Microstock Money How to Use Storytelling in (Creative) Business The Prosperous Teacher 365 Skulls, or How to Boost Your Creativity Fashion Illustration Botanical Art Illegal Beauty
2015 • Business Models
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You can buy original sketchbooks such as this, with beautiful thick paper inside, here: http://shop.beamused.ru/?lang=en www.beamused.ru/en beamused.mag@gmail.com Designed by www.silamandarina.com Cover art by Gabriel Pacheco Editor and publisher: Katerina Solovyeva
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the predictable column • beamused
Do you notice how your clothes wear off, your children grow up, you no longer understand the current pop music, but you still believe you’re not yet the person you want to be? When I was a little girl, my biggest dream was to run away from home. Done by now. Then I wanted to work with words and images, and there’s the rub: this one has no obvious checkpoint. The more I reach, the farther my golden medal or whatever gets away from me. This is not about the impostor syndrome, fear of failure, childhood trauma, procrastination or any other theory there is to explain it. I’m just not feeling myself a success. At the same time, I keep getting e-mails from people who say they’re inspired by something I do. They don’t know how I feel about myself, but I know how they feel about me. For them, I mean something, even if I have difficulties getting up early and not forgetting my phone in the car. And you know what? It doesn’t always matter how you feel about yourself. It’s what you feel when you’re creating something, what you feel for others, your favourite colours and smells, this is what matters. To hell with being anybody that’s not you. To hell with those tags we’re hanging on ourselves and on others. You know what feels best for you. Keep going.
Katerina Solovyeva, the editor My personal blog: www.artfoodwine365.com
Microstock Money p. 6
How to Use Storytelling in (Creative) Business p. 14
365 Skulls, or How to Boost Your Creativity
p. 20
The Prosperous Teacher p. 12
what's inside • beamused
Fashion Illustration p. 24
Botanical Art p. 28 Illegal Beauty p. 36
Microstock Money
The business of microstocks dates back to the year 2000, when Bruce Livingstone founded IStock as a free imagery website. Back then, people uploaded their photos to the database in exchange for being able to download others’ work without charge. This later developed into the model in which uploading was not necessary if you agreed to pay a small fee for the image you wanted to use in your production. By the time IStock was sold to Getty Images in 2009, it cost $ 50 million. The scheme has changed a lot since the early days: now, thousands of contributors upload their photos, illustrations, video and audio files to websites run by the so-called microstock agencies, or microstocks. At the same time, thousands of designers, art directors, as well as entrepreneurs and business owners are browsing those websites in search of materials that are much more affordable than custom-made. For many freelances, the microstock market has opened a whole new business opportunity: to gain money using their own skills and imagination, without the suspense of deadlines and funky clients. The contributor’s payment for each image downloaded by the buyer may still be as low as 25 cents, but if her pictures are purchased worldwide at the rate of, say, 300 a day, this might be fine with her. 6
success stories • beamused
We’re talking to Anna Kucherova, also known as 6hands for her ability to juggle a lot of creative projects at a time. It took her about a year to make microstocks the main source of her income. Five years later, her microstock earnings are about twice as high as an average salary in Europe, and about six times higher than the average salary in Russia, where she was born. She spends most of her time travelling. Which steps have led her to success, and which ones could lead an aspiring microstock contributor to a drastic failure?
Anna, let’s get back to the very beginning. The first few months at microstocks brought you just a few hundred dollars; didn’t that scare you? What motivated you to go on instead of giving up?
It didn’t scare me, because microstocks were not my only source of income then; I still had my freelance commissions. I’m very cautious: instead of burning the bridges, I take my time to get from one to another. I decided then to give it a year and see whether it was worth it. Obviously, one can’t expect immediate results, but a year is long enough. If the outcome would have been disappointing, I would have abandoned this whole business, switching to something else. But it turned out that I had calculated this time span correctly: the first half of the year didn’t bring much, there was no immediate click between myself and the stock market; but the second half of the year showed substantial growth.
Before plunging into the microstock business, you’d worked as a freelance graphic designer. What’s the main difference between those two business models? What does it take to succeed at microstocks?
Freelance means you’re working with certain clients over their individual projects. On the upside, you meet some nice people, get interesting jobs, and each time have a precise and well-formulated assignment before you; all you have to do is to think up of adequate solutions to given problems. On the downside, not all the clients are agreeable. Every freelancer can share numerous horror stories about the torture of endless remakes, low-paid jobs, idiotic nit-picking and, ultimately, the stress of being forced to alter — and for worse — a design that was excellent at the beginning. That happens a lot, although you learn to deal with this as you gain experience. When you’re working with microstocks, on the other hand — oh joy! — you have no clients whatsoever, and this is what attracts a lot of exhausted freelancers to them. But the absence of contact with customers is also the main difficulty. With microstocks, you don’t normally know who buys your art, and how they use it. Nobody is giving you assignments, so you have to decide for yourself what and how you are going to shoot or draw. There’s a huge risk of investing a lot of effort into a work that might later turn out to be useless, and not sell at all — and this is the snag many newcomers hit. Then, in an attempt to make things better, they often try to copy popular microstock authors’ themes and styles, but it’s not that easy either. Why does a successful illustration sell well: is the subject in demand? Is it the trendy style or the perfect composition? Maybe it’s due to the proper keywords? Or just pure luck? One needs a lot of experience to answer these questions. This is why microstocks are easier for those who have already worked in advertising, web-design, or publishing, and thus understand this market. Besides photographers and illustrators, art directors, designers and photo retouchers often have the knowledge and skills. All of them have some kind of insight into what’s in demand and what’s not worth the time. Moreover, these professionals have the necessary psychological background: they know how to work in a creative profession, how to get their daily routine done instead of waiting for the mythical ‘inspiration’, and they know how to cope with rejections from microstock inspectors or sales lapses. This is just business, nothing personal. So, as I see it, people who have the most chances of succeeding at microstocks are the ones already experienced in imagery production; those who enjoy formulating their own tasks and know how to be their own managers; specialists who understand the requirements of the market and are capable of creating 7
high quality products for it — that is, those who have expertise in drawing, photography, post-production, etc., as well as know the programmes used in these processes. That said, anybody could try to learn by doing, even the greenest newcomer without any experience whatsoever, — microstocks admit everybody. But it’s going to be a lot harder for this newcomer. There’s another important difference between working as a freelancer and becoming a microstock contributor. Properly handled, microstocks can become a nice source of passive income. When you’re working as a freelancer, on the opposite, you do the job once, and get paid once; so you have to take new commissions all the time. When I was working in publishing, I saw another model: authors and illustrators received royalties for reprints of works they had produced long ago. They had to create quality and high-demand product just once, but this product would bring them money more than once in the future. For authors with a good portfolio, microstocks function likewise. Somebody is buying their art every day, and not only the new works, but also the ones they made a long time ago, — they’re still getting their percentage. Mediocre images get lost in the multimillion databases before they can bring a lot of money, but the really good ones can become popular, be sold constantly and feed their author for a few years. It’s not easy to get there, but it’s definitely worth it. What do you like most about working for microstocks now?
