www.pikaland.com/pikapackage www.flickr.com/pikaland
PARTICIPANTS MAY 2008 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
12fifteen // Johanna Anderes Amanda Kindregan Amber Alexander Appleseed // Marianne Horton Bismo080 // Duangsuda Kittivattananon Blanca Helga Bubbo Tubbo // Natasha Mileshina Pepperminte // Caitlin Shearer Carambatack // Annette Mangaseth Charmfoundry // Kate Philips Corid // Cori Dantini Crankbunny // Norma V Toraya Elephantine // Rachel Chew Blakely Enna // Anne Wendlandt Felicitate88 // Heike Gemma Correll Heartful Art // Raphael Vasseau Iris Schwarz It’s A Whimsical Life // Susan Mitchell Junkyard Sam // Matthew Cox Just Mad Books // Justin Madson Katrine K // Katrine Kalleklev Kristiana Parn Labpartners // Sarah Labieniec + Ryan Meis Mau Studio // Manyi Au Restless Things // Olivia Jeffries Stuart Kolakovic Syko // Kajsa Wikman Unicorn Kids Studios // Jessie Hughes
about pikapackage A PikaPackage is a monthly collection of goodies from illustrators and artists who sell their wares online, resulting in a free monthly pikapackage giveaway to readers and the rest to be sold as a promotional tool to spread the word about their fantastic art. Participants will also each receive a PikaPackage of their own, plus a banner placement on the right hand side of the Pikaland blog under “Participants� for their contribution. To read more about the project, or to get yourself a PikaPackage, head on over to www.pikaland.com/pikapackage.
Hello! From the whimsical drawings of Susan Mitchell, to the cute characters of Bismo080 from Bangkok, the first PikaPackage Project is a wonderful melting pot of affordable art from artists from around the world -- all of them with one thing on common (other than their love of art!): they operate their own shop. I am inspired by artists and illustrators who are living the life they’ve dreamt of by opening their art up for others, and by keeping their own shops. What started as a small project to boost the awareness of affordable art soon slowly took on a life of its own -- gathering a large following and a momentum that has blown me away. I’d like to say a big thank you to the participants for the PikaPackage Project, of whom have taken a leap of faith in trusting me with their work -- without them, this endeavor would never have made it this far. Pikaland is my small effort in helping artists & illustrators engage a wider audience about their work, and hopefully in the process, discover more about each other, while making new friends along the way. I hope you’ll come away inspired just as I have. Thank you so much for supporting artists and illustrators everywhere. Amy Ng amy@pikaland.com
12fifteen
12fifteen.etsy.com // Johanna Anderes 1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Johanna Anderes and I am the brain and hands behind 12fifteen (plus mom, wife, friend, passionate traveler and yoga addict). I studied interior design in South Africa but decided it is not the right field for me. Changed to graphic design when I moved to NY (studied at Parsons School of Design, NYC) and still spend quite some time on corporate design jobs. I recently bought a letterpress and love the process! Oh and I am just about to move out of my home office and into a big studio loft (yeah, I am super excited about it....surrounding myself with other creatives is the only thing I missed about my being self-employed). 2. What inspires your work? Life! Be it from my travels, nature walks, the seasons, people watching, my moods..... if you look at my work carefully you can see where I have been:) 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Having the right balance between work, creating, spending quality time with family and friends and (now I am pushing it) maybe even squeezing in a yoga class. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Cheetah 5. What would you like to be known for? Creating original work that puts a smile on peoples faces and/or brings out positive emotions. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Angelina Jolie power - oh wait, she is real, isn’t she !? Okay, it would be flight (goodbye delays and crowded airports, just imagine the bliss) 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I can talk on the phone with friends for 3 hours (that’s why I don’t usually pick up the phone while working :)
Amanda Kindregan
amandakindregan.etsy.com
1. Tell us about yourself! I’m an artist and wife and mother of two wild little girls. 2. What inspires your work? I’m inspired by my children and husband, by classic children’s books, 1950’s-60’s-70’s illustration art, the Northwest, music (I love indie rock, rockabilly, soul, garage, lounge, jazz) and magazines like Dwell and Readymade and Budget Living (R.I.P.) 3. What’s a perfect day for you? A perfect day is a clean house and happy kids and time to work on some artwork, and sunshine is nice too. 4. What’s your favorite animal? My favorite animal: I don’t have a very favorite, but I like cats and owls and ducks. And I think donkeys are really cute, funny animals. 5. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? If I could have superpowers I’d like to be able to freeze short periods of time so I wouldn’t be late everywhere I go. 6. Tell us something random. REALLY random. Something random about me: I took drum lessons when I was 27 years old, which was 10 years ago.
