Scribble Town (ST): To quote Joanna Greenhill, “Francisco Bustamante is both the subject and object of his work.” He pulls you in with his colors, lines, and unspeakable movement found in his works. The intrigue has been initiated and we are so lucky to have Francisco with us to talk with him more about him and his artwork.  Francisco, you work with a number of materials like oils, gold leaf, stoneware, etc. How do you choose which medium to use?  Is there one in particular that you feel most comfortable with?

Francisco Bustamente (FB): Throughout the years that I have been working in art, my main medium has been oil paint. I feel very comfortable with this medium since has made me grow as an artist the last 20 years. Still, I have always been working in other mediums as well, and lately, thanks to close friend from Chile who works in ceramics I discovered stoneware. And that has been a big and nice surprise since in this case I am actually building forms with my hands.

ST: Your paintings are often gilded with gold. The shininess and vibrant colors brings an air of decadence and respect. What is your fascination with using gold leaf?  I wonder what it represents for you.

FB: I was born in Lima, Peru. and in Peru gold leaf is present in many things. To start with, Peru was the territory of the Inca’s civilasation, which among other things used gold in many ceremonial activities. They considered the Sun as their God, and the work with gold was one of their sacred materials. Later, with the arrival of spanish people, they continued using gold in their religious activities (Catholic Church). These are some of the reasons which I think moved me to work with this material.

ST: Knowing the relation of gold to your personal history now makes the paintings even more meaningful! What are you currently working on?  You seem to be a very symbolic person. How have the themes of your artwork evolved?

FB: At the moment I am preparing an exhibition for Washington DC. and in mid-November I will show paintings at the Pinta Art Fair NY, which will take place in 82 Mercer street from Nov 15th to Nov 17th.

I am currently trying to achieve in paintings the idea of working with light and shadows and how each one relates to the other. My work has evolved throughout the years influenced by family reasons from one side, like for example the death of my parents at some point and how to translate those emotions into an actual body of work…..which by the way is very helpful. Nowadays my main concern is to get into the depth of the act of painting, is some kind of a personal fight, a good fight, that keeps me engaged with work.

ST: Art is a wonderful way to process conflict, joy and all the emotions that happen in between and beyond. On your website, when I look at your works, it is almost like I am reading your diary. Your artwork is obviously so personal. When and how did your creativity start to grow?

FB: Ever since I can remember as a child I was always drawing, painting with crayons or enjoying looking at nature. I guess I was a rather shy and silent kid. but mainly because my head was somewhere else, sort of dreaming…….as many children, I guess.

I would always look forward to art classes in school, whereas in the other hand, I would suffer a lot whenever math or geometry were around ……I was never good at it. In my family there are only lawyers so I did not know that I could actually give all my time to art. I started studing architecture for one year, but still, it was far from what I wanted. Fortunately my parents support my idea of getting into art school. From then on, I was all smiles.

ST: You just did what you had to do! And that was to make art. Who are some inspirational artists for you?

FB: I completely admire the work of the Spanish artists Diego Velazques and Jose de Rivera for their amazing talent in the use of light and shadow in their paintings. On the other hand I love the work of Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon for the powerful results in their paintings. Finally I cannot avoid mentioning Rothko. His paintings are as well so powerful, and the sizes he uses make the viewer get deep into his paintings.

ST: Those artists also are interested in your currents themes so I can really see the connection. What is an exercise or activity you do when you start making art in your studio?

FB: The first feeling I have when I am in front of a white canvas is being absolutely terrified. I don’t understand how I am going to be able to get the idea I have in my head into an actual painting. Fortunately, something strange and magical happens and work later happens. The first part of the actual work is to cover the canvas with gold leaf, which basically is the light that has already arrived to the canvas. only then I start the process of oil paint.

ST: I love how your work is built off of light! It reminds me that light carries all colors of the rainbow. Any other advice for our Scribblers?

FB: My tip or advice to anyone who is involved in the work of art, no matter what medium they are using is: JUST DO IT!, do not let insecurities get into you or your work. there is no failure here, just the fun of creating. and if at some point you feel there are errors, think twice, because errors can lead you to a deeper and freerer result in your art piece.

ST: Thank you Francisco! We can’t wait to see more of your artwork and have fun at your upcoming art exhibitions!

Scribble Town (ST): David Devries describes himself as a, “Dad, husband, illustrator, teacher—not much of a fine artist. Though I do gallery shows I am at heart an illustrator.” After you read this Scribble interview with David, you’ll know he’s a a great artist and a lot more than that! Plus he’s got great stories to match!

