ISSUE 2 | VOL 1 | MARCH 2018
A MAGAZINE FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE
JAAMZIN CREATIVE PAINTING
PHOTOGRAPHY Photographers and cinematographers
Visual artists, painters
MUSIC
GRAPHIC ART Graphic artists, illustrators, cartoonists
Musicians, singers and songwriters
INTERVIEWS Interviews with artists and creative peoples
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Photography Photographers,, cinematographers
11 Painting and graphic arts Painters, visual artists, illustrators, cartoonists
23 Music Musicians, singers, songwriters
26 Writing Books, authors, writers, poets
28 Interviews Interviews with artists and creative people
Impressum JaamZIN Creative  UXScoops Pte. Ltd. Singapore Registration No.: 201601782G
PHOTOGRAPHER
CHRIS RETRO Chris Retro is a British street and documentary photographer living in Berlin. He has an eye for detail, visual storytelling with a strong narrative and a unique way of seeing the world. Chris comes from a very musical background, having been an international DJ and music producer for many years, in the now infamous and much revered London clubbing days of the 90's, as well as touring around the world a large events. This varied and eclectic music style spills over into his photography, and inspires his art, but how? Whilst walking around interesting cities with his camera, Chris documents life on the streets as it happens, one frame at a time, and of course in his own inimitable style. He captures the various essences depending on time, natural light and geographical situations.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
"Attached" I took this shot in Hollywood Alabama, my home town. When I look at this photo it says family to me, because the nails that are driven into the wood are to remain there forever together. "Snow Blind" I took this shot while visiting Strawberry Arizona in the winter of 2017 on a cold but beautiful snowy day.
Photographer Lesa Nivens "I am a simple person that enjoys the simple pleasures in life, like family and friends. My faith keeps me grounded and gives me hope. I grew up in a small southern town in northern Alabama where I reside today. My strong point in photography is landscapes, wildlife, nature and abstracts. Although I enjoy photographing anything that catches my eye. The art that I create is driven
"God's Sunshine" This photo of the sun peeking through the leaves sends me a message of hope, never give up on hope and faith. Always look for the light.
by emotion. I am inspired by nature and imagination but more so inspired by love, happiness, and disappointment. Every bit of it is fuel I use to ignite my creativeness." - Lesa Nivens
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PHOTOGRAPHER
LUZ HARDY
"I am a 45-year-old passionate photographer living in South Carolina, I started my passion for photography at the age of ten when I Â got my first camera, a Kodak Extra 10, as a bday present; Three years ago I got my Nikon D5500 since then she has been always with me, everywhere I go. By the end of 2017 my family and some friends suggested I start my business as a professional photographer, so after giving it some thought decided to take that leap of faith and open Luz Hardy Photography. As an outdoor lover, my favorite place to shoot is the beach, the woods or even a backyard and I enjoy photographing nature, wildlife, landscape, family, and pets." - Luz Hardy
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Bill considers his work, Image Creating, with a Photography foundation. Working with digital imaging since the late 80s, Bill has developed an original creative style, a style which cries freedom from restraint and invites experimentation.Â
Photographer Bill Posner Oregon Image Creator providing custom images for Interior Designer, and Staging professionals. Images available world wide. You can also purchase his images "off the shelf" at this online store. All images are original work.Â
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PHOTOGRAPHER
OSSA KIERKEGAARD
#Homeland 04 is part of a larger series by the artist Ossa Kierkegaard. The works aims to make the invisible reality that is part of the experiences of physical and mental migration tangible. It relates to hope, fantasy and memory and celebrates the bravery of the modern, global heroes who jumps into the depth of the unknown and dares to follow their dreams. The series consists of manipulated photographic images, paintings and drawings - both digital and by solid hand.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
I feel comfortable at anyplace that shows the true essence of the person or of the feeling. A true pic can touch the soul and it is important to make that unique and original.
ilusionism-dener-mota This is a photo of an illusionist and this photo can be considered an illusion, highlighting his deep gaze above all. This makes you stay concentrated and puzzled, deflecting your total attention of the illusion, what permits him execute it.
trupe-de-teatro The serious gaze contrasts with the comic and colorful costume of the actor giving a ironic point to the picture. He makes part of a theater group which I have been working for a long time.
