Scribble Town (ST): Watching and being with animals in their natural habitat is a privilege, especially with the growth of cities and shrinking of forests. Wings in flight is like magic in motion. When I first saw these paper sculptures by Diana Beltran Herrera I felt a fluttery draft come from the flapping wings stopped in time! To recreate life so realistically one must have a unique relationship with it.

Diana, we are all excited to know more about you!

Diana Beltran Herrera (DBH): I am from Colombia. I was a very curious girl since I remember, always trying to discover nature. My dad often took me to my grandma’s farm where I had contact with nature. I remember it made me very happy and it was peaceful, full of joy and astonishing. I guess since that, I am interested in what nature means to me, to us as humans, and also I am trying to understand how this relation started and how it is now a days.

ST: You move and travel quite a bit. What brought you from place to place?  Where are you now and what are you up to these days?

DBH: I have been traveling from one place to another, not as many as I wish but I hope I can discover more in the years that come. It has been a nice coincidence to find myself in such beautiful places in Europe, America, and see a variety and types of nature. How things are so different from one place to another or maybe how things are so similar. How nature manifests itself in such different forms and shapes and how it adapts and evolve. I am now living in south west England admiring this lovely cold and windy environment. I am studying a MA in fine arts at UWE. I am questioning myself and trying to find answers.

ST: Congratulations on getting into the Pictoplasma conference!  What will you be creating for the event?  Any sneak peaks of what to expect?

DBH: I am thinking of an installation. I have in mind a group of pelicans or maybe some fighting cocks. I have had a desire for a long time now to make a couple of pelicans probably standing on some locks. I think it will be interesting to show a bit of what I have archived throughout the years. I think this is the opportunity I was waiting for.

ST: This is your moment!  You have worked very hard for it.  When I look at ALL the animals, pictures, shapes, and collages you have created, I can see it is a result of a very passionate, imaginative, and playful person.  How do you come up with your themes for your series of paper constructed animals? Did you start out by making birds?  They all vary so much and are so lifelike!

DBH: I did start to explore paper in a tridimensional way. After that I worked a bit with sculpture and wood. I think one day my experiences just mixed up with what I had learned and I came up with some bodies of animals. And then I found the bird shape that I have been working for some 2 years now. It has been a long process of observation and hard work. Now I am happy with my latest works because they look very realistic. I am very visual so I work hard to get things done in the best way.

ST: As I was looking through your artworks I found myself really drawn to your Estudio del impacto de un movimiento en el espacio.  They are so vibrant and colorful.  You really are playing with space!

DBH: This was my early work that I had the opportunity to exhibit in Colombia. It was a study about how things form and move, and how in this movement things transform and mutate. It was an abstract work that allowed me to explore things in a basic way. This was also the beginning of the use of paper.

ST: What tools do you need for your practice?  Any special paper or techniques we should know about?

DBH: It is basically a blade, scissors, paper and glue. Everything comes from cutting and placing elements over structures that I do also in paper. That is called a tridimensional collage.

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  Is there something you do to get you into the mood to create?  When you were making the Birds of Florida would you go bird watching to see them in action?

DBH: I have been always very inspired. I remember spending hours when I was a child drawing, or making plasticine or clay figures. This is a part of me that I have done ever since I was young. I wake up to this everyday, it is like a need for me. I don’t have much of a plan really, but I sit with what I find on my table or in my studio, and I play to create compositions, to match colors, or shapes, to draw lines.

In January 2013, I went to Florida and took my camera with me, I started to follow all this animals and particular birds and takes photos of them. After I came back I received an invitation to create a group of works and I was very happy because I knew about these birds.

ST: When you were a kid did you always go to the zoo or the forest?   Have the native animals of Colombia made an impact on you?

DBH: I think it has been extremely important my background. Colombia is very diverse country and we as kids grow finding animals everywhere. I remember about going to the zoo a couple of times, but this animals never seem happy to me. I’d much rather to see the animals in the wild, it was a big surprise. I remember a lot woodpeckers and parrots. My mom allowed us to have all kind of domestic pets, I even had a cow, so yes, I have a strong connection with nature cause it was a part of me.

ST: That says it all! Your childhood friends were animals of every kind

DBH: I have a son who is 6 years old, his name is Simon. Since Simon was born I found motivation to teach him how to relate with nature. We found a nice way to admire and to respect. In my opinion this is something we need to teach children a lot because they need to grow strong for the future. Simon used to pick flowers, but one day when I took him out and showed him that there were lots of insects that benefit from these flowers he learned to respect them. Since then he draws everything he wants to have or everything he likes. We found in art a way to own things and collect without making any significant damage.

ST: Diana, you have taught us so much about how we can respect nature more. We must take care of each other for future generations to see the beauty on Earth! Thank you for sharing with us. Please keep us posted on your upcoming exhibitions and creations. To see more of Diana’s work, please go to her website at http://dianabeltranherrera.com.

 

 

 

Stephanie Chambers is a 2003 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She lives in New York, where she is originally from and works out of a studio space in Brooklyn. Her work has been shown at galleries in New York, San Francisco, Providence, Canada, Finland, Taiwan and Germany.

Scribble Town (ST): Stephanie, your new body of work, Emerging from Darkness, is so beautiful!  Your theme with animals continue, but this series have a sense of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for me.

Stephanie Chambers (SC): The body of work is about emerging from darkness and trying to always look toward the light. I used woodland animals in the forest at night to showcase this.

