This week I’d like to introduce Elizabeth Schuppe. Elizabeth is fine artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York. I have always been a huge fan of her paintings and so when she agreed to participate in this series, I was floored. Here is an excerpt from her site :

“Color, line, shape, texture, and light are the media that express the emotion in my work. Rather than creating a recognizable object, I use the elements of painting itself to allow the story to unfold. There is no plan in my painting, yet there is process. I let a color, a line, a shadow dictate what comes next.

The purpose is to create expression and emotion strictly out of shape and color – completely abstract. My best works are the ones that just happen, when I allow myself to be surprised.”

1. How long have you been painting? I have been painting since I was a kid but I really didn’t learn how to paint seriously until I was in college. I’ve been professionally painting for about 5 years.

2. Have you always painted abstractly or have you ever painted realistically? I only painted realistically when I was in school. As soon as I was allowed to paint freely – I went abstract. Even my realistic pieces were on the abstract side – it as just in my nature.

3. You mention on your site that there is not a plan in your paintings but can you expand on what your process includes? I always start with a color that I’m into at the moment. Once I put down a color and shape, that tells me what to do next. I just keep building from there – more colors and more shapes, always responding to the mark I made before.

4. A lot of the work on your website was created on a larger surface. Do you ever work on smaller canvases or paper? I haven’t worked on paper, or small, in a long, long time. Up until now. I had to give up my studio and have been forced to work at home so I started to work on small blocks of wood. But mostly my style of painting works better larger.

5. How do you spend your time painting? How long can the process take from start to finish? It’s really hard to say how long the process can take. It depends on so many (primarily) internal factors. Sometimes I can finish a piece in a week, other times it will take a month or two. I usually get to the studio in the morning. I work much better then. I’ll often work for four or five hours without much of a break except for a coffee or lunch. Once I’m into something I don’t want to stop. Things outside are so distracting and I always listen to music. Always. It keeps me company in an otherwise lonely profession.

6. How is the process different when creating a mixed media piece (compared to a painting)? I tend to be more careful when doing a mixed media piece. Maybe it’s because of the reactions that different materials have to each other, or maybe it’s because I feel less free with different materials. Other than that the process is quite the same.

7. How influential was your time in school compared to your time after school? I learned so much in school about how to paint the “right” way. How to mix colors, to see proportions but it wasn’t until I got out of school that I found my own voice. It’s a hard question to answer but I think I’d have to say my time out of school shaped more of who I am as a painter.

8. Do you sell the work that has already been created or do you take custom commissions? I only sell work that I’ve already created. I’ve done commissions in the past and they never have turned out how I wanted them to. I hate to make paintings that I’m not proud of at some point. It’s really hard when you don’t have control over the decisions.

9. If you could give one piece of advice to a fine art student, what would it be? Sometimes you need to take what professors say with a grain of salt. I once had a painting teacher that told me “never use white.” I didn’t listen and that was the right choice.

This week on MEET, I’m featuring Karmen Low. Karmen is a twenty-three year old designer in Grand Rapids and is so incredibly talented. Besides talent and great design, she’s also hilarious so enjoy this interview and take a look at her site and blog!

1. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? It was probably in 3rd grade when I came home from school with a note from my teacher informing my mom that on that day’s spelling test, I chose to illustrate the spelling words instead of spelling them. That summer she enrolled me in a summer art class, and I remain to this day, a horrible speller.

2. Do you have another talent/passion/hobby? I had trouble thinking of an answer to this question…I work way too much…so I’m open to suggestions as to what my new hobby should be. Just don’t say knitting. Been there, done that. It wasn’t pretty. I do enjoy photography quite a bit. It’s refreshing how you can take a picture and it’s either a good shot or a bad shot…it’s not so subjective. Here is a shot from a series I began my senior year in college. It’s been well over a year since I started it, and I really don’t know if I’ll ever feel like the series is complete…but here’s a sampling.

3. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? It has the be the classic 3 Ps. My parents, peers and profs. My parents have really empowered me to do what I love. My peers have always been so encouraging to me, while still challenging me to grow and stretch myself.  I owe a lot to them. And my professors have spurred me on when I was doubting that I had any business being in this profession in the first place. Many many thanks to all.

4. What inspires you? Truth (with a capital T), new freelance clients, running wild, caffeine, meeting new people with unfamiliar perspectives, furniture/interior/product design, joyful collaboration with great people. There can’t be great design without great ideas.

