, what I thought were forest ghosts. 
I tried to look for them but as far as I can remember I never did see
one, but I constantly saw them in my dreams and I continue to have
dreams about them almost nightly.  I told a lot of stories about them
when I was a kid, and a lot of the neighborhood parents didn’t like me
because I scared their children with my stories.  I still sense
something when I am in the forest, my studio or my house, and so when I
paint faeries, I try to capture both what I feel in the forest, and what
I see in my dreams.

3. What for you, would constitute “the perfect day”?

Sunny, 80 degrees (F), lunch at the vegan café D’lish in Sedona, Arizona
with my best friend Samantha, talking about art and politics and
stealing sips of her carrot juice.  And maybe some gardening.

4. In what ways do you market yourself and your art? Which are the most
successful for you?

For the most part I just send my work, and attend in person, tons of art
shows.  Pretty much as many as I can fit into my schedule and still have
time to paint and play music and write.  I’m really not very good about
promoting my art online and it’s one of my goals for 2009 to be more
disciplined about it.  A month in, and I’ve not made much progress,
though my website is finally up!

5. What one thing has helped you to grow artistically more than anything
else?

Well, it might sound silly and irresponsible, but when I was 15 and
decided, almost overnight, that I was going to be an artist (before I
could actually make any decent art, mind you!) I also decided I was
going to drop out of high school as soon as I turned 16 and get my GED. 
And I did.  It took me about a month to get my GED, and then I had all
the time in the world to work on my art.  So, I’ve spent just about
every day since I was 16 painting, and I think because I was able to
concentrate exclusively on my art that each painting was better than the
last, and I was able to find my own style and outgrow styles at an
accelerated rate.

6. You demonstrate a generous willingness to help other artists with
advice, tutorials, etc….if you could nutshell the three most important
things you could impart to emerging artists, what would they be?

Start small.  It might seem like other artists who have 15 different
products do really well, but that’s probably not why, and buying all
those products can be really expensive!  When I started out, all I had
was one size of cheap prints, but I sold a lot of those.  In 2006 I
tried out bookmarks, key chains and magnets, and 3 years later I’m still
trying to get rid of them!

A lot of artists also make the mistake of trying to base their own
businesses on the same techniques used by other artists building
theirs.  What works for one person probably won’t work for another.  A
lot of really “famous” artists in the faerie industry became famous
because they were in the right place at the right time, and had a little
bit of good luck.

And along the same lines, you have to put yourself out there and
advertise your products!  You might have the best work in the world, but
no one is going to know about it if you don’t tell anyone it’s there. 
You can’t just expect that by putting your work on deviantART or the
internet in general that someone is going to come along and make your
career happen overnight.

7. Do you ever struggle with feeling motivated to create, and if so,
what do you do to bring yourself out of it?

Sometimes I feel a little unmotivated towards art, but usually when that
happens I work on something else.  Either I’ll work on my website, or
try to learn a new piece of music until I feel motivated again.  I try
to keep it from happening by keeping a journal of ideas, but that
doesn’t always help when I just don’t want to even look at a paintbrush!

8. You mention in your bio that your art “has changed many times over”
…what kind of art did you used to do and what has inspired the changes?

I started out doing dark and macabre fantasy, horror and sci-fi photo
manipulations.  After a short while, I felt really limited by the photos
I could find or take myself, so I started painting little bits and
pieces, at first just grass, leaves, or hair, and over time I learned to
paint more and more until I was no longer using photos at all.  My work
shifted to fantasy, then to gothic, then back to fantasy, and now is
some mixture of fantasy, sci-fi, horror and erotic art.

9. You also state that your work was really popular with the locals in
your area and you started attending more local fairs, festivals and art
shows to promote yourself. Do you believe there are benefits to starting
local and then expanding, in hindsight does it make a difference, did it
for you?

I think it worked really well in my case for a variety of reasons.  One
is that I live in rather eclectic community.  There is actually a good
amount of diversity even though there are so few people here.  There are
rich people, poor people, people from different countries, different
skin colors, different religions, and different sexual orientations. 
Having my art at local fairs showed me that everyone likes my work.  It
didn’t seem to matter if they were hippies or yuppies, young, old, rich
or no, there are even local Harley riders that have large collections of
my faeries.  One of my mother’s friends from before I was even born now
displays my work in his store, the Roslyn Natural Market
(www.roslynnaturalmarket.com).  Starting local was also a really
inexpensive way for me to find out what sells and what doesn’t.  I
didn’t have to pay for hotels and other travel expenses to start selling
at the local fairs, so I got some good experience out of it without
feeling like I had to make a thousand dollars just to make back my
expenses.  I’ve had some of the best experiences at local shows as well,
and I usually make the most money when I stay close to home.  I get a
lot of repeat customers, and I get to make friendships that I wouldn’t
have had otherwise.  So I would say it worked out pretty well!

10. Do you use reference photos when creating your art? What is your
take on this?

I do, sometimes I take them myself, sometimes I use stock photos, I also
use Poser for models.  I wouldn’t be able to make my art if I didn’t
have anything to go by, although sometimes it can be a pain. Most stock
providers are supportive and helpful, and I couldn’t do it without
them.  But some are really tyrannical and make life as an artist
ridiculously hard.  At the end of the day though, I think you have to
come up with your own opinion on it.  You have to decide what’s ethical
and where the line is, and then keep it to yourself.  I don’t think
there’s anything more annoying than artists who criticize other artists
because they think that something unethical has been done at some
point.  What happens in an artist’s studio should stay in that artist’s
studio, and the rest of us should be busy making art!

11. What do you believe is the future for fantasy art, particularly in
difficult economic times?

I’m not really sure.  It’s been strange for me, many people have
reported decreasing sales every quarter.  The first part of the year was
really slow for me, but the rest of the year ended up being the best I
had ever had as far as sales go.  I’m honored that in these tough times,
people have continued to put their limited disposable income toward my
art.  I can’t explain how it makes me feel to know that there are people
out there that think my work is worth it.  Ultimately I think as long as
people can afford it, they will turn to fantasy art as an escape and
spend money on it as long as they can.

12. As a full-time artist, are you a disciplined planner and goal setter
or do you just take things as they come?

I’m working at being more organized and disciplined with my business,
and I’m getting a little bit better at it.  I struggle with it though. 
My family calls me the absent-minded professor, and I really am.  I tend
to get lost in my head when I’m working, and then a week will pass and
I’ll be freaking out over art show deadlines and whatnot.  Most of the
time I forget I even have a to do list!

13. Are you inspired by, in awe of other artists? And if so, who? Who
would you most like to meet and have a brain-picking session with if you
had the opportunity?

I’m not really the sort of person that is ever really in awe of
anything.  I have to figure out how it all works.  If I weren’t an
artist, I’d probably be a detective.  If I see someone making something
really cool, I have to figure out how they did it, and then I might take
some of the techniques I learn and apply it to my own work, or I might
not.  I’ve actually met a lot of artists at art shows and had many
opportunities to pick their brains and have gotten some really good
advice from Alan Clark and Amy Brown.  I wouldn’t say I’m really
inspired by artists, but more by certain pieces of work.  Just about any
art I’ve ever seen has had some sort of influence on me, whether I took
it as an example of what to do or what not to do.  I really like
Bouguereau and Waterhouse, and a few of Royo’s pieces inspired me in the
past to be more bold with what I paint and not so afraid to offend anyone.

14. Please tell us about your love of music and what instrument you
play! Do you perform publicly?

I inherited an antique H.C. Bay piano when I was about 4 or 5 and
started playing Disney theme songs by ear after we got it.  My
grandmother enrolled me in classical training when I was about 8, and I
quickly outgrew the local teachers.  I’ve been teaching myself since I
was 13.  I also played clarinet and oboe for school, and occasionally
percussion even though I didn’t want to.  I also play electric and
acoustic guitar, pan flute, and am currently teaching myself how to play
the cello, and I can sing fairly well.  I haven’t performed publicly in
a really long time, I did talent shows and recitals when I was younger. 
I’d like to find some other musicians in the next couple of years and
maybe form a band.  Recently my grandmother helped me get a
keyboard/midi-controller, and I’ve been figuring out how to record music
on my Mac.  Next I need to acquire a microphone and some other
components to plug my guitar and other instruments into, and I should be
ready to start recording music!

For this month’s Artist Spotlight I decided to feature…….me. Not that I’m all that or anything. I just waited until the last minute as usual and I didn’t want to bother anyone else with this during the holidays. Well, maybe I bothered a few people a little…….I asked a few of my friends-you guys-to make up some interview questions for me to answer. What? You didn’t think I was gonna interview myself, did you?! Anyway, a special Thank You goes out to my interviewers for this month’s Artist Spotlight! Here they are in no particular order except by order of their questions:

Carol Ochs: http://www.wildoaksart.com and http://www.simplysoap.com and http://www.enchantasies.com/and http://www.wildoaksart.com/JoinAsAFantasyArtist.htm

Ellen Million : http://www.ellenmillion.com/ and http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/

Sophia Zummer : http://faeriedustgallery.org/

Deborah Grieves: http://www.cynnaliafantasyart.com

Christina Myers: http://www.christinalynnmyers.com

Julia Sinfield : http://www.juliasinfield.co.uk/

Carrie Hawks : http://tigerpixie.com

April Vansickle : http://www.aprilvansickle.com

Dawn Obrecht : http://www.flowerchildfantasyart.com/

Katerina Koukiotis : http://www.katerinaart.com/

And now…on with the interview.

1. GREAT IDEA to finally do yourself !!! A lot of your art has a unique spin on “fantasy”, focusing on the “fantasy male”…certainly a specialized and welcomed niche (to us ladies) in the fantasy art world!  What do you feel are the pros and cons, easy and challenging aspects to showing new visions, and marketing your fantasy male art?