ST: How does this series connect to your other themes such as Overgrown and your Bird series.  What is something in your artwork that you are trying to figure out?

SC: I work with animals a lot as symbols in a narrative setting. I think a lot about how dense a forest is or how much life is in the ocean. I live in New York City, so I experience a different kind of saturation with people, cars and buildings. The paintings are how I imagine nature would look through an urban lens.

ST: Urban lens explains a lot! Where you were living in Finland isn’t urban at all and especially for a city person such as yourself.  What was it like living in Finland for you?  Did you go to the forest to observe the birds and then paint them for your Finland Birds series?  I see the influence of Finnish patterns and textiles in your paintings.

SC: I loved living in Finland! It was such a beautiful place. I was in the country next to a lake and beautiful birch woods at the Arteles Creative Center. Every day I rode a bicycle in a new direction looking for birds. I photographed them and also sat and observed them. The textiles were inspired from trips to vintage shops there.

ST: The country is lined with second-hand markets, which are like windows into somebody’s attic full of treasures. Did Finnish culture have an effect on your creations as well? How was this process different than your New York Birds series?

SC: The culture of Finland and Scandinavia is so visually considered. People think of it as sparse sometimes, but each piece is deeply considered. Being in that culture made me think more about my intentions in what elements I include in a painting. The NY Birds series was inspired from a love of birds in NY, but since I grew up with those birds it was hard for me to see the uniqueness of the NY landscape until I studied birds elsewhere.

ST: What other kind of artwork and mediums do you like to do and use?

SC: I love to make patterns and any kind of flying animal. My favorite mediums are pencils, wax/oil and acrylic paint.

ST: How did your creativity start to grow?  As a kid were you making art too?

SC: My parents were so supportive of me making art. My mom is an artist, so we always had time lots of time to paint and draw. I used to make my own superheroes and comic books. I also drew a newspaper daily and left it outside my parents, sister and brother’s bedroom doors, wrapped in a rubberband each morning.

ST: It’s so wonderful to have a family that nurtures your imagination to grow. In your case, you probably were as encouraging to your Mom as she was to your creativity.  What is something you’ve recently seen or heard that has triggered a splash of inspiration?

SC: The autumn in NY has been so beautiful this year. I went upstate to the Hudson Valley recently and felt so inspired by all of the color in nature. The city seemed so gray when I returned.

ST: Concrete just can’t compare to living leaves.  What are you up to now?  What is a day like with Stephanie Chambers like?

SC: Right now I’m getting ready for a solo show in Taipei, Taiwan at the Sonnentor Art Space next Spring. I’m finalizing the concept for the show and trying to find inspiration outdoors. I draw and paint every day and I just finished a series of Winter birds for Buy Some Damn Art, which launches on Tuesday.

ST: Please keep us posted on your show!  Lastly, any advice for our Scribblers?

SC: Tips would be to remember to always have fun with what you’re making. Art should be something to enjoy doing!

ST: Thank you for taking the time to share with us, Stephanie.  Scribblers have a look at http://stephaniechambers.com to view more of Stephanie Chambers’ artwork.

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): Píccolo, a collaborative illustration team, is the dynamic duo Sara Barnes and Lisa Perrin!  These two artists are good at what they do because they bring art to you and help spread the word of unforgettable images from various illustrators. Sara and Lisa are inspirators and makers of the moment.

Sara: Hi! I’m Sara Barnes and I am creative person living in Baltimore, Maryland. I am originally from the city of fountains and land of barbecue, Kansas City, Missouri. You can find me running, baking, making art, or coding on my computer.

Lisa: Salutations! My name is Lisa Perrin (I go by my last name for my personal illustration work: www.madebyperrin.com) I am originally from Long Island, New York but now reside in charming Baltimore, Maryland. I can often be found illustrating, designing, pondering and teaching, as well as spending time with my beloved rabbit companion: Blanche DuBun.

ST: What are you two up to these days?  I can only imagine what a day with Sara and Lisa looks like.  I’m sure Piccolo takes a bunch of your time and I think it’s worth it!

Píccolo: We are always organizing new Píccolo projects and events! Right now we are preparing for the upcoming Baltimore Book Festival where we will have a table. We will be selling our petite prints, ‘to market’ tote bags, and a brand new collaborative artist’s book. We are working with 6 amazing illustrators and cannot wait to see it all come together.

A typical day with Lisa & Sara looks pretty adorable! We really share all of the responsibilities that come with running a small business. We divvy up sending and responding to emails, utilizing social media, updating the website, and so on. We generally include snacks in all of our business meetings.

ST: Can’t go wrong with snacks Your tote bags are great!  I can carry my apples, pens, and books for a day out in the park.  You girls have accomplished so much. Tell us how Píccolo began.  When did you start creating tote bags and prints?  How do you two creatively work together?

Píccolo: Píccolo began in a fancy coffee shop where it was hard to find a table and even the napkins were really nice. It was the summer before the final thesis year of our graduate program. We knew we wanted to collaborate and had a shared love of well made illustrated products. We did a Kickstarter to get our Petite Print Project off the ground in early 2013 and the rest as they say is history! Our line of tote bags were created this summer for an arts festival and to use at farmer’s markets, gallivanting around town, and more!

ST: And then poof! Píccolo popped up! From what I have read online, you both are illustrators.  Was there somebody that encouraged you to be creative?  If there is a story of your path to finding this medium that fits you so well, please share.