They feed me, and I’m grateful for that! Microstocks, for me, present a very successful balance between what’s wanted by the world and what I like doing. I will probably quit one day, but I will go on retouching images, — for fun if not for the money. Although maybe these pictures won’t be glossy fruits anymore.
Do you think that microstocks present a threat to professional photographers and illustrators? Some people think so, because it’s often much cheaper and easier to get an image on a microstock site than to commission it…
It’s easier to buy generic images on a microstock, yes. But one has to understand these are clichés lacking in originality, and that they have been used by thousands of people in their projects, because all those cheap licenses are non-exclusive. If you’re a small business owner who wants to cut costs, you can buy a cheap photo of a beautiful girl for your ad; but you have to be prepared that the same girl might appear on the banner of your competitors just around the corner. This is why serious companies do not shop on microstocks, but either commission their imagery, or buy very expensive exclusive licenses at traditional photo agencies. This niche still belongs to the pros.
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Another example might be product shots. If you’re selling, say, dresses, you can’t just buy any image of a dress on a microstock; you need to show your customers your particular goods. Likewise, if you have a story to be illustrated, be it fiction or a magazine article, you’ll have difficulties finding a corresponding image on a stock. Current events photographs, though present to some extent on microstocks, are mostly still the business of agencies and the photographers who work for them. So, there are a lot of niches left for photographers and illustrators who want to do commissioned work. Microstocks have indeed put some pressure on them, but only in certain areas. And, actually, you can’t say that microstock contributors are less professional than freelancers or people on payroll: everybody who is successful on microstocks is equally professional. You spend a lot of time travelling; do you do this for work, to find more subjects for you photographs, or do you just like the nomadic lifestyle? Where do you plan to go next?
This is my therapy. I used to think once that travelling was about getting away from work to do some sightseeing. Now I know that’s not true. Travelling is about expanding your consciousness, changing yourself and your relationships with the world. I’ve always been drawn to it, but office work bound me to my chair. You know the old story: you get a short vacation once a year, go somewhere abroad and then run around in a frenzy trying to see the whole city in a few days; then you wistfully come back home and back to work. When I started out as a freelancer, I got more spare time, but then I didn’t have enough money for travelling. And, finally, microstocks gave me the opportunity to indulge in it and change the pattern of my trips completely. For me, it’s no longer a vacation, or an escape to another life, — it is a part of my everyday life. I’m constantly changing cities and countries. I live in one place for a space of two weeks or two months, then come back to Moscow for some time, then get away again, — and all this time I keep working full time, stay in touch with friends and colleagues over the Internet, and keep living my normal life. At first, I used to take somebody with me, but now I mostly travel alone, and it’s something entirely different. I feel that I’m changing: I understand myself better, and the people around me, their various modes of living; I become calmer, more self-confident, and, probably, even wiser. I’m writing this from Hong Kong, where I see skyscrapers and boats from my window. By now, I’ve spent two months on the road, exploring the greatest Asian cities. And I keep working, of course. I’m going to spend Easter in Jerusalem. Last year, I started a non-commercial photo project, but the results were unimpressive; so I want to try it again this year. I’ll get back to Moscow after that, and I have some ideas for the future, 9
too, but I try not to plan too much ahead. This way of life is definitely not cheap. But right now, it’s essential to me, and this is exactly what I’m earning my microstock money for. How would you describe the percentage of hard work and/or luck behind your results?
As usual, it’s 99 % hard work, and 1 % luck. The truth is, when you’re doing something that’s natural for you, you don’t always know whether it’s business or pleasure. I spend most of my life in front of a computer, in Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom and other programmes. This might sound like heavy toil for some people, but for me, it’s pure fun. I was trying to entice a publishing colleague into the microstock thing, but after witnessing my work during the first years, he said, ‘No, that’s too much sweat for me’. So I guess there’s still a lot of work there.
Let’s imagine a reader gets inspired by this interview and decides to give microstocks a try. What’s the first thing she has to do, and what should she avoid at all costs?
She should be ready to work, and to produce images that can be of use to this particular market. I do not recommend microstocks to the artistically inclined who want to upload their already painted artwork. If that’s your case, you’d better consider galleries; microstocks are about design and advertising, artistic criteria do not quite apply here. Those who see themselves as creators of singular things shouldn’t be considering microstocks either: commissioned work will most probably be more rewarding for them. And I wouldn’t suggest it to those with no skills, simply because I’d feel sorry for them. Many people are lured into this by the simplicity of entering this market: you don’t need a diploma here, or a portfolio; you just have to pass a simple technical test when submitting your work. But this simplicity is deceptive. Numerous professionals and even agencies work there. While you’ll be studying, you won’t be able to compete with them, so you won’t get any serious monetary rewards, but will get a lot of ‘why is nobody buying my stuff?’ and similar disappointments instead. In this situation, it’s better to first learn the required skills at an agency or a microstock studio, to gain the necessary experience and the understanding of the market. Frequently, the idea of joining a microstock strikes people who just want to do something with a large amount of their personal photos, in the hope that it might bring
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them at least something. It’s not an entirely bad idea, but they’d better have in mind that, firstly, these photos should be in accordance with the microstock technical standards, and secondly, the author will spend enough time on just the minimal retouching, thinking of proper keywords and submitting the files, and it won’t necessarily pay off. You might still try this if you’re retired and have a lot of extra time, but I, personally, seldom upload my travel photos, — and only the ones with an obvious sales potential. And the last thing you want to do is register on a microstock, upload ten images, and expect to make millions on them right away. At first, you’ll have to put in a lot of work, gaining almost nothing and with no guarantee of success. And actually, it’s OK, it’s like that in any other business, too. The talented and the headstrong will make it. What new things would you like to try in the future?
For five years, I’ve uploaded only raster files to the microstocks: photos with a considerable amount of retouching, illustrations almost. Recently, I’ve picked up vector art, and right now this new direction is what inspires me. Apart from the stocks, I’m trying myself at print shops, but I’m not doing great there because of my lack of competence. And apart from my commercial projects, I always have some personal artistic ones: in drawing, photography, and design. I practice these for pleasure and self-development, but they also make me boost some skills that I’ll probably need one day.
All artwork in this article is by Anna Kucherova. Anna's website is: www.6hands.com Her portfolio on Shutterstock is here: http://www.shutterstock.com/g/photomaru?rid=538123 NB: The most popular microstock sites are now Shutterstock, IStock, and Fotolia.
