Os Gomeos Interview

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Interview with Shira Sela
multimedia designer and illustrator.
Shira Sela's illustrations make me feel that I see myelf on her drawings. That girl wearing skirt or dancing looks exactly like me. So I am very much involved in her art persnally and also can daydream over her postcards for hours. But what is she telling us about her works.


How did you become an illustrator?
A few years ago I started working as a multimedia designer and I often needed illustrations for things I was designing. So, I started making these illustrations myself using programs I was already working with such as Flash and Photoshop. After a while, my husband, who is a musician, needed a design for his new cd and I volunteered to make the cover art, which evolved into a 16 pages booklet with an illustration for each song. I received a very good response for this cover art which motivated me to pursue in this direction.

Did your family support you?
I am very fortunate to have a very supportive family. My parents are wonderful, generous people that always said I should do whatever makes me happy, that this should be my goal. This gave me a lot of freedom in making my career choices.
My husband was the first person who encouraged me to pursue illustration professionally, and keeps supporting and encouraging me to push things forward. He is a successful musician and a huge source of inspiration for me.

Seeing your website and the animations you are inspired by childhood
memories. Why and how?
As a child I used to spend a lot of time in imaginative worlds. This ability to create an alternative world in one's own imagination still fascinates me and this finds expression in my work.
What music do you listen to while working?
This is ever changing… but my all time favorites include: Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Edie Brickell, Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Neil Young, and most importantly, the music by Tevet Sela, my husband.

What are you trying to express/explain with your art?
In general, I try to capture certain moods or atmospheres. Certain pieces try to express the power and beauty of solitude.

What are your favorite topics? What excites you?
One of the themes that really inspire me is our use of imagination as a source of comfort. My favorite topics relate to this theme and include dreams, fantasies, solitude, childhood, and interacting with nature.

Could you tell us something about your work process? Which part of the work is the most interesting? What do you enjoy mostly?

I really enjoy the whole illustration process but my favorite part are the first phases of creating each piece, when the idea comes in my head, thinking about how to best convey it on paper and making sketches. For reference I occasionally take photos on my digital camera. When my line work is ready I would usually either digitally color it or use markers to paint it.



How would you explain your work to a stranger?
In much of my work I try to visually express certain moods, convey a scene or tell a little story through use of both traditional and digital mediums of illustration.

What is your dream work or project that you have not yet opportunity
to make? What are your lifetime art goals?
As much as I enjoy working on commercial projects, I would love to focus more on my personal work and to exhibit. I would also love to collaborate with designers from different fields and see my illustrations on clothes or accessories, for example.

How do you typically spend your time when you don't work?
Even when I am not working I spend waaay too much time on the internet. The huge amount of amazing creativity that is available on the design/art blogs is just too tempting … but when I finally do manage to get away from it all I like to take walks, read, go to shows and concerts, go to the cinema and do Pilates.

Who are your favorite artists? Who inspires/influences you?
I love many different artists, both old and new, including: Gustav Klimt, Marcel Dzama, Julie Morstad, Maria Isabel Arango, Jaime Zollars, Jill Bliss, Mark Ryden, Henry Darger, Chiho Aoshima and Makiko Kudo, to name a just a few…

Where can we find/see your works? What are you working at recently?
I am currently working on some web design projects including one for an Israeli film production company which is much fun. I am also working on a cd cover art and I am always doing some printing, packaging and posting of orders of my prints/cards, which makes me very happy!

My personal work is available on line at: www.shirasela.com

Interview with Pupu Sulaiman

Pupu Sulaiman's world is based on fairy tales. Her illustrations suit into children's books and into galleries for all sorts of adults. Guess what...she is a Communication and Computer System Engineering graduate from Brunei. So I became curious and asked her about art and life.


Illustrativo: Seeing your work - most of the times you draw cute kids and girls. Is this because of your childhood or because you like children?

Pupu Sulaiman: Oh I love children! Especially their imagination – unexpected! They are my inspiration.

Also the flower and bird motifs - are they connected to a traditional background or something else?

The flowers: I love them and it makes my illustration lively and happy. The birds: They are unique being I feel. One that flies freely and can act as a protector.

And sometimes it's very childish - in a good way i mean - what's the reason?

The reason is I love children and fairy tale story. The birds are flying freely and sing which makes you smile whenever one is sad. The flowers bloom beautifully, sing and spread out sweet fragrance that comforts us by just being around them. My illustration is showing that fairy tale touch whom all kids love to see. My audience is to those who are young at heart.

How did you become an illustrator? What's your educational background?

It started off when I started doodling from a young age. I doodled on my school books, newspapers, my father's notebooks, on my school desk, on tissue papers, on my bedroom wall and even on the living room wall. Up until I graduated in Communication and Computer System Engineering, I found a website that I felt was interesting. They used Photoshop to visualize their ideas. So I started to learn how to use Photoshop. I learnt how to design websites, HTML and CSS codes which lead to me making my first website! I also learnt on how to create my own wallpaper. My desire and ambition grew and felt it was not enough learning all of these. So I kept working and came across another website where the artists used traditional painting, collage, mixed-media and implement them with Photoshop. It was very interesting!

What music do you listen to while working?

I mostly listen to soothing songs such as Soul & Blues

What are you trying to express/explain with your art?

My art is a reminder of each one of us has a kid inside of us...a child that still believes in fairy tale; loves happy ending and where the fairy tale world is better than the cruel world we live in.

What are your favourite topics?

Mother Nature.

What excites you?

That would be people smiling and appreciating my artwork. Praises and other comments of my work gets me going and makes me want to go further and achieve greater things.

Could you tell us something about your work process?