Píccolo: Sara has been a working illustrator but has shifted her focus to curating illustration and running her blog, Brown Paper Bag. Lisa is currently freelancing under her penname, Perrin.

Sara: My parents always encouraged me to be creative and supported me in whatever I do. I am very grateful for this. I started out by taking art classes when I was younger and trying out as much stuff as I could. Eventually this lead me to oil painting, which later lead me to Baltimore to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). While I thought I’d major in painting, I quickly decided that illustration sounded better. I enjoy reading and interpreting text visually, so I thought illustration would be a better fit. I was right! I liked it so much that I went to graduate school for it, too.

Lisa: I was always creatively encouraged by my mother, another creative lady! And my different art teachers were influential as well. My path to illustration was hardly linear. I always loved beautiful pictures and drew compulsively, but I always had lots of varied interests. I was also a pretty serious theater kid too. Ultimately, I went to a liberal arts college and earned a BA in English and a BFA in Painting. I took some time off and then scooted off to grad school at MICA to try and be an illustrator for real.

ST: What inspired you to form Píccolo? Where has this amazing endeavor taken you to?  I’m sure with many surprises along the way!

Píccolo: We knew we wanted to work together. We have unique and different skill sets, but are united in how we feel about illustration, that it is accessible and ubiquitous. Our mission has always been to produce quality illustrated products that are accessible to everyone. We endeavor to promote the illustrators we work with and make things that we would want ourselves.

So far, it has been a pretty amazing ride! We had a table at Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival, successfully funded a Kickstarter, and recently we went to NYC and Brooklyn to do studio visits with illustrators that we admire. Everyone we have met and worked with has been so genuine and friendly. Making amazing creative pals has certainly been the best part.

ST: When you develop an illustration what is your creative process like?  Also, how is it different for the works created for Píccolo?  What are some favorite tools you like to use to create?  Both of your styles are so unique yet the choice of medium you two choose really brings out the subject in the picture in a perfect way.

Sara: I was always taught to sketch first. I look back at past things I’ve drawn and see if I’d want to incorporate them into what I’m working on. I sketch in pencil first, a bunch of little sketches to try and get the composition how I want it.

From there, I refine my sketch and eventually use it as a blueprint for what I will make. If I am feeling stuck, I will often send work in progress to Lisa, because she really understands my style and how I work.

Lisa: My process begins with lots of thoughts. It Is not unusual for me to just think about an illustration I want to make for days or weeks before it really starts to happen. Then comes sketching and research followed by the revising process. Lately I start everything pencil and scan it in to create my piece digitally. I always send things to Sara in progress because I value her eye and opinion. I don’t think you can have a good collaboration without that mutual respect for each other’s opinions. I always value her feedback!

For Píccolo we give the illustrators certain parameters, like size and color palettes, but generally we give them a lot of freedom to create a unique illustration. Generally, we like letting our artists have a lot of freedom, because we feel that it allows them to make work that they really love!

ST: For a couple of curious cats, as you two seem to be, what are some other hobbies or interests you like?

Sara: I really enjoy running. I am currently training for a half marathon, and am planning a marathon for early 2014. I also have a major sweet tooth and like to bake cakes and cookies.

Lisa: I love thrifting and hunting down inspiration. I enjoy the process of discovering something that gets me excited and then learning as much as I can about it. I like snacks, movies, and cute animals on the internet.

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  Or is there a time of day that better suits these bubbles of creativity?  Who or what is inspirational for you these days?

Sara: My morning routine inspires me. I am an early bird, and make my best creative decisions after I go running, make a cup of coffee, and turn on the radio. Not many people are up as early as me, too, so there is little distraction! I too am inspired by what I see on the web, including blogs, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Lisa: I actively make a point of getting out of my house to go to a studio space because I find fewer distractions helpful for creative productivity. For me it is not about a specific time of day so much as having a sizable chunk of available time to work. I need to know I have a couple of uninterrupted hours on hand (which is easier said than done!) I get inspired by amazing illustrations I see on tumblr and pinterest. I am also a very avid museum goer and Baltimore has got some gems!

ST: What is your studio environment like?  Is there a Píccolo in Baltimore?

Píccolo: We had a studio space while we were in graduate school together. Now we meet mostly in coffee shops. A lot of our process takes place through emails and social media too. Sometimes we see buildings for rent or sale and loftily dream of creating a real Píccolo headquarters. For now we work more simply, and there is a cat or a bunny around, and all is well.

ST: Thanks Sara and Lisa for sharing with us your own artwork and all about Píccolo!  I think it’s incredible that two friends can make their dream come together.  With snacks, of course!  Ok, Scribblers, let’s check out Píccolo at http://shop.heypiccolo.co!

Scribble Town (ST): Daniel Tillman is an artist and artist representative for C3 Designs. He’s a doer and a maker. And as you can see he brings beauty to blankets in warm ways you haven’t yet imagined.

Daniel Tillman (DT): Hello, my name is Daniel Tillman, through C3 Designs I represent artists and designers, who make products for the architectural community. It took a number of years but I’ve been able combine quilt-making into my business. I live in New York with my wife and two children. They’re not really children any longer, my oldest daughter is 24 years old and my youngest is 20. In one form or another I’ve been working with textiles for more than 20 years.

ST: What are your days usually like?