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The Prosperous Teacher Another business model that has recently become available to practically everybody is online teaching. One of the popular resources offering online classes on numerous topics is Skillshare. Here, a monthly subscription at 10 dollars a month gives access to more than 2500 classes. According to Skillshare blog (blog.skillshare.com), they have surpassed one million students this year, and paid 1.5 million dollars to their teachers. According to the same blog, anybody can teach on Skillshare. We’re asking Spencer Schimel about it. What are the most outstanding courses, judging by the number of participants or projects?
It’s hard to choose, but going by the numbers, The First Steps of Hand-Lettering: Concept to Sketch, by Mary Kate McDevitt, remains one of our most popular courses on the site. It was the first course to hit 20,000 students, and the first course to hit 1,000 projects. We have a very active lettering community on Skillshare, and a lot of students (ranging in experience) like to start with this course.
You’ve managed to involve some famous people, like Seth Godin or Gary Vaynerchuk; was that difficult?
We have a great partnerships team that works with our most recognizable names to bring them onto the platform to teach a course (or two). Skillshare’s mission to make learning more accessible resonates a lot with the notable people we bring on, who want to share what they know with a large, engaged audience. Additionally, we try to make Skillshare the easiest place to teach online, which works well with busy people like Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk.
Some of the teachers offer their classes not only on Skillshare, but also on other teaching platforms; what is it that distinguishes Skillshare?
What makes Skillshare different from a lot of other online learning platforms is our community, and community tools. Other students become part of your learning experience on Skillshare through the projects they share, feedback they give, and discussions they have.
Since everybody can teach on Skillshare, not all of the videos are of the same quality; but you don’t think that’s a problem. Why?
A clear image and good sound quality are important when you’re creating a video lesson, but ultimately we don’t think that professional camera equipment is necessary for sharing great content with an audience. Some of our most popular classes are shot on a webcam by the teacher in their home or studio, and it’s because the content of their class is great (and their personality still comes through).
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Speaking of Mary Kate McDevitt, she has not only established a substantial source of income via Skillshare, but has also expanded her other career opportunities. This might send many people thinking of what they could teach. What should they concentrate on?
It sounds obvious, but someone who’s interested in teaching their first class on Skillshare should concentrate on the skill (or skills) they know best. It doesn’t matter if there is a similar class already on the site. Students often like hearing a different perspective or unique tips on a topic. We also encourage teachers to think about their class project first what do you want your students to create at the end of the class?
Do you think it’s possible to be a full-time Skillshare teacher?
What makes our teachers special is that they are real world practitioners, great at what they do, who come to Skillshare to share from their professional experiences. For most, it’s a nice supplemental income, but we have seen some of our most successful teachers launch personal businesses with the learnings and following they gained on Skillshare.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now, we have a very strong design and creative community on Skillshare, which we will continue to grow and support. At the same time, we’re excited about growing some of our other communities on Skillshare just as large in categories such as business and marketing.
Skillshare: www.skillshare.com
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Photo by Pavel Kurmilev
How to Use Storytelling in (Creative) Business Alena Muravlianskaya has told various stories in her magazine articles. She then switched to telling them in the form of theme parties and colourful events. Now she teaches people how to be the principal characters in their own lives. Alena is a consultant for creative people and runs a project called ‘Casual Magic’ (www.casualmagic.me)
What Is Storytelling Human culture owes its existence to stories. People shared them orally at first, and then proceeded to write them down. We learn our first lessons about the world from those old fairy tales, and we use their archetypes; we want to be like our favourite characters, and to some extent become them. Stories are in our blood. This is why people remember best – more vividly and for longer time – the information presented as a story; sometimes, one listener is enough for the story to work, even if it’s the author herself.
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Storytelling in Creative Business: How This Works
What is it exactly that you should be telling about your business to weave it into a story that people will want to listen to, share, and partake of, becoming your clients, customers and admirers? The so-called personal branding is probably better known than business storytelling; both processes have something in common, so let’s start with the first one. Imagine a person who wants to be seen as an expert in, say, marketing. To brand herself, she needs to collect all the facts that might help to build this impression, and mention them whenever it’s appropriate, remembering to dwell on her popularity and bright personality. It’s almost as if she were preparing a CV to recite in public: • ‘I participated in the so and so exhibition, and in the XYZ conference; • I have three reports and five articles published; • I’ve conducted more than 40 projects (the reviews are available on my website); • I love dogs.’ It works to provide this information on a regular basis; but storytelling works much better. While your personal branding is a résumé-like story, business storytelling is a fairy tale about yourself and your challenges. People listen to fairy tales more eagerly. Imagine a story recounted in the light of a fire: shadows are dancing on the faces of entranced listeners as the narrator becomes the centre of their attention… ‘That conference meant a lot for me. I was to present a fairly shocking report, the stakes were high. I had my best suit on as I hurried to the business centre. But something happened: when I was about to open the door of the building, I almost tripped on a dog. A wet puppy, obviously homeless, looked up at me with shiny eyes, and then wrinkled its nose, just like me on every one of my childhood photos. But I couldn’t just take him with me!
You are the main character in your story. You want to share the results of what you create, but the hero is you, not what you do. …The conference went drudgingly on, and I just couldn’t get the puppy out of my head. What was he doing out there? Did he belong to somebody? He must be starving. And when there were just a few minutes left before my turn, I couldn’t take it anymore: I stood up, went out and came back with the puppy in my hands. You can imagine the reaction of the audience. The dog kept quiet, and we revolutionized the approach to management together. My suit was spoilt, of course, but what did it matter. Now, the logo of my company… yes, it’s a snout with the wrinkled nose, the same one that waits for me at home and always appreciates my reports’. Feel the difference? We know from this anecdote that the storyteller is a remarkable specialist (his report is shocking and revolutionary), he’s brave and has a kind heart (looks trustworthy), and also loves dogs. You certainly have some stories in your life that you can add to any presentation. The report itself might be in the form of a story, or might have stories as examples. Then the worst they can think is, ‘Well, nothing new here, but definitely well told!’
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"You accept the challenge, overcome the obstacles, and change."
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Why Stories Work
• People are used to stories, so they really listen to them. Captivated by a story, the listener is intrigued: what happens next? • Stories make people empathise: the listeners relate to the narrator and apply her experience to themselves. • Stories evoke chains of associations that are particular to each listener. You might be surprised to know what concepts and ideas people think of in relation to your product. This creates a sturdy connection between them and you as the creator and embodiment of your business. A story functions when it has all the necessary elements, i. e., if it is perceived as a story, and not as a list of achievements.
Elements of a Story These elements are present in both the main, grand story that you’re constantly telling the world about yourself, and in those small local stories you share from time to time.
The Hero
It’s important to understand that you’re directly connected with your art, business or hobbies. You are the face of this. You are the main character in your story. Yes, you want to share the results of what you create, but the hero is you, and not what you do.