David Devries (DD): I once did a show and my work didn’t fit the space so I offered to redo it smaller.  The shocked gallery owners said they would never ask me to alter my art— but that is what illustrators do. What’s the job? What are the parameters? When do you need it by? In terms of personal philosophy I bend the rules when I can, break them when necessary—it is why I love kids—they are all outlaws at heart.

For my commercial work, I specialize in high impact, high drama images. I also publish a book called The Monster Engine that answers the question, “What would a child’s drawing look like if painted by a professional illustrator?” The results are startling transformations of flat childlike imagery into fully painted illustrations. This technique came from my illustration work, primarily in the entertainment field– specifically the comic book, advertising and video game markets. Some of my clients include Dreamworks SKG, Lucasfilm, Universal Studios, Sega, The 3DO company, Seed Studio, ASCAP, Tor Books and Marvel and DC Comics among others. Currently, I teach at FIT and Syracuse University as well as lecturing nationwide on The Monster Engine and my illustrations.

In addition to being well versed in traditional paintings skills I’m also an accomplished Photoshop artist and was featured in Best Practice: The Pros on Adobe Photoshop by Toni Toland from Del Mar Learning (Copyright 2007).

ST: David, the list goes on!  I think it’s wonderful that you are truly collaborating with children in the creative process of these Monster Engine artworks. In what capacity can individuals and schools get involved?

DD: There are two ways.  One—I can come to your school and either do a presentation or a workshop.  Presentations are defined here and workshops are either a 3-day or 10 week class of guided storytelling and drawing lessons designed to pique the imagination and bolster burgeoning artistic skills.

The other way doesn’t involve my presence at your school.  An an elementary school art teacher can team up with a junior or senior high school art teacher to produce collaborative art between schools.  Below are two examples.

4th Graders Use Funny Movie Maker Pro to Bring Objects to Life: An Approach Explored by Many Artists (Part 2) from Suzanne Tiedemann on Vimeo.

I only ask that the teachers, if inspired by my project, please give me credit for the inspiration in their descriptions and press releases.  Also a link to my site would be very much appreciated.  I have worked a long time to build this brand and any credit helps support all that sacrifice and hard work.

B.A. Kindergarten and XRoads So. Middle School Monster Engine Project from Suzanne Tiedemann on Vimeo.

ST: How did The Monster Engine begin?  I’m sure it’s been quite the adventure!

DD: It has been an adventure.  The idea came to me about 15 years ago and has gone on to big places—recently it was covered on CBS news this morning.

From my website…”It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn’t I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it… no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life.”

ST: I wonder how it has developed to what it is now.

DD: After my niece had inspired me with her drawing in my sketchpad I thought that it would be cool to explore this idea but I just kind of forgot about it. A few months later, I was teaching at a comic book art school. The problem I faced there was that the students didn’t appreciate abstract expressionism. I explained that abstract art is needed especially in comic book work to visualize unseen worlds–places and creatures that can’t be referenced with a photograph. They didn’t care and said they still hated abstract expressionism. That’s when it hit me. If I could render a kids drawing–really detail it–then maybe they would see that abstract painting is useful.  After all, when I do a Monster Engine painting, I am rendering it with abstract thinking and planning. It worked—some of them got the lesson. After that, I wanted to see how a series would work so I did a few Monster Engine paintings of superheroes as Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews. The series looked great and then the book idea hatched.

I chose monsters because I love them and so do kids. That was in 1998 and it took 6 more years to paint all the art,  do the interviews, photograph the kids and design the book. I self published a beautiful 48 page hardcover with a dust jacket in 2005 and it became an Internet hit. During the first month of his web site’s launch, the site got 17 million hits and was linked to over 12,000 blogs. A month later I was flown to Japan and appeared on Nippon TV, where I showed his work to an astonished audience.

The website is internationally known with book buyers from all over the world since it opened in 2005. The Monster Engine has also been featured in many magazines and newspapers including Rue Morgue magazine alongside Lemony Snicket and Clive Barker.  In 2006 The Monster Engine was given an honorable mention for “Outstanding Book of the Year” at the Independent Publishers Book Awards in the category of “Most Original Concept.” I’ve been approached numerous times for TV show possibilities and but nothing has gone the distance yet.

ST: Wow! You’ve really accomplished so much! Aside from illustrating, what other kind of artwork do you do?  I have a feeling your talent goes beyond the pencil.

DD: I do concept art for games, advertising work, comic book covers and, teaching. Go to www.davedevries.com to see some stuff.

Some history:

In 2011 I finished up an expansive project called BlueShift, which is an eco-thriller, high-octane adventure – lots of action, lots of global warming. We did two issues of the graphic novel – it’s on MTV Geek I’m proud of that project.