DT: During the day I help artists and craftspeople bring their beautiful designs to market. I work with architects and designers to find the right artisan for their projects, maybe a hand-knotted rug, crown moulding or hand-blown glass lamp. Sometimes I get to put my own work into the project. At night, and on the weekends I like to sew. I became interested in quilting after seeing a show by the artist Nancy Crow. Her work is extraordinary, the shapes and colors. I’m also very drawn to Amish quilts, I like the subtle color play as well as the fact that they were made to be used and not just admired.

ST: It’s wonderful that you are part of the process of bringing artists and their work into the public eye and people’s homes. When did you start creating quilts? How did you discover this medium and was there somebody that encouraged you?

DT: I began making quilts twenty years ago, at the urging of my wife Cyndi. She’s a wonderful seamstress and knows her way around fabric and sewing machines. It was a way for me to keep busy, instead of sitting down in front of the TV. One of the first quilts, I made, and still one of my favorites was for my oldest daughter, when she was very young. She would draw on the quilt, in chalk, while I was at work and then I would stitch the drawing at night.

ST: Wow! What a collaboration between you and your daughter! And all with the great encouragement of Cyndi. Can you please tell us more about your quilting technique? What kind of stitch or patterns do you use? Quilting is a tradition in many cultures, such as with the Japanese and Amish.  Is there one type that you often look towards for inspiration?

DT: Aside from the color play of Amish quilts I am also inspired by Japanese sashiko. Their stitches are so tiny and precise. I strive to do that whenever I can, with my work. I generally machine piece the quilts, I like the durability that that brings to the structure, but as I put the three layers together, backing, batting and top I prefer to hand-quilt. It is more time consuming but very rewarding.

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?

DT: For the past six years I have been a co-director of the International Interior Design Association Sustainable Quilting Bee. The design field uses many many yards of fabric samples every year. When those designs are discontinued the fabric ends up in a land fill. The aim of the Sustainable Quilting is to have architecture firms design their own quilts and then work as teams throughout the year, at the end of which we have an auction to raise money for a charity. The samples get re-purposed into something entirely different The beauty of the project is that these very creative people get to have an outlet once a month, at the Bee, to be creative with their peers.

ST: What are some other forms of art you practice?

DT: My other creative outlet is drawing. I have been trying to translate my drawings into a quilt but to date it hasn’t worked as well as I would have liked. The advantage is that quilts are large and unwieldy while drawing is something that you can always do, no matter where you are.

ST: I think you’ve connected the drawing and your quilting quite well! I can also see how your drawing could be a start for an embroidery pattern.

DT: I would like to share a technique for designing fabric that I learned last year. It was a bit messy, but really fun. You take a piece of cotton fabric, others will work but cotton is readily available. Soak it in vinegar until it’s dripping wet. Lay the fabric on a garbage bag outside and then place nails or other objects that will rust on the fabric in a design. Cover the fabric with another garbage bag and leave in the sun for 24 hours that will usually be enough. The vinegar and the sun speed up the rusting process. After it has sat outside for a day or so take the fabric and set it in a bucket of water with salt added. The recipe I used wasn’t very clear, but a couple of table spoons should be plenty. Let it sit in the bucket for 15 minutes and then remove. The salt sets the dye so that it should be fairly permanent. You will want to wash it after this, because it will smell a bit.

Thank you for this opportunity to introduce you to quilting and I hope you’ll try putting fabrics together. It’s a wonderful entry into creating something of your own.

ST: Thank you Daniel for sharing with us! Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s C3 Designs at https://c3design.wordpress.com.

Scribble Town (ST): Watch the above video and you’ll see why with an introduction like that we all think that Jerry Belich is a talented artist with a great sense of humor! Jerry, where are you and what are you up to these days?

Jerry Belich (JB): Spatially, I live and work in Northeast Minneapolis. I’m native to MN, but have been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit, including five weeks in London this past winter where the Choosatron was a big hit. I’m the senior mobile developer at Clockwork Active Media, I’m finishing up a movie swede of David Lynch’s Dune, and have been doing a few improv shows in the theatre community! I keep myself busy.

ST: Wow! On top of it all, I’m sure very busy trying to raise funds for Choosatron: Interactive Fiction Arcade Machine.  I first stumbled upon

Choosatron on Kickstarter and your idea sounds great.  Please let us know what the Choosatron is and what you are raising funds for.  We’d like to help you!

JB: Put simply, the Choosatron is small device that prints and plays Choose Your Own Adventure inspired stories. I was trying to think of something I wanted to build, and I thought back to the interactive books I read as a child, along with trips to the arcade. Since I built the first Choosatron, the excitement from both adults and kids has been incredibly motivating. I realized how fun it would be to use, not just as a toy, but a creative platform. It’s a lot of fun to play, but I’m excited to raise the funding for building the writing platform to go along with the device itself. In the broadest sense, I want to raise funding to build a bridge between the technological and creative, with storytelling at the center.

ST: When did you start creating interactive toys/games/play/amazing machines?!  The thing is that you do so much! You are playful renaissance man. Was there somebody that encouraged you?

