Future Creatives

FASHION. PHOTOGRAPHY. ART. DESIGN. THE MAGAZINE FOR INSPIRATION AND GUIDENCE, FOR ANYONE, FOR ANYWHERE

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Contributors list

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Stacie Ant Alexy Prefontine Becky Adams Rosie Greener Micah Clasper-Touch Ruby Becky Adams Connor Fogarty Fares Micue Luigi Creese Eugene Golovanchuk Naomi Devil

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Editor's Note Be inspired, create and take charge of your future. Motivated by the daunting, lost feeling of not knowing where you want life to take you, Future Creatives is here to deliver engaging interviews, imagery and advice from those in industry to open your eyes to the opportunities that await you.

This Issue falls under our umbrella series, curated by creatives in different industries to offer insight into many contrasting proffessions to offer a sense of direction to you, the readers.

In this issue, we make our way through fashion and beauty, design, photography and art. Showcasing individuals who upcycle and design unique clothes whilst helping save the Earth, to 3D animators working with musicians and creating viral filters on Instagram.

Nothing is off limits, lets open your eyes to a new world of creativity.

Megan Walker

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ContENTS 6

FASHION 8

DESIGN 38

ART 54

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Fashion 9

We speak to Rosie Greener, founder of Mood Good, an independent jewellery brand, creating intricate pieces to be worn and treasured.

Mood Good pieces are designed in London and handmade ethically.

Mood Good believes in slow fashion - timeless, thoughtful design and pieces that you will wear and cherish forever.

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W h a t

i s

yo u r

b a c k g r o u n d ?

E x p e r i e n c e ?

E d u c a t i o n ,

W o r k

I always knew that I needed to have a creative career in order to be happy and fulfilled. When I left school, I didn’t know exactly what form this would take, so I decided to do a foundation year at Central St Martins to explore different pathways. In the first week I tried out jewellery design and I was hooked! I went on to do a BA in Jewellery Design at CSM, where I met some amazing people and learnt to have confidence in my creative opinions and work. I did 2 weeks work experience at a fashion jewellery company in my final year and ended up working there as a Design Assistant as soon as I graduated in 2015. I went on to gain loads of experience at that company, designing for different highstreet brands and learning the ins and outs of the industry. It was whilst I was there that I started building Mood Good in my own time, and when I moved jobs a few months ago I was able to go down to 4 days a week to allow myself more time to work on the brand.

Have you always had a passion for jewellery? Was this always your dream or goal?

There was never any doubt that creativity would be a big part of my life, and jewellery design just felt like the right path for me. I have always loved jewellery, but I mainly love idea of designing something that will be treasured and worn for many years to come. Jewellery can carry so much meaning and sentiment for the wearer, and there is something so special about the fact that it is not something that is needed, but something that is acquired or treasured purely because it makes the wearer feel something. I think that is so powerful! It wasn’t always my goal to start my own brand however, and for a long timeI was quite adamantly against having my own business; I thought that it wouldn’t allow me enough time for creativity. I assumed that working within a company as a designer would be the ultimate freedom, as I would be able to design all day every day and not have to spend time on anything that wasn’t creative. However after doing this for a few years, I realised that that was not quite the case. I craved the freedom of designing pieces and having complete creative control from beginning to end, so that I could influence not only the design of the piece but also the branding, photography and every aspect of the process. I wanted to take my time developing pieces that I adored and have them presented to the audience in the way that I imagined. Naturally in a large company, it is just not possible to have this complete creative control, so although it is rewarding in some ways to be a cog in a bigger machine, I had a strong urge to create the things that I wanted to, in exactly the way that I imagined them to be.

What

was

the

inspiration

behind

starting

the

brand?

The inspiration behind starting Mood Good was just the desire to create the pieces that I could imagine so vividly and I wanted to wear! Once I started making pieces, it was so rewarding and I wanted to share them and see others wearing them too. I love the branding side of the process, so the vision for Mood Good all came together very naturally, I am very organised and so have an inbuilt instinct to have everything fit together and be succinct and complementary...

And that is essentially what branding is! I wanted the jewellery to be good quality, wearable and thoughtfully designed, but still creative and fun and I didn’t feel like there were many jewellery brands bringing together these two sides, so that is what I endeavoured to do.

H o w d i d y o u g e t t h e b a c k g r o u n d a n d s k i l l s n e c e s s a r y t o r u n t h i s t y p e o f b u s i n e s s ?

In terms of the product side, doing a Jewellery Design degree and working in the industry gave me a pretty good understanding of the skills needed to design and make jewellery.

However, when it comes to the business side, I am always learning and am just being instinctive with my journey and trying to take in as I much as I can along the way. I would recommend talking to people who are doing similar things and sharing insights and knowledge, listening to podcasts and doing day courses on anything areas you feel particularly weak in.

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How difficult was it to start up the brand? Can you tell us a bit about your journey from when the brand was first set up to where you are now?

In this day and age, with access to social media and the ability to very easily set up a website or social media page, it is so easy to set up a brand! There are no barriers in the way to stop you. However, I would say that the hard part is to actually make it financially viable and to generate an income from it.

I never want to create any false illusions so am always upfront with admitting that this is very difficult, and I still work 4 days a week at a ‘normal’ job in order to comfortably pay the bills and continue to grow the brand. The harsh reality is that unless you have a large investment, it is a slow process and you have to be accepting of that and not expect to see any large financial gains for a while.

You believe heavily in slow fashion, how important do you think it is for brands to adapt this way of production?

On a personal level I think it is extremely important and in a business sense I think it just depends on the kind of brand you want: There will always be people who will buy into the cheapest option, so the easiest thing to do is to create your product quickly and in the cheapest way, and it will most probably sell very well. However, your brand has to represent your personal values too and so this path was never an option for me. I knew when I started Mood Good that I wanted the pieces to be made locally, I wanted to have frequent contact with those making the product and confidence that the pieces were coming from a positive place and not creating a negative impact. Although inevitably this was going to cost more, it was a very instinctive decision and I didn’t even consider it being any other way. I also wanted to take my time designing and create pieces that I was sure that the customer would love and wear forever. I didn’t want to churn out product, I wanted to create small and deliberate collections and produce in small batches so that there was no waste. Consumers are slowly waking up to the destruction that fast fashion causes, both socially and environmentally around the world, but it will take a long time for these views to become mainstream and then become actions. In the meantime we just have to focus on what is in front of us, put our money where our mouth is and do our best.

D o yo u h a v e a l a r g e t e a m t h a t w o r k w i t h yo u ?

No not at all, the brand is not at a size yet where it is viable to have employees so at the moment it is just me! I have to wear all the hats. It can be hectic and sometimes quite overwhelming, but ultimately it means that there is no option but to learn many different skills and endeavour to become knowledgeable in all areas of the business. I think in the long run it will be beneficial to have this quite varied skill set and awareness of how all parts of the business work.

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I see you collaborated with Holly St Clair. What’s it like collaborating and working with artists?

It was incredible to work with Holly, I had loved and admired her work for quite some time when we got talking so it was all very exciting and it all happened very organically. Our aesthetics complimented each other very well and we were completely on the same wavelength, so everything came together even better than I could have hoped. I put more pressure on myself to get it right, because I wanted Holly to feel like I had done her illustrations justice, and so was very relieved that it got such a positive response. Also, as a creative I sometimes find that towards the end of a project I have looked at the pieces for too long and become a bit bored and less enthralled by them. However, because the pieces are so characterised by illustrations that didn't come from my own brain, I still really love them... And that's a really nice feeling! Holly is the only artist I have done a collaboration collection with so far, but I really enjoyed it, so would definitely consider doing it again in the future.