Amber Alexander
amberalexander.etsy.com
1. Tell us about yourself! I live with my husband, John, and two crazy standard poodles, Olin and Izzy, on 5 acres in Vermont. The dogs keep us on our toes as they are still technically puppies. They are also brother and sister, so are extremely competitive and jealous. I’ve had all sorts of jobs, including painting the lines on the highway, copyrighting, sales, illustration, graphic design and legal work. But what I’m doing now, is by far the most fun I’ve had work-wise in a long time. When not painting, my husband and I are garden nuts, with a focus on TREES. We spend the summer searching for and planting exotic and crazy-looking specimens. I always go for the scariest-looking trees I can find. Our land will someday resemble an arboretum. 2. What inspires your work? Animals, nature, colors inspire my work. I enjoy finding humor and personality in animals where others might find just a giant fur ball. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? A perfect day for me is one in which the poodles don’t jump on my face while I am trying to wake up, we have hot coffee and then my work flows for the rest of the day. In the summer, gardening would be mixed in with that, and most likely animal sightings of some sort. Evening would be filled with good wine, hot tub and a yummy dinner :) 4. What’s your favorite animal? My favorite animals are dogs, monkeys, squirrels, cats, foxes, rabbits, groundhogs and elephants. Sorry, I just can’t limit myself to one! 5. What would you like to be known for? I’d like to be known for my ability to capture the inner lives of animals (still working on it!)! 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? IF I could have superpowers, I’d be able to fly because I really envy birds and the freedom of flying. I’d also wish to become invisible on demand. I would sneak into the white house and play all sorts of practical jokes on monkey boy bush, like putting shampoo in his toothpaste and Nair in his shampoo, etc. etc. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I think Jack Black is a genius ... and I used to drive a huge dumptruck with a steering wheel so large I had to stand up to turn it.
Appleseed
applehead.typepad.com/applehead // Marianne Horton 1. Tell us about yourself! My neighbour from up the street taught me how to crochet when I was six. I hold her responsible for my lifelong obsession with fibre and crafting of all sorts. I am a textiles designer who also loves to dabble in illustration, collage and printmaking. Old books and paper have a certain irresistable smell about them,that I find impossible to ignore. As a consequence I am always lugging home boxes of stuff. (My two little girls will most likely have fond childhood memories of time spent in op shops playing with one legged barbies and wagons with one wheel missing.....). I am a magpie, with a hoard of treasured vintage fabric, buttons & trims that I use for making odd little toys and other bits of crafting goodness. Never leave me alone in a bookstore especially if they sell Japanese craft books or journals of any kind. You may not find me again. I love to run. I should get more sleep. I hope with all my heart that my girls will want me to teach them to knit and sew. 2. What inspires your work? The small things in everyday life... 3. What’s a perfect day for you? If I was being incredibly selfish and indulgent, it would start with a sleep in, include a relaxed and delicious lunch ( cooked by someone else), time to spend on whatever creative project I have on the go without interuptions, and a run in the afternoon along the coastline. A cup of tea, some excellent chocolate and a good book to finish off the evening. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Tiger 5. What would you like to be known for? Adding a little bit of colour to the world 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To be able to clean,sort and tidy any mess with a click of my fingers...much more time to spend on the other fun thing in life! 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I share the same birthday as Bono...sadly I don’t share his vocal talents!
Bismo080
bismo080.etsy.com // Duangsuda Kittivattananon 1. Tell us about yourself! I‘m a freelance illustrator, I’m addicted drawing since I was young. My text books and my student desks were full of my cartoon and drawing. 2. What inspires your work? Japanese characters and cartoons. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Good food :) 4. What’s your favorite animal? Panda, panda and panda! 5. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I’m not want to be famous. I’m just happy when others like my works. 6. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I love photography and that’s my full time job now.
Blanca Helga
blancahelga.etsy.com // Blanca Helga
1. Tell us about yourself! I am an illustrator and animated film director who loves to imagine tiny worlds and the characters that live in those fantasy realms. They materialise in different formats: prints, collages, photographs, scupltures, short films,... My great aspiration is to publish illustrated children books that can portray such worlds in detail, beyond the snippets that run free from my hands, my pencil and my mouse. 2. What inspires your work? Children literature, puppets, theatre, books, stop motion films, the work of my favourite artists, flickr images, autumn, nature.... 3. What’s a perfect day for you? One day travelling by train, reading and enjoying the landscape through the window, and sharing all that with my beloved man, Hector. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Wolves 5. What would you like to be known for? For my art 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To fly high in the sky and paint the clouds in different colours and shapes. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. Crispy, cranky, mousy way. Little Red Riding Hood, brave, can say: “Doddle, doodle, gorgeus wolves! Say hurray and that is all!”