JB: I started creating my own interactive stories as a kid. I’d gather friends around, make up a beginning to a story, and give them each a turn to describe what they wanted their character to do in the world. It was my earliest form of roleplaying, though I never participated as a player, only as the game master. From there, making interactive stories and adventures on grid paper, to writing games in basic on an ancient computer. Game design and storytelling have always been lingering in my mind. More recently, it was a client working on the creative for a big installation project in Las Vegas that mailed me an Arduino after I mentioned my interest on a call. I’ve developed software for over a decade, but hadn’t done much tinkering with electronics. I’ve always worked to create more than I’ve been willing to advertise it, so many of my projects get completed, and then a spot on the shelf. It’s due to the encouragement of others that I’ve been more forthcoming. Not out of shyness, but honestly not expecting anyone to find any of it interesting.

ST: What inspired you to make Choosatron? How did the idea develop- conceptually and design wise?  What made you choose text as the source of communication rather than images?

JB: Arcade machine and interactive stories. Specifically choice based, where narrative still has a stronghold over each step in the story. Sandbox games are endless fun, but for very different reasons, and I prefer to get lost in the story. Text is what I’m used to working with. I can’t draw to save my life, so there wasn’t much of a choice. That being the case, I did work on an interactive story using only pictures for the Little Printer by BERG at their second hack day in London. It was called “Ways to Die”. Once a day you’d get an image, starting with you washing up on the shore of an island. It would print a few QR codes, and the one to scanned first would determine the path for the next day. It might take a week, or even two, but one way or another you’d meet a terrible end on the island. I thought it was hilarious.

ST: When you develop software what is your creative process like?  Would you call yourself a software developer?  Your talents run all over the place!  What are some other hobbies or interests you like?

JB: I tend to design as much in my head as possible, and then create the skeleton for the software I’m going to write. It’s all generally quite practical in that sense. What language, what platform, what are the constraints…you have to be pretty organized and have a process in order to work on a lot of projects at once. I’m already scatterbrained enough as it is. Software, and now hardware, is my career. I spend the rest of my time writing stories, putting together or taking part in improv shows, playing the theremin, and making videos or animation. I love hobbies and variety, so will just pick something up for a while and see if it comes in handy, like knitting or building puppets.

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  In other words, is there a time of day that better suits these bubbles of creativity?

JB: I’m an extrovert, so being around people gives me energy. I also find the white noise of public places soothing, and have an easier time getting tasks done. I’ve carefully crafted my spaces at home to reduce how easy it is to get distract or too ‘comfortable’, but ultimately I can only get so much done at home. It used to be late at night was my most productive time, but I discovered that it was just being uninterrupted that helped. Actually, even just KNOWING I won’t get disturbed gets me into the right frame of mind quickly. The other element that helps is having access to the minds of whoever I know can help me with a creative problem since I work things out best by trying to explain them to someone. I really have these terribly opposed needs to get through my creative cycle which gets maddening sometimes.

ST: What is your process for getting your work out of your head? Do you sketch with pencil, paint, computer graphics, talk with certain friends for some good dialogue etc. ?

JB: Ah, well just was I was saying above! It’s talking and dialogue. I feel a strange disconnect between what I see in my head and what I’m able to jot down. I hate it because it makes capturing certain ideas much more difficult. I use a combination of a notepad that is always in my back pocket, a small pressurized pen in my front (I hate pens that stop working the moment you need them), and talking everything out with friends and professionals.

ST: What is your studio environment like? This is where the magic happens!

JB: Organized, at least usually. I get very anxious when I’m in big time crunches that don’t allow me to keep my work (and sometimes not work) spaces clear. I like large tables where I can spread out, and see everything at once, which is helpful for my absent mindedness. There are usually post-it notes with various types of todo lists, and a specific balance of comfort and utility. I want to want to be in my work space, but not want to take a nap.

ST: Since I haven’t yet played with the Choosatron, the idea led me to Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies game.  Your game brings the player to the next level of the story all and Oblique Strategies helps the player break creative blocks by moving progressively forward, like a story does.  What games do you like to play?  Also, any game theorists you often looks towards for inspiration?

JB: Oblique Strategies is an interesting example. They created something for themselves in order to inspire themselves. In that fashion, the Choosatron is similar. I’ve created a tool that gives me a framework to write and design in a completely fresh way. The content of the cards themselves don’t do much for me though. I’m particularly fond of cooperative games, especially when players are not forced to cooperate with each other, or when one of you isn’t who they seem. I’m fascinated by the influences that cause people to band together and turn on each other. I love Betrayal at the House on the Hill and Red November quite a bit. Munchkin is a fantastic game. My new favorite is Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards. I don’t know that I have specific game theorists that I look to, but I love exploring well known theories such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma within different mediums, and seeing how storytelling can affect the perception of the players. I’ll stop there as I could probably go on endlessly if you let me!

ST: Yes! You’ve given us, Scribblers, all whole lot to think about and plenty of inspiration to get started on making our own inventions, stories, and games.

JB: I think the scariest moments in life, especially creatively, are taking the first step to starting something new. You don’t know if you’re doing it right, or well (and in fact probably aren’t), but you have to push through that in order to find the really great work you are capable of. You need to make the mistakes, gain the confidence, and practice. Trust yourself, and you’ll be rewarded for it!

ST: Thanks Jerry! That’s perfect advice! Just make your idea come true and let’s see where that shall take us. For more information on Jerry Belich and his artwork, please visit his Choosatron website and Monkey with a Mustache Entertainment.

Scribble Town (ST): The perfect combination of image and words made by Susa Talan brings the meaning of the highlighted quotes to new visions. Susa’s artwork speak to me. The voice of the author from the quote she bases her artwork on is heard. And I think I’m not the only one! She is often on the move so I wonder, where are you, Susa, and what are you up to these days?