~Carol

Well, the pros certainly include my “research”! “But, honey, I’m WORKING!” (Said to my boyfriend as I’m surfing male model sites or ogling barely-dressed rockers….)
The biggest pro for me in creating Fantasy Men is that I’m truly doing something that brings me great pleasure. I’ve been hooked on drawing men since I was a teenager. I guess it comes fairly easy to me since I enjoy it. It’s certainly no chore, that’s for sure! The whole rock star, bad boy persona is very appealing to me and I love to bring it to life on paper. I try to stay away from those sorts in real life these days (opting for a nice, stable sort of boyfriend instead) but I can still have my fantasies on paper….it’s a lot safer that way!
There are definitely cons as well though. There is not as big of a market for Fantasy Males as there is for the female form. Female fairies and female warrior babes sell better than male art. I look it as my personal challenge to change that though!
Additionally, many women, although they may admire my work, won’t buy it because of a jealous boyfriend or husband. I know I had more than a few miffed significant others who did not care for the Christmas card I sent out in 2006: Jingle Bell! So, I guess I have to admit that it is more difficult for me to market my work. I think that there are people out there that do appreciate viewing the male form and who will buy it and hang it in their homes. I just have to work harder at discovering the right people to market my art to.
2. Um… um…! How does your family influence your artwork?
(Either by time/importance, or by subject!)

Ellen Million

My family influences my art quite a bit. First of all, I have to say that my family, starting with my mother when I was young, has always encouraged me and given me the confidence I’ve needed to strive to succeed. I come from an artistic, crafty family and I have always been around and doing creative things.
Now, I would say that my son Todd influences my art as well. In a different way though. Time wise, I spend a LOT of time at the ball field for practice or games a good part of the year since he plays both football and baseball. This greatly lessens the time I have to art. He has been #1 since his birth though and that’s a decision I made a long time ago that will never change. Now that he’s growing up though, I am beginning to try to take more time for myself for what I need to do as an artist. It sure would help if I could learn to sketch at the ball field though!
Another way Todd influences my art is in that, as his mother, I strive to be the best that I can be in order to provide him with the things I never had growing up. I would love for my art career to take off so that I could have the time, freedom and money to live as we wanted.

3. I know music has a strong influence on your art. Can you tell others what music types of music you enjoy the best and how it enhances your art and your muse?

Bright blessings
Soph

I really enjoy a wide variety of music. The music that really does it for me over all is 80’s hair band music though! I was growing up as a teen in the 80’s where excess and decadence were at their peak. These times and their music influence my art quite a bit still. My “mood music” when creating is hair band music almost every time! The rock and roll style with long hair and tattoos seem to find a place in most of my work! Believe it or not, I still have ALL of the band posters and rock and roll magazine centerfolds that were on my bedroom walls back in high school! I pull them out for inspiration often. The fashion style of that era was totally unique and unrivaled! Some artists listen to gentle, peaceful music to paint to. I’m much more likely to be head-banging along with the Crüe!

4. Hi Kelly! We’ll probably send some similar questions, so I’ll give you a selection to choose from…*grin*. I figured other people would cover your fantasy men so I tried to steer clear…LOL ! Which of your paintings is your personal favorite? Hope there’s a question there you can use!

Hugs,
Deb

I tend to fall in love with my work somewhat as it’s first created so usually my newest piece of art is my current favorite. Then, the love fades a little over time. However, I have a few pieces that kind of stand the test of time with me that I still love more than the others. My most favorite piece (right now) was done for Valentine’s Day 2006. It is entitled “Every Rose Has its Thorn”. Ironically, this is one of the few originals I have parted with. I had a very difficult time letting this one go but it helps knowing one of my dear friends Deana Rackley has it hanging in her home.

5. Kelly, what other artists do you aspire to be like? And where do you see yourself in 5 years?

-Tina

In regards to style, I wish my style to be my own. I do not strive to be like other artists in that regard. I think it’s not wise to compare oneself to others so much. I want to concentrate on being the best that I can be rather than worrying that so and so is better. There are many, many artists that I very much admire for their talent and skill; far too many for me to name. However, I believe it takes more than skill to make it as an artist. The artists that I admire the most show us that you also have to be accomplished in the business end of art or have someone else taking care of the business end for you. It doesn’t’t matter how good you are if no one knows you exist. Marketing is very important in order to be truly successful.
Dedication and hard work also are a must so I admire all the artists who suffer and sacrifice and lose sleep in order to further their art career.
I very much admire Jasmine Becket-Griffith. I had the pleasure of meeting her and her husband Matt at Dragon Con last year. She is wonderfully successful yet very friendly and down to earth. She told me that she usually completes one painting almost every day! This is so amazing and awesome to me! It shows such dedication and commitment to her art. Another thing I admire about her is that everyone seems to like her. She manages to remain friendly and liked by everyone and she also remains out of all the DRAMA! Quite a feat indeed!

5 years from now….that’s a tough one. I don’t really think I wish to be married(yet again) but I do wish to still be in a happy, fulfilling relationship with my boyfriend Thomas. In regards to my art, I hope to be doing much MORE of it! I hope that by the time 5 years have passed, I will have begun to make more of my living with my art rather than in always working for other people. I hope to be participating in the convention and art fair circuits a lot more as well. Also, I hope that my son Todd is still living very close to his old Mama when he’s at the ripe old age of 21.

6. With your paintings having a very dramatic & quite individual rock n roll edge to them, what would be your ultimate dream or goals for your art career? I hope no one else has asked anything similar!! I’ll come up with a different one if they do.

*hugs*
Julia xx

Well, of course it would be awesome to be able to create the art for album covers of some of my favorite bands! I’ve always thought that would be such a cool thing to be able to do. Another dream of mine would be to have the opportunity to create a Fantasy Portrait for one of my favorite rock stars! Oooohhhhh…………Tom Keifer, Tommy Lee, Bret Michaels….oh the possibilities! Of course, I would ask that they pose in person-no reference photographs for me on THESE portraits! The real thing baybee! LOL! Oh well, a girl can dream!

7. We all know you are a wonderfully talented artist, What are some of your other talents that we don’t hear you mention very much? (i.e.; Great singer? dancer? speed reader, wonderful chef? etc.)xoxoxoxox
Carrie

Thanks for the compliment Carrie! I’m actually a pretty awesome cook, if I do say so myself! I make a mean lasagna and a chocolate Kahlua cheesecake to die for! I can whip up some pretty tasty Beef Stew and Salmon Stew too! I like to cook and I experiment a lot with recipes. I’ve created stuff the dogs wouldn’t touch but, most of the time, I can come up with some pretty delectable dishes!

Other talents I have include being a damn good masseuse and having a pretty good listening ear and shoulder to lean on for my friends. I actually can read really fast too but I usually prefer to savor a book slowly and enjoy it like fine chocolate. Speaking of chocolate, I’m a connoisseur of that as well.

8. Kelly, tell us how you became interested in drawing rocker style fantasy men. April

I used to draw animals almost exclusively until high school. Then, I had the pleasure of having Art classes under one of my most favorite teachers of all time-Mrs. Browning. She encouraged me to try drawing people. She told me she thought I’d enjoy it. She was right-I found it highly challenging and intriguing. We had lots of magazines in class to get reference photos from or we could bring our own. I brought a concert photo of Jon Bon Jovi from a Circus or Metal Edge magazine and drew it. It was such a challenge for me to make my drawing look like Jon. It was so satisfying for me when people could actually recognize my drawing for who it was. From that moment on, I was totally hooked and have not looked back! I drew constantly. Many hours of my teenage years were spent creating the rocker portraits that can be seen on my website. I still am fascinated by rock stars so some part of this is incorporated into most of the art I do today.

9. Question…  How do you find the time to balance art, family, work, school, FAE, and the Premier Jewelry parties you host?
If already asked…  where do you find the inspiration for the hunky men you paint??? So generic and prolly already asked, I know, but I’m a dork. I hope that helps!!  ^^*HUGS AND MUCH LOVE*
Dawn

Ummmmmmmmm……I never sleep! Seriously. I get far less sleep than the 8+ hours a night of beauty sleep that I really need! It is hard for me and sometimes I think I’m insane and that I have too much on my plate. I know that I do but there’s nothing I am willing to give up either. Selfish little thang, ain’ t I?! My family and friends are of utmost importance to me. They keep me sane and somewhat grounded…as much as I can be anyway! I sometimes get slack at keeping in touch but I do try my best. Friendship and love keep me going.

Work…well, at this point-it’s a must for me. One day I hope to be able to support myself and my family with my art but that’s just a dream still right now. The Premier Jewelry shows I host enable me to make some really great side money when I’m able to do them. Plus, I really enjoy them-they’re lots of fun-I feel like I’m having a girl’s night out and getting paid for it!

The online classes I’m taking are in Graphics Design. It is really hard to find the time to fit these in but I do think it’s a worthwhile thing to do. I’ve already completed 1 year of the 2 I need for an Associates. I know it may sound silly but I want that little piece of paper saying that I accomplished this. I had my son Todd at age 19 and gave up any thoughts of college at that point. He was my entire world and I didn’t care about anything else. He still is the apple of my eye but, as he is growing up, I find myself wanting to pursue everything I put on hold when he was a baby.Hence the schooling.
Art is a part of my life period. I have always done it and I always will. Sometimes I am able to accomplish more than other times but that’s just life for me. I find time when I can and work like a mad woman! I do plan to MAKE more time for art in 2007 though! I believe that the more time I am able to spend practicing and creating more art; the better I will be able to become. And I really really want to be good at what I do.For those of you who have found the secret to getting more done in less time, (calling Ellen Million- do you have an article for this?!) LET ME KNOW YOUR SECRET!!! Please!