Bubbo Tubbo
bubbo.etsy.com // Natasha Mileshina
1. Tell us about yourself! You might think that I like reading, but I just love letters. I love staring at them, creating them, playing with words, just everything about letters! Originally from Moscow, Russia, I’ve finished Moscow State University of Press and now I am working in Washington DC, USA. Here I’ve just started to go deep into the language and sometimes can see funny things which you won’t notice if you got used to the language. Or create them: isn’t it splendidly terrific?! 2. What inspires your work? New places inspire me a lot, that’s why I love traveling. Especially to old Europe — a lot of wonderful things around and visible because you are new there. My favorite places are Switzerland and Netherlands, the places where I have an urge to do something. I always carry around my small camera – to take inspiring things with me. And I am dreaming of Japan. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? A day that lasts at least 48 hours, so you can not worry about sleeping too much and you are able to do a lot of projects that you’ve planned, but never had time for them. Like painting a table or wall, trying new media, reorganizing your working place... and not worry about coming to bed late. Oh! Can’t wait for my perfect day! 4. What’s your favorite animal? I met it in DC Zoo and we both fall in love with each other immediately, with elephant shrew. He moves his long nose so adorably, you just can’t stand. Also he is very communicative and loves posing. He says =hi= to you! 5. What would you like to be known for? For my typography, lettering or calligraphy, please. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Looks like I have already one -- ability to sleep endlessly. The more I sleep the more I can. I would love to switch my superpower to another one, more creative, if you don’t mind. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. YELLOW!!
Pepperminte
pepperminte.etsy.com // Caitlin Shearer 1. Tell us about yourself! I am 18 and studying fine arts at COFA in sydney. I like croissants and shiny shoes and things that are see through. 2. What inspires your work? Letters from friends, mix cds, fashion, conversations, flowers, people on the street or on the train. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? cloudy skies, watching movies, eating cake with friends. 4. What’s your favorite animal? rabbits. 5. What would you like to be known for? for being a good friend. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? to be able to transport myself anywhere, in the blink of an eye. like a human tardis. to save public transport fares and time spent waiting.. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously. well, thats what google says anyway.
Carambatack
carambatack.etsy.com // Annette Mangaseth 1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Annette, I am 35 and live in a small town in Norway with my 8 years old daughter , my boyfriend and two cats. I have been doing various forms of art for the past sixteen years. 2. What inspires your work? I find inspiration in nature, music , movies and vintage books. I love fairytales and the forest. 3. What’s your favorite animal? My favorite animal is cats.
Charmfoundry
charmfoundry.etsy.com // Kate Philips
1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Kate Phillips and I come from the beautiful green hills of Southwest Scotland but currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. I have a degree in Fine Art from Glasgow School of Art, Scotland where I studied printmaking. For the past 8 years I have been working in the encaustic medium, an ancient painting technique which is a laying of bees wax/resin and pigments fused together with a blowtorch. I trap old paper, fabric, thread and found images between these layers to create odd little worlds and moments. When I’m not at my day job (working in a Library) or playing hide and seek with my wonderful 5 yr old son Finn, I work in my studio which is the front room of my house which is rather unfortunate because it’s the first thing anyone sees and is always rather messy. 2. What inspires your work? My love for old forgotten things. The invisible workings of time and space. The sometimes unbearable craving to experience that elusive moment where everything seems to slow down, quietly listen and connect. My son and the incredible constellation of freckles he is growing across his nose! 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Lately I’ve been really missing the Scottish countryside so this would be a perfect dream day for me. I would wake up early feeling refreshed and well rested (very rare) to a spotless, organized house! Have a perfect “ah” inducing cup of tea with my Mum and then cycle off into the countryside to have a picnic, walk through bluebell woods and up hills, do a bit of cloud watching and then meet friends and family for dinner outside and end the night sitting around a huge bonfire telling stories and looking into the stars. 4. What’s your favorite animal? A song bird. 5. What would you like to be known for? For raising a happy, bright, kind, curious boy and for making beautiful “artings” as Finn likes to call them. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Teleportation 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I can make a chicken out of a towel.