Susa Talan (Susa): At the moment, I’m spending time on a beautiful lake in Southern Maine. My partner and I moved out of our tiny home in rural Massachusetts in May and have spent the spring and summer traveling and visiting with friends and family before deciding where to make our next home. We have lived and traveled in many places over the last 6 years–both in the US and abroad (England, China, Burma, New Zealand, Australia). We like to travel. I actually find it inspiring to draw when we are on the move. That said, I am in the middle of a 365 day illustration project, so I am drawing every day and also starting a small stationery line. It’s definitely more challenging to do all this on the move! So as September looms, we’re both feeling ready to make a home again.

ST: The movement of travel and seeing everything new and unexpectedly is very exciting! Drawing on the road is a great way to capture it all. When did you start illustrating? Was there somebody that encouraged you? If there is a story of your path to finding this medium that fits you so well, please share.

Susa: One of my strongest early memories of illustration is from middle school. I did a project on Walt Disney, the artist, and I made a poster full of Disney characters that I hand-drew myself. I really appreciated how precise and detailed those drawings were and I learned from his example. I loved that poster and kept it on the wall of my bedroom. I still have a vivid memory of what it looked like!

My earliest experiences with art, however, come from my time in elementary school. I attended The Common School, in Amherst, Massachusetts which is deeply rooted in creative learning through art, theatre, music, the outdoors. For nine years I was given the choice to draw as a morning activity, surrounded by art materials and free time to explore them. Because of this, my relationship to learning and to making things–anything, really–is naturally integrated with my impulse to make art. I also have a creative older sister who is a musician and an artist. So both at school and at home there were really immediate artistic influences.

For many reasons I moved away from art and poetry in high school and it wasn’t until my senior year in college, that I ended up in a poetry class, by some small miracle, and it really changed the course of my life. I dropped my senior thesis in psychology and I started writing poems again. It wasn’t long before I was painting and immersing myself in art. Over the next 7 years, I went to museums and galleries and poetry readings. I read artist biographies and explored painting. I reconnected with my love of both writing and art–and even began, for the first time, to combine them by putting text and language into my paintings. This has always been a very deep wish. To bring text and words into my art. Among many, one person who influenced me during this time is Janeen Koconis, the artist behind the very successful cards, KOCONY. I loved her work. I still love her work. I never met her, but I bought her cards over and over again. She was the first person who I saw putting text together with art in such a way that really moved and inspired me.

Though I desperately wanted to go to art school, I was afraid that I couldn’t make a career of art. I was convinced that it was impractical and so I made a very practical decision to become a teacher and go to graduate school in education. I loved children and teaching came naturally to me, so there were many good reasons to have made this choice. And this became my focus for many years—nearly 15 in all. I worked in schools as a teacher and then a tutor and later I consulted with teachers and parents. I still care deeply about the development of children and their experience of learning.  And even today, I run occasional parenting workshops for parents.

Over all these years, my deep love of art and poetry stayed alive in lots of ways. I made cards for friends. I made small paintings. I wrote in a journal and I wrote poems. I eventually even went to art school for one year, in my early thirties. Unfortunately, it was a year of artistic struggle that felt a lot like artistic failure. I didn’t know how to make the kind of art I truly wanted to make. I didn’t know how to trust my artistic voice. At the end of the year, I left feeling very discouraged. I abandoned art-making altogether.

In 2006, a family crisis put everything in perspective and I left my home and life in Boston to join a Buddhist meditation center. For the next 3 years, I didn’t make any art and immersed myself in meditation and contemplative practice. Eventually, I left the center and life took me back to teaching and education and travel.

One day, without plan or preamble, I picked up a single micron pen and an old sketchbook. I started drawing. I drew and drew and drew. So many wonderful things began to happen! I drew butterflies and trees. I drew people and buildings and birds and dogs and patterns. This went on for a year and then another year. Eventually, words starting coming, too. Words of my own and quotes from people I admired and read. Poets, writers, scientists, biologists, artists. Anyone who had inspired me. Eventually, one thing led to another. Two different singer-songwriter friends asked me to illustrate their album covers. I bought the Adobe Creative Suite and learned Photoshop and Illustrator. In December, 2012, on my 39th birthday, I committed to giving myself a year of daily gratitude, a year of making illustrations every day, a year of creative discipline.

And the rest, as they say, is history. I am finally living the dream of making art full-time. I’m selling my cards in stores around the US, as well as working on a 2014 calendar and a 365 Days of Gratitude book.

ST: I love the way you told your story! Your earnestness for art making is very much felt in the vibrant way you use words. And now we have a calendar full of your artwork to look forward to!

When you illustrate what is your creative process like? Does your image come after your quote or vice versa? How do you come across these amazing and meaningful quotes?

Susa: My creative process is pretty much the same each time I work, with some variation depending on the project. Most often, I start with a quote or words. Choosing them, selecting them, is it’s own process. There are so many writers whose words have kept me company over the years that finding authors is not the challenge. The hard part is finding quotes that pass something like a sparkle test. Which basically means it moves me, pretty instantly, in some deep way. Like a little whir or spark. A hit of recognition. Because there are a million wonderful quotes out there, but not all of them produce that sparkle in me—something that feels universally meaningful. It’s hard to explain. But I know right away when I come across a quote if it will work.