What Kind of Hero Are You?
• A warrior who fights for his ideals? That’s an excellent option for a social entrepreneur. • A craftsperson who has dedicated her life to designing beautiful objects? A jeweller, a seamstress… somebody who has the skills and patience. • A creator? An artistic person, possibly fragile, who performs miracles? • An adventurer? A traveller, a photographer who climbs the highest roofs of the city… • A tycoon? Somebody who has achieved a lot and is ready to share his knowledge? This is the archetype behind every successful info-business, and it is exactly storytelling that attracts attention to it. • A humble person? The one whom everybody relies upon, at least at home or at work? Indispensable and loyal. This would suit a consultant. You don’t have to limit yourself to choosing one of those characters! The hero of your story might be a magician or a princess, a traveller or a cute beast, a knight or a homemaker. The hero is always a generic image. Set a direction and let the listeners add their own associations to the image. What kind of hero are you? Most likely, the answer is not unrelated to your main occupation. How can you define this character? What kind of story are they from?
The Genre
Each story has a genre. It might be that the genre is already present in your life: for instance, you might often find yourself in funny situations. Likewise, you might want to choose the genre that will define your story. • Comedy. If this is your genre, you’ll be telling light-hearted stories that people will be willing to share just because they’re so funny. • Drama. Unexpected turns, ordeals and challenges. In this case you´ll talk about what you´ve overcome, what you´ve thought about, and what conclusions you´ve reached. • Tragedy. It sounds gloomy, but this is the genre of a lot of poets’ and actors’ personal stories. Your genre might also turn out to be: •A ballad about a romantic and high-spirited hero. • A mystery about your search for the true meaning. • An ode to yourself. (This happens, too!) •A fairy tale about your miraculous life.
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The Subject
Despite the huge number of stories written and told, their structure is, more often than not, the same: sooner or later a hero meets her challenge. She has to overcome something, or something is standing in her way, or she has to go travelling. The challenges might be varied: people don’t understand your art; a dog is soaking in the rain while you cannot take it to work; a difficult commission that you have to finish overnight. You accept the challenge, overcome the obstacles, and change. This is the basis for all archetypal plots, and it’s often used in personal as well as business storytelling. Note that a happy ending is not obligatory: you might have made a wrong choice, and this is also something to talk about, because the hero doesn’t always win, but is always alive and changing, and that’s what’s attractive about him.
The way you look, talk and move adds details to your story. The details that might make it or break it. Interaction
Another advantage of stories is that one can ask the narrator about them, and discuss them. Give people this option, no matter how you are telling your story: in a blog or in a networking event. Let the listeners ask – this will help them become closer to the story! ‘OK, got that; but where and how do I tell this story?’ The important point is that your grand story is made up of an array of smaller parts. These are your articles and interviews, your portfolio, but also bylines and photo credits, and even comments to your work in the Internet. The way you look, talk and move adds details to your story. These details might make or break this story: if a princess who creates delicate handmade articles that seem to be made from the wind and the stars is actually wearing a dirty T-shirt… she might probably want to consider the story of a craftsperson who lives in a hut in the woods.
Integrity A story cannot be made up: it is created over time. And it’s easy to destroy or compromise if there is no integrity to it. A knight in shining armour would never hurt an animal. A witch doesn’t wear pink. A humble person cannot boast. To keep the integrity of the story, you have to choose the one you really like. In fact, if you’re living the life you want to live, you just need to carefully listen to your own story, and then tell it loudly and distinctly. And when you tell your story well, it will be heard. Those who like your story will want to become closer to it. Some will want to buy the things you create, and tell others about them. And some will want to join you, to keep telling stories together.
By Alena Muravlianskaya www.casualmagic.me
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365 Skulls, or How to Boost Your Creativity ‘365: A Daily Creativity Journal: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life!’ Such is the title of one of Noah Scalin’s books; the others are ‘Unstuck’, ‘The Design Actvist's Handbook’, and ‘Skull-a-Day’. How and why Noah decided to create skulls on a daily basis; how this changed his career; what are the pros and cons of daily projects, and how to handle them? Your website says that your work ‘asks us to take notice of everyday moments’. Did something happen to draw your attention to them?
I was always looking closely at the minutia of my world growing up. But probably the thing that made me most cognizant of how short life can be and how important it was to live in the present moment was the threat of nuclear war that was everpresent in the 1980s. I was terrified of the potential for instantaneous worldwide destruction and it made me really embrace a personal philosophy that ended up being very Taoist.
How did you come up with the idea of making a skull a day? Did you expect to have people following you and invent their own projects?
It was totally a random thought I had one day while walking in a park. I was looking for a creative outlet since I was feeling stifled in my professional career; and my other personal creative project, a band, had just collapsed. I had absolutely no idea how huge it would get. I really just figured it would be fun and maybe a few other people would enjoy it.
I became more successful in my existing career and developed an entirely new career path that I liked even more. One of the scariest things about a 365 project is that even if you don’t like a particular day’s result, you still have to show it. Did you ever have any pieces that you were unwilling to share?
Ha, yes, there were several days when I was like, «this isn’t the greatest thing I’ve ever made,» but being forced to share it was such a breakthrough for me. I learned that other people often liked things I didn’t like. And even if no one particularly liked it, sharing it allowed me to move on and get to bigger and better. The key, though, was feeling like I had no choice but to share it: I wouldn’t have done it any other way!
What did you feel when your 365 project came to an end?
A huge relief! I was so worn out since I kept putting more time and energy into it, averaging 2 to 4 hours a day on projects, but sometimes up to 9 or 10 hours. Of course it wasn’t long afterwards that I started missing the rush of completing things daily and getting immediate positive feedback and encouragement!
But you still create skulls, don’t you, just not on a daily basis?
Yeah, I’ll probably never stop making skulls, but now I do it on my own schedule. However, I still use the core principles of the project all the time: strict material constraints, short deadlines, and sharing publicly early & often.
Where do you find the time?
The time has always been there, it’s just about priorities. Initially I only needed 20 minutes to do some of my first pieces. Most people waste that much time on social networks several times a day! After that, it was a matter of recognizing that making my own thing was much more fun and satisfying that consuming someone else’s creations. Downtime is important too, but it’s necessary to find a balance. 21
You run "the socially conscious design and consulting firm ‘Another Limited Rebellion’". What is it exactly that you do there?
Actually, I recently reformed my company, so the focus is on art and innovation consulting. I had run my own graphic design firm full-time since 2001 by myself, but a couple of years ago I realized I was enjoying the talks and workshops I was doing around the daily creative practice more! So I partnered with two other people to officially relaunch the business. We now help businesses and individuals develop creative practices to reach their goals.
How has your 365 project changed your life?