Corid
corid.etsy.com // Cori Dantini 1. Tell us about yourself! What can one say about oneself? I suppose I could start with the specifics. I am the wife of a lovely man called Liam, we have a son Henry(also wonderful), who is just about to turn 5 and a sweet border-chowbrador called Lucy. Currently we are living in Pullman Washington, which is a little town that resides in the wheat fields on the Palouse. This is where Liam and I both grew up, and where my side of the family is still living (which is why we are here). We moved to Pullman a little over a year ago after Liam finished up his PhD in Neuroscience at UCHSC (Denver), but we are planning to make a move to the Salt Lake City area (soonish) for Liam’s new job. 2. What’s your favourite tool? It’s a toss up between my walnut ink and these Japanese pen nibs (can’t read the label) or my MICRON .005 pen’s. And how can one forget Photoshop? 3. What keeps you motivated? I want to get better. Everyday, I want to get better at what I do. 4. What advice would you like to give people who would like to sell their works online? Use Etsy… Etsy is an amazing tool. Use it. 5. Where do you see yourself within the next few years? If it’s in the cards, I’d like to have another baby. And once those first couple of (hard) years are over, I’d like to get a rep and do MORE. More. More. More. OH- and books. I would love to illustrate children’s books. 6. What message do you want to send out to people about your work? Each piece is a thin slice of me. Oh, and they look better in real life. REALLY. <excerpted from Cori’s online interview on Pikaland: http://pikaland.com/2008/04/03/interview-cori-dantini>
Crankbunny
crankbunny.etsy.com // Norma V Toraya 1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Norma V Toraya. My creative work falls under the name Crankbunny. A Crankbunny is a large magical medicinal fish with rabbit ears... so technically its part rabbit. I’m an animation director for Curious Pictures in NYC and Electric Company in Toronto. People hire me to make them commercials, music videos, TV intros, etc. Sometimes my brain likes to take a creative vacation from animation to make paper puppets, popup cards, and paper gadgets. I grew up in Miami, Florida and am Cuban. I’ve lived in a bunch of places. I have funny sounding big art and film degrees. 2. What inspires your work? People and stories inspire me in different ways. I’m a big fan of instinct and not questioning too much how things fall into place. I daydream way too much, but its helpful with getting ideas worked out I’m can get pretty obsessive and nerdy about certain random topics of knowledge. Currently my head has itself latch onto the following: Victorian needlework tools, sea creatures with no inner skeletal systems, white Flowers, Cuban street lottery, wooden automata, English paper theatres, antique bubble glass picture frames, milk, sparkly anything. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? I wake up and find a few funny messages on my phone - that automatically puts me in a good mood. It’s early and my dog continues to sleep. I putter around my place eating food and drawing all day. No one contacts me about work. I step out for food and the weather is nice. Continue working while listening to music. Go out and see friends to talk garbage while walking around the city. Includes gelatto or a slice of pizza at some point. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Star-nosed mole. I could talk about this creature for HOURS. 5. What would you like to be known for? “...Oh that kookie Crankbunny! With all those dark painterly animations....” 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Stopping time (so i could get more work done). 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I’ve passed a kidney stone.
Elephantine
elephantine.etsy.com // Rachel Chew Blakely 1. Tell us about yourself! I’m 22, quirky, nervous, quiet, sarcastic, indulgent, a daydreamer, an only child. I was always drawing when I was little, then stopped for quite a few years, then got back into it after finishing college. I just love making things, creating something out of nothing, getting really sucked into projects. So, I try to cram all this into the evenings. During the day I’m an interactive designer (websites, touchscreen installations, etc) working at a design firm in downtown Seattle. 2. What inspires your work? Countless other artists who work in all kinds of mediums, a fresh blank page, Radiohead, coffee shops, supporters of my creations, the book I Know This Much is True, Ingmar Bergman, rainy days, the little things in life. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Waking up early without an alarm, a slow big breakfast, wandering around bookstores and record shops, a few hours set aside for making things, working out, cooking, ending the day watching movies while curled up on the couch. 4. What’s your favorite animal? That’s a tough one. I’ll go with a wallaby. 5. What would you like to be known for? Originality, unpredictability. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? It’s not quite a superpower, but I wish I could have a perfect memory. Too often I have to say, “I can’t remember.. it was something like...” and it drives me nuts . 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. In fourth grade I thought I had invented the Spork, but then a classmate’s parent unsympathetically informed me otherwise: “You know, they have these already at Taco Bell.”
Enna
ww.enna-online.com // Anne Wendlandt 1. Tell us about yourself! I’m a 26-year old graphic designer. my lack of interest in advertising business and my love for handmade stuff and illustrating made me start my own company. I was lucky to get my own shop a year ago and I hope to be able to keep doing it for some more years – I might relocate though (Berlin is on my mind) 2. What inspires your work? i’m heavily influenced by my own childhood memories. Also by people on the streets, travelling, flickr, magazines... 3. What’s a perfect day for you? sleeping in, breakfast in bed, strolling across a great fleamarket in the sun – finding some great retro stuff, gathering ideas, having some good homecooked food and red wine with friends, watching a great movie, falling asleep in C’s arms, looking forward to go to work the next day and make new things! 4. What’s your favorite animal? i love to watch tapirs at the zoo – designwise I like all forest-related animals (deer, squirrels, hedgehogs...) 5. What would you like to be known for? probably just for being a kind person with good ideas?! 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Being able to beam myself (+ the person holding my hands) to wherever I want to be! to save public transport fares and time spent waiting.. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I can roll my tongue – not only one roll, but 3!! It looks really weird but it amazes people :-)
Felicitate88
felicitate88.etsy.com // Heike
1. Tell us about yourself! Im a 39 year old woman who lives in Frankfurt(Oder), Brandenburg, Germany with my son (4 years old) and (german : Ehemann -married man), i studied veterinary laboratory diagnostics and work in a software company. I love to draw. 2. What inspires your work? The country, my animals 3. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect day for you? The spring, today :) 4. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your favorite animal? Elephants. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? That I can fly. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I love children books.