I’m super proud though of winning a National Endowment for the Arts award last spring.  I was flown to Texas on the grant to work with underprivileged kids in Lubbock.  Watch it below or click here.

Out & About Bozeman, Dave DeVries from Lubbock ISD on Vimeo.

In addition, The Monster Engine was featured in its first commercial job.  Microsoft and Windows Phone sponsored a contest to get kids drawings in response to the following questions:

“What do you wish your Windows Phone could do? How do you imagine yourself, your family, and others using your phone?” We received tons of amazing artwork from children all around the world, each one a whimsical creation that showed how Windows Phone could help unlock a child’s imagination. It was a blast and was featured on their website—you can see them here.

Lastly, just visiting a lot of schools and doing my Monster presentations—and having a blast doing so. Here’s a video of one of them.

I use both digital and traditional paints.  For painting I use mixed media painting techniques… acrylic, airbrush and colored pencil to make the images you see.

ST: How did your creativity start to grow?  As a kid were you making art too?  If you have any stories or people that were there to encourage you, please share.

DD: I never thought of myself as an artist then. I drew pictures but no more than any other child my age. When I turned six, though, my older brother, Jack, asked me to come into his room. At the time he was the family artist—I thought I could never be as good as him. He told me to lock the door to his room. I did so. He then told me that the only way I could leave his room was if I drew from a photograph.  The idea of trying to draw from a photo was impossible to me—after all he did that–but after much crying and pleading I sat down and drew. After I was finished, the picture was so good that I drew 3 more. So, when Jack finally opened the door to his room I was a changed person—I was an artist.

As for painting—I had to wait till I was 21 years old. I lived in terror of painting till I was almost out of college—can you believe that?

ST: Baby steps…at least you took a chance and got over your fear of painting   Please tell us about My Spooky Heart. I wonder what your son thinks of it now.

DD: You know I never showed it to him.  It was done for a charity and was sold shortly after his birth.  He never saw the original and I have never shown a picture of it to him. I’m waiting till he’s a bit older to appreciate it. He’s six and I would eventually  love to have a conversation with him about it and that time in our lives.

ST: What are you up to now?  We’d love to know and join you, if possible!

DD: Just school presentations and Monster Engine commissions for now.  Thinking of doing a graphic novel story based upon The Monster Engine—still a ways off but worth the journey.

ST: Go for it!  The time is now!  Any advice for our Scribblers, you’d like to share?

DD: Just always remember that your kid is always right when it comes to their work.  You cannot impose logic upon their creations. This will go a long way to making them confident in their own beliefs and decision-making skills.  No matter what they become as adults, they learn that their ideas have substance in those early years.  Just think about it—in no other school subject do kids have the right to tell a teacher that they are wrong.  Math, Science, English, or History are all quantifiable subjects. If a kid says 2+2 = 3 they are wrong no matter how they justify it.  Art isn’t quantifiable— it teaches them to rely upon their instincts.

–fun to watch–wish I worked this fast.

ST: Thanks David for that!  Please check our www.themonsterengine.com & www.davedevries.com to see more of David Devries one-of-a-kind artwork!

Scribble Town (ST): Gary Swift is an artist that creates, as he says, “From Apps’ to Adshells I never know what I’ll be doing next!” Let’s see what Gary is up to these days.

Gary Swift (GS): I am based in Yorkshire, England from my studio, and with the aid of modern technology, I work with clients all over the world. The internet means timezones are not a concern. Over two decades of supplying illustration work I enjoy it as much today as I ever did.

ST: How did Gary Swift Studios come about?  I can imagine the adventure has been an exciting one!

GS: I began when I left high school at the age of 16, I always wanted to be an illustrator, for as long as I could remember. I started advertising my work from day one, and luckily
things grew and grew, now I work for clients in all locations, from Brazil to Birmingham.

ST: When creating a logo for a company what is your creative process?  How do you come up with or do research for a theme that so succinctly shows what this company or cartoon is about?

GS: I always begin by listening to the client and understanding their vision for their business, whether they are multi-nationals or start-ups, they are all vital in importance and would receive the same creative effort. I remember illustrating a young Tiger Woods’ childrens book some years ago. The process remains the same for all clients, but obviously some customers are easier to work with than others

ST: When and how did you get started animating and illustrating?  Do you make other kinds of art too?

GS: As a teenager I drew all kinds of things, from realistic cars for Porsche to wildlife paintings, but when I set up the business officially, I concentrated on the style that I am now known for. Your style is your brand and crucial to the effectiveness of your company. It makes you stand out. Animation just came about as clients requested it, and software became more accessible to one-man studios like mine. Today clients are requesting apps and interactive platform games. What I realized very early a this style had so many uses.