Where do I start? On a fundamental level I transformed how other people saw me: from being a designer who happened to make art to an artist who could do design. I became more successful in my existing career and developed an entirely new career path that I liked even more. I got opportunities to connect with people all over the world in ways I could never have imagined before. I started showing my art in museums and galleries that I never could’ve previously. And nearly every day another amazing new opportunity comes to me for having gone through the experience, even years later.
What happens when somebody does all the prompts from your book and then wants to repeat the experience, what do they do?
Ha, I don’t know if anyone has actually done every single one in order! I know a few people have tried, but eventually they go off on their own, which is really the idea. I made the prompts as a way for people to have no excuse to do something every day, but hopefully they’ve gotten their own, better ideas at some point along the way. Of course I imagine you could do it over and over and I’m sure you could come up with new and different responses to the prompts every time!
Among the many skulls you’ve made, which ones are your favourites and why?
That’s a tough one, since it was always more about the challenge that each one presented than the end result. But since I get that question a lot, I tend to say that the two I like most are the ones that are closest to me in a very literal way. On day 101 I gave myself a tattoo! It’s such a satisfying permanent reminder of the experience. And on day 329 I had my head x-rayed! I don’t recommend doing that for fun, but I’m glad I’ve got the evidence of my folly.
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And among the projects that were inspired by your book, which one (or maybe ones) surprised you the most?
Wow, I don’t KNOW how to pick. I’ve interviewed around 600 people about their projects at this point and every single one has a great story behind it. Most recently I heard from Rebecca Jackson who did a Robot-A-Day project that in turn inspired two of her children to do their own daily projects (one about Legos and one about stuffed animals)! I just love knowing that my work has been such a positive inspiration for so many people.
A question to you as a writer: what is your writing routine?
I think I’m the same way about writing that I am about any other creative endeavour. I will procrastinate until the last moment, and then when I have no choice I’ll just get it done, thus my need for the structure of a daily project. Every book had a set of builtin deadlines that made it possible for me to get them done. I’ve never attempted to write a novel or more text heavy book, but I think I would definitely have to use a daily practice to get it done!
What would your advice be to somebody who is doing a 365 project or is just thinking about starting one?
If you’re thinking about it: start now! Don’t spend your time planning it, that energy is better spent in actually doing something. Once you get going, you can adjust and refine along the way. The key is getting some momentum. If you’re already doing a project: congratulations, keep going! Don’t beat yourself up about getting it right. Be sure to celebrate your accomplishments each day and at each major milestone along the way. It’s not about getting to the end; it’s about the journey you’re on.
This year, Noah Scalin has also had an exhibition in the Krause Gallery in New York called Anatomy of War. From its description: ‘These guns have been clinically dissected, revealing a remarkably human set of internal organs — rather than the cold steel and bullets normally found within… the gun becomes a physical extension of the body of the user of the weapon, albeit one with a conspicuously absent brain.’ Noah’s projects include: www.noahscalin.com www.spacepirate.org
www.skulladay.blogspot.com www.livefromspaceshow.wordpress.com
All the artwork in this article is by Noah Scalin. 23
Artwork by Floyd Grey
success stories • beamused
Woke Up Famous Floyd Grey, an illustrator from Malaysia, is known all over the world at his age of 24; how is this possible? Why did you decide to become a fashion illustrator?
I enjoy drawing beautiful models in beautiful outfits and beautiful poses; their hair, makeup… everything.
Do you use photo references in your work?
One of my lecturers told me: ‘If you want to copy a photo, why don’t you just go and take a photo?’ But copying a photo can be a kind of practice: you can add whatever you want, change anything you want, — it’s all up to you, and it’s a fun thing.
How did you make your career as a fashion illustrator? Was it hard?
I started to draw almost every day, and I waited until I had more than enough works to build my portfolio. I’ve never planned to become a fashion illustrator, it just came naturally, step by step: my works started to get featured on many blogs and inspiration websites, I began to get emails from all around the world where people were telling me how they loved my drawings and would like to purchase them as wall art. Then I started to sell prints on Curioos.com, and I decided to continue to draw, to let people see more beautiful artwork, to make the world more beautiful, maybe. Is it hard? Well, if you do what you love, there’s no way to say ‘hard’; for a freelancer like me, it’s a question of income, but you have to make it work: be patient and it will be better.
Do you have a proven method to make an illustration successful?
I try to make the eyes as attractive as I can, make the fingers slightly longer than usual, make the hair smoother, and make the waist slightly smaller.
How much time do you usually work on an illustration?
Maybe five hours or more.
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Are you active in the social media?
Yes, that’s actually how people get to know me: from Facebook, Tumblr, Blogspot, Pinterest, Curioos, Society6, and Instagram…
How do you find European clients?
They find me: on Behance or Facebook.
What are your plans for the future?
I have no plans for the future, but I love to take pictures, so I’d like to have my own photo studio one day!
What would you advise somebody who wants to become a fashion illustrator?
Love what you do, do what you love. As David Frost said, ’Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.’
All the artwork in this article is by Floyd Grey: www.floydgrey12.blogspot.com • www.floydgrey12.tumblr.com
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success stories • beamused
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My Artwork Is My Priority Sue Vize’s studio is called Driftwood, and it’s a boat with no phone or Internet connection. Sue fell in love with botanical art in 2000, and has been practicing it since with a passion.
Your artwork is regularly exhibited all over the world, as well as bought by serious institutions like libraries; is it what success looks like for a botanical artist, or is it not that important for you? When I first started to learn botanical illustration, I had no idea where I would be sixteen years later. Something that just started as a hobby has taken off beyond my wildest dreams, and I love it with a passion. I never started off with a plan, and I certainly don’t have one now. It is wonderful to know that my work is held in some really quite prestigious places, and I guess that could be gauged as success, but so long as I’m busy, and lucky enough to earn a living from my art, then I feel that is success enough. You say that the onion on your 'Artwork' page took in excess of one hundred and forty hours — and we believe it by the look of it. How do you find so much time and patience? Are you that patient with other things, too, or is it only with botanical art? I love drawing so much that once I start, I get so absorbed in it that time flies by. I can sit down expecting that I’ll only do it for a couple of hours, and then the next thing I know it’s five or six hours later! Botanical illustration does take time to do properly, I enjoy that; and if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. I am in a nice position where my artwork is my priority, and so I can afford the time and patience it requires. I think I have always been quite a patient person, with most things, but I guess it depends on how busy I am at the time. If I am too busy in other directions, I get impatient that I can’t get on with my drawing.