Adriano Sobral I am Adriano Sobral, a Brazilian photographer who was born and raised in São Paulo. I work with portraits of artists, photos of concerts and performances. I love to catch the expressions and feelings transmitted in the studio, stages or streets. I think that a photo can transmit a lot of things and I like to show that to people.
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PHOTOGRAPHER
EMMA BUNTROCKMÜLLER
Emma Buntrock-Muller is a board member of a small stamp dealing company. This position allows her the salary and time flexibility to work on her art. The purpose of her art has always been to fulfill a healthy selfishness. Emma considers herself a storyteller before she considers herself an artist, and she considers herself an artist before she considers herself specifically a photographer. "When someone looks at an image of mine do I want them to see through the eyes of a 3rd person participant? A voyeur? Are they in fact the subject of the image by viewing it? Are they seeing something they shouldn't? Are they finding a peaceful harmony or companionable darkness? That's what's important to me. I must confess I like to define myself as a storyteller more than as a photographer."
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PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHER
PETER JUNG My name is Peter Jung and am based in the Greater Toronto Area. Photography started as a hobby over 4 decades ago and has developed into a stronger focus on fashion runway. The majority of my work is featured on Flickr with the odd image featured in local and national publications.
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PHOTOGRAPHER
CARLOS FERRAN
My name is Carlos and my passion is photography, specifically of trains and anything railroad related. I've been interested in them since ever since my dad took me on a train ride when I was 3 years old. I'm always looking to refine my interest in the hobby by going to new places, trying different angles and shooting in different light. Most of the time, shooting trains can be a pain and leave you disappointed, but every once in a while you get an opportunity that is truly rewarding. The photo you see was taken at Altoona, PA at Juniata Locomotive Works on a cold, January afternoon back in 2017. My friends and I had a great time!
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PAINTING
The paintings 'Queen Florense of France' (16×20 Acrylic on canvas) as well as 'Ardith In The Fall' (11×14 Acrylic on paper) were both surprising as they took shape, as both are friends I have made on Facebook and have never met in person. I guess seeing people's photos every day - they will eventually make their way into your art!
Painter Jenn Ashton "Working mainly in bright Acrylics, inks and collage, I want my art to be accessible to everybody. I want my paintings to find the naive child and deep down belly laugh that lives inside every person and connect to that spot, as that is where my art comes from. To that end, my paintings are authentic and simple and sometimes accompanied by a verse or rhyme that can arise as I create a piece." - Jenn Ashton
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VISUAL ARTIST
LUIS D'ALKMIN Luis D'Alkmin is an avid artist working with many different substracts. He began his career in the late 60s with exhibitions in Brazil and the United States (based in Miami, West Coast and East Cost). Since 1982 he uses acrylic/silkscreen techniques on canvas to create a intense cromo/textural pictorial field, due to his continuous research on how gestures can overlay reticules on specific substracts, creating a unique tactile property. This work is part of a long series of high resolution prints started in 2003.
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DRAWING
When I was in year 4, I took art classes outside of school for a year, and that's basically where I found out that I was decent at drawing and painting, then I started to teach myself and looks at different styles and mediums. In year 10, I took art as an accelerated subject (VCE (year 11) in Australia) and really began to take art seriously at that point. I then continued to draw and really explore my art style in year 11 doing art as a year 12 subject, where I drew my grandfather. This painting was where I found my art style using squiggly lines . It represents his journey with cancer, and how it took over both his physical and mental state, the glasses showing the darker black colours overtime, showing how cancer slowly takes over the body and mind.Â
Evie Massee I am 18 years old and from Melbourne, Australia. I study Occupational Therapy (Honours) at Monash University, and I also love to draw and create art. I began to explore art and drawing at 8 years old and have been developing my work and style for about 10 years now.Â
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VISUAL ARTIST
GLENDA THOMAS Glenda Thomas is a survivor of brain aneurysm surgery 2015. She is 1 in 50 to survive. Married 43 years. During her recuperation she started learning to do Zentangle (r). She internalized their mantra, “There are no mistakes” and opened herself up to become an artist.