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  Your pictures make me smile!  For example, I really like your picture Elephant Move (above) and A is for Alligator (below). How did those ideas come about?

GS: That’s very kind of you to say that. I have ideas coming out of my ears, and luckily they are still developing after over 20 years, when people ask “where do ideas come from?” to be honest I can’t answer accurately, as I pick up inspiration from things in daily life, TV and reading. Inspiration comes in many forms!

ST: What are your favorite tools or medium you like to create with?

GS: I draw everyday and love the sketch ideas with pencil, then pen the linework when I am happy, and more importantly when the client approves the work, I color the work digitally like 98% illustrators today.

ST: When you get an idea for an animation or an illustration in your head how do you develop it?  Are there tips you can give us on how to make our ideas and images grow?  And what about when you work with a client- how does the developing process differ?

GS: To develop an idea, you have to satisfy yourself first and not worry about others liking it until you fine tune the concept. Some ideas are better than others, but always carry out your concept to its completion, you never know one day you may re-visit the idea/artwork? When working with clients you are often trying to fulfill their imagination or answer their brief. All clients are different and have different requirements, the important thing is to deliver the solution they want and to deliver on time.

ST: Who are some artists and authors that you like?  Why do you like them?

GS: I like too many artists to mention really, I am constantly seeing fresh images I love and new artists I admire. I do not really take note of too many authors if I am honest. I am a visual person and I am ‘drawn’ in by the illustration always. Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar book comes to mind of one of my very earliest memories of a children’s book.

ST: Thanks Gary for taking the time to be with us on Scribble Town! Scribblers, go check out more of Gary’s artwork at http://garyswift.com.

Scribble Town (ST): Kevin Whitlark’s energy for creative is unbelievable! It seems as if he was born to draw. In 1989, Kevin started his own greeting card company, “On A Lark Greetings, Inc.” His career has soared and continues in many great directions, all that involve the sharing of funny, witty, and cute illustrations. Kevin, where are you and what are you up to these days?

Kevin Whitlark (KW): In Atlanta, Georgia. Working on some children’s books for Kindle (and other devices with a Kindle app) and hard copy. Also working on new greeting cards and puzzle designs. A lot of this is for 2014. We have a Christmas book coming out next week for Kindle–> The Twelve Cows of Christmas.

ST: Yay for The Twelve Cows of Christmas on Kindle! Please let us know more about One Hundred And One and all the products you create.

KW: One Hundred and One is expanding more than ever in 2014. Currently the concept is seen on jigsaw puzzles (sold by major retailers), prints, scrubs, fabrics/cotton. We are hoping to license and manufacture several new products and publish a major book incorporating the One Hundred and One concept and art.

ST: Sounds like things are on the up and up already for 2014 How do you come up with your themes for each book?

KW: With my six kids in the house and coming from a large family myself (I am the youngest of fourteen), inspiration abounds.  The hundreds of children’s books I have read to my kids motivates and inspires me also.  I have a vivid and overactive imagination naturally, so plugging these things into it makes for a very effective creative formula.

Cleaning my studio, cutting clean paper, sharpening pencils, mixing water colors….Go out and visit book stores, read children’s books…GOING FOR A WALK. (Exercise)

I also love to visit my kid’s school and I read my books, but more importantly I draw on the big boards for the kids and they react immediately. Usually I will visit the schools for holidays…so for example…I created a book right in front of the kids…this is 3rd grade…”Thanksgiving Revolt”…  The fun is the live action, immediate response and the contribution from the kids!!

ST: You have a really big family and I’m sure there’s never a dull moment at home.  Do your kids and wife often inspire your stories and artwork?

KW: BIG Family…  Again, the kids definitely inspire me. I have a book coming out based on a true story with the kids.  I am taking an already amusing (now, not at the time) event and making it larger than life, as usual.  The details are confidential right now, but I’m confident it will be a best seller.

ST: When and how did you get started writing and illustrating books?  What was the first book you made about?  I wonder what is the creative process like with Ryan McLemore, your editor.

KW: I actually started in the greeting card industry. I submitted some designs to a major publisher and was rejected. I decided to start my own company. A year later I had accounts all over the country and was eventually approached by Andrews McMeel Publishing, Owners of Universal Press Syndicate. They were the largest publishers of humor in the world at the time. Farside was their monster line and it paved the way. I established a very large line with AMP.

I think in print they sold like 80 million On a Lark  greeting cards from their licensing came. And the art from the cards themselves jumped on other products.