FAE- I do it because I love it and all of you guys! I know there are other forums out there that are run by artists far more prominent and important than me. I don’t even try to compete with that. I am what I am and I do what I can. That’s all. I want this to be a place that we can all be proud to be a part of. A place where there is friendship and knowledge to be shared and good times to be had by all! I will be working hard to make FAE the best place I can possibly make it. The most important part of FAE is all of you though! Thank you all for being a part of this forum!

Inspiration for my hunky men? My dreams! LOL! Ahem…….I draw inspiration from lots of places. As I previously mentioned, I have ALL of the posters of rockers that graced my walls back in the day. I drag those out often to look for those kick-ass clothing styles of the 80’s! Big hair, eye liner and leather pants-it just doesn’t get any better than that! I also love to attend rock concerts whenever I can. I get so motivated and inspired by those! Of course, I search for good-looking guys everywhere too-I look through model sites online and I look at men’s clothing magazines and such too. There are a lot of good stock photo sites too at Deviant Art. Besides all of these places, I draw inspiration from many other things….sometimes just listening to a certain song will put a plant a seed of an idea in my head that grows into a full-blown picture that must come out and onto paper.

10. Kelly you are known for the beautiful fantasy men you paint. Is there any other subjects you would like to paint in the future
that you haven’t so far? I know not so original question but I always wondered that myself And I would ask you that if I were to interview you I can’t wait to read everyone’s questions this will be one awesome interview :):)

Thanks again for asking me to do this
*hugs*
~Katerina~

Of course I will probably always paint men because I love to! I have been wanting to incorporate animals into my art though. I used to draw animals all the time before I got hooked on people. There is just so much beautiful animal art work out there lately. Every time I see it, I am inspired anew to practice up and start drawing and painting some animals myself. I love art that has people and animals together-it shows a kind of kinship between them and I really want to be able to create that myself in some works of my own. I used to get sooo hung up on each individual piece of fur when I used to draw animals though! It was so time-consuming yet very rewarding too. I look forward to trying my hand at it again soon.

Another subject I would like to explore further is Dark/Goth art. I have touched on it and done a little but not very much. I do enjoy it immensely and would like to create much more of it in the near future. I would love to do some vampire art in particular …I’ve been inspired by a certain Vampire-writing/drawing miss.

*~Kelly Smith~*
www.moonglowhaven.com

http://hippiechic567.livejournal.com/

www.myspace.com/rockandrollartistchic
www.faeforum.com

1. Amanda, do you follow any certain theme with your art or do you just follow wherever the muse takes you?

For me Kelly the muse is a very real entity, not just a concept or a nice way of saying ‘I’ve been inspired’. On her own she does not live and breathe as we do. I believe she is a literal free spirit, she comes and goes from person to person and yet she is always with each and every one of us. She watches and observes silently from within us tying our experiences together with her own. In my opinion this is why two artists who have never met or even heard of each other and live half a world away from one another can make two pieces that are extremely similar to one another in color, form and symbolism. Some people (Jungian Psychologists) call this the collective unconsciousness, and to a degree I believe it is, but I also know the muse is very real. To answer your question more directly, I do both, but she is always there. I can definitely choose what theme I want to follow, in fact when doing commissions for individuals or companies this is a must. There is, of course, always a certain degree of freedom of expression. You have to strike a balance between pleasing the client, and pleasing yourself. However, when I paint solely for myself, as I have been lately, I like to follow the muse. When I say ‘follow the muse’ what I mean is I just let things flow, I don’t worry about expectations or pleasing anyone at all.
 

2. Share with me your earliest memories of creating art.

Wow! Instant flashback! My very first memories of creating art would have to be around the age of three give or take. My older brother Micah was 11 years old when I was born, he is also an artist and right around the time I was three and could be trusted to wield a drawing instrument without tasting it, sticking it up my nose or stabbing someone with it he started to show me how to draw. I can still remember my then 14 year old brother teaching me something he had learned in his middle school art class, something he called ‘learning to see’, I had no idea what he was teaching me at the time but I’m pretty sure his art teacher had them reading a book called ‘Drawing on the right side of the brain”, a book I wouldn’t rediscover until I was in my late teens. I also remember right around that same time, sitting at church with my mother and father. My parents attended a church where there was a different speaker almost every Sunday, which gave me an excellent opportunity to draw someone new every week and put my ’seeing’ skills to good use. They gave me a composition book and some pens and I sat there quietly for the 45 minute sermon, drawing whoever was on the podium. Of course the result of my drawing was less than wonderful but I’ve still got a few of those little sketches and its funny how I exaggerated the features of people, giant ears, huge noses, it’s so fun to remember all this! The other people at church hated that my parents let me draw during the services but I was quiet and not running up and down the aisles like the other kids my age!

3. I’m sure you struggle with feelings of “Is my art good enough” as we all do. How do you move past these feelings and get out of a slump?

Oh those are the worst! Yes I surely do get those feelings Kelly! An artists’ worst enemy AND critic is themselves! To understand how to move past these feelings of self doubt you first have to understand WHY you are feeling them in the first place! You can’t fix a problem if you don’t understand what exactly IS the problem. You know what the effect of the problem is but you haven’t identified the true underlying dilemma. For me, (and several other fantasy artists I have spoken with) the problem usually lies in me looking at other artists work and wishing I could ‘be like that’ or wishing I could ‘be that good’. For me Kelly, my art is so deeply a part of me that it is extremely difficult to separate myself from it, and when I see an artists work I admire it is very difficult not to have feelings of inferiority. At this point I get in a major slump, artistically paralyzed. Happily this doesn’t happen much anymore! I figured out the best way for ME to get over this. Instead of looking at a beautiful piece of art and having overwhelming mixed emotions of awe and self doubt (The whole, “I could never do that” thought process) I instead try to analyze the piece objectively. I ask myself questions like, ‘What makes this work?’, ‘How did they do this?’. Then I go sit at my art table and experiment until I get the desired effect. The trick is not to stop! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming! And work on improving yourself and your work instead!

4. Do you paint what you enjoy or do you attempt to paint what you think your customers will buy?

For a long time I frustrated myself to pieces by trying to paint what I imagined my customers would like to purchase. The fact is, my art AND my art business has improved and grown by leaps and bounds since I have started painting more for myself. If you love what you do, it shows. If you have forced a piece, its shows! Yes of course I love fairies, but darn it Kelly I don’t want to have to tack wings on every single female I draw!

5. Besides art, what are your great passions in life?

Psychology, Anthropology and Mythological studies in particular. I love to understand what makes people ‘tick’ so to speak, and oftentimes to do this you need a good understanding of not only the culture they were raised in but also the myths and history that helped to shape that society. Books, I love books, new books, antique books, short books, long books, just BOOKS! In fact, I’m kind of a book hog; I have shelves of books and boxes of books, hardbacks, paperbacks, leather bound and slip cased….lots and lots of books. Funny thing is, I don’t have a lot of novels or ’story’ books, I have lots of reference books. I have books on religions, spirituality, art, cultures, history, mythology, and many other topics. I love cooking! I had to learn to take care of myself at an early age and cooking was one of those things I had to learn to do. I was a ten year old kid who cooked gourmet meals with whatever was available. Now I find joy in cooking assorted dishes from different cultures and inventing dishes of my own. I particularly enjoy Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine for the exotic flavors and textures you can produce with the ingredients, there are so many possibilities with Asian cuisine and I really like the fact that a big part of preparing the food is making it visually appealing as well as tasty. Secondary cooking styles I like would probably be French and Greek, for similar reasons to why I like Asian cooking. Another big reason I like cooking is it allows me to nourish myself and the people around me in ways I wouldn’t normally be able to. I practice a form of ‘kitchen magick’, when I cook I make a conscious effort to be in a good mood and always channel positive nourishing energy into the food itself. If I am extremely depressed or even mildly angry or irritated, I will not cook, that’s the rules! I also enjoy writing but I don’t do much of that anymore, I’m too busy painting.

6. You’ve really gotten an early start in your art career. Has your young age been an advantage to you or a stumbling block?

Both actually! I always knew I was an artist Kelly; there was never any getting around the fact. I tried lots of different things as teenagers often do, but I ended up feeling empty and greatly dissatisfied with almost everything I tried. I was around 14 when I realized I could make extra cash by actually selling my art to people. At first it was family and friends, and then friends of friends. I discovered fantasy art around the same time; my older brother took me to a renaissance faire in Norman Oklahoma, not far from where I live. Nene Thomas’ artworks and prints were for sale there, Nene wasn’t there but her little sister was tending the booth and playing a harp, my brother bought a matted and framed set of Nene’s seasonal series, women in beautiful dresses in beautiful places with fantastical elements. After he paid for them we sat there and talked with Nene’s sister before we carried them back to the car, I remember standing jaw open and awestruck as I looked through Nene Thomas’ artwork. I knew at that moment I wanted to be a fantasy artist, I didn’t care if I was only 14, I didn’t care if I was poor, I was going to bring images as beautiful as that into the world someday. Well, I’m still working on making images as beautiful as Nene’s work! (I mentioned earlier how you shouldn’t compare your work to other artists; well Nene Thomas’ fantasy art is my ONE weakness!) I’ve found many wonderful and supportive souls among this journey so far; regardless of my age many people have been more than willing to help me in many ways. That’s what fantasy and fairy art is built on. It’s not about big money; it’s not about pretentiousness and snooty attitudes. Its about loving what you do, making art, showing the world the visions in your mind and heart and being kind and understanding of others, it is also about all the good and magick inside us. For young artists starting out I would give this advice: Just because you are a teenager doesn’t give you an excuse to be irresponsible and unscrupulous. This is business. You want to play with the big boys, you have to live up to your word, be respectable, mature and professional.