I draw out my ideas into my Moleskine book using black micro pen 0.4, 0.5 and a black pen. I’ll add all the details. Then I scanned it and tweak a little bit in the Photoshop. Photoshop is the best! I can add any little details I want or erased any unwanted things. Most of the time, I’ll go straight ahead to Illustrator CS and start illustrating using my tablet.



Which part of the work is the most interesting?

The most interesting part would be adding details to the illustration I made, such as on my cute little girls dress.

What do you enjoy mostly?

Well, at the moment I enjoy creating my fairy tale world and kokeshi dolls

How would you explain your work to a stranger?

In my opinion, a young female (girl) has their own mysteries, one that is easy to express their emotional side or feeling and as you said, childish... but in a good way! And that is why a girl is one of the elements in my artwork. The added details? They are up to you to interpret. Different people have different interpretation of what they are seeing. But for me, the added detail expresses what's in her mind – her feelings and emotions.

What is your dream work or project that you have not yet opportunity to make?

I dream of making a children's story book based on fairy tales that I illustrate. To collaborate ideas and work with other artist would be great as well and I hope to be able to paint kokeshi dolls..

What are your lifetime art goals?
First, I want to have my artworks displayed in galleries, and to be recognized as the up'n coming new talent in the illustration world. Spread my talent with me opening a school of art not only for the gifted, for all.

How do you typically spend your time when you don't work?

I spend my time in my room – doodling on my moleskine, photoshop-ing, working on my next painting. I go to art class every Saturday learning acrylics painting. I hang out with my girlfriends.

Who are your favorite artists?

May Ann Lucidine (Mall) from Philippines – her Babu and cat characters is awesome (Acrylic painting pro), Emila Yusof (from Malaysia) – she is good in illustrator CS, Irisz Agocs (from Hungary) – I love the way she use watercolor onto her artwork.

Who inspires/influences you?

The people around me: the children mostly.
Where can we find/see your works?

You can check at my website: http://bubbly-pu.com
At Deviantart: http://fille-bizarre.deviantart.com
My wallpaper at: http://sakatodesign.blogspot.com
Moleskine project: http://moleskineproject.com
Illustration Friday: http://illustrationfriday.com

What are you working on recently?

I’ve been making illustration fairy kokeshi dolls recently, and it’s been quite an addiction since last month. I even entered a contest creating Momiji Dolls at DontPanicOnline.com and adding to that, I'm currently thinking of my next illustrations for 16th Noma Concours for Picture Illustration Book contest.

The 500th Post and Interview with Zuzanna Krzysik

I found Zuza's fascinating website a few weeks ago and for the first time I thought she is a Japanese artist. In fact she is a Polish girl from Warsaw.
I asked her about her work and background.

How did you become an illustrator?

I am an illustrator and filmmaker currently based in Wasaw, Poland. After graduation from the Polish National Film School I decided to pursue in two directions - as an animator and illustrator. It was natural because I have been drawing and designing since I was a kid.

Seeing your website and the animations you are deeply inspired by Japanese illustrations. Why and how?

Honestly that influence is unintentional. My principles of aesthetics are similar to Japanese - flat compositions with bold colour and defined outline, a style of drawing which is neither realistic not cartoonish. I was influenced by Ukiyo-e and manga as much as by Aubrey Beardsley, Alfons Mucha and Preraphaelites. On the other hand, very often when I talk with Japanese friends or read Japanese books, I discover that my way of thinking is more from the East than from the West. Perhaps I was just incarnated on the wrong side of the globe. I definitely have to go to Japan to figure it out.

What and who else inspire you?

I try to observe the world with eyes wide open because I never know where the inspiration will come from. It can be a ride on a crowded city bus or a crow jumping clumsily on a branch of the tree. Nature is the best designer of all, life writes the best scenarios.

What music do you listen to while working?

I work at night and listen to the strange sound made by the sleeping city. I have a bunch of CDs including Joanna Newsom, Cornelius, Rovo, Yat-Kha, Ella Fitzgerald, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ishq, Anouar Brahem...


What are you trying to express/explain with your art? What are your favourite topics?

A brutality hidden behind cuteness. Old fairy tales retold again.


Could you tell us something about your work process? Which part of the work is the most interesting? What do you enjoy mostly?

Every concept starts with the pencil and paper - that is the most creative part. Sometimes I make a lot of research which brings unexpected discoveries.

What is your dream work or project that you have not yet opportunity to make? What are your lifetime art goals?

Creative process itself is my goal. I want my drawings and designs to get into animated film, websites and games.


How do you typically spend your time when you don't work?

If I could, I would sit on the sandy Baltic beach all day long, observing colours of the sea. Unfortunately I live in Warsaw, which is a city of concrete blocks so I usually stay at home with my boyfriend and cat. I watch movies, read books or make toys.

Who are your favorite artists?

Artsists like Van Eyck, Jean-Baptiste Chardin, preraphaelites, Jacek Malczewski, Aubrey Beardlsey, Georgia O'Keefe, Takashi Murakami.
I like works of Psyop and Tokyoplastic, music videos by Michel Gondry, artworks of Ray Caesar and Yuko Shimizu illustrations. As for animated film I am a devout fan of Hayao Miyazaki.

Where can we find/see your works? What are you working at recently?

I am in the summer mood, making a little animation about the Amazon rainforest. Apart from that I am involved in an animated film project - a modern fairytale written by my friend. It is too early to reveal any details right now but soon I will post some designs on my blog (http://www.zuzamade.blogspot.com/)

check out also: http://www.zuzamade.com/


(To celebrate the 500th post I made cinamon plum cakes as well. Enjoy!)