Gemma Correll
www.gemmacorrell.com
1. Tell us about yourself! I am 24. I live in Norwich, a lovely small city in England. I work part time as a teaching assistant in a school with 6 and 7 year olds and part time as an illustrator. My illustration work is mostly drawing and collage but I love printmaking when I get the chance, and using textiles. I would also call myself a craftsperson, I think, because I love making stuff, like plush toys and little ornaments. 2. What inspires your work? Ooh, all sorts of things: Screenprints, kitsch, vintage greetings cards, advertisements from the 50s, other illustrators, my boyfriend, the kids at school, stickers, old children’s annuals, Mexican culture, animals, daily life… 3. What’s a perfect day for you? A perfect day would involve receiving lots of post (parcels and letters), finding lots of nice things in thrift stores and junk shops then sitting somewhere warm drinking a starbucks caramel macchiato, listening to 40s swing tunes and drawing pictures, and lots of sunshine! Also, there would definately be kittens involved at some point. If I could fit in a quick trip to Las Vegas that would be grand (hmm, it’s only an 11 hour plane ride! 4. What’s your favorite animal? I think I just answered that! I love cats, I think it’s obvious from looking at my artwork. I do have a soft spot for dogs too, especially pugs and Labrador retrievers- my parents have 2, Orla and Ellie. I’m not allowed pets in my house, alas. 5. What would you like to be known for? I would like to be known for my illustrations, and for being a nice person. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I would be able to speak any language in the world, fluently. Then I could travel around wherever I wanted, with no problems. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I once made a website (along with my good friend Rachel) about a set of salt and pepper shakers that we sold in a shop in which we both worked. We gave them names and drew pictures of them. There was a song and everything.
Heartful Art
www.heartfulart.com // Raphaella Vasseau 1. Tell us about yourself! I have been supporting myself with art for over eleven years and hope that will continue for another eleven at least. I’m sixty. I’m a grown-up hippie who still believes in the dream of One World, One People, One Heart. I am still learning how to live life better and be the best I can be.
2. What inspires your work? I am inspired by the possibility of our ability to learn, grow, empower and elevate ourselves as human beings through conscious acts of accountability, respect, honesty, integrity and love for and between the planet and all living things, including individual relationships and world governments. I’m inspired by a flower, a dance, a cloud, the wind, music,the softness of a cat’s fur, the look of a deer in the wild, a kind word from a friend, a thought about someone (even if I don’t know the person). I create art to build a bridge for the communication or be a vessel for the communication from heart to heart, heaven to earth, earth to heaven and person to person. I create to share my heart with you through color and words. It’s my gift to you.
3. What’s a perfect day for you? Waking up to see my kitty’s little body and spirit still beside me, swimming outside under the big sky, sun and clouds, walking & talking with my best friend, taking pictures of wildlife by myself, learning from and being inspired by my mentors, and having enough money to live and continue my work. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Truly I love all animals and listen for their guidance in my dreams and in life. (Favorite book: Animal Speak by Ted Andrews). 5. What would you like to be known for? Integrity, making a positive difference in people’s lives, creating beauty and empowering people through art and writing. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I‘d have an invisible magic wand and bless people, the planet, and all living things everywhere I go- for the highest good. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. Check out www.hayhouseradio.com - it’s an amazing resource for consciousness transformation, support and information. If you’re a mom and an entrepreneur, check out The Mary and Heather Show and MomsTown.com.
Iris Schwarz
irisschwarz.etsy.com
1. Tell us about yourself! After my graduation in graphic design and illustration I’m now self-employed for about ten years. My main field was (and still is) the editorial illustration, but today I work more as a freelancer, selling my art and illustrations online or direct to my audience. 2. What inspires your work? Art – contemporary, but even more the old schools, fairy tales, craft, Victorian illustration. Almost everything old… illustrated books, textiles, furniture (antique shops or flea markets are my obsession, specially in Paris!), nature is very important to me, sometimes a conversation, beauty. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? I definitely should be a sunny, warm day and then to forget time while working on a new idea. Later on a lazy evening, sitting in our garden with my husband or some friends, a glass of red wine and a good conversation and right before falling asleep of course there is this new and great idea for next morning…. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Hmmm... I love almost all animals, but most fascinated I am by apes, especially orangutans and gorillas! 5. What would you like to be known for? My work. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Being invisible could be helpful sometimes. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. If you tell something random, it’s not random anymore... just a random thought...