Today my greeting cards are Published by American Greetings, Papyrus, Recycled paper Greetings, Inc. and Sellers Publishing.

Children’s books didn’t come until much later and really started with Scholastics. AMP published four humor books of mine. The Red Cat Society books were funny parodies on the Red Hat Society here in US.

I did the twelve Cats of Christmas and The Twelve Dogs of Christmas for Scholastic, and now we are publishing the Twelve Cows of Christmas ourselves. Ryan McLemore and I publish the Kindle version and hard back for book stores. Scholastic distributes directly to the schools.

Ryan wrote the book, Hip & Helen Peg the Egg, with me. We did all the layout formatting, etc…Kindle version and is selling on line!!!

ST: That just shows you that rejection can get you to places you never could’ve imagined. Your story is very encouraging! When you get an idea for a story or a picture in your head how do you develop it?  Are there tips you can give us on how to make our ideas and images grow?

KW: Getting an idea shouldn’t be limited. Write everything down, scribble everywhere, don’t even think about the actual final printed book. Take your idea and explore it on paper. Then refine it. Layer after layer comes off and sometimes you end up with an entirely different book. But you know that can happen then you should never hold back on an idea.

ST: What are your favorite tools/medium you like to create with?

KW: I like to sketch with pencil. I also will just scribble with pens…concepting, roughing etc… When I actually start a project I have a pretty clear method.

With Water Color paper…Pencil sketch, ink in, clean with eraser, then scan the black line art and file it on my MAC. I then go back to my original black line on watercolor and I paint. Light layers and after drying I add and do what is needed. I then scan this original art 400 DPI and open it in Photo Shop.

I brighten it, then I clean it up. Remove the background paper and take actual art and put in on another layer. I will thin lines, add, smooth etc…POLISH the art, I use air brush and maybe a shadow her and there or a reflection highlight. Because the art is on layers I may want to add tot he art. Say I create a really cool rabbit. I then have him finished and want to put him on a grass hill. I will actually scan a water color green/grass and bring it into that file on a separate layer and there is my grassy hill behind my rabbit, for example.

Once art is finished I save the file as a PDF, TIFF, JPEG for quick references and emailing, and I have a separate flattened file…and of course there will be that original Photoshop file with all of its free layers. You can change and move them for future needs.

The MAC is like a Stage and I supply all kinds of elements (Archives) water, trees, flowers, bugs, cars, houses etc…All supporting elements. Kindle is a fascinating venue and Ryan is all about Kindle (and is working on animated/interactive app development). He will get a file from me and he can format and move art if need be to conform to this version of the book. He also is a excellent editor and writer. Not so much for me as I write very simple children’s books but he can catch little thing.  He in is own right can be published as a writer. I am actually illustrating a few books he wrote.

ST: Who are some artists and authors that you like?

KW: Artist and authors: There are a lot of them!!! Ill be right back, let me go see. I’m bad with names…There are too many and most of the well known children’s book illustrators and writers are on my list but to name a few outside the box, say Jenya Prosmitsky..great illustrator, Dav Pilkey…easy one, Kevin Henkes, these two are both writer and illustrator… Tim Hutchinson..illustrator…I’m attracted to their clever use of words, puns etc..and I also look at their medium, art…There are a lot of artist that I pull from just because of how well they us their mediums.

I believe that I am just really getting started as a writer and illustrator and I have a million ideas so I am excited that for years to come we will be seeing my books.

ST: I think you’re probably on some Scribbler’s list of favorite authors now too. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Kevin!

Happy (almost) Columbus Day, Scribblers! How are you planning to enjoy your long weekend? This holiday marks the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival to America in 1492. Everyone knows any good explorer always has a few tools on hand and a definite crucial one is a map.

 

It seems only right to embrace the adventurous spirit of the day with some fun DIY inspirations involving globes and maps! This is a great way to use souvenir maps from past trips or vacations, old atlases, and road maps; or breathe new life into broken or shabby globes with these exciting updates. Have fun exploring these cute and timely crafts on your day off!

 

 

Take half a globe and turn it into a unique bowl.

Photo via Better Homes and Gardens

Spread “peace” on earth with contact paper and spray paint.      

Photo via Endlessly Inspired

Grab some maps and some modpodge and spruce up a piece of furniture with decoupage.

Photo via Shelterness

Photo via Roddy & Ginger

Save souvenir maps from vacations and cut them into shapes to display. Try butterflies or hearts.

Photo via Image Surgery

 

 

Are you going to give any of these projects a try? How would you transform your old maps or globes?

 

Have a great Columbus Day everyone!

