Trade Your Talent: San Francisco

Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Paul Madonna "Sinking feeling, burning need"

"There's only the sun and a feeling ... ... that you're simultaneously doing all the right things ... and completely wasting your life."

When I read this quote and looked at Paul Madonna's beautiful pen-and-ink style I was mesmerized - Paul Madonna writes and draws the weekly series All Over Coffee, which is published in the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com, and Small Potatoes for TheRumpus.net. He is the author of two books, All Over Coffee (City Lights 2007), and Everything is its own reward (City Lights 2011), which won the NCBR Recognition Award for Best Book in 2011. I discovered his work through my last interview with Ester Wilson. I was really indecisive when I had to choose work to go along with this interview - this is why I really recommend for you to stroll over to his site paulmadonna.com and have a look around. He observes cities like no one else can - each pencil stroke filled with devotion and passion to the detail.

paulmadonna.com

What inspires you to your work?

Paul Madonna: A sinking feeling, and a burning need to contribute to society.

paulmadonna.com

When did you decide to become a full-time artist?

Paul Madonna: The decision to be a full time artist happened before I was conscious enough to know it. In practice, I have been a full time artist all of my adult life, but for many years I had to be a part time employee at jobs to support being a full time artist. And professionally, I've been supporting myself on my own work for eight years now.

paulmadonna.com

If you could collaborate with another artist, who would you pick?

Paul Madonna: I've actually been doing a series of published collaborations with professional writers. Those can be found here, and there are more in the works, all with people I'm excited to work with. One person I would love to work with though is Argentine write Cesar Aira, and I've been meaning to write him for over a year, but I just haven't. I don't know why.

paulmadonna.com

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sara Christian "Femininity"

Sara Christian is an artist working in San Francisco. Sara observes femininity, nature and she likes to play with colours and textures. With tradeyourtalent she speaks about expression and why trends rule.

Sara Christian, http://saracdraws.blogspot.com/

What does creativity mean to you?

Expression, through any tool or object or sound that can be an outlet. To play in the world, let your voice be heard, or seen, or imprint left somehow. Imagination and letting go of thought, ones that hinder.

Which role does art play in your life?

By day I'm a designer at an awesome book publisher. Then squeeze the rest of the day being creative and free in anyway feels good. What I really enjoy is drawing and playing with color and textures. If that means I just stay in the studio moving scraps of paper around 'til it forms beautiful and unexpected colors and shapes, it makes for a relaxing, fun evening.

How difficult or easy is it being an artist today?

I try to make life challenging on purpose at times for fun, or a competition in my head. But art is something I try to keep in mind as a tranquil experience, not forced or worried about getting reimbursed financially. I keep making pieces because I can be lost in enjoying the process. Yet, sometimes the hesitant blank thoughts and insecurities creep in, or wanting to experiment because you dont know a technique or how-to hang a show and time is running out. Inspiration can usually handle that problem.

Today I think art (performance, visual) is appreciated as any other time in history, too. As long as there are these creations in the world, people will be motivated. It is cool: illustration and outsider art are still strong and loved. And then lovers of the traditionally taught painters and fine-art craftmenship. Art is accepted in any shape or form, so we can get away with about any thing we want as an artist. Pretty easy.

Your favorite themes?

Clearly I love girly. Since I was a kid, I'd draw rows of women lined in a catwalk. Trends rule. And it's the female's perspective of expression or society's influence on them that intrigues me. The reoccuring theme is big adornment right now. Life themes at the moment: fashion magazines and then a walk admiring the trees and birds.