7. What are your thoughts on the stereotype “moody artist”? Do you think that artists do tend to be more moody than other people?

I think it’s an unfair assumption that all artists are “moody”, some artists are very balanced and cool headed about their art and life in general. Yes, a lot of artists are moody, men and women alike. It is sort of like the chicken vs. egg question though, which came first the moodiness or the art. I think being moody can promote creativity, but I also feel that creativity can promote moodiness! I think artists as a whole DO tend to be a little unstable emotionally when compared to people of other professions. It’s a very emotional career! What would art be without human emotion? Of course I have to mention the words bi-polar just to clarify some things. Oftentimes when we think of someone as ‘moody’ we think of manic depressive illness or bi-polar disorder, but I must stress that not all people with this mental illness are of the creative persuasion. All in all, I do believe that artists on average and as a group are more moody than people of other professions.

8. You are licensed with HAED. What are your thoughts on licensing…did you feel you needed to be at a certain level of skill with your art before attempting to get licensed or did you just jump right in and start trying right away?

Yes, Heaven and Earth Designs is a fantastic company. My art was licensed with them in 2005 and I enjoy a wonderful relationship both professionally and personally with the owners. I will admit, I jumped right in and started looking for licensing contracts when I was about 17 or 18, but for all the wrong reasons. My technical ability was very lacking, as were my business skills and I made some mistakes along the way. It doesn’t hurt to send out samples to licensing companies, but you have to remember that they are looking for imagery for use on their products and aimed at their particular target market, and just because they don’t sign you right then and there doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. I think a lot of people think licensing is the holy grail of the art world or something, and I can certainly understand why some artists feel this way. The thought of seeing your art in stores on products that many people will purchase is an exciting thought. So is the often dreamed of ‘royalty check’. However, at this point in my career I am more interested in the exposure than the money from licensing. I am more interested in learning, growing, and perfecting my craft before I begin serious attempts at getting my artwork licensed for use on mass marketable products. I think it is unfair to measure success of an artist on how many products have their art on it. I know some amazing artists who have none or little of their art licensed to companies either because they don’t like the idea or because they don’t have a very good business sense. You have to draw the line between business and creative expression somewhere.

9. Choose only 1 of your most favored art supplies and tell me why you would never sway from using this particular one.

Well, I was going to be a smart aleck and say my right hand or my brain or my eyes but I will be serious. I would have to say I would never use any other type of hair in my brushes than male kolinsky sable. It has excellent spring, fantastic control and holds LOTS of liquid. (Sounds sort of like a pad huh?) No, seriously Kelly, I could never use any other kind of brush, I love my brushes, especially my old size 2. There are only two brands of brushes I would recommend for serious watercolorists, one of them is the Windsor and Newton Series 7 and the other is Dick Blick art supplies male kolinsky sable line. I would love to own some of the Windsor and Newton brushes but I am quite satisfied with the Blick brushes.

10. Describe your dream art studio to me. What equipment and art supplies would it hold? How would it be specifically tailored to suit you?

My dream art studio would be in the middle of a large and lush garden with mountains in the distance, it would be a freestanding tower like structure with a large room at the top, windows for walls and a glass ceiling. The windows would be able to open and I would have planters with herbs in them sitting on the ledges outside the windows. It would have a small wood burning stove with a glass door on it so I could watch the fire in the winter time. I would have bookcases built in to the area between the floor and the windows, recessed into the wall and have them full of inspirational art books. I would have a good sound system installed in there as well because I find it very hard to create without music, either in the background playing softly or blaring. As far as supplies go, I would keep all the art supplies I have now, I love what I am working with right now, my tastes might very well change over the years but for the moment, I am happy with what I have. Okay, so yes that is my ‘dream of dreams’ art studio, the one that couldn’t be beat. If I couldn’t have that one, I would love to have a sea side cottage for a studio or a log cabin in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

11. If you were a fairy, what would you be like? Would you be a creature of the light or of the dark? Describe yourself.

Oh wow, what a cool question! That is a tough one because I have always been in love with the night and yet I love the vibrancy of the colors in the daytime. I would have to say I would be a night time fairy though, when I was in Washington state I saw some very interesting things on a secluded beach one night, the friend I was with was had wandered down the beach a ways and I was just sitting there watching the moon disappear over the islands in the distance, the waves were crashing on the shore and it was just really a peaceful and magickal moment. I had closed my eyes and was giving thanks for the beauty and serenity around me, when I opened my eyes I saw what I believe were fairies about 20 feet away from me. They didn’t LOOK like anything I had ever seen illustrated as ‘fae folk’, they were more like wispy swirling streamers of pale lavender light, every now and then I could see a little hand or a hint of a face. I felt a special kinship to them whatever they were and I watched them for several minutes until they disappeared into the ocean. So in a nutshell, that would be me that would be the kind of fairy I would be, a free spirited fairy made entirely of light and energy, able to traverse land, air and water at will. A bit of enchanting light in a dark night. I believe fairies are made of light and energy, in the book by Brian Froud and Alan Lee titled ‘Faeries’ they briefly discuss what faeries are, they use the term ‘prana’ and I believe the description is apt.

12. I never knew you studied jewelry design. Did any of what you learned in that field bleed over to influence your art creations?

I really don’t talk about my history with jewelry design much Kelly because I loved it so, so much and am physically unable to actually manufacture or craft it. I have a muscular disorder, I won’t elaborate on what is specifically wrong with me, but it causes me to have random muscle twitches, nothing serious or life threatening. Obviously it is not safe to handle oxy-acetylene torches, extremely valuable pieces of jewelry, molten metal and sharp instruments on a regular basis if you have uncontrollable muscle spasms. I still LOVE to design jewelry, and when I get the chance I take commissions for jewelry designs, passing on the manufacturing side of it to a jeweler who is in my clients’ locale whom I trust to faithfully reproduce my design. When I studied jewelry design I had the chance to handle pieces of jewelry and precious stones that I would never have believed existed, the energy coming off of a piece of antique jewelry, or a freshly cut diamond or ruby is amazing to say the least! I think jewelry is something people hold very dear to their hearts; it is a piece of art that is most likely to pass down from one generation to the next, not only as an heirloom but as a family treasure. Something I learned from my instructor that has definitely influenced my art is the values that go into forming a jewelers personality, (a good one anyways) first and foremost there is honesty and ethics. I have always been what I would call an ethical and honest person but working with Steven (my instructor) really instilled a deeper responsibility in me. I was trusted on a daily basis to handle repairs and cleaning of extremely valuable and irreplaceable jewelry and also to design and assemble new pieces from raw materials. It’s about the trust factor, if someone gives you their trust you do your best to live up to or exceed their expectations of you and/or your work. That has definitely filtered over into my art. The people who collect and buy my work expect a certain level of care, if they commission a piece from me it is my responsibility to make sure that they not only get what they paid for but that I treated them fairly, with kindness and met or exceeded their expectations with the finished product. Also with jewelry design a lot of the time you are working with a very rough concept when designing a commissioned piece. As the designer it is your job to make sure the client gets what they want. Often times the client doesn’t know what they want! They have a general idea but you really have to be sure both of you are clear on what the finished piece should look like and how much time should go into making it before work begins. The same is true when working with art clients, be it a company or an individual. You have to make sure you are both on the same page, a lot of time and money goes into making jewelry. A lot of time, care and love go into making a piece of art. In my mind they are equally valuable. I wouldn’t skimp on a piece of quality jewelry and I wouldn’t waste mine or my clients’ time on making a piece of art neither one of us was sure about.

13. Describe your perfect day to me.

Hmmm….Good one Kelly, good one. My perfect day start in a quiet fishing village in Japan, watching the sun come up over the ocean and then having breakfast with a local family, really taking in the everyday culture of the place. Travel around, see some historic sites, and get a chance to rejuvenate in the hot springs, do some plein air painting of the landscapes, sushi for lunch, travel to a larger city and visit some of the old temples. Sit and talk with some of the older people about their lives and ask them questions about life in general. Get to Osaka around night time, do some shopping, see a show, eat the evening meal at an upscale restaurant and then go to a nice hotel room with a view and get some rest!

http://www.amandarobisondesigns.com/

1. First of all, I have to know….are you Wonder Woman in disguise?! Or do you have a clone? How do you manage to get so much accomplished?
1) No “Wonder Woman” here, ma dear!  Is that what they’re calling “insanity” these days? 
2) I would love to have a clone, starting at least 15 years retroactively….and she better hustle cuz the to-do list is GROWING! 
3)  And what makes you think I get so much accomplished?  Most days I am cursing how much I do NOT get done!!!  *wink*
 
I think it’s great for any of us to know that in a pinch, if there’s a family crisis, or we’ve inadvertently over-committed ourselves, that for a limited period of time you have the capability of pulling off management skills of ”Wonder Woman”.  But as a steady gig, UGH!  it’s “too much”, possibly indicates a psychological glutton for punishment, and can yield major stress-out and a generally over-cooked individual. I’ve pushed the edge on that and can testify, it’s not worth it to hear anyone praise you cuz, “You can do it ALL.”  I prefer to bask in my flaws and inadequacies!  LOL!  But reaching that edge, doing too much, confronting it, helped me to know when to pull-back in some areas of my work and life, know when to say “no” louder or re-prioritize…..a valuable lesson to not learn too late. 
 