What are some of the difficulties you’ve had to face and overcome throughout starting your brand?

What are the most rewarding things about it?

Creating something that has consumed so much time, effort and creativity it is very intense, and so the rewards are so great but the lows can be very low too. There are so many rewarding parts, and that is what keeps me going even when it is tough and exhausting. The best feeling is when someone loves the brand, or a specific piece; seeing people wear the jewellery, getting orders from across the globe and imagining people in far away places waking up in the morning and putting on their Mood Good jewellery. There is a lot to be said for the satisfaction that comes with feeling creatively fulfilled and putting out work that I am proud of and that develops me as a designer. But I would never hide the fact that it can also be really tough at times, it is such a rollercoaster but I can't complain because the majority of the pressure comes from myself. The parts that I have found hardest mainly revolve around the business side, as this is not something that comes naturally to me. I am not motivated by money, but ultimately for the business to succeed it has to make money!

It is hard to know what the right decisions are, when to take a risk, how to price the pieces. It can also be hard balancing everything at busy times. I often prioritise Mood Good, because it is so important to me to give it my best shot, but this comes with sacrifices... You just can't do it all!

Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs that wish to start up their own business or aspire to?

Just get going in some way! Start small, if you love doing or making something and you think people might pay for, just start doing it. It is so easy to set something small up and monetise it online, anyone can do it. It might not be successful and it might never become your full time income, but if you never try you will never know! Start with the thing that you love doing or making, because if you love doing it, that will keep you going even when it is hard. And if you feel passionately about what you're making, believe in it! It might take some time to find people that will appreciate it, but they are out there and if you just keep putting things out, they will find you!

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Blurred Lines

We speak to Micah Clasper-Torch, a fiber artist and designer based in Los Angeles California. Micah aims to blur the line between fine art and fashion through punch needle hand tufting techniques and unveils her story to us to inspire many and showcase her love for fashion.

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Can you describe to our readers what a fiber artist is and what it consists of?

A fiber artist is someone whose art consists of materials such as fabric, yarn and other natural and synthetic fibers. Fiber art emphasizes the process of working with your hands through techniques such as weaving, needlework, knotting and stitching.

While some fiber art is technically functional (like my Punch Needle Coats), most fiber art is characterized by its aesthetic value as opposed to its functional value.

Can you tell us the process of creating items from idea to execution?

For me, it usually starts with the materials. I am very inspired by the colors and textures in yarn or fabric, so I spend a lot of time color planning and exploring how textures work together before I begin a project. I have endless ideas, so I find it works best to just dive in rather than overthink the end result! As I begin working and placing shapes or colors next to one another, each piece evolves quite naturally. Sometimes I try to design in advance, but even when I do things still tend to evolve on their own during the process of creating. I start with a base canvas – whether that is a pattern piece for a coat, or a classic canvas for the wall, and work within that framework to create something that is joyful, balanced, elegant and aesthetically pleasing.

Where did your love of design stem from and how did you channel that love to start creating garments and to start designing?

I have always been creative and loved making things. When I was young, I made jewelry and did a lot of paper collage and pastel drawing. My interest in interior design and fashion developed simultaneously when I was around 11 years old. I would spend hours drawing, designing clothing and furniture that I could only dream of having. Without much money to spend on clothing, I got a lot of my wardrobe second hand, from thrift shops and the Goodwill, and it was through years of sifting through racks of clothing that I learned to differentiate throwaway fashion from timeless pieces. I learned to recognize good construction and quality materials, which were always natural materials such as wool, linen, cotton and silk. I knew I wanted to attend fashion school from the age of 15 but I didn’t learn to sew until my senior year of high school when I made my own prom dress! Attending school for design and learning construction is really when I began creating garments.

Can you tell us about your background eg, were you self taught or did you have lessons?

I studied fashion design at the Politecnic Institute in Milan Italy, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where I received my Associates Degree in Tailoring and my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Womenswear. I have always loved working with fabric, wool especially. The sculptural aspect of draping on the form, and creating something tangible and functional with my hands really appealed to me. When I first discovered Punch Needle in 2018, I fell in love with the process of creating the textile, and the range of possibilities for its application. In 2019 I began to focus full time on fiber art, and participated in an intensive program studying under renowned rug hooker Amy Oxford at The Oxford Rug Hooking School in Vermont. Since then I’ve been honing my skills and experimenting with the various possibilities for this fiber technique.

What does art and design mean to you? What role do you think design plays in society today and how it speaks to people?

For me, art is about personal expression and joy, and design is those same things combined with a level of practicality.

Design plays an important role in society because it exists in conjunction with our experience in the physical world. We live with design in all aspects of our lives – buildings, furniture, fashion, interiors – and when done well, design can improve the quality of our lives both functionally and aesthetically.

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Where does your inspiration stem from? Is there anyone in particular who inspires your work?

Beyond the tactile inspiration I get from the materials I use, I am inspired visually by the colors and shapes in nature, art and architecture. Traveling is my biggest source of renewal and inspiration, I love soaking up the various landscapes, design and culture of new places.

As I’ve learned more about the history of punch needle rug hooking, that has also become a huge inspiration in my work from a conceptual standpoint. Techniques like sewing, embroidery, rug hooking and quilting are so deeply connected to the history of women throughout centuries, and I find that inspirational as I continue to move this work forward into the future.

Fiber artists such as Annie Albers, Mrinalini Mukherjee and Sheila Hicks are inspirational to me in the way they developed their practice and have paved the way for weaving and macramé to be viewed on the same level as art. Mrinalini Mukherjee’s work in particular is exciting to me because of how sculptural it is – some of it almost looks like fashion.

Some other artists and designers I have been interested in lately include Adam Pogue, LRNCE, Alexandra Kehayoglou, Vanessa Barragao, Visual Citizens, Horror Vacui.

What inspired you to start making punch coats?

My background in fashion design, tailoring in particular, allowed me to see possibilities in Punch Needle that might not have been immediately apparent to others. I have always been inspired by upholstery fabric and thicker materials used for interiors, and the fact that Punch Needle is a rug making technique stood out at me. I knew that there would be challenges with the material since it can not be cut and sewn like other fabric, but I was fascinated by its history and was curious to see what new directions I could take it. When I first learned Punch Needle in 2018, it was with the sole purpose of creating a coat from the textile. I was surprised to find in all my research that it didn’t seem to have been done before, though I realized very quickly why that is once I began! The short story – it’s not easy. The Punch Coats become much more interesting when you understand that it’s not really about fashion. What is interesting about the coat is the process by which the textile needs to be created and sewn to become a coat. Once you understand how punch needle works, the difficulty of it’s construction becomes clear and each coat can be appreciated for its technique and aesthetic value instead of simply it’s form as a coat.

How long on average does it take you to complete a project?

One Punch Needle Coat takes an average of 3 weeks to complete. Rugs and wall hangings, depending on the size, can take anywhere from 2 weeks to many months.

What are the biggest challenges you face when working on a project? How do you overcome them?