5. What medium still intimidates you? Painting makes me shake in my boots. And wedding photography gives me cold sweats. I photographed my first (and last…) wedding this summer for a friend. Hats off to all you wedding photographers out there…you are far braver than I am. Here are some of my favorites from the weekend.

6. What artistic trend do you dislike? Grunge. Ack.

7. What has been your favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? If I had to pick one…it would be Accession II by Eva Hesse.

8. Do you design full-time? If so- where and what has that experience been like? Right now I’m at Cornerstone University in GR as a designer. This job has challenged me in very unexpected ways. It’s broadened my knowledge base to include not only designing totally rad stuff, but also a fair amount of marketing, pre-press, strategy and branding — all in all, pretty useful stuff. I also volunteer on occasion as a masked super-villian whose sole purpose is to bring about the utter demise and annihilation of IE — one useless toolbar at a time. Or maybe that would make me a super-hero…

9. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? Well, first, I’m a serial dabbler. My job and degree are for graphic design, but I also do a lot of photography and web stuff on the side. When it comes to design, I’m completely gaga for design that makes you slap yourself in the forehead and say “why didn’t I think of that?” I don’t get to see/do that very much in my day-to-day groove, so when I do, it’s a treat.

My preference always seems to lean towards the simple, thoughtful, crafted, minimalistic, typography-driven. I truly believe in the mantra “form follows function”. Decoration can have function, but it can also detract. I always try to envision the setting in which my pieces will be experienced before I even put pen to paper. Good design is so logic-driven that if you don’t begin with the expectation of function and appropriateness, you’re kind of doomed. If you communicate what you need to say in the simplest way possible, then you’re off to a really good start.

This week I’m honored to share some thoughts and work from designer Ben Tousley. Ben is an extraordinary artist and is someone that I truly admire. His style is phenomenal and I was so excited when he agreed to participate in this series and share his work. Ben is twenty-three and resides in Bloomington, Indiana. Some of his work includes album art for Grizzly Bear, Holiday Shores, Rogue Wave, and Sondre Lerche (images below). Enjoy this interview! It is one of my favorites.

1. How long have you been designing and what are some of the most important or influential moments that have occurred since you started? I started designing in high school as an editor of our school’s news magazine. When I  came to college for design I was lucky enough to have some great freelance opportunities early on which have all been really important experiences while I’ve still been in school.

2.  Are you currently designing full-time? Right now, I guess I am essentially. In addition to working on freelance projects most of the time, I’m also a designer at the Indiana University Alumni Association. However, aside from that, I’m still in school until August of this year.

3. When you’re working on a project, what does your process look like? Is it different for every situation or are there components that exist throughout most of your projects? At this point, it really changes from project to project and is almost always dependent on who I’m working with. Everyone is different and I think with the type of work I’ve done so far it’s been important to feel things out at first to make sure everyone’s happy as things progress. For example, most of the time I’ve been working with bands who might not have worked with a designer before but still have a strong feeling for what they’d like. So, I’ve found it’s best to be sensitive to that at all times. It’s also been good for me because I think it’s helped me learn how to be flexible not only with the way I work but also the kind of work I’m doing. It’s no fun to do the same thing each time, in my opinion.

4. How do you stay motivated and how do you keep inspiration a part of your day-to-day life? There are so many people doing so many amazing things out there. I never feel like I need to look very long before I get that ever so inspiring “Ben, you’re worthless” feeling yet again. And for this I am thankful.

5. Are there any design trends that you’re really excited to see emerging? Are there any design trends that you wish would disappear? I’m not necessarily into any one trend over another as much as I am into people doing solid work. If anything, I think the trends get a little boring. I have some favorite artists out there, though. I could list them for days. That said, there’s nothing I’m particularly wishing would go away, either. It’s a lot more fun to just pay attention to the good stuff.

6.  How do you integrate print and web design in your work? At this point most all of my projects have been for print. I’ve recently been getting more into web design with a couple projects, but print work has generally been what I’m interested in the most.

7.  How do you connect, network and collaborate with others? Aside from a couple of random connections, I’m not really that good at networking and wouldn’t say I know what I’m doing. Or at least I don’t feel like I’m as good as I’m supposed to be? It’s not really something that bothers me too much either. I’ve felt very lucky to work with some wonderful people that I’ve really grown to love — I just hope to continue that.