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"As children we are artists. We embraced every piece that we drew. We wanted to share it instantly. We loved what we drew or painted. I have been blessed through the quiet time I had after my brain aneurysm surgery to rediscover that joy and let it flow and to let it be. God is creator. He is my inspiration. Nature, people, places, things experiences are my inspiration. Inspiration is from spirit." - Glenda Thomas
ILLUSTRATION
Illustrator Melissa Kircher Melissa Kircher is a fine artist, illustrator, and writer who enjoys everything bold and beautiful. Her work has been exhibited in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York City. She is the author of four books, including The War Inside, The Gray Horizon and Dream On, novels for young adults, and the non-fiction book 99 Thoughts on Marriage and Ministry. She has worked for clients such as The New York Graphic Society, Relevant Magazine, Group Magazine and EBSCO Publishing. Melissa lives and works in Norwalk, Connecticut.Â
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CUSTOM MOSAIC CREATIONS Please take time to read this love story. Jacquline found the love of her life with a caring wonderful man named Art! The love they had for each other is so unique. You see Art planned a special trip to Paris so he could propose to his lover. He would come home with hugs and kisses and often brought her flowers. He also had an appreciation for the art world! He collected Starbucks artistic coffee mugs, over a hundred and thirty of them!
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One sad day Art left this world way too soon, leaving the love of his life devastated. Jacquline wanted to do something special with the mugs. That is where I come in! I used 30 of the coffee mugs to created their love story into a mosaic kitchen backsplash. The mosaic shows the Eiffel Tower where Art proposed, Art always held her hand in public, surprised Jacquline with flowers, and always had his coffee cup. This is the sweetest love story that I have turned into a mosaic. - Mosaic artist  Elizabeth Bustamante.
VISUAL ART
Realist artist Xane Asiamah Xane Asiamah (b. 1996) is a self-taught realist artist from Ghana. Xane's hyper realistic drawings and colourful paintings are created through charcoal, ink, acrylic paint and graphite in layers to create a realistic reference. As a versatile artist , with digital art and design also mastered, Xane continues to shock the world with his intricate pieces.
At age 21, he has already had three grand exhibitions which have made him a prominent artist in Ghana.The beauty of women, emotions, african symbols and Greek Mythology often inspires his artwork. Xane's pieces are higly prized and cherished for their highly achieved level of detail and the vibrance of his paintings. He has been commissioned work from all around the world, featured in many local and online art galleries and exhibitions, and on many websites.
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FREELANCE PAINTER
STEPHANIE WILLIS-FOLKES I’m a freelance painter currently studying a masters in fine art. I’ve always had a huge interest in art and design from a very young age and would love the opportunity to share my love and passion for the arts. While studying my degree I felt that I had matured as an artist having found a purpose or a subject that my art would focus on.
My art is mostly centered on political conditions, self love and self expression where I get to explore and develop my craft using various medias such as acrylic mediums, screen printing and other mixed media materials. As of recent by working out of my
‘Self Love’ A3 mixed media sheet
comfort zone to see if I can
Self love is a mixed media sketch from my
challenge the way in which I
natural hair series, which is meant to uplift
develop my craft, I’ve
and encourage black women of different
managed to produce several prints allowing me to push the boundaries with several sketches." - Stephanie WillisFolkes
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shapes,shades and sizes. Down to the texture of their hair, self love is about truly knowing oneself and being able to experience and identify ones beauty.