Punch needle is a slow, labor intensive process that takes a real toll on the hands and wrists. I can’t punch 8 hours a day for 5 days a week – giving my wrists and fingers a break is necessary to maintain my productivity! When I first began doing this full time, I overworked myself too quickly and ended up in physical therapy for 2 months. Now I am more aware of switching up my projects and taking breaks from punching throughout the day or week. I wish I could create more pieces, faster, but the nature of this art form has required me to slow down and practice patience.

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Is it difficult to make a statement/name for yourself in the industry today?

That’s an interesting question! The answer is yes and no, depending on your idea of success. The internet and our access to social platforms enable artists to get their work seen by a worldwide audience – for free – in ways that were previously unthinkable. The idea that someone in Spain could come across a picture of my work and be inspired, or that someone in Tokyo could become a customer or a fan of what I create is just incredible to me. This is the easiest time in the history of the world to reach people and be recognized for what you do on a global scale. Of course, the widespread access to information, talent and the onslaught of images we see every day can also make it harder to stand out from the crowd and achieve the level of name recognition or renown that we might associate with success in the past, where there was often just a handful of people who were the “face” of an industry. Today there are many faces of success across all industries, and that’s the beauty of it!

Ultimately, I’ve been much more attuned to patience as I’ve gotten older, perhaps assisted by the fact that punch needle is such a slow art form. One thing I’ve realized is how quickly most people give up. But in this new era, if you are putting yourself out there, it’s just a matter of time. If you stick with something, your skills will grow, you will amass an impressive body of work, you will be seen by people who get it and you will be appreciated for what you do.

Are there any deeper meanings behind the items you design? Is there an underlying reason for the creative choices you make?

Throughout all of my punch needle pieces, I aim to elevate what has traditionally been relegated to “craft” to a level of art. Punch Needle Rug Hooking has a rich history here in the United States, but like most fiber art forms it was overlooked because it was considered “women’s work” and because it was functional. Punch needle rugs used to be coveted by interior designers and could be found in the homes of celebrities and politicians. They were designed and created here in the United States by a handful of rug hooking companies who employed groups of local women who worked slowly over many months. But once a faster, cheaper way was created to replace the technique, the manufacturing was sent overseas. It is a similar story with fashion and furniture design. My goal is to challenge what people see when they look at a coat or a rug, encouraging them look beyond functionality to see the technique and hand work that is lacking in this era of fast fashion and mass manufacturing.

I would like us to rediscover an appreciation for well made things, created by artists, built to last.

The fashion industry is a very fast-changing, what are your opinions on fast fashion and weather brands should change the way they are selling?

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, due entirely to fast fashion. I love fashion, especially as an outlet for self expression, but things need to change. Trends and “seasons” don’t help – I think the current fashion calendar is so outdated. I would like to see more brands focusing on timeless pieces, quality made items that will last a lifetime, not marketing and designing to the latest trends.

Would you like to collaborate with anyone/what work would you like to produce in the future?

I believe very strongly in collaboration, and I would love to do more of this going forward! I hope to work with brands I admire across the spectrum of art, fashion and interior design. My goal as a fiber artist is to stay flexible and apply my expertise in punch needle to a wide variety of industries, rather than put myself in a box of only doing fashion, interiors or art. Right now I am working on creating framed work and wall hangings, but I am bursting with ideas for handbags and furniture down the line – perhaps in partnership with other brands in these areas?

What do you think the future holds for the fashion industry and designers?

New brands that emerge will need to be transparent about their processes – their customers are going to hold them accountable. I anticipate we will see more boutique brands focusing on small batch production runs and made-to-order items, and hopefully on bringing production back to the United States.

There’s huge potential in those areas if designers are willing to sell direct to consumer and grow slowly – in fact there are already some amazing brands out there succeeding with this model, like Elizabeth Suzann. Overall I am hopeful that we will move towards a future where we value fewer, better things.

What tips or advice would you give to aspiring designers?

Define your personal version of success. Be patient. Focus on quality. Enjoy the journey of creating, experimenting and evolving your skills and style. Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your work out there. Stay curious. Keep going.

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Sketch & Stitch We speak to Ruby ..., a designer who upcycles old clothes and creates beautiful garnments from scratch to sell on, helping overcome the fast fashion industry item by item.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background. How did you get into fashion design?

Where did your love stem from? Are you self taught or have you had lessons before? My love for Fashion Design didn’t start until my teenage years, i started with thrifting over sized clothing and hand sewing it to fit my style, it wasn’t until i purchased my first machine in 2018 i realized that i could make my ideas come to life. i am self taught, everything that I’ve created I've taught myself while making it.

When did you first realize that this is what you wanted to be doing and how did that make you feel?

Fashion Design was actually something that found me when i was at my lowest and felt very lonely. this craft is my happy place, the feelings that it gives me is unexplainable but its the one thing that has saved me. It's very hard for me to explain how passionate my feeling are towards this craft that all my life i knew nothing about, it was almost like coming up for water after years of trying to find my way out. I feel grateful for this and the good feedback that I’ve received, thank you to anyone even taking the time to read this and getting to know me better.

When working on a new project, do you normally have a rough idea of what your looking for and wish to achieve or do you find a piece of clothing then become inspired?

My creative process works in many different ways. While thrifting i look for certain fabric that i work best with, normally in this time i like to find pieces that speak to me in a way, seeing and feeling the fabric normally puts an idea in my mind instantly but, if a idea doesn’t come to mind it stays where i found it. i like to take notes on how i can make my idea come to life, once that is done i draw up the idea but when i start working with the fabric the drawing never resembles the finished look.

What was it like to make your first piece from scratch? Can you talk us through your creative process from idea to execution?

My first piece was for sure a failed project, i had many fails before i was ever satisfied enough to show off my work. The process of my first satisfied project had no process. An oversized pair of plaid pants i started by just making a pair of fitted pants, once that was achieved i had my scraps left over and at the time the only thing i knew how to make was a bra so that’s what started it all. Seeing my finished project being appreciated and liked by other it just sparked a light that i still can’t put out, the ideas just never stop.

How long on average does it take you to complete a project?

I give myself a week to perfect a project, I've set up this schedule with my craft due to me having a full time job that takes up well more than my full time.

With only having a week it forces me to not stop creating, by giving myself a start and end date its makes my creative process stay in tact with my busy life.

Whats your biggest source of inspiration? Is there anyone or anything in particular that inspires you?

Honestly my first spark of inspiration came from my very first trip to New York, seeing the freedom of fashion walking down every street that i was on was very inspirational.

Anytime i do find myself stuck i do look up past fashion, 40s, 50s and 90s are my favorite eras. inspiration has become something that now comes from me at any time of day, by just seeing what other dress themselves up as for a normal day or even just buildings, streets, cars, colors, the list can go on and on. inspiration can come from where you want to find it or wherever your mind / mood is at that day. its not something that needs to be looked for, its something that comes to me when needed the most.

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It’s so amazing that you up-cycle, what are some of the challenges you face when working on a new project? In comparison, what do you love about it and each project you work on?

I always say that anyone can make something from scratch but having to make something new from an already made piece is very complicated and keeps your mind working throughout every single step. The biggest challenge is having a grand idea and having to take turns due to the amount of fabric that you are given. I love up-cycling because its how i learn, it teaches me to work with or around my mistakes, you aren’t given many so you have to be very detailed about every step. Its the reason i know what i know, by taking apart an already made piece of clothing allows me to noticed how i could possibly put it back together.