To get-done the things that I do everyday, manage & support my family and businesses (which is what I think you’re asking me), I try really hard to economize my time, cut-out wasteful or mindless time-gobblers (or people), multi-task a lot, stay in-motion, stay up late, and start the day with a very large pot of high octane coffee. Sleep for me, is a near-death experience.    But it is, quite simply, the busiest years of my life and sometimes there’s no getting around that to reach the next years.  I “used to think” that the baby and toddler years with kids were the craziest and most sleepless of my life.  Naw…the teenage years take the cake.  But soon my kids will be grown, my time-demands and costs less, and I’ll have the opportunity to sleep, paint, and THEN wonder how I got through it. ;)  About that time…the grandkids will start rolling around….
 
2. You have a thriving soap business-Simply Soap. Tell us how you’ve managed to grow that business into such a successful venture.
Thanks for the plug!  Success with the soap biz was largely a convergence of “good timing”…really!  Handmade soap was a newly revived craft-of-old 15 or so years ago when I started doing it, and becoming popular. I stumbled into making it over my own sensitive skin.  People owning their own PC’s, introduction of the internet, and online shopping was in it’s infancy but growing in popularity.  When there was only a handful of vendors like I was one of at the time, easily accessible online to get (what was) this unique product, you grow quick as a business!  Then once you’re around a while, it becomes more an issue of “Do I really want to grow large, or stay smaller and manageable, on my own?”)  Hopefully all the experimenting I did to create my soap recipes and designs help sell the product too…cuz I am so not a sales person! 
 
My only regret is that I didn’t start along my path into fantasy art THEN, offering it online THEN….as well!  No question it can be harder to break into a more saturated market “later”, rather than sooner.  But EVERYONE has a niche and audience; you just have to find it and then hone in on it like a pesky gnat!   
 
3. In addition to your Wild Oaks Art website, you now have Enchantasies. Your new art there is very different than what you’ve been doing. What made you take your art in this direction?
Yes, Enchantasies…I couldn’t resist!  This is what happens when I get an idea, my juices flow, and I can’t stop myself!  It’s a sickness.  So I really ought not complain about “more work”!  But I can’t sleep until I DO a thing I’m imagining.  I, and now my daughter with me, have always been enchanted by the realm of the witch!  A special website to contain art of that realm seemed a natural direction for me, separate from my more fairy-like art. It is still new, but I hope to add much more soon!  I have many sketches for it stacked up on my art table …..not to forget those Post-Its stuck to the inside of my head!
 
4. Tell me what inspires you to create, as nothing else can.
“As nothing else can”….hmmm!  Psssst !  Hey Kell…..Is it OK to say “sex”?  :::chuckle::: (What’s more “like nothing else” inspiring than the love of good man? I mean, REALLY?)  But in case that’s not OK….  :::clears throat, straightens glasses, puts hair back in a bun:::
 
…..my other most potent inspiration is the outdoors, specifically my favorite place in the entire world–Lake Tahoe where we vacation each year and hope to live one day! The West Shore, also referred to as “The Magical West Shore” is truly nothing short of pure magic…..the forest, the lake, Emerald Bay, Vikings Holm Castle, the surrounding smaller lakes, trails, rivers, creeks.  When we hike amongst the magnificent trees, hear the wind, I get a spine-tingling feeling up and down my entire body.  I feel like my eyes see clearer, my ears hear everything, and all of my senses are incredibly fine-tuned like an animal.  I can palpably feel electricity in the environment and am compelled to reproduce that magic in some form on paper.  I live all year on the memories and photos of our vacations there. Inspiring to me also, is the purity of spirit in children and animals because I sense that the world of fantasy (at least “my” version of it) would not settle for anything less than that purity, honesty, and wonder.
 
5. Pretend you have an entire weekend to yourself…no husband or kids, no soap orders to fill…what would you do?
Well, after I got done bawling my eyes out cuz I’d miss them so much and can’t stand to be alone… :::peeks out window:::  Are they far enough away that I can stop bawling now??? 
 
:::rubs hands together in glee:::: I’d likely spring out of bed at the crack of dawn cuz times-a-wastin’ and I do so love morning, power down coffee till I’ve got a good set of “the shakes” goin’, exercise with the pups, shower, maybe even put my cuddly jammies back on or my lucky outfit, plug-in some Aerosmith or a good DVD in the workshop, dance a bit before a long day of sitting….. and work on ART!  Sketching, painting, and not stop till I completed a piece!  A WHOLE DAY finishing a piece!  Woot!  You have no idea what a thrill that is for me to do!  I feel like I’m getting away with something!  I’m getting-to-do, what I rarely get-to-DO! 
 
Later I’d shop at my favorite little market and get some of my favorite foods to eat like artichokes, mangoes, salad with feta cheese and pine nuts, a dessert that somehow honors the heavenly combination of chocolate and caramel…maybe have a glass of merlot as I prepare the food.  Make something special for the pups too, cuz they’re my buds and deserve a treat, too…and Lord knows they’ll stare me down till I flip them a treat anyway!!
 
I’d look with fresh eyes and decide if I really like what I painted or what needed touching up on it, fix it, dry it, scan it, post it on my site, make shopping cart buttons for it.  Leave it alone for awhile while I hike with & wrassle the pups again.  Come back, fix the painting AGAIN, re-scan it, re-post it.  LOL!  (typical)  Plan my next piece.  Start it. Start getting tired.  :::yawn!:::  Take a bath in candlelight–gotta use up all that soap in the house!  Get into bed with my pups, one on each side of me making a fur samwich–I’m the peanut butter!.  Talk on phone to hubby and kids who can’t stand to not call me while they’re away….say “I Love You’s” cuz you simply must never pass the chance to do so.  Plug in music.  Read till I fall asleep.  Dream of enchanted things…ahhh…good day!   Repeat the following day but also include a trip horseback riding.  I don’t get much more inventive than that if I’m alone.  Good times….for me by myself.
 
So…when do I get to HAVE that entire weekend??? You DID say that was part of the deal if I did the interview, Kelly.  …..Kelly?  ReMEMber? 
 
6. OK, “Soap Witch”, what is one of the magic ingredients in your soap that makes it so different from other soaps? Besides the eye of newt….I already know about that!
Well…sheesh…you just gave it away Kelly!!!  Remind me NOT to tell YOU where the keys to the kingdom are stowed! 
 
The “other” magic ingredient in my soaps could only be the chanting I do over them.  And this is foretold on my labels.  “Handmade Old World style with Earth’s best offerings and of course, the murmurings and chants of the soap maker.” 
 
There ya have it!  Now don’t tell anyone or they’ll steal the secret ingredient and I’ve got a copyright on that! 
 
7. One thing about you that few may know is that you are also a talented writer. What kinds of things do you enjoy writing about?
 That is kind of you to accuse me of!  If the length of this interview is any indication, I guess I must be at least a “writer”…..LOL!
 
Like art, writing is subjective…and rejection slips bountiful!  I don’t write as much now compared to what I used to do….except in e-mails and posts!  But writing, along with art is something I’ve done as long as I can remember; … poetry, stories, I used to be a staff writer for a local newspaper covering all the local school beats and neighborhood doin’s, wrote some articles for parenting type magazines.  I took all the courses for The Institute of Children’s Literature and wrote a lot of children’s stories there for awhile when my own kids were smaller…none were published, but are part of our family collection of storybooks. I’d like to do more of that again…but BE published!! ;)   A dream of mine is to collaborate with myself as a writer/illustrator on a children’s book!  I have some preliminary ideas & sketches roughed out…but like many of my dreams I currently work on them mostly in my head, while I’m doing my “paying work”–he he
 
8. The Faery Blessing Bottles on your Wild Oaks Art website are enchanting. Tell us about the legend behind these bottles….
Thank you very much!  They are fun to make and one of my best-sellers!  I love botanicals, grow many myself, and this was (pardon the pun) a ”natural” for me to make! I like to collect books on faerie lore etc., and came across the legend attached to these:
 
Herbal intention or “blessing” bottles have existed in European and early American history & folklore for centuries!  Legend has it that Celtic faeries in Arthurian times first bestowed them as gifts!  They were lovingly created from the bounty of castle or faery gardens and given to friends & loved ones for protection and good wishes. 
 
We’ve renewed this quaint, ancient tradition and offer them with the brightest of blessings and magic associated with each colorful and fragrant botanical layered in the bottle!  
 
9. You have recently put together a group called The Fantasy Art Gathering. Tell us more about that and what inspired you to create it.
Yes!  I’ve been deeply touched by how many wonderful artists I’ve met on the internet in MANY venues. Many kind souls who can be so helpful and supportive, regardless of level of skill, or at what point in your art career you are, or how sales-popular you are or aren’t; they are artistically inspiring, and just plain good folks who have been where you are, want to see other artists prosper!  I feel blessed by their friendship and association.  I decided to offer a website that honors artists who want to join, who share in that same spirit and mutual support of one another so that together we can share the availability of our talents and gain more exposure together!  I simply offer a free artist page listing to each artist along with listings in art-by-theme categories to invite site visitors to be introduced to and find the kind of fantasy art they are looking for, and hopefully boost exposure for us all through reciprocal linking.  There is also a sister My Space for The Fantasy Art Gathering!  The website is ranking fairly high on search engines, and I have personally gained several new customers and ties to the art industry from the exposure this group has created, as well as new friends I value, and artists I admire!  Anyone is welcome to check it out!  http://www.wildoaksart.com/TheFantasyArtGathering.htm
 

10. Which of your paintings is your favorite and why?
Hmm.  At the moment, I’d say “Swamp Sprite”, which my daughter Stephanie posed for.  And I’ve always had a soft spot for “Finwe”, which my son Nick, as a little boy, was the inspiration for.  Such an impy lil’ guy!  I love turning real kids into fantasy!  Plus, it immortalizes my kids in art!  They are quite proud of their respective pieces they inspired, and I do so love to hear my kids brag about their mom to their friends. Sure beats when they’re raggin’ on how strict they think I am!    *wink*
 
11. You’ve had the magical experience of chancing upon things (Fairy, when you were a child) others may never see in a lifetime. Tell us about this experience and how it molded you…
Yes…um, while you’re up getting the funny coat with the sleeves that tie at the back out of the closet….can you grab me something to drink, non-medicated?…*wink* 
 
OK…if you REALLY want to know…..
When I was a child and we lived in New York, we had the most beautiful pink ornamental cherry tree in our front yard.  In the spring and early summer when it bloomed it looked like a giant wad of cotton candy, the blossoms were so thick and fragrant.  It was my favorite dreaming spot.  I’d take a blanket there to lie and dream, draw, read or play.  You could pluck the blossoms and suck the sweet nectar off the stem–yum! 
 