PAINTING
In my second year of working with this technique I started to present my work in art galleries in Dallas, Tx. In my digital artwork I found the cubist/futurist
Visual artist Ivan (ROMANHO) Cid
dimensions , but going one step further, adding modern portraiture. And not traditional portraiture but photo stylism. I 've taken my work into a unique dimension, not just making the characters jump off the page but combine two dimensions cubism with three dimension photo portraiture with the flat canvas. The color reinforces how the portrait sticks to the canvas and holds the image in time. Art Galleries in Dallas had shown my work and celebrities and Corporates
I am a Chilean contemporary artist living and working in Dallas, Tx. I started to paint in 2001 after leaving my career as a TV Producer at Telemundo. My work is based on acrylic mix media on specially treated newsprint paper. I invented a technique after looking "The Fayun Portraits",with my technique I make the newsprint paper gets the texture like "leather or papyrus" which gives a distinctive look and texture to the entire composition.
collect them.
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GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ALESSANDRO ARRIGO This particular artwork is part of the digital illustrations called popFarm. Lamps, blankets, cushions and home accessories was made from this design for some Art B&B. Drawings were inspired me by an holiday in Tuscany.
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My name is Alessandro Arrigo. I am a Graphic Designer and illustrator based in Rome - Italy. My background is more artistic and I've been doing artworks since my childhood. During the past years I was an art director in Rome. I also worked for public institutions and I made personal and collective art exhibitions in Italy and abroad. I have collaberated with Mariacristina Eidel for Atelier del Granaio and some of my drawings become lamps and furnishing objects.
PAINTING
Artist Bruce Katlin I have combined my love and passion for intense activity and various art mediums to make a living and live a life fulfilled. The great outdoors is my church and the flora and fauna is the choir. I paint while trail running and hiking (sometimes at the same time) in the wide and beautiful canvas of the Southwest. I use Masonite boards and carry all materials on my back. When I paint, I am focusing on capturing the spirit and then releasing the energy within a subject. On my trail running and painting adventures the combined activities provide an unparalleled nirvana-like state, one where pragmatic thinking and intuitiveness flow effortlessly. - Bruce Katlin JAAMZIN CREATIVE |Â 21
'Harbinger' this is a tribute painting I created, inspired by the opening sequence of the scifi series Westworld
ILLUSTRATOR
FALCO VERHOLEN I'm an illustrator, comic artist and graphic designer based near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I specialize in book cover design, editorial illustration and fantasy art. Recurring themes in my work are transformations, fierce instincts and protection. I enjoy creating art that is contradictory, intense and otherworldly, making you feel like witnessing part of a story. In my spare time I enjoy writing and visualizing stories through combining sequential art, college, photography and other mediums. - Falco Verholen
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'The File' this is a page from a five page comic from several years ago, introducing characters that would later (in a different form) reappear in my webcomic Weaker Sides.
POP ART
Pop artist Marco Santaniello To me being a Pop ( popular ) artist means to be very near to the community and people and on the base of all my artworks is the idea that we are all the same. I started my path doing Pop Portraits and in front of my rainbow wall background everyone is a superstar. After a while I slowly expanded my works and since I am a great walker and a globe trotter too I also started to take pictures of everything that was getting my attention in the streets , especially urban landscapes.Â
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MUSIC
LYIA META Lyia Meta is a singer, songwriter and visual artist with a penchant for speaking through song and turn of phrase, where freedom is found through voice that's "big, bold and beautiful".
This Malaysian born spent her childhood in a small town in the state of Malacca where music and art were the mainstay of her everyday life. Her debut EP 'This is Lyia' which garnered 6 nominations from Voice Independent Music Awards (VIMA) in May of 2016 saw her win the award for BEST OVERALL FEMALE ACT. The debut offering which is described as "raw", "organic" and "bold" is a reflection of her roots in rock, blues and pop.