The fashion industry is a very fast-changing industry, what are your opinions on fast fashion and whether brands should change the way they are selling?

The fashion industry has a terrible impact on the environment, it's actually the second largest polluter in the WORLD. Fast fashion is yes the cheapest way to get the looks of some of our most iconic trend setters but it tends to take ideas from some designers that have put every bit of their energy to create their ideas. Their are many ways around cheap shopping and fast fashion shouldn’t been your first or even last choice.

Where did you ideas and inspiration to up-cycle stem from?

My ideas come from my own everyday looks, i thrift all most of what i wear so when i create something i like to start with the mindset of if i won’t wear it myself then it isn’t worth making.

10. What do you look for in clothes for you to then decide to use it to up-cycle?

The amount of fabric is the biggest thing for me, after that comes the color and the actual fabric that i will be working with. i like to work with more of cotton or spandex like fabrics but if the style and amount match the idea in mind its an opportunity to learn how to work with something new.

What was it like seeing your work on the runway? How did this opportunity and experience come about, can you tell us a bit about it?

The build up to my first runway show was very exhausting and put a lot of fear in my mind, just the thought of showing off my work to a big group of people didn’t sit well but, it did become a goal that i had set for myself. Once i actually seen my work on the catwalk i had no fear, almost like all of the mistakes that i kept in my mind had erased because i accomplished my goal, the feeing was almost like a natural high that i didn’t want to come down from. This opportunity was brought to me from an amazing creative who puts her time and money into a show Indigo Art Fest, it allows Houston artist a place to show their work, she noticed my work and asked me to be apart of it which to this day I'm extremely blessed for.

Would you like to collaborate with anyone/what work would you like to produce in the future? well I have a bunch of designers that i dream to work under and learn things from. As for collaboration with my style I've always wanted to work with a painter that could possibly paint/design my fabric and i design something with their art.

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What do you think the future holds for the fashion industry and designers?

History repeats itself and fashion falls well along that line, past fashion is turning into todays everyday fashion and i love it. creatives are doing amazing things with clothing, the possibilities with clothing are endless. we are in the future of fashion and its so amazing to watch.

What tips or advice would you give to aspiring designers?

I do tend to consider myself an aspiring designer still looking for my place. The things that keep me going is knowing that the learning never stops, and the end goal always becomes something new once a goal has been reached you have to appreciate it and know that it was once a goal for you. As a creative we are never pleased and we tend to forgot how bad we wanted the goals that we’ve reach before placing a new one in mind, celebrate your accomplishments if you don’t no one else will and you’ll forever be reaching and forever thinking you’ve done nothing. Heres the cliche one but don’t compete with others around you, you cant grow when you’re constantly feeling like the people around you are doing more or better than you are. Theirs only one of you, no one has your mind and the only person who can take you to your dreams is you. “ if you cant do it with feelings, don’t.”

What does design mean to you?

What role do you think fashion and design plays in society today and how it speaks to people? design to me feels like freedom, it’s our way of speaking to the humans we see everyday without even saying a word. We get a glimpse of someone’s personality by just the colors and shapes they placed on their body that day. Design means more than words can explain to me, I hope to keep it in my life forever.

Are there any underlying stories or motivations behind your designs?

I guess the one thing that defines me is my up coming, I’m the youngest of many and watched everyone create a life and that’s what I’m trying to do, I want to create a place of comfort and happiness for myself. My motivation comes from the simple place of just wanting to fully understand this craft, I want to learn everything about it.

I try my hardest to keep myself motivated to keep doing more and teaching myself anything that I can. At this point in my life I’m willing to give up everything to reach the goals I’ve set for myself.

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A Fresh Canvas

We speak to Becky Adams, a freelance hair and makeup artist. We unleash what its like working on the set of shoots and how to overcome the hardships within the industry.

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Unlike a lot of individuals in industry, Becky didn’t discover her love for makeup until a lot later, never really being interested in it when she was younger. Loving other forms of art such as reading and writing, makeup eventually became her favourite and passion in life. She often changes her style especially when it comes to clients as everyone is different so styles are always changing up for shoots, weddings ect.

A lot of artists have to really work to build up a clientele and a following before landing big clients and brand work. We asked if she had to deal with people being untrustworthy to begin with as some makeup artists have to face and overcome this.

“My teachers always told me that if you are confident in yourself and in your work others will be confident in your ability.”

Therefore she has never had to overcome something like this! Becky says she still wouldn’t describe herself as established but states that she is growing, building and learning everyday. This is a great way to look at the industry as there is always new techniques to learn and experiences to have.

Another great aspect to have by your side when offering services is a significant following online. Becky now has over 50K followers after having Instagram for four years. For Becky it had always been growing steadily but is always hard work to keep the numbers building.

Having a freelance business whilst running an account for personal looks can get very hard to balance especially for Becky. A lot of personal barriers can interrupt this balance, for Becky this came in the form of struggling with mental health and bipolar which has made it difficult for her to have a good work/life balance. A lot of the time it’s easy to do nothing and then other times doing too much. “But I am working on improving this and hopefully being able to find a balance that works for me.”

Becky has had amazing opportunities to work alongside big brands such as Zaku Cosmetics and Kat Von D. Both Milk Makeup and Kat Von D send PR frequently to her, to use and showcase on her Instagram. Once working with brands like this once it makes it easier to get back in touch and keep working with them in the long run and you build connections and keep in touch with all the people that work there, creating contacts and opportunities. “They are amazing brands with great products I absolutely love and still blows my mind brands like those support me and my work.”

Working with clients can generate many different experiences and broaden your experiences.

Whilst some people come with clear ideas others like to leave it up to the artist. For situations like this, Becky stresses how important it is to be able to adapt within the industry to achieve whatever the client is after regardless. Everyone is different and will be looking for different outcomes and styles.

In addition to this, application of makeup can vary depending on the type of situation. When applying makeup for different outcomes such as editorial shoots, weddings or just general, multiple techniques must be used. “For weddings I will make sure to add a little extra powder or an extra layer. For photo shoots I always make sure to pack things on so they show in images.”

There are many other challenges artists have to face within the industry. “Inspirational block. It’s a creatives worst nightmare.” We’ve all struggled with producing ideas and is a common threat within the creative industry. Becky describes her best way to overcome this is to just do things that she loves.

Spending time with friends, long walks and experiencing new places are always great ways to become inspired. Watching and doing new things that make her happy is how Becky becomes inspired.

In addition to this, other people and their work always offers insight and inspiration for new projects.

Some of Adam’s Instagram favourites include @gaiapatra, @ssstrazzere, @jessicahazemua and many more!

“Don’t give up! The world is tough, especiall y now. But alwa ys h ave something th at will make you different from everyone else.”

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ANIMATE TO EMPOWER Stacie Ant, also known as whosthereplease on Instagram, is a Russian/Candian 3D animator and video artist, creating amazing and eye-catching characters, telling stories through her work.

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Ant uses her art and experiences to reinvent elements of contemporary culture through fictional, maximalist narratives. Exaggerated makeup, costumes and composited scenery are all components that Ant uses in her 3D animation to ridicule the effects that mass reliance on technology has on popular culture.

Her character-driven work operates as a critique and rejection of the male gaze, particularly in terms of the objectification of women.

“She harnesses the very digital tools offered in a technology-dependent world as a means of empowering female identity and sexuality.”