Thanks to Ben Tousley for providing all this lovely work! Check back tomorrow for a new post in the “One Day” series.
 
 

This week on MEET, I am able to share the amazing work of Ashely Peifer! I was able to see Ashely paint throughout a semester at college and it was such a treat. Her work is phenomenal and I hope to place a piece of her work in my home in the near future. I started this series about two months ago and it is definitely starting to evolve. From this point on, you’ll see more specific questions being asked to bring a greater understanding of what these incredible artists do! Enjoy this interview!

1. You’re an extraordinary painter. Have you always painted? When did you start? My mom would say I was painting faces when I was three, but I didn’t start seriously painting until junior year of college. I had a really discouraging art teacher when I was in sixth grade, so I lost my childhood dreams of becoming an artist until I was a sophomore in high school. I remember drawing a bird with Prismacolor colored pencils, and it looked just like the picture. That was probably the moment when I got my confidence back.

2. I know you, at one point, studied graphic design in college. What made you switch to fine arts? Well, two reasons. One: to get out of the Dreamweaver class that I needed to complete to graduate; Two: because I found something that I was so happy doing.

3. Do you still enjoy graphic design? What types of design projects do you still work with? I do love graphic design! I usually just help my friends and family with logos and business cards, but I still occasionally take on a client. I really appreciate good design, but it’s so nice to sit back and be on the other side of it sometimes.

4. What is your favorite type of paint to work with? I love watercolors, acrylics, oils…basically all of them. I love experimenting so my pieces usually end up being mixed media. If I don’t like the way a painting is going, I usually just cover it in gesso. That’s where my most interesting pieces come from, I think.

5. Do you have any other favorite types of materials? YES. I love collage, so I am always on the lookout for really cool old books to tear apart, antique stamps, and plenty of mechanical pencils for some nice line quality.

6. Your collages are some of the best I’ve ever seen, what does your process look like when you’re creating a new collage? There’s a lot of layering, tearing, sanding,painting, and strategic placement of items. It looks like a disaster zone when I’m collaging!

7. Who are your biggest influences? For inspiration, I study a lot of Cy Twombly’s scribbly paintings, Terry Winter’s collage-like paintings, Robert Rauschenberg’s collages, and the minimalist drawings and paintings of Richard Tuttle. Also, whether it’s subconscious or not, my best friend (Kayla Plosz) and favorite professor (Bruce Campbell) influence my style quite a bit.

8. Do you have goals for 2010 as an artist? What are they? YES. I’m trying to find balance between working 60 hours a week and still making time to paint and build frames. Also, I’ll be applying to grad school for my MFA in the fall, so I need to get everything together and write a killer purpose statement.

This week I’m excited to introduce you to Chris Walker of Walker Photography. Chris is a twenty-two year old photographer located in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Chris has been incredibly busy this year working with clients in and around Columbus and I’m so glad he was able to be a part of this feature. Enjoy hearing a bit about his life as a photographer and feel free to connect with him through Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

1. When did you start working with photography? What type of camera were you first using? 2006/2007 Canon point and latter I shot with Nikon D80.

2. How has your style changed since you first started? It changes a lot due to whom I’m photographing and what it’s for. When working with designers, I’m trying to create images that fit both into the design itself and also portray the clients brand at the same time. But I would say I tend to have a contrasty bold style.

3. When a company or an individual approaches you for shoot or a project, what does that process look like?

• Find out what it is the client needs/wants so we are all on the same page.
• Find the location, someplace that fits with the client’s personal or professional brand, both if possible.
• Do the shoot.
• Process the images.
• Deliver the images to the client.

4. Who have you worked with in the Columbus community? How have you worked toward working locally and become professionally recognized? My current project is allowing me to work with some really cool people, Just last month I was able to photograph Jeni from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams [pictured below] and Artie Issac [picture above]. Two really cool people to meet and work with. I really love working with commercial based clients due to the stories they have. I’m all about hearing stories!

5. Who are some of your biggest influences when it comes to your style? I have no one person, I like a broad range of photographers from Joe McNally to Dave Hill.

6. What types of cameras do you work with now? I’m currently working with Canon cameras but would like to play with med format someday. It’s just way out of the budget right now.

7. What advice would you give to someone thinking about a career in photography or studying photography in college? Find out the best way for you to learn your craft and just network with the people you want to work with. It’s really the only way to get a business like this going.

