Over in America they've just celebrated Artist Appreciation Month and I was approached by fellow artist and creator of unique ornaments, Patience Brewster to get on board. You can check out some of her Christmas ornaments here. In an effort to get to know the artist behind the art I was sent a set of 5 interview questions. It took me a while but I've answered them all and even got a chance to draw a few accompanying comics.
1. As a child, do you recall a significant moment when you
felt truly affected or inspired by any particular artwork or artist?
I can't
pinpoint exact moments that truly
affected and inspired me along the path of illustration but the cartoons I watched had a lot to do with it. I loved Nickelodeon cartoons like Rugrats,
Fairly Odd Parents, Hey Arnold and Rocko’s Modern Life. So in that sense I guess
it was more a company of artists that inspired me rather than a single person.
2. As an artist, what do you hope to convey with your work?
As an illustrator I am always striving to convey
emotion, life and simplicity in my work. I want people to be able to see the
world through my eyes and feel something when they see it. I love making people
smile or laugh or just ponder. There is no way to describe the feeling I get
when I see an emotional response to my work, it’s just something money can't buy.
3. What memorable responses
have you had to your work?
Probably the most memorable response I've had to
my work was when I travelled to Nepal. I would go to the same coffee house in
Kathmandu every day. On my final day I sketched a little picture to give to the
people that worked there and they were very grateful. But the actual memorable
response was a few months later on Facebook when a friend I had met in Nepal
sent me a photo he had taken. It was a photo of the same sketch I had given the
coffee house but it was hanging on a wall in another coffeehouse 100 km away. I’m
not sure how it travelled that far but it was amazing to think that such a
small gesture went such a long way….literally.
4. What is your dream project?
My dream project would be to have a small studio
where I could teach and mentor young illustrators one on one and have other experienced
illustrators come and mentor myself and others. I would love for it to be a
place where people could just come and draw and work on their projects.
5.
What artists, of any medium, do you admire? (Famous or not)
There are too many to name, but if I had to pick
one it would be Charles M Schulz, the creator of Peanuts. I admire a lot about
him. He managed to create these amazing characters filled with such life using
only a few simple lines. He was an amazing storyteller and created a prolific
amount of comic strips that are still relevant nearly 60 years on! I hope my
work stands the test of time like his has.