Ant’s work offers a way of looking at a fast-paced digital realm through a lens of irony and satire.

Originally taught at a school in Toronto, she took few animation courses, all introductory and in the end, Youtube tutorials proved their teaching abilities.

As everyone can relate to, it’s the Sims we have to thank for Stacie’s love for 3D and inspired her choice of medium. Before pursuing animation, Stacie began her work with performance art and producing different types of video projects, this leading her to 3D. As most people can relate, working with others creates many obstacles and this is what Ant found working with film, (actors, expensive wardrobe, setting up DIY green-screens) and decided she wanted to be the one in control. “I wanted to create my own actors, my own 3D wardrobe, build my own sets… 3D animation allowed me to have more control over my own work.”

Drawing inspiration from from artists such as Cecile B Evens. Ryan Trecartin and Kent Monkman, Ant also finds inspiration from other mediums such as film and fashion to help differentiate her work from other 3D animators. Alongside this, 80’s and 90’s computer commercials and the hilarity that came with how larger than life digital products used to be portrayed and her obsession with films like Hackers and Lawnmower Man, also explain her work inspiration.

“It was great to see how people really liked the idea of something without actually understanding how it works or what it is. So I wanted to incorporate that idea in my work, poking fun at the future.”

When asked where her passion for expressing female empowerment came from, Ant simply says she has always been drawn to the femme beauty in her work, never really caring to draw men. The artist states that having access to digital tools to work with gave her the ability to portray women as main characters, making it fun for her to sculpt and draw the female form.

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Like any project, there are always difficulties and time consuming set backs ahead, any content creator is familiar with. As Ant shows us, “a lot of time goes towards inherent indecisiveness, having to try every shade of blue before making my mind on what type of lighting to use.” Many challenges comes from learning the software and programmes needed to create the artwork. Ant states that her next project is one of excitement, yet the most challenging, having to learn a new programme to sculpt an elaborate mask for characters and to be educated on interiors. The project requires the setting to resemble a real place in Berlin that has a very distinct visual style.

“But I always enjoy a new challenge, it really just reminds me of playing Sims and building houses for my characters.

Nothing that a bottle of wine and a long YouTube tutorial can’t solve!”

Other, more pressing obstacles come from making a name for yourself within the industry, something Stacie Ant carried out well. Whilst her 3D work was received better than her other mediums due to the access of social media, being social media friendly. “People want to see a 3D Cindy Crawford chugging a Pepsi can in a desert.” After a year, Stacie’s commissions starting coming in at a steady pace, mostly via Instagram, now, her main source of income and grateful for the platform.

Another factor is communication with clients. Sometimes strict deadlines must be met but then are distant and slow in response to emails to clarify and finalise designs.

Ant states that some of her favourite works are her personal projects, where she can channel her inner conflicts into short animations and send them out into the world. “They are often too obscure for anyone to really know what they are about but sometimes people do relate.”

Along similar lines, Ant says that whilst she is grateful for the amount of commissions she gets, she hopes to pursue more personal projects and create more conceptual work in the future.

Finally she

we has

asked learnt

her what the biggest through her time of

things are, that content creation;

“No matter what obscure Eurodance song you recycle in your videos, there will always be that one person who shares a similar inside joke, wherever they are in the world.”

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Alexy PrĂŠfontaine, also known as aeforia, is a digital artist, using his talents to bless social media with unique filters used for Instagram, as well as creating beautiful artworks for wallpapers and prints.

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From stumbling across photo editing apps on the App Store, Préfontaine’ love of digital art began. Once he started using the apps to create artworks for his band, found a huge interest in creating them, eventually starting to use Photoshop. Here we are, a few years later, began using 3D as his main creative medium. Everyone has to start somewhere, for Préfontaine this came in the form of online tutorials for the basics of 3D before creating anything that, in his words, was at least presentable! The result of experimentation and accidents is how Alexy describes the adopted style of artwork and has learned to switch things up over the years from using different colour palettes or creating different moods for each new piece.

Everyone artist has their own creative process they go through from idea to execution. However, all processes are linear as Préfontaine explains, pieces vary from on another. Whilst Alexy sometimes has a clear idea of the outcome, a lot of the time, all software is opened, shapes, composition and colours are all then played with. “After some time, I’ll discover something new and I will get inspired enough to create a whole new image!” Due to his work being inspired by body language, Préfontaine will try to figure out a pose for the character before starting anything else. :The pose will have a huge impact of the overall tone used for the artwork.”

Other than body language, Préfontaine’s inspiration stems largely from emotions and always to try and convey a unique mood when creating a new piece. Alongside this, music and photography produce a great source of inspiration for Alexy and his work, especially by lighting in general, hence such an interest in photography.

Préfontaine’s work can take anywhere between three to twelve hours. “It all depends on how technical a piece can get or how clear the idea is from the start. Sometimes I just let myself fiddle around in the different software I have and will usually accidentally find something interesting I can build upon to create my next piece.”

A lot of Alexy’s work goes into creating filters for Instagram that others can download to use. Préfontaine learnt about this from a good friend FVCKRENDER, that creators could upload their own filters. After being convinced to try it out Alexy discovered it was a new way of applying his creativity to a whole new medium. “I loved the idea that my audience could directly interact with my work!” Just like every new process, creating any of the three filters that Préfontaine has released, took a while, dozens of hours even, all down to time playing with colours and materials for the satisfied result and we asked, what that result felt like.

“It’s quite amazing honestly. I saw people who claimed that my filters helped relieve their anxiety. I never thought that this could happen, so I was really happy to hear that. I’m also super glad to see such a positive response from people in general. It’s quite fascinating to see some people ‘wearing’ my work to share about their daily life, emotions or pretty much anything in their stories on Instagram.”

Any project has their difficulties and milestones, for Préfontaine, this came in the form of PC crashes! Other than this, face block or just simple lack of motivation for projects is one of the biggest difficulties, a feeling we have all felt. Creators just have to know, “it takes a long while before creating anything that doesn’t look too bad!”

What’s your favourite filter? Préfontaine’s is “-Blossom-“ as the first time animating something in a filter. “It was quite special when I tried it by myself for the first time and saw the gold hands move!”

We hope to be seeing a lot more animated content from Alexy in the future, possibly visuals for music artist live shows!

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The best way to really advance when you teach yourself anything, is not to compare yourself and keep following your own flow.

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Fares Micue is a multi-award winning fine art/conceptual photographer currently based in Spain. After starting photography as a hobby in the days Flickr just started up, six years later, it soon became a full time passion and job for Fares.

Specialising in self portrait photography, she uses her own perception of the world to create stories based of natural human feelings; fear, love, desire, desperation.

Fares has always photographed the theme of natural feelings except when she first started out. Back then, she would just take pictures of herself without proper conceptualisation or theme, something we have all done at one point and sometimes is the way a lot of people work. Whilst there was no end goal in mind for her, she would always try to portray a specific feeling just without too much thought to it.

“Since I can remember, I always loved art. When I was younger I wanted to be an actress because of the capacity to interpret different stories and become different persons. I guess I finally found that capacity to become different characters and create stories through my photography.”

Micue is a self taught photographer, showing us that theres nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it. She states that there is no disadvantage to this and in fact can be beneficial.

“You can learn at your own path and pace without any stress.” Nowadays you can find so many tutorials online as well as what she likes to call the trust worthy method of trial and error."