It always seemed like the official party line at mealtime was, “Don’t play with your food!” Well, the times, they are a-changing… A creative movement sweeping across kitchens and social media everywhere lately is food art. By transforming ordinary dishes into extraordinary pictures, many cooks, parents, and artists have been turning each meal into a cultural experience.

 

With all the beautiful colors and textures found in different kinds of food, it seems quite natural to turn them into art. This makes food preparation an even more creative experience, plus meals become that much more fun to eat!  Bonus: it’s a great way to excite little ones about eating more healthy foods, like fruits and veggies. When the broccoli florets are forming the treetops in a magical forest, it’s a lot tougher to reject them!

 

You don’t have to be an expert chef to compose clever dishes. Just have fun seeing what picture you can create with what ingredients you have.  It’s more assembly than anything else. You’ll be amazed at what you come up with!

 

 

Photo via Samantha Lee, Eatzy Bitzy

 

Photo by Idafrosk (Instagram), via Handmade Charlotte

 

Photo by bambini_pucillo (Instagram) via POPSUGAR moms

The gorgeous final products prove that you can be creative just about anywhere. Let the refrigerator be your palette and the plate your canvas!

 

Have you given food art a try? Would you? Show us your creations!

 

Scribble Town (ST): Béatrice Coron is a visual storyteller who creates in the forms of illustration, book arts, fine art and public art. Béatrice describes her work as, “Collecting memories from individuals and communities, I stage narrative allegories in silhouette to create a dialogue with the viewer in playful fantasies.” Wanting to know more, let’s start with, where are you and what are you up to these days?

Béatrice Coron (BC): A lot of different projects, fences in Chicago (http://oakpark.suntimes.com/news/publicarts-OAK-08152013:article), a subway station on the A train in NYC (will be installed 2014-15), artist books, an ebook and of course papercuts for different exhibitions.

ST: Wow! How did you become so well versed in so many different mediums?!  How did these mediums get introduced to you and was there anybody to encourage you in your art practice?  It really amazes me when I look at your portfolio which consists of paper cuts, public art installations, animation, and what else am I missing? I can imagine the adventure has been an exciting one!

BC: Self-taught. See my TED talk:

You cannot make a living on papercuts alone I’m always curious to cut my stories with different materials. The base is full and empty shapes, the material and techniques varies.

ST: Amongst them all, what tools and mediums do you find most helpful when building your creations and visions?

BC: Sketching with pencil, cutting with xacto knife

ST: October looks like a busy month for you already with upcoming workshops and lectures.  Please let us know about some of the events.  We’d love to participate, if possible.

BC: The workshop at the Future of Story Telling was really interesting as everybody comes to this conference with an open mind and looking to discovering new fields. It’s a yearly event.

ST: Where or when do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  Do you ever listen to music or look at other art to trigger inspiration?  I know that when I look at your work, I want to pick up some paper and cut away!

BC: I listen to podcasts about philosophy, history and current affairs. I also read poetry. Every domain is an inspiration.

ST: You have done some remarkable public art pieces like Postcards from North Carolina and Bronx Literature.  How do you go about creating for that space?  Do you sit in the space for a while and observe the visitors or is there some other way you work with the space?

BC: I research the history of the place and study the space. From there I visualize how it feels to arrive in that space and what I would like to see. For example in Charlotte’s airport “Postcards of North Carolina” depict the historical roots of the region.

ST: What or was there a pivotal point in your childhood that got you making art?  Where did you grow up?

BC: I grew up in Lyon, France. I am an only child and was very quiet. I often escaped with my imagination.

ST: Who are some artists and authors that you like?  What draws you to them?

BC: Among many and many artists I admired, I like woodblock prints of Felix Vallotton, I enjoy his black and white’s balance. I also enjoy Japanese prints for their creativity in composition.

ST: Béatrice, what is a good piece of advice for Scribblers?

BC: Just start to cut and enjoy!

ST: Will do! Thanks Béatrice! For more info on Béatrice and her artwork, please go to http://beatricecoron.com.

It seems like magazines always find a way to pile up. For some reason, I can never bring myself to just throw them out. Filled with beautiful images, colors, and articles, it feels wrong for them all to end up in the trash. So anytime I can put them to good use with an art project, I jump at the chance! This magazine strip silhouette is a great way to transform your old magazine pages into something creative, personalized, and beautiful!

 

For your silhouette, you can pick an animal, a person, your home state—whatever you want. Just keep in mind the level of intricacy involved in cutting the strips to fit the shape.

 

 Photo via Meaningful Details on Etsy

 

You’ll need some old magazines, scissors, glue, a pencil, an X-acto knife, the shape you want to trace for your silhouette, and something to mount this project on—it can be canvas, cardboard, or poster board.