Oriental Poppy 28
beauty • beamused You mention your rule on your website: ‘pretty flowers in colour, dead things in graphite’, but what about your beautiful graphite poppies? They are certainly pretty, but not dead — why graphite, then? It is the intricacy of a subject that appeals to me for graphite. Usually it is the objects that have dried and curled up, or are past their best. The very alive poppy flower was beautiful, but the colour of it was very uninspiring, just a light shade of pale peach, but there were some really interesting things about it that attracted me. There were a huge amount of creases in each petal, the stems and leaves were full of hairs, and the stamens were just a tangled mass in the centre, all perfect for making a very interesting challenge. You started with graphite, then went on to watercolour and then came to coloured pencils, is that right? Are they your favourite tool now? Are you planning to master new techniques, or you think you’ve found the one which is perfect for you? Over the years I have worked in many mediums, including oils, acrylics, and pastels, as well as watercolour, graphite and coloured pencil. Nowadays the bulk of my artwork tends to be in graphite or coloured pencil, probably doing equal amounts of both, and occasionally combining the two within one composition. I do still enjoy a change if time allows, and then I may use watercolour or soft pastels. As long as I am working in detail, I‘m happy. You seem to never get tired of drawing in the same genre, don't you? The more you look at plants, the more you see, and the more you realize just how fascinating they are. I could never be tired of the subject, but I do change my style sometimes to suit my mood. I may complete one composition in a traditional illustrative way, and the next one might be quite modern and contemporary. I have an interest in natural history, too, and thinking of plants takes the mind to pollinators, so butterflies, bees and beetles tend to make a few appearances in my art, as do other natural objects such as gem stones, feathers, sea shells, and fossils. Do you use programmes like Photoshop to edit or retouch your work?
Top to Bottom: Sue Vize; Japanese White Pine Cone and Seeds; Tree Peony Seed Pod
So far I haven’t gone down the route of producing prints; I only sell original pieces of art, but I do have Photoshop for preparing drawings for greetings cards, using it only to crop an image or remove a background tint caused during scanning. I don’t have enough of an interest, or the time to learn to use computer programmes properly, so I try to get the artwork right in the first place. 29
If you could go back 16 years when you just started to do botanical art, would you change anything, or would you have choosen the same techniques and the same subjects all over again? I wouldn’t change a thing! It’s been a fabulous journey. The only thing I would change is to have started earlier. You also work as a tutor. Again, this is something that requires a lot of patience, doesn’t it? What motivates you to invest your time in other people? Does it influence you as an artist? Working as an artist can be quite isolating, so working as a tutor helps keep me in touch with the outside world. I hadn’t looked at it that it required a lot of patience, but I guess it does, and I enjoy teaching as much as the actual artwork. I feel as though I get as much back from my students as I give out. After all, we are a group of likeminded people, all sharing a love of plants and drawing. Do you usually work from life?
Foxglove and Bee
I work from life almost without exception, so a piece of art that requires a full life cycle recording can take a whole year to complete. There are many advantages to working from live plant material, such as having the ability to be able to turn them over to look underneath, take proper measurements, find out how they are structured, arrange a proper light source, etc., not to mention being able to enjoy their lovely scent. Working from photographs can make the subject look flat and confusing. I do, however, take plenty of reference photographs in case the plant dies or changes. What books on botanical art would you recommend? My own, of course! There are many books covering botanical illustration, but these are often covering the use of watercolour. I have recently been commissioned by Crowood Press to write and illustrate a book entitled ‘Botanical Drawing using Graphite and Coloured Pencil’. The release date is February 2016, and it’s all very exciting.
Blackberries
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beauty • beamused If one wants to be a botanical artist, what are the most important skills one should be ready to master? Is it something that anything can learn or not, judging by your teaching experience? If someone paints or draws in a very loose, flamboyant style, then perhaps botanical art might not be for them. But if a person enjoys working in detail, has patience and an interest in plants, then botanical illustration may be just what they are looking for. No one can be expected to learn everything all at once, drawing and observational skills need to be built up slowly, exploring individual plant parts at the same time as learning to draw. I would say that the most important skills to master are to learn to open your eyes properly, it is all about really, really looking. Spend time intently studying the plant and how it grows, and prepare to be amazed! Sunflower
If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
The Kelsae Giant which took more than 120 hours to finish
All the artwork in this article is by Sue Vize. You can find more information about Sue and her projects on her website: www.suevize.com
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Beautiful Versatility Billy Showell is an artist and a teacher, and also the author of several books on botanical art. Her work has been recognised by the English Society of Botanical Artists, but that doesn’t mean that she has no difficulties managing her artistic career. How did you start in botanical art? I began to paint flowers and fruit once I became pregnant with my first child; I needed to work from home, and my subjects came from the garden. It was an opportunity to perfect my watercolour skills (I started in oils, but then changed to watercolour), and earn some money, too. Do you also teach? The classes at my studio are for anyone. There are just six people to a group, and the joy of this is that you get lots of tuition one-to-one. And your online courses? My online classes are for everyone, too. They give me the chance to teach all over the world. You don't have to complete every project, but you can use my website as a resource for ideas and techniques. Each project reinforces certain skills, and the idea is to practice and perhaps revisit many times. There are projects that are sketchy, others are full of detailed botanic illustrations. I will be doing so much more online as my confidence builds. What are the most common mistakes people commit when drawing fruits, vegetables and flowers? We often look at a plant and make assumptions about how it grows, when actually, if your subject is unusual, the best way to observe it is to really look. You may turn it upside down and sketch it a few times from different angles. Also, people often start painting before having achieved a really good drawing. How much time does it take you to finish a painting? All plants take different lengths of time to paint, but it usually takes a week for most compositions, and then another week to perfect it. Double this for very big projects.
Tulip Boots 32
beauty • beamused
Cabbage
The critique realistic art often gets is that it is too much like a photograph, meaning ‘why bother and spend time on a painting when you can make a snap shot in a second’. (As if making a great photo was that easy). You arrange your subjects in artful compositions, twist their petals and stalks in beautiful ways; you make them look a bit nostalgic with your colouring… what else? Well, this opens a can of worms, but a painting is not a photograph, and a photo is not a painting, though they can both be works of art. Just because the painting came before photography doesn’t undervalue its use or significance, both mediums are unique and relevant. I love testing my skills to portray a plant accurately, but then still maintain a painterly feel. I would love to be better at it, and try hard to improve. I love composing the flowers to make beautiful arrangements, that is the fun for me, but it doesn’t make my work any less serious; I am always striving to get better at painting. How do you invent your compositions? What comes first: an idea for a painting, or something beautiful that inspires you to paint?
'Watercolour Fruit and Vegetable Portraits', a book by Billy Showell
Ideas come from everywhere and anywhere. I love all aspects of design; they all overlap and are related. Sometimes, it’s a mood; sometimes, the plant curves in an unusual way. It’s like writing a song: it just comes to you. How did you get the idea of your flower shoes designs? I don’t think the shoe design is original: since painting mine, I have seen others from way back. Mine came from a happy accident: I had painted two flowers that were too far apart on the paper, so I tried to connect them with a leaf, and immediately saw a shoe shape. So I carried on with that design. I painted one a year for four years before I felt brave enough to exhibit them in a botanical show; then, when I did, they caused quite a stir. I still paint them: I have about 25 designs now.