Inspiration and process can stem from anywhere. Micue states that a lot of her work doesn’t consist of a lot of preparation, but like any project, it all depends on how complicated the image will be. Due to her style being simple and straight to the point, the bigger part comes from creating the images and the conceptualisation of the images. She puts a lot of attention in the concept and to express the different ideas and feelings she has. The post production editing process is the more time consuming aspect. This is where the image in her mind comes alive.

Micue tells us that she looks for inspiration inside rather than outside. “I like to trigger my inspiration with music, movies, stories and of course, other artists like painters and photographers.” One painter that never fails to inspire her and help her throughout the inspiration process is Zdzisław Beksiński and his amazing paintings.

Like any successful artists and creators, she is always trying to lean new things and experiment with different ways to conceptualise her work in order to better express ideas.

Fares tells us however that when it comes to editing, she prefers to use a similar post processing style in order to maintain the same style and feeling throughout her portfolio.

Micue proves that you don’t always need a massive team to achieve what you visualise. She does everything herself from concepts to shooting to the post processing. “The feeling of having full control over all the process and it’s what I like most about self portrait photography.”

Preparation is always key however.

Micue sketches together an idea for the concept, set up, location, colours and props she needs.

Fares is also multi-award winning, holding awards for Prix de la photographique Paris 2018, ND photography awards in People:Self portrait category, Monochrome photography awards and many others alongside. She has also been featured in many publications, making the front cover of magazine such as Flock Magazine and Shades of Grey. “It feels absolutely amazing. I always feel very happy and grateful with any compliment I get about my work. I put a piece of my soul in every single images I create and I feel very happy when other can also feel it when they see my images.”

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“I don’t conceive my life without photography anymore. It’s my way to express myself and share my inner world, ideas and feelings with other. Photography is my therapy.”

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Aspiring Artist THE

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Inspired by different art forms at a young age, Luigi took to his knowledge and love for art and put that passion into photography. Having a strong family bloodline of artists gave Creese many different opportunities and inspirations, art was always around, always seen.

Love of something new can come from anywhere and in many cases, means we teach ourselves a lot of what we no now. For Luigi, this love was discovered when his older brother had an interest in being a model and asked him to take pictures of him. After his brother left him to start photographing models himself, leaving Creese without any subjects, this is where he realised his interest in photography and turned to nature for a couple of years. Entering secondary school, he joined the “Capture Team� where he received formal foundations in photography, starting the beginning of something new.

Something a lot of people don’t always, you are always learning. Luigi points out you cannot know everything there is and certain situations teach you new things.

One of the biggest learning curves for Creese is still trying to understand the industry and photography, being in a highly saturated field. Learning curves for him come in the form of not being lazy, loving what he does even in through out the hard times and putting feelings away when handling people, jobs and work.

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The main secret with it is to have fun. Luigi tells us he really enjoys shooting with different artists because of the common ground and this shows how there is no limit to creativity and art itself.

Throughout his time in industry, there has been a mixture in people who will leave creative descions to him and those who have specific visions in mind, but like all great creatives, he loves both.

Everyone’s working process is different and this is why it’s always a great idea to collaborate and work with other people. It’s always an effective way to pick up tips, techniques and in general just to gain more experience for future projects. For Luigi, this comes in two routes. One technique he uses is sketching out an idea he has after writing it down, then runs it over in his head until feeling satisfied with the concept. Another method of his is using Pinterest or other social media platforms for something to give a hint of inspiration.

Any level of post-production all depends on the concept but a lot of works still involve a bit of post-production.

A lot of the time people go to great lengths to ensure their style and aesthetic is consistent to act as their trademark style. For Creese it comes naturally. He doesn’t always try to make an image look a particular way and most of the time it’s just down to what feels right with the photographer and the image.

For Creese, is inspiration changes often. “There are so many different people to gain inspiration from but to name a few David Dobrik, Kanye West, Sam Kolder, Alessio Albi, Anthony Hilliard and a lot more.”

Finally there are always many ups and down about any job you go into. What Luigi loves about being a photographer is having the freedom to express how he thinks a subject or setting should be and having control over that as well as seeing the reaction and learning new ways to convey a vision. Creese highlights some challenges when coming up/creating new ideas, staying focused and not to let yourself get distracted and most importantly to ignore all self doubt.

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Do not compare yourself, your journey or your work to anyone else. always try to be better than yesterday.

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"Don't rush anything, everything will come to you when you're ready.

Submerge yourself in all forms of art becuase inspiration can come from anywhere.

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Stroke by stroke We speak to painter, Naomi Devil, as she shares her inspiring journey into becomming the respected artist she is today and proves it's never to late to change your mind.

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Where did your love of art stem from?

Most members of my family follow one of two dominant professional pursuits. On my mother's side, mathematicions are an overwhelming majority, while art has been the primary interest on my farther's side. My parental grandfather, László Ördögh, studied painting at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. My grandmother studied interior design at the Acadamy of Applied Arts in Budapest. She was the one who kindled my passion for the arts at an early age, having taken me to museums on a regular basis. My father also finished his studies at the Acadamy of Applied Arts in the faculty of Industrial Design.

Can you give us asome background on how you first started painting, are you self-taught or have you had specialised learning?

I do not exaggerate in saying that I learned to take delight in my own creative capacity when I was still in nursury. In all educational institutions throughout my life, my heart was filled with joyfull expectation befire arts classes and I enjoyed them enormously. Still, my vocation and strong inclination to an art career dud not come into my own awareness until the tenth grade of secondary school. This lack of awareness regarding my own true interests is partly due to the growing pressure and increasing obligations I faced in a private secondary school. Moreover, my mother hoped that I would carry on the family tradition in science, especially mathematics.

After finishing my secondary studies as a private student, I had to learn by myself in the seclusion of our home. In this period of my life, at the age of fifteen and a half, I began to draw some fashion designs and paint in order to relax and take a break from the exhasuting pace of learning. I was longing for company and wanted to meet youth of my age and therefore enrolled in the International Academy of Fine Arts in Salzburg. The course, tutored by London designer Caroline Broadhead, was titled Wearable. The atmopshere of the academy was so captivating and inspiring that it prompted my decision to pursue a career in art. I found great joy in fashion design and I admit, having to say goodbye at the end of the course even made me cry. I did not want to return to my boring school subjects and to abandon the community now so close to my heart, I was certain that I had found my own world. In 2006, I got a scholarship at the Acadamy of Fine Art and could return to this fantastic community of arts once more. This was my first encounter with contemporary art, and it captured my attention and enchanted it more.

In the wake of my visit to London I started to prepare for the admission exam at the Acadamy of Fine Arts in Vienna. During the summer I created fifty works to include in my portfolio, among which were paintings, charcoal drawings, and a series of self-portraits.

Due to the deep impressions I gained at the Summer Academy in Salzburg most pieces of the portfolio were related to fashion. I was fascinated by the diversity of subcultures; young people who regarded their own appearance as a means of self-expression.