MEET is my Tuesday series where I am able to feature an artist, their work, and share a few thoughts from them personally! This week I’m excited to introduce Megan Cook! Megan is a twenty-two year old illustrator and graphic designer located in Indianapolis. I have always been a huge fan of her illustrated books and large collages & paintings. I can’t wait to see the work she will continue to produce! Enjoy meeting Megan!

01. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? I’m not sure, but I fell in love with art in kindergarten. I had an art teacher who would make us popcorn to eat while we worked and would tell us stories about artists like Van Gogh and Georgia O’Keefe. She had a really profound impact on me.

02. Do you have another talents, passions, or hobbies? I really enjoy writing and reading the work of great writers. I have written a couple children’s stories and hope to continue my writing career alongside my design future. I have always loved stories and I think that is why I love art/design: everything has a story and you can choose to write it, or describe it visually.

03. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? My husband and my parents.

04. What inspires you? I find inspiration in a lot of different places: through other artists’ work, through reading, and through pictures or memories.

05. What medium still intimidates you? 3D mediums are hard for me to tackle: I’m a 2D thinker.

06. What artistic trend do you dislike? I dislike the returning 80s trends and colors: too many gross colors and patterns put together in thoughtless ways — but that applies more to fashion design right now.

07. What has been your favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? Tough question! I think I have lots of favorites. I really like George Braque’s collage work, and Paula Scher’s posters for the Public Theater’s New York Shakespeare Festival.

08. Do you create art full-time? If so- where and what has that experience been like? I have been doing art on the side right now, while searching for a way to do it full time. My experience in working other jobs that don’t literally relate to art has been an affirming one: the longer that I don’t work in the design world, the more I realize that it is what I want to do full-time.

This week’s MEET features one of my favorite bands, Kopecky Family Band. Band member Kelsey Kopecky was sweet enough to participate in the interview after traveling back from SXSW where they were performing. I met Kelsey about four years ago in Nashville while she was attending Belmont University and I’ve always been a fan of her music. Kopecky Family Band consists of Kelsey Kopecky (Vocals/keys), Gabe Simon (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Kaufman (Violin), Corey Oxendine (Bass), David Krohn (Drums), Steven Holmes (Lead Guitar), Markus Midkiff (Cello). They are located in Nashville, Tennessee and you can listen to their music here or follow them on Twitter. Their new album “The Disaster” is out May 2010 but you can download a couple tracks off their site for free! Enjoy the interview and enjoy the beats.

01. At what point in your lives did you know you’d be musicians? We all come from all over the US and met at Belmont University in 2007. Our musical backgrounds vary.. but mostly we are classically trained music enthusiasts that love creating art. I personally, (Kelsey) knew I wanted to be a singer when I saw a Monterrey pop festival documentary of Janis Joplin performing “Ball and Chain” at my grandma’s house. Everything about her passion and messy honesty won me over.

02. Do you have another talents, passions, or hobbies? David enjoys a great record and the latest tech news. Kelsey likes rock climbing and origami, Gabe loves video games, Markus likes to play chess, Steven likes traveling to his birthplace in the Philippines, Corey likes meeting new people and native American culture, Ben likes to drink coffee in the morning and tell jokes.

03. Where has your encouragement come from? We all come from great families. On our tours we’ve had the privilege of visiting the home towns of almost all 7 members. Each home is warm and welcoming. I think the support of our families and encouragement to sharpen our craft as musicians is the reason we are able to do what we do.

04. What inspires you? Gabe is inspired by ALL THINGS VIDEO GAMES! He’s probably the most talented video game player I’ve ever seen. I like to watch him play. It’s pretty wild.

05. What has been you favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? I know David, our drummer would probably say his record collection. David really cares about genuine artistry and the person behind the music. His favorite’s include Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Jack White, Bill Withers, Al Green, and of course The Beatles.

06. Is your music full-time? If so- what has that experience been like? Right now we are juggling school, part-time jobs and touring and recording. It’s definitely a struggle. The need to make music a priority in hopes of it being able to be a priority while paying your phone bill is a challenge. I think we do a good job of balancing it all. David is at Belmont finishing up his Music Business degree.. working part time at the Rock Climbing Gym. Kelsey is a Belmont graduate (Dec 08) and works at a hair salon called Fruition. Gabe is a student at Belmont studying Entrepreneurship. Corey is also a student studying Audio Engineering. Ben is a Marketing student at Belmont working part time at a sushi restaurant. Markus plays cello as a studio musician when possible and does valet parking. Steven is working at Urban Outfitters. We are busy kids who have made weekly practices a priority for 2 years.

07. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? Because of the wide array of influences that each of us has on an individual level, our music can’t help but have a somehow pleasant bipolar personality.  There are moments of intricate string movements that are outlined by moving drumbeats, vocal melodies that are both emotionally deep and catchy, tempos that challenge our classical brains to think…a little bit of everything. I like that our music has an element of intelligence and sass. It’s like a smart pop song that makes you want to listen closely. It’s constantly changing. Every practice we are writing a new song that is completely different than the last. But somehow the familiar “kopecky-ness” is in all of our songs.

I’m excited to featured Aldan Shinault, a twenty-three year old designer originally from Illinois. Aldan and I went to high school together and we were able to reconnect this year. It’s so awesome to see how Aldan has grown as an artist. Enjoy looking at his work and reading some of his thoughts about life and art.

01. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? I’ve loved drawing and have been more of a visually stimulated kinda guy since I was a little kid.  It runs through my veins, and thus my being an artist was never really a decision.

02.  Do you have other talents, passions, or hobbies? I have a passion for interior decorating and Ferrari automobiles.  As a hobby, I buy clothes.  Lots of clothes.  It’s becoming a problem.

03. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? My mother has always been the most encouraging person in my life.  Since day one she has gently guided me, but has always given me enough room to make necessary mistakes.

04. What inspires you? Artistically, I’m inspired by:

• the complexity of God and Heaven
• geometry
• The Godfather part 2
• Louis XIV style furniture
• 1980s fashion
• alignment and symmetry
• palm trees
• the subjectivity of beauty

05. What medium still intimidates you? As far as intimidating mediums, I’ll have to stick with traditional film movie production.  I mean, I got my degree in that sh*t… but it kicked my ass through-and-through.  I don’t wanna be anywhere near a film camera ever again.

06. What artistic trend do you dislike? Pop art — simplistic approaches to appropriating images.  Just… unoriginal in every sense.  Andy Warhol is f*cking evil.

07. What has been you favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? The photography of my buddy Kristina Bereolos.

08. Do you design full-time? If so- where and what has that experience been like? I used to design full-time when I lived in Chicago.  At present, I work at a private greenhouse / flower garden.  There I maintain orchids & roses, feed chameleons, and read.

09. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? I’d say my style is sexy, subtle, in-your-face, and smooth… all jumbled into one well sewn, highly detailed package.  I ain’t never gonna change!

This week’s MEET features J.M. Scott, a 30-year old graphic designer from Indianapolis who designs full-time for the Public Relations Department for the State of Indiana. This artist’s simple answers and wonderful illustration work speaks for itself! Enjoy!

Q1. At what point in your life did you know you’d be an artist? While in high school I was interning as a microbiologist (through my chemistry class) and I got to create my poster on a Mac using Corel Draw. There was something about illustrating petri dishes on the computer that inspired me.

Q2. Do you have another talents, passions, or hobbies? I really love screen printing. I work mostly on different paper. I’m not really into the fabrics.

Q3. Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? My mother.

Q4. What inspires you? Quotes. I love to take quotes and create illustrations. Photojournalism, like the photos found on Boston.com’s “The Big Picture.”

Q5. What medium still intimidates you? Watercolors. I’ve tried it but I still don’t have the hang of it.

Q6. What artistic trend do you dislike? I have trouble getting into a lot of abstract art but I love Jackson Pollock.

Q7. What has been you favorite piece of someone else’s art up until this point in your life? Ralph Steadman’s Animal Farm illustrations.

Q8. Do you think you have a specific style? What is that style and do you see yourself evolving out of that anytime soon? I’m not sure of my style right now or where I want it to go.

Why yes that is a 280 page booklet that I’m formatting for Franklin University. Very thankful for this big project! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I got to see one of my best friends get married and it truly was a celebration. Now it’s Monday and I thought I’d share some links:

Siscottstudio.com is absolutely breathtaking. I’m a new fan.

Kellyn sent me this link last week. A great article about on-site SEO.

Again…drooling over fonts here.

LOVE this veneer dresser project over at younghouselove.

In the market for some gorgeous art? Take a look at Kayla and Ashely‘s work.

Sorry the link list was a bit short! Check back tomorrow for a new MEET interview.