Hibiscus Shoe 33
To our readers, you are a famous painter and author, somebody successful. And this is so, of course, but we know from your blog that just some years ago you were finding it hard to prioritise, and worrying about the fact that ‘being a painter was not the most profitable business to be in’. Please tell us about that. Has it got better over the years? What would be the advice you could now give to a person in a similar situation? It has been hard to make a living. Some people sell more work, some teach more; sometimes it’s just luck that your work is in vogue. The main thing I have noticed is that art buying is the first thing to get binned when there is a financial downturn, so you need to be as versatile as possible to survive. I try something new with my art every year; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. You do need to get out and see people and, of course, be as creative and professional as you can, and it’s not always easy. Do you ever work on commissions? I have been commissioned for large commercial projects. In this case, you try to be as imaginative as you can within the brief. It is sometimes hard to do that in the pay constraints, but all jobs have their merits, and there is always the dream that the next job will be more stimulating or less stressful. But work is work, and having commissions is nicer than not having them. Again, versatility is good, and punctuality on deadlines is paramount.
I love composing the flowers to make beautiful arrangements, but it doesn’t make my work less serious. Do you work a lot on promoting yourself as an artist and teacher, or do you just let it go as it goes? I go in phases. I am aware that once you have an audience, it is important not to bore them with promotion. Word of mouth is good if people enjoy what you do. When you are offering good value for money in your teaching and quality in the work you produce, then people are more likely to recommend you and talk about you. I do find it hard to answer all the e-mails, and I don’t earn enough to pay a secretary or assistant, so I am very late in replying to most e-mails; this is a huge problem for me. If I answered every email as it came in, I would not have time to paint. Please tell us a bit about how you live. Your home is also your studio, isn’t it? Whom do you live with, and what do you do when you are not teaching or painting? My life is most chaotic. We live on the outskirts of a small town and have been building our home while living in it. I have a studio behind the house for some classes, but I do travel to other venues. I have taken up oil painting as a hobby; some people think that is funny, but it is very different to my watercolour. I have two sons, one at university, and the other at the last year of school. They are both musicians, so the best thing we do for recreation is see them play in concert or go to concerts to see other musicians; we love indie music, so we try to support new artists. The rest of the time I try to help my parents and see friends. Those people who know and like me are very patient, as I am a bit do-lally. Do you like to cook? Have you thought of drawing a recipe book? I do bake cakes for my students and have planned a recipe book, and hope to illustrate it, too.
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beauty • beamused What are your plans for the future? I would love to have more time to paint: I have so many ideas and not enough time. My plans are always to paint up all the ideas in my sketchbooks, but I feel it might be too much to ask for. What would you advice somebody who wants to be a botanical artist? Try out lots of ideas and techniques, and try different teachers: you will learn lots of things. And try to develop your own style. Practice as often as you can: time and hard work achieve results. It is not a glamorous ‘in the limelight’ job, as the plants are the stars, but it is a lovely thing to do. When I paint, the rest of the world disappears, and I am calm.
All the artwork in the article is by Billy Showell. www.billyshowell.com
Honeysuckle Heart
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Illegal Beauty
Beamused tag by Dipaky
Street Intervention Canadian artist Dan Bergeron is famous for his ‘Faces of the City’: a series of giant portraits in which the textures of walls and street scenery intertwine with photos to create stunning images. What’s the boundary between art and vandalism, which Dan’s work is the ballsiest, and how a street artist can earn money? You are a photographer, aren’t you? How did you get into street art?
I was interested in graffiti since I was around the age of ten or eleven. I knew a lot of older kids, like Kane and Recka, who wrote graffiti in my neighbourhood when I was that age, and throughout my teenage years. For some reason, I didn’t take it up, though; probably because I was too busy skateboarding. When I graduated from university and moved back to Toronto at 25, I wanted to try and do something different with my photographs. I think my early exposure to graffiti and my interest in utilizing public space in ways that it wasn’t designed for through my 15 plus years skateboarding led me towards first making stickers out of my photos, and then doing wheat pastes of them. And then, when I went to London for the first time in 2002, and saw how much street art there was over there, and with the impact the work of Banksy had, I was instantly hooked, and all I wanted to do was create works for the street.
Street art is rather controversial; some say ‘art’, some say ‘vandalism’. What do you think, where exactly is the boundary?
I think that if you can create art that makes people think, then it’s going to be looked at in a positive light. If you create work where the only intention is to destroy public property, then it will be looked at negatively. However, I won’t judge someone else’s work or their reasons for doing it. For my own work, the boundaries are pretty simple. I try not to put work up on someone’s home, and I try to force the viewers to question the world around them, in a social, political or physical manner. Have I created illegal artworks? Definitely. Have I vandalized? For sure. But I think that my work always tries to make the viewer think, and that, for me, justifies its existence.
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Face of the City, Tara (2010) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios
Lilia Anne Bergeron, 2007 by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios How do you work in the street without being distracted? Was it a scary thing to do when it was your first time? What was this first time, by the way?
I enjoy being out in the street installing work. You get right up in the mix with other humans as they buzz past you on their way here and there. You also get to talk to people as you put the work up, which really connects you to the pulse of the city where you happen to be. None of this distracts me, but rather invigorates me. I feed off of the energy of being in a public space when I’m installing work. In terms of the first time, it is, no matter what you’re doing, always one part excitement and one part nervousness. If I really acknowledge my history working outdoors, the first work I put up was probably when I was 14, prior to even realizing that I was creating street art. My friends Matt Janisse, Adam and Morgan Rice and myself would change the letters around on the KFC signage at the KFC where we would skate. We would pull the letters down and rearrange them to say stupid thing like ‘Olaf sells weed’. It was back when everything was simpler.
You work mostly in Toronto, don’t you? What’s the attitude of local authorities to street art there?
Canada is pretty mellow. Obviously, if you’re using spray paint and doing throw ups illegally, or tagging, you can get hassled like anywhere. But if you’re wheat pasting, stenciling or installing sculptures, you can pretty much get away with it, and the work will stay up untouched by the authorities. The main thing is to be smart about where you install the work, and always try to make it look like you are supposed to be doing it.
Which of your works do you consider the most epic for some reason?
I think the most ballsy work that I created illegally was the Kanye series of billboards. They were quite political, and you had to understand the nuances of George Bush and his way of thinking to not be offended by them. In terms of legal work, I would have to say the Papiers Gaspesia series because of their size and their importance to the community in which I installed them.