One afternoon I lay there, looking up between the branches, and yes, I saw, an actual fairy.  Even *I* thought I was luzenit…more so than YOU probably think, in reading this! I blinked, trying to be sure I had not dozed and was actually seeing what I was actually seeing!  I felt paralyzed, trying not to move or even breathe for fear of scaring it away.  It was the tiniest of creatures no more than 3-4 inches tall, female I presumed, by her feminine little face, leaf-like dress, and wings that were flitting as fast as a hummingbird’s.  She seemed to be sniffing and sampling the blossom nectar, poking her finger in and out of blossoms, flitting from flower to flower…her wings softly buzzing.  She stopped, looked at me what felt like a good five seconds or more, I just kept staring…wondering “What next?”, then she zoomed out from under the canopy of blossoms. I hopped up to follow…..but could not catch sight of her. 
 
My heart pounded, I was breathless…..purely stunned!  It took me a bit to decide whether to even dare move, or stay still to see if she was yet around and would re-appear!  I felt dizzy!  THEY DO EXIST!!!!!!  I finally ran in to tell my mother who listened to my story and excitedly agreed with me that they do exist and encouraged me to keep looking for her!   
 
I grabbed a large empty pickle jar from the Tupperware cupboard and my Brownie camera and ran out to stake out my watch.  I stayed there all afternoon, all evening, well into the night, jar and lid in-hand, eyes peeled furtively.  I sat there so long I finally dragged over a reclining lawn chair to lean my head back on cuz I was frozen in an upward stare and my neck got stiff.  I was afraid to leave and miss anything, but had to pee desperately–thought I was going to explode!  My mom watched for me, while I ran to the bathroom and she later brought me my dinner, but she finally made me come in for bed.  But, I later snuck out and resumed my watch well into the wee hours of the morn when I fell asleep.  No fairy. 
 
I fruitlessly continued my watch several days and nights after that, growing more disappointed by the day, even altering my “methods” to perhaps improve my chances…..hiding the camera and pickle jar under a blanket, out of view……bringing an offering of juice and cookie bits on a tiny plate perched in the tree branches……plucking blossoms for her and squeezing out the nectar into a tea set cup so it would lure her back….all to no avail. 
 
I dared not share my story with my brothers or older sister who would ridicule me no end I was sure, but I confided to my beloved Grandfather.  Grandpa assured me that he believed me and that if a fairy appeared for me, I must be a very special and magical girl for the fairy to reveal to me that the secret is REAL!  I took great comfort in his assurances and he remained one of my closest allies in life and heart secrets until he died a couple of years later.  A loss I never quite got over….gone much too soon!
 
Although my fairy never reappeared to me, I learned over time, and by believing my Grandfather’s words, to be satisfied that I was gifted to see a fairy even once…to know that the fae realm is real.  I’ve carried that gift with me always and am thusly a hopeless romantic for all things enchanted and magical…they live for me, tied by a heart string to that memory. 
 
12. What drives you to create? What is the goal you are reaching for with your art?
Well, I do believe things happen because they start as germ seed ideas in your head, then you CHOOSE to take steps to follow-through and MAKE them happen.  You CHOOSE to create and not wait till the mood or inspiration moves you necessarily.  I love making art, always have, and will always do it in some form till I die, whether I become largely successful with it or not.   But that begs the question…what is “successful”?  I feel “successful” when I have an entire day to paint and capture an idea on paper exactly as I saw it in my head and it is now hanging on my own wall!  Thrills me!  But most thrilling is when another human being enjoys what I’ve created and wants it for themselves!  Do I dream of being wildly successful in the usual, commercial sense of the word?  Yes, who doesn’t play with that fantasy? And um, not sure…… for me, life is about more than money and the headaches associated with making it and managing it.
 
I love soap making, will always do that, but it IS labor-intense. I would enjoy a balanced schedule with equal time for art.  I want to DO art more frequently so I can more quickly improve, stay sharp, produce art often and have it become viable enough a venture that I might transition out of soap making full-time, into a half-and-half schedule, at least.  Yet I hope art as a business never becomes so busy that I don’t have time to paint because I’m so busy managing the business end. But I s’pose that would be a good problem to have to sweat over! 
 
Yin and Yang.  All things are about balance.  I have at times heard younger artists without the responsibilities of marriage, children, or other businesses speak of their freedom to paint all day professionally and I’ve wistfully envied them that glorious freedom. But my time for that will come again…in time.  In the meanwhile, I have other dreams I chose to pursue like marriage, children, other businesses, and I’m fulfilling my commitment to them and very much enjoying those gifts in my life!  You don’t get a second chance to make the most of your kids’ childhoods, time they are home.  Years are coming very soon when with my kids will be all off to college or on their own, I’ll have more art time and we’ll see where it goes from there…..stay tuned, I’m not dead yet!  Hehehe….  My mom began painting in her 70’s and is now blowing me away with her talent.  When I asked her why she didn’t start sooner, she said cuz she was so busy taking care of all of us, she just never thought she had time. I don’t want to wait till I’m 70 to paint….so I’m satisfied with what little time I make a point to use now!  
 
13. What is your most beloved holiday and why?
Halloween, of course!  Because it’s magical, a time closest to the veil between the spirit world…..and because I DO so love to fly!
 
Now ENOUGH  ::cough, choke, gag::: about me, thank you very much Kelly, but when do we get an interview with YOU?!?!?!  I’d be most happy to ask YOU the questions!  ::evil grin:: 
 
::: chants::: Kel-LY!  Kel-LY!  Kel-LY! 

http://www.wildoaksart.com     WildOaksArt@aol.com
http://www.enchantasies.com  info@enchantasies.com 
http://www.simplysoap.com     simplysoap@aol.com
 
 
 

1. Jessica, you have a real skill for painting realistic animals. Your fur looks like you could reach out and touch it. How do you achieve this level of realism?

    I am really picky and for me it is important that I take my time with every painting and pay attention to every detail in it. I think I am born that way. It´s kind of amusing because I am far from being picky when it comes to other things in my life. I am a rather easy going person except for when it comes to my own art. Like most artists I often use reference photos. It can be photos I have permission to use or it can be photos I have taken myself. Most of the time I use many different photos of many different cats (if a cat is what I am painting) to create one single cat in a realism-styled painting. I look at the pose in some photos, patterns, colors and light in other photos, and the direction of the fur in others. To paint every little hair in the right direction is really adding to the realistic look.

2. How does living in Sweden affect your art business? Would you say it hampers you in any way or not?

    Both yes and no, I suppose. The market here is very small obviously, making it difficult for many artists to make their living. On the other hand it is perhaps more easy to be seen. It has been a good place to start. I have learned a lot, and have been allowed to grow both as an artist and as an art business owner, on a smaller playground, which I think is helping me now as I am expanding to other both bigger and tougher markets in the world. And I must say that there can´t be many people that are more grateful for the internet than I am! It makes it so much easier running an art business from this rather remote place on Earth, and provides me with the fantastic opportunity to work all over the world from home.

3. You manage to get so much detail in your paintings, including your ACEOs. What is your secret for this?

    I am quite used to draw tiny, I always tend to sketch tiny so I think it comes naturally for me to also paint small. Helpful tools are of course tiny brushes. I use the very smallest, #0 and #1 a lot. I don´t know if that makes any sense, perhaps the brushes are numbered differently in the USA? Oh, and I don´t cut my ACEOs until I have finished them. At least I imagine that it would be more difficult to handle the card, and paint it when it is already cut to size.

4. Your art subjects are always enchanting. Where do you draw inspiration from for your art?

    From everywhere around me – nature and its four seasons, music, my children, books. Everything in the world around me inspires me to create. Life is a pretty enchanting thing! I also really enjoy the work of other artists. The way they create a mood or a certain light in a painting or illustration can be a fantastic inspiration!

5. Do you have any other hobbies besides art? If so, tell us about them.

    Oh, I have so many hobbies that it is really hard for me to find time for them all. But I think that is the case for most artists. The creativity colors our lives in all aspects. Besides my art – which includes painting, enjoying other artists work and reading books about anything that has to do with art – I love to garden, train my dog and read “regular” books aswell (not about art). I also like to play guitar and sing, but nowadays it is pretty much only children´s songs exclusively that sound from our house. To mention a few other interests I like to write, sew and cross stitch, and I also love crafting of all kinds. But besides my family and our pets, painting is my biggest interest of all.

6. You are a full time artist that makes your living entirely from your art. What tips do you have for others hoping to accomplish this goal one day?