It’s A Whimsical Life
itsawhimsicallife.etsy.com // Susan Mitchell
1. Tell us about yourself! I am a children’s book illustrator and when I have a bit of extra time, I love to make collages and little stuffed animals. 2. What inspires your work? Fairy tales, other children’s book illustrator’s, old photographs and ephemera. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Getting to potter around in my studio and play . 4. What’s your favorite animal? Dogs with round tummies and very short legs :) 5. What would you like to be known for? Illustrating children’s books. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Being able to fly – I think that would be wonderful, and I often dream about it. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I have one normal ear and one pixie ear.
Junkyard Sam
www.junkyardsam.com // Matthew Cox
1. Tell us about yourself! I’ll skip the boring things about me and get straight to the good stuff: 1) When I go jogging at night, I pause too long when I see a naked girl in a window. And to keep things honest, I pause when I see a guy naked too. I don’t actually like the guy thing, but it’s fascinating to see the depraved things people do when they are without clothes and don’t know they’re being watched. 2) Every night I make myself sneeze about 20 times in a row. It’s kinda sick. Like nasal masturbation or something. I’ve never told anyone this. Sometimes I dial random numbers on the phone and let people listen to me do this. It would surprise you at how long people stay on the line listening. 3) I once cried when I ran over a pidgeon. Later that evening I was eating chicken and felt kinda stupid. I guess these things sort of sum up who I am as a person. 2. What inspires your work? If I was more “honest” as an artist I would paint very dirty and disgusting things. I don’t have a real positive outlook on the world... But if I did that I’d be a depressed person depressing people with depressing art. So instead I created Tong Picnic. I draw places I want to be, and I’m pretty sure they actually exist. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? I just like to sleep. And I say that not as a lazy weasel but as someone who never sleeps. Ever. I consume so much coffee it doesn’t even work anymore. I work as an artist in the game industry by day... and thats a 60-90 hour a week job - and by night I create art as
Junkyard Sam. So really, if I could just sleep for a day my life would be perfect. 4. What’s your favorite animal? I really love my Beagle. My wife says she sees my Beagle in every animal I draw, whether it’s a Gaffle, a Quaggle, a duck or a bear. She’s a pretty good dog, but Beagles aren’t very good pets. She has too much of a mind of her own, and that makes it impossible to stop her barking or poop-eating. (The dog. Not my wife.) She sleeps in my bed at night and buries herself under so many blankets I have to make a nosehole so she doesn’t suffocate. (My wife.) 5. What would you like to be known for? I created a world called TONG PICNIC. It’s where strange people befriend animals to travel across bizarre lands full of good people and scary monsters... It’s where people go when they die. (It’s where I’m going, at least.) 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I would be DEODORANT MAN! I would fly about and rub deodorant on stinkers all over the world. Really though I would just have the ability to freeze time. That way I could still rub deodorant on people but I wouldn’t waste all that time sleeping. Seriously, I imagine there are many parts of the world where the people don’t even have deodorant. I would be very important to those people. And yes, I’m being dead serious. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I sleep with earplugs in. EVERY NIGHT. I am deathly afraid that if I don’t, a bug will crawl into my ear. This happened to my dad once when I was 15. We didn’t know what was happening - we just saw my dad thrashing about, banging his head against the wall. My mom and I held him down and shined a flashlight in his ear. Horrible things came flying out. This I will never forget.
Just Mad Books
justmadbooks.etsy.com // Justin Madson
1. Tell us about yourself! I love telling stories using words and pictures and have been doing so for over a decade, in the form of self-published comic books and graphic novels. There’s nothing like that feeling of putting a new book together, being able to hold it in your hands and say, “Yeah…all the hard work and back pain from being hunched over that drawing table for hours and hours and hours was worth it…now, onto the next book”... I live in Wisconsin with my wife and two noisy cats and work as a barista because I’m addicted to coffee. 2. What inspires your work? I tend to incorporate a lot of psychology and sociological elements in my stories. I try to make my characters as real as possible and examine how and why they are the way they are and what compels them to do the things they do. Is it getting deep in here? 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Do some writing, do some drawing, chill with my wife and cats, maybe watch a movie or some Seinfeld. 4. What’s your favorite animal? I used to answer three-toed sloth because it sounded really bizarre, but now I’m kind of over it. I’ll go with monkeys. Yeah, monkeys are the best…especially when they’re wearing pants and a bow tie.
5. What would you like to be known for? For being that guy with the awesome pet monkey in the pants and bow tie. Or…for having consistently cranked out a bunch of really great comic book stories 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? The ability to freeze time, definitely. I always want to get more drawing done in a day than is humanly possible, so that could help me out quite a bit. Of course, I’d probably work myself into an early grave. What a waste of a sweet superpower! 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I’ve been inspired, just now, to begin work on a story about a monkey who has the ability to freeze time. Yes, he will be wearing pants and a bow tie.