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Face of the City, Kwest (2009) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios How did you come up with the idea of ‘The Faces of the City’? Who are these people? Are those faces still there?
Sometimes, the lightbulb above your head sparks and you have to pay attention. I was getting tired of pasting up standard photos and I wanted more of a challenge. So I played around with cutting up the faces, and when I did that, I realized how I could integrate the images into the backgrounds of the walls where I would be installing them. This led me to think about how we as people create these buildings that age, and how we age as well, and how paper is akin to a layer of skin. Some of the subjects are people I know dearly, while other subjects are just people I bump into when I’m out in the world doing my thing. Depending on the location, the faces will last anywhere from two to four years. Some are still up, but most are gone.
You have projects like Papiers Gaspesia, which touched the issue of unemployment, or The Unadressed, which called attention to the homeless in the streets. Why is this important for you?
I think making street art or public art is like creating work for a communal living room: you need to put up work that gets the attention of the viewer and garners a reaction, whether good or bad. Very often we see imagery in public spaces that blends into the surroundings because there are no deeper ideas within the artwork, or, for the most part, advertisements. I want to create work that connects people to each other and causes us to think about the plight of our fellow humans. And because of my privileged place in this world — I’m healthy, relatively intelligent and I have love, food and a roof over my head — I often want to help those who can’t speak for themselves to have the opportunity to share their thoughts.
At the same time, you have this funny project called ‘Billbored’ where you ‘retouch’ stupid posters; where did this idea come from? Isn’t it a risky thing to do?
Billboards are everywhere and no one seems to care about them. In addition, they are a challenge to hack and figure out a witty punchline to put up on them. Plus, because they are so large, when you do put work up on them, it gets seen by everyone. In terms of risk… billboards are safer to work on than street level walls, because if you are working on a billboard, people assume that you are just changing the ad and are supposed to be there. However, billboards are more dangerous to work on because the ground is a lot further away. 39
Men at Work, The Pipe Wrencher (2009) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios
One of the ‘Billbored’ series interventions: Dan turns an ad for a real estate expo with Donald Trump’s face…
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мировой масштаб • beamused #8 • декабрь 2014
Face of the City, Dwayne (2010) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios
…into Trump’s proposal to the journalist Rosie O’Donnell. Rosie, Will You Marry Me? (2007) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios 41
This life size photo is a part of ‘The Unadressed’ series. The Unaddressed, For Me This Was Not A Choice (2009) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios
People often wonder whether one can make a living with one's art. Do you earn money as an artist?
I am full-time visual artist. I have been making a living solely as an artist for the past seven years. Like any freelance worker, you have lean times and you have times when you are rolling in it. However, the older I get, the more opportunities arise, and the smarter I am in terms of soliciting work and keeping my business afloat. My partner Tara and I have purchased a house and studio, and we have a two-and-a-half year old boy named Lucian with another boy due this October. You can work as an artist and sustain a healthy middle class life for sure.
If somebody wants to be a street artist, what should they be conscious of, what should they learn, and what should they ignore?
I’m not the one to say what you should do beyond be yourself and be true to who you are. And don’t ignore anything, paying attention is the key.
Dan Bergeron: www.fauxreel.ca 42
'Papiers Gaspesia', a series of gigantic (about nine meters high) portraits, is a sign of respect for the workers of a closed paper factory; it was made at the request of the 'Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie en GaspĂŠsie' gallery and the city of Chandler (Quebec). Gaspesia Les Portraits En Papier, Serge Soucy (2011) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios
Isn’t Kanye An A-rab Name? (2006) by Dan Bergeron / Fauxreel Studios 43
Borondo
beauty • beamused
The charismatic style and characteristic signature of Gonzalo Borondo are well known, but not everybody is aware how young he is: he only turned 26 in 2015. Gonzalo started to draw in childhood (his father used to restore icons for a living), then studied in the academies of Madrid and Rome, but dropped out of both of them. He travels a lot and it’s not easy to catch him, but we’ve managed to get a brief interview.
You work under your real name, which is unusual for a street artist; why?
When I started working in the streets, around twelve years ago, I used another name; but now I don't to hide myself, I am not ashamed of what I do. It is often illegal, but this doesn't mean that the intentions that move me are wrong; just the opposite.
You painted murals in England where the laws against graffiti are much stricter than in Spain; why is that?
This information is incorrect. In general, the police in Spain is a little less polite than in England, and the fines in a city like Madrid are higher than anywhere in Europe; there, if they catch me next time, I’ll have to pay a huge sum. In London, street art is now mainstream, so if you paint in some areas of London, nobody will tell you anything, everybody will just think that you have a permission to do it. When London wants to gentrify a neighbourhood, they use artists and the concept of ‘freedom’ to push house prices higher. These are different kinds of politics, both wrong.
Top: Borondo, Shame • Athens, 2013 Left: Borondo, Les Trois Ages • Nuit blanche, Ville de Paris • © ADAGP, Paris, 2014 • Jérôme Thomas • Extracted from Sky's the limit, the extrem painters • facebook.com / groups / sky1limit 45
Ophelia, Borondo + Carmen Main, 2014, London, UK • Pam Photos • pamphotos.com
Borondo, Cheese, 2014 • London, UK • Photo by Fabiano Caputo
What about ‘Identity’, a project for which you screen printed some images, and then painted on them? Was it a business project?
For people like me, who don't really like to produce canvases to make money, and don’t want to become creators of luxury things, a print is a good solution. I could concentrate on one image, and give the possibility to buy it to all the people who don't have much money, but would like to have a piece of my work. Obviously, it is a commercial project, I need to pay the bills as well.
What comes first — an idea or a wall with some particular element that inspires you?
Sometimes, it’s a wall, or the space around it that brings me an idea; actually, most of the time it’s like that. But sometimes it’s my sketchbook that brings me the solution for the surface.
You have to work quickly in the street, don’t you? How do you manage to concentrate?
It depends on what I'm doing; sometimes I just paint like nothing wrong is going on, and I take my time to do it. Sometimes it works, but to be sure that nothing bad will happen in the street, I have my technique of scratching the glass: I put some colour on a glass surface, and the next day I go there to scratch it, creating the image that I want to. Clean paint is not against the law; I had to invent this technique as a consequence of a huge fine from Madrid city council.
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beauty • beamused
Borondo, Narcissus • 2014, London, UK • Photo by Fabiano Caputo
Before being an artist, you have to be a person.
What would you advice somebody who wants to be a street artist?
In my opinion, before becoming a street artist, you have to be an artist; and before that, you have to be a person. Play with public spaces like a person, but make it honest, don't look for gold on the walls, just talk to your city.
All the artwork in this article is by Gonzalo Borondo: www.borondo.blogspot.com www.gonzaloborondo.com
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