I finished my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2008. I studied architexture for three years at the Technical University. In the year of 2015 I got a second degree in graphic design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

At the beginning of my career my father regularly bought me books to make me acquainted with the greatest contemporary artists. I had had, from the very start of my career, an inclination towards realism, but after I came across Gottfried Helnwein’s catalogue, I was completely enchanted by his style. I was fascinated by the incredible subtlety and acuteness of his observations, by his precision, and by the deep social message that characterises his works. I guess he was as an artist “my first big love“. I admit that my approach to art and my enthusiasm for the artworks of other artist has completely changed since those first years. I have already been in the art business for 17 years. I think it must be one of the side effects of seeing so many artworks that one becomes reserved and utterly critical of everything. It has become more difficult to impress me. I would say that there are certain works by certain artist that I like but it is not the unconditional enthusiasm any more that I felt at the beginning of my career. Of course I have some favourites among my colleagues but I cannot help looking at a painting as if it would be the canvas I’m working on.

My eyes are looking for details. Sometimes I like a detail, a brushstroke, a colour combination, an object etc. Sometimes I just find the message of an artwork profoundly thoughtful but when it is not skilfully transmitted that can ruin the effect. Often I realise that I’m inspired by artworks that are completely different from my paintings. A fresh and different perspective is always fascinating.

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How does it feel to have your work showcased in galleries and publications/magazines?

It is a very good question and one that is rarely asked although the answer can shed some light on the psychology of being an artist. It is like a roller-coaster until one gets used to it. There are the rare moments when the works are exhibited in such an important institution or gallery as never before and we stand in the limelight but the next day in the atelier is as lonely as all the other days of the year. I think however that after many years in the art world the road seems less bumpy. The heights of the career seem less dizzying and the downturns less alarming. It is quite sobering to realise that every goal I have achieved reduces the number of institutions and galleries where a private show of my works would mean a greater success than I had ever before achieved. It is inspiring to set goals to be achieved in the future but it is in the end not so much the goal than the road to it that shapes my being and I have learned to appreciate even the small steps. If a single person takes delight in my paintings it is for me a source of happiness. I like to be useful and I would like to believe that with my oeuvre I can leave behind something valuable for the next generations. I would say that it is not my pride that is nourished by media attention but it is rather the feeling of usefulness that makes me feel joy reading an article about my work.

Do you find it difficult to balance personal projects and commissioned projects? How do you find a good work life balance?

I’ve learned a lot from my father who is an artist as well. He is an industrial designer and studied at the academy of applied arts in Budapest. He has not only taught me technical skills, but he has also shaped my professional attitude. He has some very practical sayings. He used to say to me often that incompetent artists wait for inspiration and struggle with the material but the talented ones know what they want to do. His second wisdom is that professionals do what they get paid for. After all, just like ordinary people, I have to pay my bills as well.

I don´t find it difficult at all to establish a balance between personal and commissioned projects.

If I get a commission then I put aside my own fancy projects. It is always a challenge to paint a topic that I would have never thought of painting myself. Commissioners have sometimes really funny or crazy ideas. I know that many of my colleagues suffer from commissions or would not take one at all because it is something that would hurt their dignity. My dignity would be hurt if I would not be able to paint the idea what a customer would so dearly like to have realised. The commissions are most of the time a portrait of a loved one in a certain situation and regarding these situations commissioners really let their phantasy roam freely.

There is again a question of balance if I have to paint a portrait of a loved one because the portrait should be liked both by the portrayed person and by the commissioner. It is a kind of relief if I can paint at least a commissioned artwork. After 10 days without my canvas and brushes I can fall into complete depression. I’m addicted to art but I would never go to rehab.

How has your practice changed over time?

At the beginning of my career my fantasy fluttered uncontrolled. I was springing from one topic to the other without any link between them. I was less skilful and I painted more slowly.

I often painted something just to learn how to paint a shining surface, a cloud or water for example. Along the years I have become less jumpy regarding my topic and substantially more skilful. Now I’m working on series not on just isolated paintings. Of course I’m still learning. I think even the old Rembrandt learned from his own previous experiences. On the other hand this learning process is not my guiding principle any more. It is just a natural ‘side product’ of my practise. I can concentrate on the messages I want to convey to the audience.

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Are there any deeper meanings/reasons to your paintings and work? Is there an underlying theme between them all?

Yes, there is always a reason but sometimes it is only the wish to experiment. The underlying theme may change if I start a new series. There are though elements of my visual language that have the same meaning in different series. Still, I don’t mind if the viewer gives these pieces of my visual language another meaning. There may be different readings of the same picture.

At the beginning of my career I was interested in the way young people use fashion as a means of self-expression. Later my interest broadened and I reacted to actual topics of our times, such as pollution, horrors of meat industry, bird flu and mad cow disease etc. At that time I partly lived in Germany and heard the problems of an ageing society. The low birth-rate in Germany inspired some of my early paintings.

At the next stage I turned inwards and painted a series of self-portraits.I painted not so much my looks, but rather my inner psychology.

Since 2014, I have been working on a series that thematises Hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence. The concept and main idea of this work cycle are related to the beginnings of Google Art Projects. Thanks to Google Art Projects, rich collections of several major museums and prominent galleries can be found in high resolution on the Internet. At first, I only studied and analysed these pictures in order to learn the technical tricks of old masters.

During my research I stumbled upon the idea that I could use the paintings I had found on the Internet to create collages in which I mix classic paintings with 3D elements and contemporary objects. I started to wonder how to give for example a Velazquez painting a contemporary touch.

I had several ideas. In one of the paintings I was just using the simple gag of adding a laser sword into the hands of the figure. Humour was meant to be the essence of this series. I am snatching these classic paintings out of their conservative, stiff, and rigid world in order to place them into a more cheerful, contemporary context. The emphasis is on hedonism and lavish lifestyles. My aim was to bring some humour into these classic paintings and to modify them in such a way that they no longer seem outdated or stiff.

Are there always stories behind your paintings or is it sometime just aesthetics that inspire you?

Yes, there is always a story behind my paintings, but at the same time aesthetics is just as important to me. I think it is one of the hardest tasks to find the perfect balance between the message and aesthetics. One can easily be labelled kitschy and market oriented if the aesthetics plays the dominant role. On the other hand, if the message is deep and meaningful then it might be difficult to sell the work. The buyer has in a sense to openly agree with the message because it would be seen by guests on his wall if the artwork will be taken home. It is a kind of statement to hang a picture with a meaningful message onto the wall of our home.

It is a kind of statement even on the side of the gallerist to take such a painting in the gallery.

For the artist it might be the solution to hide the message so that only those ones can understand it who can ‘read between the lines’. Elements of my visual language are similar to letters of the alphabet and the finished painting is a kind of writing in this sense but of course not everyone can read it. There might be other readings of the same picture. If the viewer finds another meaning based on his/her own experiences then this new meaning is part of the artwork as well.

On average how long does it take you to finish a project?

It depends on what you mean by project. I usually work on more paintings at the same time. I may start from 5 up to 8 canvases and in this case it can take up to two months to finish them all. If we talk about a series of works, it generally takes one or two years until I start to work on something completely new.

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What do you most love about what you do?

I work for a couple of days there is a material result that is still a manifestation of my thinking and it is going to be understood by most viewers. I like this material and intellectual creativity of art production. On the other hand there is a big advantage of being a freelancer. One can avoid the movement of the masses. I don’t have to follow a timetable like people with ordinary jobs. I would really suffer from sitting in a traffic jam every day going to work and coming back. I do not go on holidays when everybody else does and gets stuck on the highway for many hours before reaching their destination. I like my peaceful life working at home in my studio. The gym is across the street. I generally start the day at 8 am with sport. I go there 4 or 5 times a week. Then I come home at 10 am and start working.