Once I have some quotes, I look for one that produces a similarly quick visual idea. Since I’m working with a daily deadline for the gratitude project, I don’t have much time to re-work an idea. If a quote with sparkle gives me an image, I run with it and start drawing. If it doesn’t produce an image right away, I put it on hold and keep looking.

ST: Time and silence are sometimes the best way for ideas to rise to the top. Please tell us a bit about your 365 Days of Gratitude project. What day are you on?

Susa: The 365 Days of Gratitude project was conceived as both an exercise and a gift. On the creative side, I was looking for a long-term project that would get me working everyday under a deadline. Last fall, I discovered the work of artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon who was only a few months away from finishing a 365 Days of Hand-Lettering project. I was so inspired by her work and her commitment to this year-long project. I knew I wanted to do something similar. On a personal level, I wanted to offer myself a year of gratitude for my 40th birthday year. That seemed like a meaningful way to enter my fourth decade of life. So I started the project the day after my 39th birthday. It will finish at the end of December 2013.

Some days I have to remind myself of what I’m grateful for. That sounds kind of funny given that I’m engaged in a daily gratitude project. But it really feels like part of the path of being human. Don’t we all need reminders to be kind, to feel something directly and not just think about it? So that’s a big part of this project for me, personally. I try and remind myself throughout each day what I’m grateful for. And then creatively, it’s just been amazing to evolve artistically this year and be working so much each day. Today is Day 218!

ST: It must be nice to wake up and be totally aware of which day it is and how it places in context to the yearly calendar. Sometimes I don’t even know what day it is!

What is your process for getting your work out of your head–do you sketch with pencil, paint, computer graphics, etc?

Susa: I don’t sketch or plan out my drawings much beforehand. Once an initial idea comes into my mind, I run with it and the drawing evolves while I work. Most of my drawings come out in one take. I don’t tend to re-work or redo a drawing.

Once the image is done, I’ll scan it into the computer. If any minor edits are needed, that happens in Photoshop. Once the lines of the image are set, I’ll bring it into Illustrator and colorize. In terms of my tools, I work with about 5 different sizes of black micron pens.

ST: When you are creating these days what kind of music are you listening to? What is your studio environment like?

Susa: I don’t tend to listen to music when I draw. I enjoy silence and find it pretty necessary for the kind of concentration I use during the drawing phase. It doesn’t need to be pin-drop silent. I just like a quiet space, and the natural sounds of life happening around me. Once I enter the computer phase, I do listen to music and often to podcasts. My current favorite is “On Being” with Krista Tippett. Even though I don’t often listen to music while I’m working, music is a big part of my creative life. I play guitar and it provides a really different, but complimentary, creative outlet. So lots of inspiration there. Recently, I’ve been going back to Paul Simon. I came across his album “Graceland” and forgot how much I love it. He’s such an innovator.

ST: Many childhood family road trips were spent belting out Paul Simon. I should bring him out again too! Out of all of the quotes and sayings you have depicted, which one holds a very close spot to heart at the moment? For me, Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote for Day 199 really spoke to me and your picture made it all the more clear, tangible and understandable.

Susa: Each gratitude page holds a different connection and relationship for me. And yet, over the year, different pages do, inevitably, feel more or less impactful. Right now, Day 207, the Ernest Hemingway quote, “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them” has been a strong one for me. I was really pleased with how the illustration came out and felt it embodied what I had hoped to with the quote—which is so potent, so true, in my experience. The practice that the quote implies, moving towards trust when you feel untrusting, is a deep one.

ST: Susa, you have touched us and opened our eyes to many great people who value life and being. Thank you for that! To see more great artwork by Susa, please visit her website, http://susatalan.com/.

Special treat today is ‘Drawing with Susa Talan’ on the Scribble Shop! To do the art activity with Susa, you can click here. Let’s enjoy the moment, but I have to say that I’m getting giddy for the Susa’s 2014 calendar and 365 Days of Gratitude book. Check back for more details!

Scribble Town (ST): The world is your canvas!  Visual artist Andres Amador proves that to be true with his landscape art whose primary canvas currently is the beach.  After you read more about Andres I think you’ll be inspired to create with the earth and appreciate it for all its beautiful components that make it fresh, colorful and alive.

Andres Amador (AA): I call myself an Earthscape Artist, though this feels to more capture the heart of my pursuit- engaging the natural world at the landscape level using natural materials.

ST: I think Earthscape Artist encapsulates what you are doing and what the art is about!  Where are you and what are your days like?

AA: Currently I reside in an open-walled, safari-style tent on a family homestead farm outside Grass Valley, California. When I am not working on the farm, I am working on projects for clients and developing the next iterations of my art.

ST: You live and work with nature- both with sand and soil.  When did you start creating beach murals?

AA: I started in 2004. The idea came to me as I was studying crop circles and sacred geometry while on vacation in Hawaii. I was on the beach explaining concepts to a friend when, like a bolt from the blue, I saw what could be possible on the beach.

ST: Wow! I can imagine the blue bolt came straight out of those Hawaiian blue ocean waters! You never know how these ideas will volcano out from your imagination. When it comes to visualizing your projects, does the place inspire your style or is it the purpose of the drawing that takes precedence?

AA: In general the design is primary. However, there have been opportunities in which the shape or limitations of a location suggested a certain way to work with it. There have been rare moments in which a location inspired a design.