That same year saw her being nominated top 5 for Anugerah Industri Awards (A.I.M) for Best New Artist. Selected from more than 700 entries and touted as Malaysia's very own Grammy, the nomination gained her recognition on a National level. April 2017 saw Lyia Meta win The Gold Medal Award for Best Rock Ballad for her song 'Slumber' from Global Music Awards, California. This was soon followed by her garnering another nomination and subsequently winning the title and an Award from Radio Wigwam (UK) for BEST FEMALE ARTIST for their RADIO WIGWAM ONLINE RADIO AWARDS 2017. After a year and a half of taking a break from recording and on January 24th of 2018 Lyia Meta released her latest single 'Without Walls' as a worldwide exclusive on Radio Wigwam (UK). Her music has been well received among the independent groups and has been getting regular airplay on selected internet radio stations across globe. She is currently in studio working on new material.
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MUSIC
SINGER AND SONGWRITER CLAUDIA SARAVIA BALCAZAR I’m Claudia Saravia (Cies) singer and songwriter of pop and soul music. I’m from Chile and I make music in English and Spanish. "Different" is the first single of my debut album coming in 2018!! Directed by "Alucinati Films"
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WRITING
BRETT BIAGGIO Brett Biaggio is a passionate reader and storyteller, he began writing The Pacific Prep Series in 2013 after his best friend passed away. As he struggled to cope with the death of his friend, this story emerged from the grief.
I started to write as an escape from the pain after my friend, Jessica, passed away unexpectedly on Easter 2013. She just didn't wake up. It broke my heart into a million pieces because it hit me like a ton of bricks how little I had seen her lately. So I began doing things she and I used to do together: listening to music we both enjoyed, going to parks we had hung out at, and geeking out over books.
I feel great that I decided to publish The Cursed Jackson Green as I did. After reviewing the contracts offered by a few publishers, I decided that I wasn't willing to give up control of content and accept the terms they presented. I found it insulting that they'd want to censor certain things. Imagine going to an art museum, and they blacked out the breasts or penises on paintings because it might offend someone. You can't do that! It is art, writing is art, and the writer deserves to have their voice expressed in its pure form. So like I was saying after I reviewed the contractual demands of these publishers, I reminded myself that even if I don't sell more than 1000 copies ever that I wrote this story to honor my friend, Jessica, and as a way to heal after losing her. I am not willing to have a story that genuinely poured out of my subconscious, my heart rather, to be changed for profits. As a writer, there is no greater feeling than seeing my story being told to readers the same way my heart intended it to be.
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WRITING
NÚRIA AÑÓ Núria Añó was born in Catalonia, Spain, in 1973. She is a writer, a translator and a regular speaker at conferences and symposia, where she gives papers on literary creation, films, cities or authors like Elfriede Jelinek, Patricia Highsmith, Salka Viertel, Alexandre Dumas, Greta Garbo, Franz Werfel or Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) at University of Lleida (UdL), Tunis University, University of Jaén (UJA), International University of Andalucía (UNIA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC-Madrid), Sysmän Kirjasto Library in Finland, Shanghai Writers' Association (SWA), Fudan University in China, East China Normal University, Sinan Mansion or Instituto Cervantes in Shanghai, also in libraries, secondary schools or in higher education. Her writing focuses on the characters' psychology, generally antiheroes. The characters are the most important in her books, much more than the topic, due to "an introspection, a reflection, not sentimental, but feminine". Her novels cover a multitude of topics, treat actual and socially relevant problems such as injustices or poor communication between people and frequently, the core of her stories remains unexplained. Añó asks the reader to discover the "deeper meaning" and to become involved in the events presented.
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INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NADIA BRUCERAWLINGS Nadia Bruce-Rawlings uses grains of her often gritty life to infuse her stories with cathartic realism. Her stories “Fire” and “Scars” have both been finalists in Glimmer Train’s writing contests and are included in SCARS, her first anthology from Punk Hostage Press. Nadia grew up travelling the world and living in various countries before settling in Los Angeles. In LA she briefly worked at a vitamin factory and then began a long career in independent film distribution. A single mom for 11 years, she and her new husband have settled into the Nashville area, where she writes by the lake when she can escape their five kids and two dogs. We have conducted an interview with Nadia.