    Decide what you want to do, what the ultimate goal is. There is a lot of different ways to earn a living as an artist, so I believe knowing exactly what you want to do is a must to pursue a career. Do you want to sell originals and/or prints, do you want to teach, illustrate books, or do you want to license? What is going to be your main source of income? For me, I always knew I wanted to do licensing. Everything else I do is just the icing on the cake for me.  When you have decided where you want to go, get to know your goal. Study everything about it. Internet is a fantastic resource and by studying and learning all you can about your goal you will know better how to get there. Divide it into smaller goals and keep working towards them, one at a time. And always believe in yourself, believe that you can reach what you are striving for if you are willing to work for it. You have to be critical of your own work and learn to see what is good and what is not so good about your paintings. Get to know your weak points and work on them. For most artists our creations are our babies, but if you want to work with corporate clients like I do you need to develop a thick skin. They will not care about your hurt feelings, they just need a piece of art and if it´s not living up to their expectations they will let you know. It is never personal, so learning to not take it personal is vital for any artist´s health. And don´t forget that anything is possible. Others have done it before you and do it every day, so you can too!

7. Since you have had no formal training in art, what do you feel has helped you to grow artistically the most?

    The expectations and needs from my clients, is what comes to mind first. I already had the basics in drawing and a trained eye when I started my business, having grown up as an only child drawing everyday, but what not many people know is that I had probably only done 2 or 3 watercolor paintings when I decided I wanted to do this fulltime. So I made 2 paintings which along with some sketches got me in contact with a large company that I am still working with today. Their and all my other clients´ expectations and needs have forced me to push myself beyond all limitations. My own competitive mind has also pushed me forward of course. I want to be better all the time. Not better than anyone else, but better than me. I am only satisfied with a new painting for a brief moment, then I look at the mistakes I´ve made and move on to produce something (hopefully) better.

8. How does it feel to be able to go into stores and see your own art on greeting cards and stickers?

    That is fun although a rather strange feeling, somewhat surreal. Many times it is a piece of art I have done maybe a year earlier or so and then I run into it in some store in the form of a napkin, card or sticker thinking “Oh, hey there is that piece! Wow, so this ended up in this store too, cool!” It’s also fun when I see my stuff in a new store that hasn´t carried it before.

9. In what ways do you market yourself and your art? Which are the most successful for you?

    I started out mailing samples to potential clients, like greeting card companies and magazines. Just simple collages of my art printed out on ordinary paper. That turned out to be a good thing which is now the reason why I am running an artist business fulltime. I am also trying to have a presence on the internet, having my own website and also exploring other venues on the World Wide Web, like online galleries and also Ebay which I see as great for marketing. There is quite a lot you can do that won´t cost you a fortune. I am also trying to network with other artists and have made some great friendships on the road.

10. The cottage where you live is utterly enchanting! Tell us about your home.   

    I live (and thrive) far away from everything – if you by everything mean shops, restaurants and neonlights – and that is how I need to live to feel alive. My red and white wooden cottage is situated outside a small country village about 50 miles from Sweden´s second largest city, Gothenburg, on the Swedish westcoast. Far out on the countryside with fields that goes down to a lake to the south and deep forests to the north, I live with my family which consists of Peter and our girls, 2 dogs, 4 cats, 2 gerbils, 2 bunnies and a bunch of chickens. Having a house means almost constant renovations because when it seems like you´re finally done you´ve got to start all over again, but it is a beauty to that too. Next big project is going to be a new studio, I hope!

11. You have lots of pets. Do your own pets ever wind up as models for your art?    

    Yes, they do! In my “Band of Brothers” painting with three cats, two of the cats are painted with my own cats as models. One of my bunnies ended up in a magazine illustration aswell, together with my youngest daughter. I constantly try to take reference pictures of my pets, but it´s a hard task to get good photographs of animals. They never do as they are told!

12. Of all your paintings, which is your favorite and why?   

    Always the latest one. Honestly, I fall in love with almost every painting I finish. It lasts for about a day until I start to see the flaws and the love fades away. Then I move on to make myself another painting to fall in love with. However, I do have a couple of favorites. “Fairy Princess´ Kiss” has a special place in my heart, both because of the colors, light and composition but also for the subject ii depicts. I have always loved fairy tales and magic, and I love to paint children which I rarely have the opportunity to do, so in this painting I got to combine them all. Another favorite is the above mentioned “Band of Brothers”.

13. What is your favorite holiday and how do you prepare for it?   

    I really like Halloween! Unfortunately it is not such a big holiday here in Sweden, but we have pumpkin lights and my girls dress up as witches. It´s a smaller version of the American celebration but I hope it is a tradition we´ll keep. It´s a lovely holiday to have in the autumn darkness.     My absolute favorite holiday season is Christmas! I love to decorate my house, both indoors and outdoors and we do a lot of preparations. The actual celebration of Christmas in Sweden is on Christmas Eve. It´s that day when Santa arrives and we give and recieve presents.
   On the four Sundays before Christmas Eve it is Advent, one on each Sunday and we light a candle in an Advent candleholder every Sunday. When four candles are lit, Christmas is near! My girls and I bake gingerbread cookies and make gingerbread houses, I prepare their wall Advent Calendars with a gift for everyday and the whole family goes out in the woods to pick our christmas tree.     I always try to do some kind of crafting with the girls as well. Oh, you’ve got me in a Christmas mood now!     Artful Colors by Jessica

1. You both write about and draw your vampire characters. Which came first, the story or the drawings?
First off, thanks for turning the spotlight in my direction. I feel very honored, there have been some really great artists spotlighted here, and I look forward to more of your great questions. Now onto your question. The vampires. Well, I’ve always been fascinated by vampire tales so I supposed it had to happen sometime. My vampires actually came from a dream I had one night about two years ago. Which then turned into a challenge from a friend to put that dream down on paper. So the writing came first, and being the really selfish person I am, I wanted to be the one to give them all faces, so I started illustrating them. ^^ Since then I’ve learned to share, and there have been some really amazing renditions both in writing and painting done for me by artist/writer friends. Maggie Hawthorne, and Caron Vinson have both done beautiful paintings of Dorian, one of my main characters.
2. If you had to choose; which is your greatest love-writing or drawing?
Good question. Almost impossible to make a choice. Both writing and painting fill different creative needs. Painting is more intuitive for me; it makes anything bad in my day slip away as though it never happened. It’s a great equalizer for me and makes me very happy. If my body didn’t demand food and sleep, I could paint indefinitely, but every once in a while a person has to come up for air, darnit. I can always paint. Writing is not the same it is very personal. My head has to be in the right place to sit down and write, but once I find that place, it sucks me in. (get it ^^) Most of the time, it seems I come up with a much smarter story than I am capable of writing. So it takes me a while to figure out how to incorporate all the story details that I’ve decided are part of the tale into the tale. So in answer to your question, I can’t really say which one I love more, but painting is more second nature, but both make me feel like a richer person. Not really an answer, was it?
3. You participate in a lot of conventions. How did you first get your start with that and what tips do you have for others wanting to travel this path?
Conventions are great, and so much fun. Not only do you get your work out there, but also you get to be part of an artistic community. I have met some of my dearest friends at conventions that I’ve been a part of. I got started doing it with a friend I’d made on-line. We decided that it would be fun to share a table and see how we did. That was about 4 years ago, and I still share that table with her. As far as advice goes, the first order of business is to have fun. If you’re not enjoying the time you spend there, it will come across to everyone who visits your table. When you are just starting out, don’t pin every hope that this show is going to be the ‘be all end all’ for your artistic career. It could happen, but usually it takes time. But if you are genuine with people, and engage them with enthusiasm about your work, they will respond and you will start to see familiar faces when you return the following year. I have people who continually support my work year after year and that’s part of the real fun is seeing those people. From a set up standpoint, it is good to have little things that people can buy, mini prints, stickers, you know, little stuff that you don’t have to charge an arm and a leg for.
4. What one thing has helped you to grow artistically more than anything else?
Practice. I draw every day, without fail. When you do that, the only choice you give yourself is to get better. ^^ I also have friends and other artists who inspire me, and challenge me to keep stepping up my game. I know there are those artists that are really protective of their techniques and style, and are less than generous with information, but luckily, I do not know any of them. If you have a question about a particular technique you see, ask the artist. Almost all I’ve met have been more than willing to share any knowledge they have. It’s quite wonderful.

5. Tell us who one of your favorite artists is and why they are your favorite.
Though my style is nothing like his, I really love J.W. Waterhouse. Everything about his work disarms me when I see it. The thing I like the most is the emotion that he was able to put in his works. I am greatly moved by him. It makes me try that much harder to make all my work full of emotion and life.
6. What influences does your life have on your art and writing, if any?
My work is my life. Almost everything has some effect of what comes out of me creatively. My husband, my dogs, the sunflowers I have planted along the fence…everything. I can’t even count the times that my husband has said something to me that will trigger a thought that leads to a painting, or a line in my story. (whether he likes it or not, ^^) My dad was a pretty solitary person, and growing up, he taught me to take notice and be observant of my life. So I suppose that my habit of pulling my life into my work came from him.
7. If you could meet one famous person of your choice and spend the day picking their brain, who would it be and why?
Oh gosh. My first inclination is to say Johnny Depp, for obvious reasons. ^^ But I will resist that temptation. I’ve always been drawn to this fellow Terry Gilliam. He is a former member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and has since gone on to make really extraordinary movies. (Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, The Fisher King to name a few) He has such an interesting outlook on creativity and how he sees the world that I think it would be an amazing day if I were able to spend it with him. Or Johnny Depp.