 

Start by cutting your magazine strips. Tear out any pages that have a lot of color (or just the colors you’re looking for). Don’t worry if it’s a picture of something weird—you won’t be able to see it once it’s cut up. Cut them into thin, straight strips, roughly the same width (the length can and should vary).

 

 Photo via Apples of Gold Set in Silver

 

In pencil, trace the silhouette on your canvas. Then, start gluing down your magazine strips inside. You can trim each piece with your X-acto knife as you glue it down, or you can mark them with a pencil and trim them afterwards.

 

Once your silhouette is all filled in, it’s a good idea to finish it off with a coat or two of mod podge. This will seal down your collage.

 

 Photo via Designed By BH

And that’s it! Let it dry and hang it up. Colorful, customizable, and recycled—this fun project is great for the eyes and the environment. What are your favorite projects with recycled materials? Any other fun ideas for magazines?

Now that October has arrived, Halloween is on the horizon. That means costume planning, spooky decorations, and of course… candy and treats! Since it’s only the beginning of the month, one way to slowly start gearing up for the holiday is to incorporate things that work for both fall and Halloween.

 

The perfect solution: a little candy corn décor! This quick and easy craft is perfect for setting the tone for October… plus it has pretty fall colors! Bonus: it’s simple and safe enough for kids to work on, as well.

 

 

Photo via Danielle, My Life as I Pin It

 

You’ll need yarn (white, yellow, and orange), scissors, glue, and a foam cone (in a pinch, you can create your own cone with some poster board and tape).

 

Start at the bottom with your yellow yarn. Glue the end to the foam (you may also be able to just tuck it in the back… depends on your cone) and start wrapping! Once you’ve gotten about a third of the way up, cut the yarn and glue or tuck in the end. Next up: orange! Repeat the process with your orange yarn, and finally finish up with white to the top. Tada!

 

 

Photo via Sarah, Thrifty Décor Chick

 

These candy cuties add some festive fun to any room without going too overtly “Halloween” too soon. But as the month goes on… look out! More delightfully spooky projects to come.

Scribble Town (ST): Patrick Gannon is a magician when it comes to paper arts and storytelling with images! Maybe he has magical powers elsewhere too! He knows how to play with paper in a way that shapes space and builds a mood for all kinds of places.

Patrick Gannon (PG): Hi, I’m Patrick Gannon.  I’m a cut paper artist, which means that I cut up sheets of really fantastic hand-made papers, then layer them on top of each other to make a picture.  I’m originally from New Jersey in the US, and now I live in Fukuoka, Japan.  I spend most of my time drawing, cutting, gluing, walking along the ocean, hiking up slightly creepy mountains, dreaming up odd creatures in the forest, and collecting tons and tons of paper.

ST: The way you’ve described your day look like this happy creature in your piece on the right, ‘A Bright and Sunny Day.’ Where are you and what are you up to these days?  I’m sure very busy with your The 2014 Cut Paper Art Calendar campaign on Kickstarter.  Please let us know more about the project so that we can support you.

PG: For the past 2 years, I’ve been making my home in Fukuoka, in southern Japan.  Before that, I lived in Tokyo around 5 years, learning as much as I could about hand-made washi and chiyogami papers, and creating as much cut paper artwork as I possibly could.

When I’m not hiking up the nearby mountains or exploring the island of Kyushu, I spend most of my time slicing increasingly intricate cut paper artworks.  The last few years, I’ve been showing my work in galleries, Art Fairs, etc. in Japan and more recently, Korea.

The 2014 Cut Paper Art Calendar is an annual project for me.  It’s a great way to share my work with as large a group of people as possible, and to introduce cut paper artwork to people who might not have the chance to see it in their daily lives.  The campaign (which has already met it’s goal) runs until October 7th this year.  Without the campaign, I wouldn’t be able to publish the calendar – or all the other cool rewards like laser cuts and stickers.

ST: I know it’s a hard question, but how would you define your work?  It seems to be a peaceful combination of craft and fine art. It reminds me of traditional paper arts, but with a new twist. I have never seen anything like it before.

PG: Honestly, I try not to define it.  For me, defining it too much creates boundaries, and I’d be in danger of failing to experiment and try new things.  I approach the work as a fine art, I guess, by which I mean I create all of the designs and sketches myself.  I begin with an emotion or a concept in mind, sometimes as simple as a single word.  Somehow, when traveling from my mind to my hand, the ideas become these beings and environments.  Then I let it grow organically from the sketch, to the final drawing to choosing the right papers.  If there is a craft mode, it’s in the final steps of cutting and gluing.  I’ve certainly gotten better over time.  Looking at my clumsy early work can surprise me sometimes.