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How do you feel when your writing talent has been describe as "with dark humor and candor" or even "emotionally raw"? I feel that my writing is fairly candid and definitely emotionally raw. When I write, especially the memoir pieces, I go to a very deep place inside myself. I write things that I don't necessarily want to share - they just come out, they are just the raw truth. In fact, sometimes it's very strange knowing that some of my neighbors have read my book, and therefore know some of my deepest secrets. I hesitated for a moment in publishing some of the stories, but if I can help just one person with my
Do you plan to write more stories in the same genre? I have been struggling a bit with writer's block, though I did have one story published recently in the journal, Bluestem Magazine. It is called Peace Accord - it is a memoir of my adolescent years spent in Cairo, Egypt, during the Peace Accord era between Israel and Egypt. It is about the dichotomy between cultures, between childhood and adolescence, between peace and war, etc. I'm not sure that I'll continue in the memoir genre or writing about abuse etc, as I feel that I've told my story already in Scars. I'm not sure what direction my writing will take now.
words, then it is all worth it. I write about difficult subjects -- abuse of all kinds, incest, drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence, etc. But I also write about a solution, an offer of hope and redemption. And I do use a dark humor to lighten things up at times - it's needed!Â
What inspires you the most after writing and publishing your first anthology SCARS? Once I connected with my publisher, Punk Hostage Press, and they said that they wanted to publish my first anthology, I was just overwhelmed with gratitude! It had always been my dream to be a published author. I really admire the authors under Punk Hostage Press, so to be grouped with them is just amazing. As for now - I have been doing readings and fundraisers for women's shelters. After the readings, people have come up to me in tears, saying how much I had inspired them to share their own story. I've heard some horrendously difficult stories from these people too - it is amazing what the human psyche can survive. To know that I touched these people in some way is very gratifying. It gives me a sense of wonder to know that by telling people the difficult things I went through, I am helping them. This inspires me daily to keep going and to continue to help others.
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Where do you like to write your stories? How is it different?
Do you consider writing as your own 'catharsis'?
Our last house (we just moved a few months ago)
Most of the stories in Scars were very, very cathartic.
had an amazing view of Old Hickory Lake. I
They talk about a time when I was at my very worst,
thought I would be able to write really well there,
they talk about the abuse I went through, about
but to be honest I ended up having a writer's
the drug and alcohol abuse that enveloped my life.
block and not doing much there. I do like to "nest"
They are about my mom's death, my daughter's
on my bed, whatever the view may be, and work
birth, about reaching rock bottom and then about
away on my computer with my doggy cuddled up
recovery and redemption. Writing them was like
next to me. I get really into my head when I write,
therapy - it got it all out, it helped my mind process
very focused, I shut out the outside world and just
what had happened to me, in a safe way. I feel like
go to my place. I can write anywhere if I am in the
they helped me tremendously, and I hope they will
right "headspace." I often come up with a
help others as well.
sentence while I'm driving, and by the time I get home I'll have finished a whole paragraph or two in my head. I'll go to my nest and write the rest.
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INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST ADAM CRAEMER Born in Durban South Africa, Adam Craemer immigrated to Western Australia with his wife in the early 2000s and emerged as an artist shortly thereafter. His main training and influences come from the graffiti art culture in Cape Town and the UK; living and traveling around Europe and Asia; as well as his parents who are both artists back in his native South Africa. Having a graffiti background has heavily influenced his use of aerosol cans in his work, and his use of them can be seen in almost every piece he creates. We have conducted an interview with him.
What were the challenges you faced (if any) when crossing over from painting walls on the streets to painting on canvas in a studio? The major challenge for me is scale. Going from larger surface areas to areas less than a third in size, and still trying to maintain the ‘street’ element
Another challenge is the rigidity of a wall versus canvas. There is a lot more play on pushing against canvas than walls obviously, so again some of my techniques are now either harder to achieve, or not possible. I plan to do a few wooden substrate pieces in the future. It will be an opportunity for me to play around with more techniques and styles.
isn’t particularly easy for me to achieve in some instances. I have had to abandon some techniques, but at the same time, have acquired some new ones during the process of change.