8. What tips do you have to stay motivated to create?
I’m lucky in that I never really lose motivation, for long periods anyway. Usually if I don’t feel like working on art or writing, I just take a little break and the urge comes around to pick up a paintbrush or pencil. There are those days when I sit at my day job dwelling on the desire to go home and paint, and then when I get home I see the couch and think that plopping in front of the TV might be a better use of my time. At those times, if I can get past the couch and pick up a brush there is usually no problem. So I guess getting rid of comfy couches and good television programs would be my best motivator.
9. What medium do you find the most difficult to work with and why?
Markers. I’ve been doing a lot of small card work lately, and to achieve a colored piece on a thin 2.5×3.5 card you sometimes need to do marker work. I stink at it. ^^ I’m very used to the gradual building up of color, and with markers, there is really nothing gradual about it. I really enjoy the subtlety of watercolors, and have yet to get that effect from markers. So they are my new best friends, and I will play with them until I get the hang of them.
10. Are you drawn to creating a particular style of art or do you experiment with various styles?
I really try to test out new styles and techniques in my work. I enjoy the process of seeing if something is a good fit with your subject matter. Lately I’ve been trying out more cartoony styles, with bolder lines and very little shading. It’s been a lot of fun, but I still really enjoy the experience of doing a really polished sketch. There is nothing like starting with a blank sheet of paper and turning it into a vibrant, emotional piece. I concentrate mostly on people; I’ve just never really gotten the bug to draw landscapes and still-lives. But there are plenty of artists willing to pick up that baton. ^^

11. In your writing, do the characters represent real life people or are they purely figments of your imagination?
There are aspects of real people in the characters I write. None of them are straight forward a real person I know. My main characters especially, are made up of qualities that I find appealing or confusing or just sexy in real people that are in my life. I think it makes them more believable, richer, characters. The story itself has many details that are pulled from my life. Sometimes unintentionally. None are exactly taken from real life, but there are little things here and there throughout that are inspired by actual events. ^^ I sometimes read over things I’ve written and get a flash of déjà vu. It’s a little scary, but I haven’t really found a way to prevent my real life from seeping into my work. Actually, there is one character that I wrote specifically, for a friend, who is based on an actual person.
12. Tell us about your other interests outside of art and writing….
There’s life outside of art and writing? ^^ I have long been a fan of motorcycles, and quite recently become a fan of motorcycle racing. MotoGP to be exact, for anyone familiar. On any summer Sunday, my sweetheart and I can be found watching really fast motorcycle scream around a track in some exotic location around the world. I am also very fond of playing with my two great danes, they amuse me to no end, and many an afternoon has been spent lying in the yard with them. I am a certified diver, though I’ve only done lake dives in Minnesota and North Dakota. (don’t laugh) Someday I would love to dive in the big blue ocean. I like to ride motorcycle with my husband Craig. Sewing is good. I really enjoy singing, in and out of the shower. I am very good at planting gardens, and lousy at tending them once they are planted. I like to cook, though I am not all the fond of cleaning up the mess afterward. All in all, I am blessed with an interesting, adventurous life, thank you for letting me talk your ear off Kelly. xox

website: http://www.outofthemyst.com

Lj: http://mugmoni.livejournal.com/

DA: http://mugmoni.deviantart.com/

Vox: http://mugmoni.vox.com/

1. Your art features a lot of dark gothic themes. Do you enjoy this type of art more than lighter styles? If so, why?

I don’t know if I would say that I enjoy painting darker themes more than lighter ones. It just seems that the ideas that come to me are more often dark. I love to paint in black and grays or in a monochromatic color scheme. I know some artists say that they get bored if there aren’t a lot of colors or they don’t get to change colors often, but this has never seemed to be the case with me. Also I have always had a love for horror books and movies and am greatly inspired by them…Vampires in particular. So I will often take those influences and combine them with my love for Faeries/fantasy and then I have my gothy fantasy art.

2. Your bio at Deviant art states that you are inspired by heavy metal music. Who are your favorites?

Yes! I can’t create without music. I have to have it on; it helps with my artistic flow. I would say that Opeth is my absolute favorite. It seems like no matter what mood I am in, they have something that will suit it. My other favorites are In Flames, Children of Bodom and Pantera.

3. You write as well as create art. What do you write about and does it tie in with your art in any way?

My writing is about a fantasy world that I created a few years ago. Its main inhabitants are Elves, Faeries and Demons. The Demons are the enemies of the other races and have a dream of taking over the world. The Faeries kind of live separate from the rest but the threat still concerns them. The Faery world is the one that fascinates me most and was, ironically, the last part that I created. That is basically just a hobby of mine. I’m not quite as confident in my writing as I am in my art, but maybe someday that will change. It still needs a lot of organization and development. Some of my art is indeed based on my writing. I love to draw my characters. The fact that I end up drawing more from my stories than actually writing them has tipped me off that art is my greatest love. I’ll get an idea for a new character, and his/her story and then I’ll be thinking, “You know what? I have to draw them!!” lol

4. Do you use reference photos when creating your art? What is your take on this?

Yes, I use reference photos. I find them very helpful for getting anatomy right and realistic. I am trying to be slightly less dependant on them so that if I am unable to find a reference that fits my idea, I can still pull off the pose that I imagined and have it look natural. In the past I have had to slightly change things because I didn’t feel comfortable trying to manipulate the pose without a reference. So I’ve been trying to take more risks and just try it when I don’t have the greatest references. I have improved, but not as much as I’d like quite yet. That is one goal of mine.

5. What is your favorite medium to use and why is it your favorite?

Definitely watercolors! I just fell in love with them when I first tried them. There is so much that can be done with them. I love to mix other media with them too (such as gouache, colored pencil, acrylic, ink, watercolor pencils). This started off with my laziness and an attempt to speed the process up, but then I just liked the effects that I got from mixed media and began to almost always incorporate it into my art. I think this has sort of helped to define my style.

6. What is your biggest challenge artistically?

My biggest challenge would probably be backgrounds. That seems to be the focus of my frustration at the moment. I find myself being unsatisfied lately with my more simple backgrounds. I want to do something “bigger.” I want to create a whole scene, where the background is just as much of a focus or maybe more so than the main figure(s). So far, I haven’t quite achieved this to my liking. But it is definitely something that I plan to work harder on in the future. Not that I’m going to stop doing my portraits or anything. There are times when I’m not in the mood for something more complicated. I just want to work on becoming better at creating more extensive, realistic backgrounds. My painting “Demon’s Fire” is a good example of one of my attempts of this.

7. Do you participate in art shows or conventions or do you show your art in any other venue?

So far, no, I haven’t shown my art at any conventions or shows. This is something that I would definitely like to do eventually. The internet has really been my only exposure up to this point. Hopefully that will change.
8. I’m sure you have a busy life. How do ensure that you have time to work on art?

It can be hard to make time for it especially when I have classes and studying to do. Sometimes, I’m bad and choose to do art when I should be studying. Lol! When I’m busy, I tend to do a lot of my painting or drawing at night. I’m always up late anyway, so it is really the perfect time for me. For some reason, I just can’t make myself go to sleep early, even if I have to get up early in the morning. I just don’t get much sleep those days. I’ve always been like that.

9. The characters you paint are very realistic and life-like. How do you achieve that? Any tips you can give?
To achieve the amount of realism that I can do now, took a lot of practice. I few years ago, during what I call my obsessive year, I was working on art almost constantly, during every free moment I had. I would put out 2-3 paintings every week. I wish I could be so productive now, but I think that all that practice really paid off now. Not everything that I did turned out really great (most of it I can’t even look at now) but I learned a little something with every drawing/painting and improved vastly in that year. I’m not necessarily telling people to be all obsessive like I was, but to draw often. I don’t think that there are really any short cuts to improving. Practice, from my experience, is the best way to go. Also for realism, I would suggest using references, or if you’re lucky enough to get one, a model. This helps so much in getting proportions right and to have natural looking poses. Also keeping lighting and shadows consistent is important. And to bring more of the features and muscles out with shading as opposed to using lines. If that makes sense.

10. Out of all of your art, do you have a favorite piece? If so, why is it your favorite?

That’s a hard choice… “Enchanted Melodies: Violin” is one of my absolute favorites. It is one of those painting that I look at now, even though I did it a couple of years ago, and I am still am amazed that it turned out so well. The details, the colors, the pose, that darn violin (hours of frustration!), it was all just how I wanted it. It is a rare thing for me to be satisfied with almost everything in a piece. That was intended to be a series, and I have yet to get around to doing the other two gypsies. I still want to, but I wonder if I can get them to compare to that one in my mind. It will be a challenge. A close second is “Dark Angel 2.” Aside from the technical side of it, I can relate to certain aspects of the painting. I didn’t paint it thinking of myself in particular. I just have felt like that angel at times before, as I’m sure everyone has. Where you feel very much isolated. But for me there is also always a brighter side that is never too far out of sight.

11. Do you accept commission work or do you create art solely on what you want to do?

I accept commissions if I find the idea presented to me particularly inspiring or if I think that I can do it justice. But if I just can’t see it or I don’t think that I’m the right artist for it then I’ll have to turn it down. So far my art has been mostly been my own ideas except for a few I’ve done for family or friends.

12. It is said that there is a little of the artist in all of their creations. What part of you is reflected in your art?

Probably a little bit of mystery. I am a pretty private person, and have a tendency to keep a lot of things to myself especially if I don’t really know a person well. Besides that, maybe a bit of mischief.

13. Where do you want to be artistically five years from now?

I would really like to learn more about the business side of things. So far, I’ve really just been focused on growing as an artist that I still have much to learn about the other side making a living off of art, which, of course, is my ultimate goal/dream. First of all I would like to have my own website. Hopefully that will happen in the next couple of years. I would also like to explore some other media such as digital. I have tried it before but I would really like to experiment in it some more. And improving on backgrounds as mentioned earlier. I have so many things that I still want to learn and grow in.

email: Elvenstar83@hotmail.com
DeviantArt:
http://elvenstar83.deviantart.com/
Elfwood:
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/b/e/beckysinz/beckysinz.html
ArtWanted:
http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?ArtID=13063&SetBG=Yes
Epilogue:
http://www.epilogue.net/cgi/database/art/list.pl?gallery=8707