Katrine K
katrinek.etsy.com // Katrine Kalleklev
1. Tell us about yourself! I am a norwegian fine artist living in a tiny village near Oslo, -the city in which I also attended the National academy of Arts a couple of years ago. I have a passion for drawing, -if I could only bring tree things with me to a desert island it would surely be my HB pencil, paper and my sharpener...! However when not stranded on a desert island I enjoy also using my computer and all sorts of paint and various ingredients when making my pictures... I work from my tiny studio in our little white house next to a dark wood. My black cat Julius keeps me company. 2. What inspires your work? I am very inspired by dreams and unconscious feelings. I want to express and find out what`s going on inside our minds..! Everyday life also inspires me, -those almost invisible little weird and heartwarming things that happens around us. Relationships between people is also very inspiring. 3. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect day for you? The perfect day should start with a nice breakfast with a cup of homemade caffe latte, quiet no stress!, with my family. Reading the newspaper and talking with my boys. Then I would prefer some time to work in my studio. I just need to work to get a perfect day! After some hours work it would have been very nice to go to a nice cafe or restaurant with my family , -or just stay at home and make some homecooked dinner (which we almost allways do). If it was summer, nice weather, we could sit in our garden, me and my husband, looking at our children playing, not quarreling.
Perhaps reading a book. Perhaps getting some nice visitors. Drinking wine...(after the children was in bed) That would be a perfect evening. Going to the cinema is also one of my favourite things, so if we could include this, the day would be even more perfect. 5. What would you like to be known for? I would like to be known for my art...but off course I would also be liked to remembered as a nice and thoughtful person. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I would like to have hypnotic skills superpower. Be able to hypnotize bad leaders to be good leaders. I would like to have the abillity to save the people who suffer from all their misery! Give food to the ones who is starving. Save the world from pollution and get rid of wars and terrorism. If I could only hypnotize the leaders of the world to make them do this... 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I don`t eat bananas, never liked them!
Kristiana Pärn
www.kristianaparn.com
1. Tell us about yourself! I am an illustrator/designer living in New York City. Ever since 2005 creating harmless creatures has being one of my favorite artistic past times for self expression. Besides drawing I enjoy experimenting with photography, live music, people, nature, city biking, galleries and everything hand made. 2. What inspires your work? Ideas sneak up to me so quietly that I never quite seem to understand from where or how they come. Everything around me is so inspiring. City, colors, people, seasons, memories just to name a few. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? I love waking up early with the Sun. Then there’s a big chance I get a lot done and that’s what I like. Feeling accomplished is a great feeling. 4. What’s your favorite animal? It changes every now and then, right now I am intrigued by fox and moose. I tend to like animals and birds from the North. 5. What would you like to be known for? I rather stay invisible but if I had to choose, then it would be what I am doing right now. Illustration 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Very funny! It’s a loaded question you know. Sure, I would choose a power to change people’s mind. Too many bad desicions have been made this past 200 years. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. The sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter in the alphabet. That’s also a title for one of my future drawings.
Labpartners
labpartners.etsy.com // Sarah Labieniec + Ryan Meis 1. Tell us about yourself! We are a couple of cat-loving, gocco-printing, sushi-eating nerds. 2. What inspires your work? So many things, but lately we have really been drawn to vintage children’s illustration, old science books, Scandinavian textiles, Mid Century neon signage, Japanese design, clothing from the early 1900s, nature, Olle Eksell, Paul Rand, Mary Blair, Max Huber, Hans Schleger, and so on. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Being outside on a nice day. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Cougar, or anything in the feline family. 5. What would you like to be known for? An intelligent but fun approach to illustration and design that is equal parts sophistication and whimsy. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To bend time like Hiro in Heroes, he is the real hero. Then we could get all the artwork done that we would like to. ;) 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. Apple seeds have small amounts of poison in them.
Mau Studio
maustudio.etsy.com // Manyi Au
1. Tell us about yourself! I’m a graphic and web designer. I like to draw and love to make crafty things. 2. What inspires your work? Everything, especially animals. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? A perfect day is a day which I can sit at home and relax, have a cup of coffee, and to work on my projects. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Cat, of course. 5. What would you like to be known for? I would like to be known as a person who inspires other people. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Time travel maybe cool! 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I love chocolate.
Restless Things
restlessthings.etsy.com // Olivia Jeffries
1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Olivia and I live in a small city in the UK called Norwich. I have been a creative minded person for my entire life but have only recently found the direction I wish to push my work in. I have recently given up my full-time job to pursue my drawing and have found it to be a thoghroughly rewarding challenge. 2. What inspires your work? I make drawings primarily from personal items, such as photographs, I have come into possession of from someone unknown. What inspires me is that the people who owned these items have moved on or departed this earth and their closest family have either moved on or departed from this this earth and their belongings now roam without a home or a purpose and this fills me with a sadness. I draw on old paper, the more worn and dirty it is the better. I feel inspired by the paper’s sense of history and like to believe it holds within it the contemplative allure of the tenderness and melancholy that encompass the brevity of our lives... 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Any day is perfect as long as it’s a sunny one. I find that the sunshine makes me ten times more productive! The days I enjoy the most include lots of coffee drinking, charity shopping with my partner, a long lunch and then home for an afternoon of drawing. 4. What’s your favorite animal? Everyone loves cats, right? Cats, definitely. 5. What would you like to be known for? I would like to be known for not really wanting to be known. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I would like to be super efficient! Organised, methodical, logical and timesaving in everything I do!! (Hopefully not like a robot though) 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I always leave one mouthful of food on my plate at the end of a meal.