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Who influences you the most in your art styles? What would be a way to highlight and describe in words as your style? I like most art styles ranging from renaissance portraiture, through to abstract art. I find elements of all art I see to be engaging and, in some ways influential - from the fine, hard, neat lines of cartoony pop art, to the ridged mark making of certain abstract works. I take influence from all styles I see and I particularly enjoy developing and playing with them. If they end up suiting my process, I’ll include them at some point in a piece or series of works. If I find myself moving in another direction that requires more growth or updates to my style, I’ll read up and study some works of artists I love, and try to incorporate elements into my work.
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I am currently working on a commission and the client likes Klimt’s works. So now I am incorporating elements of his work into mine and adjusting it to suit my street style. There’s going to be loads of gold leaf in this artwork, which I haven’t worked with before but I’m game! I like to challenge myself. If the gold leaf works out nicely, I may use it in my new body of work which is currently in the planning stages. If I was to describe my style in words it would be: Urban Pop.
How do you show dynamism in your work? Which techniques are you using to achieve it? My work is a product of spontaneous mark making and aerosol can work. I’ll often listen to music to help with the mood I am looking to achieve in the piece or layer of work I’m focussing on at that time. My newer works are heavily textured compared to my previous pieces, and I am looking to use any techniques possible to achieve the desired effect. I’m employing the services of Plaster of Paris, knives, my hand-held sander, and my belt sander in my current body of work. All of these tools help create the texture and depth in my art that I strive for.
What is something that you do differently when creating your artwork? I use a lot of water in creating my pieces. I am painting on, spraying off, painting on, spraying off again and again until I achieve the desired effect. As my studio does not have aircon, I need to time my sprays according to the time of day/year I am working, to achieve the texture I am looking for. After painting multiple layers, I’ll often paint a thin layer of white over the whole piece, and then repeat the process again from scratch. This is my method of achieving greater depth and texture to my works - a ton of water in my spray bottle or with a hosepipe outside the studio.
What affects you?
What is next for Adam Craemer?
What affects me… with respect to my art and the
Once the large-scale commission piece is
beginning of my journey, artists like Warhol,
complete, I’ll be working through a new layering
Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg initially made me
technique on a series of pieces. The aim is to try
want to become an artist. I loved the idea of being
and pare back the image further than I have been.
able to apply super bold, bright colours to a
The end-vision is to make the subject look like it is
painting, as well as including elements in collage.
poking out from behind some heavy layering which
In more recent times, artists such as Hush and
I’ll be placing on top of the image. The series will
Shepard Fairey are top of mind in terms of
be titled “Ink’d”.
excellent work and interesting techniques. These artists, including some gratifying trips to galleries around Europe, affected me positively to at least give art a chance. I’m fortunate that my day job affords me the freedom to work in my studio when necessary.
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INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH PHOTOGRAPHER MARGAUX PANEL Margaux Panel is freelance photo producer born and raised in France. She moved to the New York at 18 to attend college. While in New York, she started a projet that is still on going called " The Parisienne" where she would capture Paris and its arrondissement everytime she would go back home. After graduating in Photography, She has traveled around Asia and came up with the project "Lotus" that was published and exhibited in a gallery in New York. Over the years, she has worked with different photo agencies and production companies.
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What inspires you the most when working on these two projects, 'Parisienne' and 'Lotus’? Paris fascinates me. I moved away for college and my hometown was kind of a mystery for me. By coming back twice a year, it allows me to archive every arrondissements I’m cataloging places with the monuments as the past, new elements as proof of the present to get a picture for the future. Lotus was new for me. I didn’t have any expectations but I was driven right away to shoot
What made you think that the contrast between nature and city is intriguing? People tend to want to live in the city - we have seen the countryside deserted to the benefit of cities. But as humans, we miss being in open spaces or in a quiet environment. What captivates me is that cities are trying to incorporate nature. Singapore is one of the best example with the surrealist garden they have created. Bali is ahead of the curve on wellness Avant garde on social media which makes it intriguing.
what was around me while visiting cities and rural environment. Absorbing a new place is challenging yet adrenalizing
Which is more exciting (or challenging)? Paris is my hometown and I always go back so I
How does the use of negative space impact you? In a picture, having the eyes not looking at too much information is my main focus. I want the viewer to feel calm and give its time to really appreciate the quiet of the image
know that I can continue this project for years. Whereas, the Lotus project, I only went to those places once yet and I am eager to discover new countries. The pictures from the Lotus project are memories of my time there and those places can change so much in the next years.