What’s the hardest aspect about working in industry?

Young artists are especially exposed to some dishonest people who try to take advantage of the inexperience of emerging talents and offer only false hopes. It is the most difficult period in the life of a young artist. It is perfectly understandable that everybody longs for a first exhibition and success and is consequently ready to accept unprofitable opportunities in the hope of future fame and prosperity. Promising offers quite often lead to dreadful disappointment, which is especially difficult for trusting, sincere and naive young people to deal with.

However, in spite of all acquired experience and cautiousness, there are still occasional disappointments. If you have learned to avoid thousand tricks there will be always a new one that you had not encountered before.

Nevertheless, it is crucial never to lose the optimism. It is important to always find joy in one’s own creativity. There are many trustworthy and enthusiastic professionals in the business, and hard work always pays off in the long run.

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Enjoy your Creativity Develop your technical skills and learn a lot to broaden the field where you have an important message to convey to the public.

Be true to yourself If you carry ondoing what comes from your own personality then the sheer amount of your production is going to bring success in the long run. Do not lick your wounds after disappointments but recharge your power from success. Observe human beings carefully in order to be able to discover who is sincere and who is dishonest.

Never judge your colleagues Even if you are not an enthusiastic fan of their work.

They do the same as you. They live out their creativity and they will find their own audience. On the other hand they may judge you as well. The art world is an intricate business but if you are benevolent then you are going to enjoy the benevolence of the other participants of the art scene.

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Eyes Can't Capture

We speak to Guillem Chesa, a fashion photographer with a passion for neon colours and capturing anything the eye can't.

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Have you always had a love for photography? How did you first start in the profession?

My love for photography started as a child when my parents bought their first digital camera.

The quality was so bad that most of the photos showed glitching effects and distorted colours.

As the nerdy kid, it was a whole new world to explore for me. With the time, my older brother bought a reflex camera and that's when I started to take it more seriously until I had enough money for buying my own equipment around eight years aho. but it wasn;t until a couple of years ago when I started to portray those neon lights and surreal colours that I love so much now.

You've stated that you love neon light and surreal colours. Where did this love of style stem from, who is your inspiration?

As I said, since I was a kid I loved to play around with glitching effects and colour distortions.

In some way I liked the idea of portraying what the human eye can't see. I'm also a lover of Japanease animation and cinema, which oftenly showcases a set of very perculiar colours that can remind to these neon aesthetics. In the lsat years many photographers, cinema directors and filmakers have been developing this style too. We could say Gasper Noe, Liam Wong or BRTHR are some of the visual artists that inspire me the most nowadays.

You mention that you like to portray everything te human eye can't see. How do you go about setting up your shots to fir this theme? What detials must you pay attention to and glam up for the camera?

When I'm working in my shottings I set some continuous lights that work as background and modelling illumination, but it's not until I shoot the flashlights when the real magic appears. The flashlights last for a fraction of a second and the human eye is not able to mix and melt all the lights at the same time, but the camera does. When that happens, all the colours in the scene change drastically: red over blue becomes black, green over red becomes yellow, red over red just dissappears... Of course there's a scientific explanation for this, but for me it feels like witchcraft.

Are you self taught or have you had any lessons?

I did a bachelor's degree in media studies but they didn't really focus in teching photography.

I learnt a lot about cinema and photography but in a more theortretical and analytic way. What I know about photography, especially when gel colours, are something that I aqquired by trial and error. I started with a very basic gear and after many attempts (and fails) I got to the results I have now. Unforunately, I've never seen any workshops or even tutorials that show how to use the gel colours in the way I use them, so if anyone is trying to develop this or any other style, the best thing they can do it practice a lot.

Do you have a process when it comes to creating new content? Do you have a lot of prep work before? In comparrison, is there a lot of post production that goes into your images?

My process is almost like a production workaround. First of all I think about the idea and the mood or vibes that I want to transmit, and when I already have this the first step is where I start looking for all the things that I could need: models, locations, makeup artists, stylists... I also prepare a moodboard with some references and a scheme for all the lighting sets that I'm going to use, but there's always a little bit of improvisation too.

My photos have post production at a beauty level. That means I retouch the skin to make it look better and I also delete flaws or unwanted elements. Obviously I also enhance the colours, but I never add aything that wasn't in the shooting. All the lights, colours and elements in my photos are real and you can see them when I press the shutter button.

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virtual girl virtual girl virtual girl virtual girl virtual girl What technology / software / camera gear do you use to keep focused on what you do best, as you photograph?

Right now I use a Canon 6D with some different lenses such as 16-35mm, 50mm or 24-105mm.

I also have some LED panels, speedlite flashes and anything that can work as a source of light.

Sometimes I work in studios and they have better hear and huge colour background. It depends on the needs and budget of the project. For the editing I use the Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop. Ive been told many times that Capture One is great but I'm still not very used to it.

What are some of your favourite things about being a photographer? What are some challenges you've encountered?

There are many good things about being a photographer. It's a way to express concepts, stories or even feelings in a creative way. The satisfaction you get when people feel something seeing your artworks is comparable to nothing. Photography also got me to know other artists who now are my friends, and that's priceless.

As for challenges, the hardest thing I've encountered was to find my own style and master it. Getting out of the comfort zone and doing something that the majoiruty doesn't, is complicated either because it's hard to learn from other when there are not so many artistswho do that and also because the big audience is not used to it and so, they are more hesitant to appreciate it. But once you pass this barrier everything becomes easier.

Do you have any nightmare client stories or in comparrison, have favourite shoots you've done when working with amazing models or brands?

My first paid photoshoot ever was a total nightmare because I wasn't really prepared for it. I was just a student and a friend recommended me for taking photos for a theatre company. I did a complete mess and the boss from the company was so mad at me that I didn't want to touch a camera for the rest of my life. Good thing I changed my mind!

On the other hand, I have good memories of many photoshoots. When I was in Los Angeles I worked with models, makeup artists and stylists that I admired since my beginnings in photography, so it was like a dream coming true. I don;t really have one favourite photoshoot, but I always cherish the ones that make me grow both personally and professionally. In some way I feel my first (and disastrous) shooting made me grow quite a lot, so I think it helped me more than any other project even though it was a complete failure.

Do clients mostly come to you knowing what they want in mind or do you steer a lot of leeway when shooting?

There's a bit of everything. I had clients who knew perfectly what they looked for and my job was almost to follow their instructions with my skills and adding a little bit of my personal touch. Then there are other clients who are more hesitant to give me any direction or need a lot of ideas, feedback or opinions on their own project. For me, the perfect client is the one who knows what they want but also gives me freedom to work my own way.

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What advice would you give aspiring photographers?

Practice a lot and find your own style. Get inspiration from other but don't plagiarize.

Master as much as you can a technique before jumping to another one, but never stop learning and growing. don't forget to work your skills outside the camera: communicating with the team, directing the model, negotiating with clients and brands...

And never think you're already too good because there's always room for improvement.

What does photography mean to you?

Photography can be many things. For years, it has been the way humans portray events and show the reality as how it is, but it can be also used for manipulating or even create something that never existed. For me, it is a very powerful tool to express and bring to real life ideas that I have in my head. I can be an artistic resource, but it can also be a therapeutic experience.

Photography is a way to share you vision of the world to the rest of the world.

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