Can you tell us a little about the illustrations you submitted to Blanket
The illustrations featured in the Blue issue of Blanket, are taken from a developing series of ‘Triffid plants’. I have always had a fascination for flora and have spent many an hour drawing plants from life. As a trained Textile Designer, I have skills in turning these sketches into considered repeated patterns and placement prints. Taking influence from my design practice and a personal drive for truthful representation, I have challenged myself in the last year to step back from the plant specimen and experiment with a more fantastical exploration into plant forms, plant structure and the growth process. In saying such I have taken my botanical knowledge of plants and focused on the details, bringing together elements to create studies from my mind’s eye.
What inspires you to make art?
That’s a big question and one I find difficult to articulate. I have always created art in some form, whether it be painting, drawing, textiles, or working with sculptural forms. I can be inspired by a moment, a small textural detail, a colour, a pattern, science, everything and anything. It has never really been a conscious act. When I pick up a pen, something just comes out, almost of its own accord. The inspiration for the ‘Triffid plant’ series, was inspired my John Wyndham's novel ‘The Day of the Triffids’. If I had not created art I would be a Botanist. I am fascinated by the concept of plant life taking control and acting out against humans. We live our lives rarely giving consideration to how much flora sustains our existence. The Triffid series explores the concepts of genetics, survival or the fittest, and the mutations of species over time, a direct response to surviving against human arrogance and human actions. The resilience of plants is an inspiration. I find beauty in the colour, the form and the perfect composition of plant life. From total death and destruction, new life always forms. With the total obliteration of landscapes through the Victoria Bushfires, plant life will return to devastated landscapes, in so doing bringing hope to communities that their towns will rejuvenate. That first sprout of new life bursting through the surface brings me sense of joy, respect and love.
What would you like your art to express about you?
That I have a passion for detail and a desire to bring botanical art into a contemporary setting. I hope that my art allows people to take a moment and focus on those little details, and to appreciate the elements surrounding them, however trivial they may seem in the rush of our technological world. I would love it if someone walked away from one of my paintings with new sense of awareness of their place in our natural environment.
What have you learned from another artist lately?
To let go of fear and explore new avenues. To stop questioning your own abilities, and have the drive and passion to leap into the void! There are several artists I have stumbled across, that are working in collage media. I find this very interesting; I see this as the ultimate challenge. I am inspired by the freedom of colour and freedom of line, unbridled imagination. To take something with one purpose, and transform it into something completely new and separate from its initial intent.
What do you like about the Blanket community?
The Blanket community is so diverse, and inspirational. Blanket Magazine gives creative people a vehicle to share their skills, and to be showcased in a professional manner to the masses. It is an outlet for talent, for hidden and secret idiosyncrasies of the underground art world.
To see more of Amy's work visit her blog The Painted Forest
Can you tell us a little about the illustrations you submitted to Blanket?
All of the drawings I've submitted share a common theme. Each one deals with nature, growth and the connection of all living things. I know it sounds a bit silly, but it's something that has been on my mind for ages now. My most recent submission is called "kitsune", which is the Japanese word for fox. Like all of my drawings, it's done in simple lines with a subtle use of colour. I try to convey my ideas as simply as possible because I subscribe to the "less is more" mentality.
What inspires you to make art?
I've always seen art as a way to escape reality. If I get bored of or annoyed with the things around me, I can just create something I enjoy. I suppose my drawings come from a dissatisfaction with the urban setting I'm surrounded by.
Where do you get your inspiration for your artwork?
I can get inspiration from just about anything and at any time. I generally get ideas at the least opportune moments, like right before bed, or when I'm driving my car. I've learned I should always have a pen and paper on hand to record the nonsense I come up with. I think the two things that inspire me most are nature and folklore. I can sit for hours watching wildlife and travel shows on television, scribbling pictures of strange creatures at the same time. I also spend a lot of time on wikipedia reading about anything and everything and a lot of what I read gets incorporated at some point into my drawings.
What would you like your art to express about you?
I don't really have much of an ego, so people can take what they'd like from my work.
What do you like about the Blanket community?
I like anything that gives people the chance to express themselves and get their name out there. I think in many cases art communities are inaccessible to outsiders, so it's refreshing to see something like Blanket doing what it does.
{See more of Bens work here!}
Patrick Gunderson is rare. You know why? He thinks with both sides of his brain. And do you know what you get when that happens? You get a designer, a programmer, and an artist! It's three for the price of one.
Patrick specializes in digital interactive mediums. His work begins as a digital color map that he creates in Photoshop and he then uses a piece of software (that he wrote himself mind you!) in Actionscript (for Adobe Flash) to give the compositions their distinctive look.
This image explores the relationship that classical music has on our emotional reactions, where rhythm and harmony speak to the soul. (which probably explains why I thought it looked like it was dancing...)
'The Light' copyright Lindsay Blamey
We talk to Blanket 'Here's my work...' contributor Lindsay Blamey.
Can you tell us a little about the image you submitted to Blanket?