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What is the most interesting part of your work? Planning to go somewhere unknown and being surprised by new landscapes and capturing them! The most exciting is being in the moment and see in the viewfinder that everything you want fits perfectly in the frame.
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INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW WITH JAZZ VOCALIST FIONA ROSS Fiona Ross is a Jazz vocalist, pianist, composer and music producer based in London. Her new album, 'Black, White and a Little Bit of Grey', explores the story of a husband, a wife, and a mistress: a web of emotions, of desires, of regrets, of ecstasy. We have conducted an interview with Fiona.
photo credit: Alexander Barnes-Ross
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In your new album, 'Black, White and a Little Bit of Grey', which particular track is one of your personal favorite?
How long did you take to write, arrange and produce 'This Chemistry' of your album? What was the most challenging?
I don’t have any personal favourite’s I’m afraid, they
Well, I can’t really separate that one song. I had
all mean something different to me in different
quite a specific schedule that I wanted to keep to. I
ways. So ‘Busy…..Always Busy’ and ‘Touch Me, You
wrote the album over two months, then we had a
Make Me Feel So’ for example, are really fun to sing
couple of rehearsals where I made a few changes
and have an easy groove to go along with so I like
to the arrangements. The recording side of things
performing those without having to get too deeply
took six weeks, including mastering. It was a little
emotionally involved. I think ‘The Evidence
crazy, but amazing. Some of the arrangements for
Suggests’ is the hardest one to sing, as vocally as it
‘This Chemistry’ did actually change while we were
is quite challenging with the range of notes I have
recording. The fade during the instrumental
to hit and it is a song that shows a wide range of
section, was initially an accident, but decided I
emotions. There are a few songs that I think
really liked it, so changed a few things there and
demonstrate my writing skills more than others. I
then. I love working like that. I have very clear ideas
can’t choose!
and intentions when I start something, but then I love it when something just happens to change it –
In your opinion as a Jazz artist, who are the two most influential scat singers of all time?
I like to go with the flow, which is a little contradictory to my previous comment, I know. It’s a Jazz thing I think!
Well, Ella Fitzgerald, without a doubt. She is the queen of scat – and I am pretty sure I am not alone in thinking that. I spent hours trying to copy her scats when I was training and in fact do this as part of my daily vocal practice routine. Dee Dee Bridgewater is also an amazing scat singer and has and is, a huge influence for me. Amazing vocals. Amazing woman.
Which word or words would you use to describe your voice? No one has ever asked me that question! Wow. I don't really know. It’s just me….just how I sound. I know people always struggle to compare my voice to other singers. No one has ever said –‘oh you sound like ****’ which I take as a compliment. I guess my voice is just a result of the musical experiences I have had since I was very young, which was a very wide and diverse range of music and training.
photo credit: Stefan Ferrol
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If you could do one thing in your jazz music career all over again, what would it be and how would you change it? Well, that’s a tricky one. I am not one for regrets. In many ways, the only thing I would change, is starting when I was slightly younger. But…having said that, I am in a much better position now than I would have been. The experiences I have had, have put me in a much better position to actually handle this crazy music industry and it really is crazy. I had a very successful and immensely fulfilling career prior to launching myself as a Jazz artist in my own right and I wouldn’t change any of that – and I am very proud of what I achieved. And I have two truly amazing children that were my priority – and I certainly don’t regret that.
photo credit: Steven Tiller
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About JaamZIN Creative JaamZIN Creative Studio is an online social media agency established in 2017 in Singapore.
We feature artists and creative people,Â
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