ST: You seem like a person on a playful path steered by passion. I wonder what what led you to paper arts. Was there somebody that encouraged you?  I like how you use different methods of paper cutting like tearing.

PG: When I was in graduate school studying art (I was a literature major as an undergrad), I wasn’t particularly experienced with paints, or using color at all.  I had really only worked in black-and-white.  I didn’t dislike painting as such, but I found the infinite possible colors I could mix to be stressful.  One of my professors suggested using cut paper – at the time, big blocks of colored paper in abstract shapes – behind my ink drawings.

And it just felt right.

At the time, I had no idea about the history or traditions of cut paper art.  I just started experimenting and creating a technique and style of my own.  As time went on, I started to discover different paper cut art, from the jazz-inspired American styles to the traditional Chinese and Japanese monochromatic work.  It’s been an eye-opening journey.

ST: When it feels right, it feels right! Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  How do you find themes for your artwork?

PG: I find myself inspired almost everywhere.  A short train trip can be a great time to sketch.  Ideas pop into my head while I walk or run and listen to music.  Escaping from the city and hiking through the mountains around Fukuoka is a huge source of inspiration to me at the moment.  Most of my work combines these elements, and my themes tend to be a conversation between the conflicting partsof my life; urban and nature, ambiguous relationships (especially parasitic vs. symbiotic relationships), pop culture.  I think it’s important to allow yourself to be amused or fascinated by just about everything.

ST: Please let us know about some of your cut paper installations such as The Ghost Parade and A Pacific Place of Rest.  Where were these installed and how did you fit the themes with the environment?

PG: Both of these pieces were created for a Yokai (Japanese supernatural… and really weird… creatures and beasts) themed exhibition I held in Tokyo.  The gallery space already looked a bit like the inside of a cave, with warm brown and orange walls and protruding chunks of wood.

The exhibition was also doubling as a Halloween party, and I felt hauntingly playful while designing A Pacific Place of Rest.  It was designed to be a graveyard rising out of the back of a long, black bench against the main gallery wall.  Over it’s length, it transforms from a traditional Japanese style graveyard to an American one (probably from the deep south – before coming back to Japan, I lived in Savannah, Georgia for a little while.  They have some amazing cemeteries).

For a long time, I had been thinking of creating an illuminated cut-paper piece as well.  The Ghost Parade was a way to continue the playful halloween theme while combining it with truly beautiful lighting and layers of shadow.

ST: Savannah does have some amazing cemeteries and ghost stories to match! What forms of art do you include in your mixed media paper cutting paintings? What are some tools you like to use? Do you put your cut paper on wood for a reason?

PG: I started to use wood as a backing to my work for the simplest reason of all.  I thought the grain and warmth and depth of color was beautiful, and I wondered it if would go well with the textures and colors of the paper.  Luckily, they suit each other.  Which makes sense, seeing as paper starts out as a type of wood.  I also like the roughness that the wood adds to the finely cut paper.  Life is full of seemingly conflicting feelings coinciding together.  I wanted to reflect that in my work.

Other than wood, washi and chiyogami papers, I don’t use any other media.  I sometimes stain or varnish the wood, but the paper I like to leave as is, without adding any paint or color to it.  I think it’s a fun challenge to find exactly the right combination of colors.  I have some papers which have waited years for me to find the exact right place to use them.

My tools are pretty basic.  A self-healing mat, and NT cutter design knife – it’s similar to an X-acto, but the blade is thinner with less of an angle.  It breaks more often and needs to be changed more, but I’m able to make finer cuts with it. – pencil, eraser, tracing paper, various glues (I’m always trying to find better glue and adhesives).  A computer with design software gets used to put together my sketches and blow them up to the final cutting size.

ST: Patrick, can you give us Scribblers any advice on creativity?

PG: The best advice I can give to anyone dabbing in cut paper art (or any art, actually), is to play.  Play constantly.  Draw without thinking sometimes.  Draw the craziest thing.  Don’t worry if it’s great.  Not everything has to be perfect.  I never use 90% of my sketches.

In each project, I usually come to a point where I’m not sure which color paper to use.  I take out and test all of the colors that I think might work.  Then I grab a few pieces which I’m positive will absolutely not work.  And sometimes they are absolutely the right thing.  The greatest things in life come from play.

ST: With that said, let’s play! For more inspiration please check out Patrick’s website, http://www.pgannon.com. You can follow Patrick on Twitter:   and get updates on his Facebook Page:  .  Thanks Patrick and keep us posted on your 2014 Cut Paper Art Calendar!