Currently, now that I am using a remote controlled aerial camera, I will have the opportunity to truly work with the landscape- to know what it looks like from vantage points higher than I have been able to see from before and to capture the imagery. This is the cutting edge of my art development and has me quite excited.

ST: It’s great to see how technology is advancing your artwork not only with documentation but also with accessibility.  I can really see how the cave and the rocks guided the flow of your design elements!  What other forms of creativity do you do?

AA: At the moment I am appreciating origami- its tough! I also love contact improvisation dance, in which I have been developing a signature style. Sculpture weaves in and out. Cooking is a major love. Many creative thoughts pass by me all the time, like butterflies flitting about. It feels as though I am capturing and expressing such a tiny percentage at any particular time. As my major expression at the moment is the earthscape art, many of my ideas turn towards pushing its boundaries. Often this means entirely new lines of creativity being born and adapted to the beach.

ST: For a person that has so many different creative interests, sometimes it’s also good to just put more attention to one project or medium. How do you start planning your projects?  Some have been very big productions requiring a lot of help from others! What is then your process for creating it on the beach?

AA: The main thing I do is somehow capture the idea- whether as a sketch, a written note, a phone message to myself, a recording- whatever I have on hand. For the past 10 years I carry with me practically all the time a pencil case with pencil, sharpener, and flash cards. I have found flashcards to work the best for me. With them I can do many sketches of ideas and make variations then later group them into categories and later still select a few that would make good candidates for being on the beach. I also carry an iPod touch, the kind with a camera. I use it for taking notes, for doing recordings, and most usually for taking quick photos of inspirational imagery.

If there is geometry to work out then I will use Illustrator on the computer as it makes the process, and being perfect, very easy (with the geometric designs perfection is important).

Once on the beach I will turn to a number of techniques. Often I am coming up with new ones to fit the needs of the design. In general though, the main thing I am working with is keeping a sense of what is happening around me while I work from the inside. Its an acquired skill, keeping it together. With the geometric is about knowing the steps I have set for myself. With the organic designs its about knowing the process I am engaging, which shifts according to the design. I am always learning more. Now that I am using an aerial camera, the scale can go even larger, which means that the lines that have generally been good enough now much be much much larger to be visible. So there’s a constant re-orienting. For me that’s part of the fun. There is no ‘way’ to do it. It’s a constant exploration.

Here’s a guide I made to create a geometric design,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

which became this:

Below is a photo of an organic design.

ST: I really like the impermanent aspect of your work. So much effort only to last for a short time. I wonder in what ways do you document your work (to make it permanent : ) ).

AA: Impermanence was not an aspect I was looking to engage when I started. But its the overwhelming feature of the artwork. Often as I am working on a piece it is being simultaneously washed away. I was being filmed recently and as I finished and the film crew was flying a camera up, a huge wave bit into the art- too soon! We had to redo the creation the next day (fortunately we had that option!). Prior to this art form I was doing large sculptural installations. I still have a garage full of my art. I can’t let it go! With the beach, I have no choice, which is refreshing   Of course I do take care to capture my creations and so am dealing with digital detritus(!)

If someone didn’t know how large my works were, the designs alone would not be so impressive. But knowing that so much effort went into something with such a short lifespan creates a different impact. Attention is given to the work and the reasoning behind it. Philosophically, the aspect of impermanence has had a big impact on me. In the end, our own existence is temporary. Nothing that is made will last forever. We subconsciously anchor ourselves to what we feel is solid in the world. We act as though the lives we live have stability to them. But that is an illusion. When upheavals in life happens we are reminded that the only thing we can count on is change.

It can seem as though making my paintings on the beach is a pointless act. But in reality, all acts are ‘pointless’ in that there is no inherent meaning. When we are able to stand tall and enthusiastically create from our hearts unencumbered by such concerns, aware that all our acts and achievements are but drops in the rain but engaging regardless, the offering becomes even more powerful, more poignant, more infectious. It doesn’t matter what we do- if it is done as an expression of love- that is its own validation and it is then a true offering to the world.

ST: Even if your beach murals have faded, they have made an impact on who has experienced them. Have you done collaborative beach murals with other artists?  I got an idea- what about collage beach murals?!  Your murals would be a perfect stage for a performance- instead of a curtain you can draw the next props to set the scene!

AA: I’ve done lots of collaboration. I love collaboration- the mixing up of ideas and abilities. At the moment I am collaborating with the director of the Santa Cruz Symphony. I am always open to interesting collaborations. And I have done performance within the artwork [see image below]. I look forward to other opportunities to do interesting things within the art I create.

Over the years the art has dictated the documentation. As I got more serious about the art, I had to get more serious about the recording of it. I’m working on the next iteration of that trend as I shop the next level of camera I wish to use. I recently did a memorial ceremony artwork [see image below] that had about 200 participants, which was very powerful.

ST: Please tell us more about your Playa Painting Workshops.  How can we get involved?

AA: I haven’t been as active with the workshops since I moved from the San Francisco bay Area. However I do work with groups and very much enjoy working with schools. I am also looking to do some very large creations for which I will be putting out calls for assistance. The best way to be involved with something I do is to join my facebook fan page:

ST: Thanks Andres for all your insight and inspiration!  Scribblers, here’s an activity Andres came up for you to start with your own Earthscape Art.  Click here to have a look.  See you by the shore!