Stuart Kolakovic
stuartkolacovic.etsy.com
1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Stuart Kolakovic, I hail from the midlands, U.K., home to Black Sabbath and industrial pollution. I manage to make a living drawing pictures for nice people. I’m unable to grow a fully fledged beard and wear my old school trousers, which are now 6 inches too short. 2. What inspires your work? The past year or so, ever since i won a D&AD New Blood award for a comic about my Serbian Grandad, I have been obsessing over all things slavic; folktales, folk art, balkan music,etc. I love the fact that whole culture is so fairy tale-like and so very naive, but at the same time, I now know a lot about it’s history and how it’s pretty much seeped in war- it’s just such a contrast. In fact, Im working on a new book at the moment about two brothers growing up in Yugoslavia during WWII. Other stuff that inspires me includes obscure 60’s garage cuts, breakfast cereal, the deer that live in my garden, ratdog, goregrind, road barriers, bootlegged t-shirts, comics, friends& quamf (including- Amy Brown, Julia Pott, Rosie Miles), VHS and my Dad’s junk collection. 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Do some drawing that doesn’t involve an art director, go out on my shred stick, eat lots of sweets and then play a gig with my band, The Duds (myspace.com/uptheduds).
4. What’s your favorite animal? Ratdog! It’s my mum’s weird miniature yorkshire terrier that looks just like an ewok and is hands down the most stupid dog in the world. Other than that, I think Octopus are rad, and jellyfish and squid- I think just because they look so bizarre- they look like cheesy B-rate 50’s horror characters. 5. What would you like to be known for? For my comics, that’s what I enjoy working on the most. Stories and narratives are the most important thing to me- straight illustration sometimes bums me out because it’s essentially a space filler in a magazine or whatever; people look at it and take it for granted. I think people remember stories much easier, and because I’m a bit backward I’ve decided to tell stories in pictures rather than words. 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? These questions are rad. To stop time would be a pretty good one- that way you could get so much done in one day. Or to travel back in time so I can laugh at myself trying to impress girls. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. Whenever i clean my ears out it makes me cough. I haven’t been physically sick since i was eight years old. I can eat anything but beetroot. can’t stand the feeling of licking lollipop sticks, but once i’ve started I can’t stop. When i was wee tiny, I used to think that sandbags were dead chickens.
Syko
syko.etsy.com // Kajsa Wikman 1. Tell us about yourself! I have just started my own little craft business after a long time of dreaming and planning and I love it! Luckily I have two children that also need my attention and help me focus on other things in life too, such as playing with sand and riding a bike. 2. What inspires your work? My kids and their drawings, illustrations for children, people, colours, materials... 3. What’s a perfect day for you? A day with a “flow” and lots of time to create without interuption. I don’t mind if the sun is shining either :) 4. What’s your favorite animal? Birds on a distance. 5. What would you like to be known for? For making stuff that make people smile :) 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? That would be some kind of time management power. 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I love singing!
Unicorn Kids Studios
unicornkidsstudios.etsy.com // Jessie Hughes
1. Tell us about yourself! My name is Jessie. I am a unicorn kid. I have been drawing,painting, or making a mess ever since I can remember. Mostly thanks to my mom who dragged me (not kicking and screaming) to probably every arts & crafts show on the east coast... I now live in Richmond and have my BFA in Illustration from VCU. 2. What inspires your work? I’ve always been inspired by my mother. She was a wonderful artist! She instilled the love of art & crafts early on in me, I don’t think their was anything she couldn’t do:) She passed away last December from Huntington’s disease. Everyday since has been a struggle, But my drive to keep creating hasn’t stopped and never will. :) 3. What’s a perfect day for you? Everyday is perfect! And gets better with a cup of coffee & at least a few minutes in the sun through out the day :) All while being super-creative of course! 4. What’s your favorite animal? But I guess Dogs will win out because I have two and they are so very loyal. But Bees are a close second and shouldn’t feel too bad because they are the subject of most of the artwork I’ve collected over the years... 5. What would you like to be known for? I want to start giving back to different charities with my artwork and etsy store. I currently working on setting-up my store to donate all of a sale, or portion of sales to charity:) I want to start with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America... 6. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? The ability to cure all diseases... 7. Tell us something random. REALLY random. I kiss my dogs on the lips:)
www.pikaland.com/pikapackage www.flickr.com/pikaland