'The Light' is a self portrait from a series that is all about the unknown and the unexplored. It tells a fragment of the story and invites the viewer to fill in the blanks. What happened before this? Where is it going next? Who is that guy? This particular image is also about an awakening... the precise moment that someone realises they are on the wrong path and need to change.
What inspires you to make photographs?
I'm inspired by lots of things and this leads to a diverse body of work. I grew up in the country before moving to the city and I find a reoccurring theme in my work is 'Nature Vs Man' and how they relate each other. I like to explore the impacts that everyday life and society have upon individuals.
What subject matter do you enjoy photographing?
I enjoy finding the beauty in forgotten, overlooked subjects and presenting them in a different light that lets them shine. I also enjoy creating images which are like stills from a movie and invite the viewer to create their own story. Sometimes what isn't in the image is as important as what is in the image.
How do you handled the business side of being a photographer?
I enjoy creating works that are specifically design for residential interiors and exploring different materials and products can be very rewarding and satisfying. The main thing is to always enjoy the creative process and not let the business side of things get in the way.
What do you like about the Blanket community?
I love it when a new blanket comes out.. I like to flick through the pdf to get an injection of diverse, contemporay art from around the world. It's a great way to scratch that creative itch. Its always so fresh and is a great vehicle and launching pad for so many wonderful artists.
'The Conversation' copyright Lindsay Blamey
"The Harpooners" Jon MacNair
I spoke to emerging artist Jon MacNair, winner of last issues re_action, about his intricate and beautiful illustrations.
Can you tell us a little about the image you submitted?
I submitted a drawing entitled "The Harpooners." It's part of my most recent body of work that includes a bunch of ever-evolving characters, mostly animals or animal/human hybrids. As with most of my work, there's a narrative quality to it that seems to hint at a story, but it's never entirely clear what that story is. I like to think of each work as a little vignette or scene that you're getting a glimpse at. With this particular drawing, I wanted to convey a sense of adventure and mystery. I kind of imagined that the harpooners were on the hunt for sea monkeys, giant human sized ones. To the right of the boat you can see the tail of some aquatic creature. Is it a big fish? A mermaid? Or could it be the elusive, giant sea monkey? You decide.
Where do you get your inspiration for your artwork?
It's a real conglomeration of miscellaneous sources. Lately I've been really interested in Early Netherlandish art. I find the compositions, colors and meticulous handling of details really beautiful. A few years ago I became very intrigued by illuminated manuscripts and medieval tapestries and that is still a source of inspiration for me. Of course I love surrealism and symbolism and the artists of those movements like William Blake, De Chirico, Max Ernst and Henry Fuseli. As an illustrator I am inspired by the books I grew up reading as a kid. I love the work of Chris Van Allsburg, Tasha Tudor and Lane Smith. I'm also slightly obsessed with classical music by Russian composers and Russian animation.
Do you have recurring themes in your drawings?
I definitely have themes in my art that seem to keep popping up. I'm not sure how conscious I am of this while I'm working or how well I can describe them, but the condensed list would probably be: disguise, birth/death, night, silence, isolation, danger, the shifting of power, and the parasite/host relationship. Really, I'm more interested in figuring out why I'm drawn to exploring these particular theme and ideas, and what they reflect about me as a person.
Do you have a favourite drawing you have done?
I tend to get bored with my art pretty quickly after completion, so I usually like my most recent work the best. Right now I'm still liking a drawing I did called "The Mountains Wept for Her" which is loosely based on the death of my two cats.
"The Mountains Wept for Her" Jon MacNair
You recently set yourself the task of posting a new piece of artwork everyday for one year. What did you learn from this experience?
I decided to start up an art blog after being inspired by illustrator Martha Rich's "Freedom Wig" blog where she posted a painting a day for one year. I knew it was going to be a challenge for me because at the time I was sort of in a creative rut. I thought that if I got into the habit of drawing daily, it might help me stay out of those slumps and give me a inspirational boost. It was hard in the beginning because I was starting out by being in a rut, but as I kept going it got easier. I took some pressure off by reminding myself that the daily entries didn't have to be masterpieces and that it was more just about the act of drawing. I gave myself little exercises like doing blind contour drawings, which I hadn't done since freshman year of college. Some days it was hard to find the time to draw or even post the entries, so there were times when I got a little backlogged, but I always made up for those entries later. As time went on and I found that more people were looking at the blog, I got even more inspired to keep going. The feedback was positive and I felt almost an obligation to keep drawing and creating so those people would have something to look at. By the end of the year, I was actually feeling a little sad that it was almost over, but I was also feeling accomplished and somewhat relieved. It had been a very time consuming challenge, but it re-ignited something in me and I didn't feel the threat of creative slumps like I had in the beginning. I still post stuff on the blog occasionally, but I've really become enamored with the online art communities on Flickr. I've been exposed to a lot of amazing work on that site and have made many contacts. The response to my work has been wonderful.
Check out more of Jon's illustrations at: www.jonmacnair.com~ Bec
