ablogcalledhowl

[ablogcalledhowl]

SIMONE BLAIN

-who are you ? 

Simone Blain 

-what do you do ? 

I am a painter, and I have a few day jobs that keep me going: I work at a second hand clothing store, renovate apartments with my boyfriend, and also work for a jeweller.

-what's your process ? 

I often work from photos I take on my cellphone, sometimes I’ll zoom in and see a little composition of colours. At times I get inspired from things I see when I’m walking around town, then I’ll write down the colours in my notes on my phone and try to remember how to put them together. And then I’ll draw something, if I get an image that I could imagine as a painting, I’ll draw it several times to loosen up. I used to hate doing that, but these days I feel like that process is necessary for me to not be too precious. Recently I’ve been going off those drawings, which I project and layer up in oil paint, and I tape off my lines to make them crisp. Music is also a big inspiration to me, and a lot of my ideas come from misheard lyrics in songs...I’ll write the lyrics down and the idea transforms into something that references my own experience.

-what are your weapons ? 

Tylenol, magnesium, listening to podcasts at work, putting work into good relationships, eating my veggies, and being in nature when I can.

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ? 

I guess it comes in organically/subconsciously any time I see or hear something beautiful. Music, art that other people make, buildings that are colourful or that have interesting gates or windows... I can’t help but be influenced by culture when I’m in the city, around so many different people.

-is it important ? 

Yes, culture keeps people together.  Art gives people with conflicting politics or philosophies a common language, and that probably helps us live more harmoniously. It’s obviously not fixed or homogenous, just like people.

-what inspires you ? 

Everything is inspiring, mundane stuff like words that contrast in a funny way, sometimes I’ll write little snippets of conversations down… other times i’ll see a really beautiful piece of old clothing at work with a fun design and try to riff off of that, my personal experiences that I feel other people might relate to are also sometimes inspiring. I’m never lacking inspiration, only lacking discipline and energy.. and hours in the day.

-who/what has influenced ?

I’m influenced by all my artist friends, Montreal is home to soooo many talented folks. I’m influenced by music as well, some faves are Todd Rundgren, Robert Wyatt, R Stevie Moore, (delving into his stuff again cause he has so many songs, but I’ve heard he’s not a very nice dude which I should probably look into more), XTC, the list goes on… some of my fav contemporary painters are Ted Gahl, Angela Heisch, Kevin McNamee-Tweed, Tracy Helena Thomason, Maysha Mohamedi…too many to count really!

-how have your personal experiences shaped you ?

My personal experiences have made me sensitive I think, grumpy and frustrated at times, but also empathetic.

-how will you use those experiences to your advantage ?

My personal experiences, bad and good, have helped make me a creative person. I think that going through some hard times in your life also makes it much easier to relate to other people and to be able to give more.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

Hopefully some of my humour, sensitivity and sense of rhythm.

-is it important ? 

Don’t make me spiral!

-what are your expectations from fellow artists ? 

I don’t have any expectations really, but I appreciate when artists are honest, and hold each other up and share, instead of getting caught up in the trappings of competition or desire for success.

-how do you differentiate or separate your art from politics ?

My paintings aren’t actively political for the most part, I think I can be more effective in other areas of my life, because I feel that the way that I paint is too passive. That said, I’ve been seeing people use social media in a really interesting and effective way recently... posting their art on Instagram in tandem with political content, or selling their work and using the money for a specific cause.

-is it important ? 

Yes. Staying informed and engaged is so important. It’s our duty to know what’s going on outside of our own little bubble, and we need to take care of each other.

-what was your pre internet activity ? 

Before the internet, I lived in the woods, so I had to get creative. Setting up obstacle courses at my dads house for the three wheeler, lookin at the stars, spending time near water, drawing, pretending the junk yard in the field beyond our house was my kitchen…

-what will be your post internet activity ?

Naps

**write down a question as your younger self and answer it as your older self**

Younger self: In what major ways have you changed? Older self: I’m a little more confident, I feel loved for the first time in my life, and I like Steely Dan now.

(follow Simone Blain’s work on: https://cargocollective.com/sblain)

[ablogcalledhowl]

JESS NASH

-who are you ? 

I am an illustrator and workshop facilitator, and a sister and a godmother and a British born Ghanaian.

-what do you do ?

In true creative fashion I find it really hard to just do one thing and thankfully I have a lot of friends doing amazing projects that I’ve managed to jump in on. When I’m not making artwork I’m planning workshops and running them with kids- I’m also co-organiser of We Are Here along with Erin Aniker.

-what's your process ?

Usually its idea-visual research- artwork, sometimes its visual research-idea-artwork but my illustration work always stems from something I’ve read, or somewhere I’ve been or something I’ve heard. There’s something about my brain that really enjoys taking what I’ve been exposed to and turning it into something tangible.

-what are your weapons  ?

I’m taking this questions as post-apocalyptic and so I can run really fast (used to) and I’m hoping that would be weapon enough.

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ?

I’ve never really thought about that before; but I think possibly through the subject matter I choose to make work about and through the people I choose to put in my illustrations.

-is it important ?

For me it’s now part of the fabric of how I draw but I do think its important.

-what inspires you ?

My people that are smashing life inspire me, travelling and the way they created Atlanta and Master of None- those two were amazing. And finding new music!

-who/what has influenced ?

My sisters are the biggest hype men and are so so funny so I think growing up being cracked up by them has been the best. Also my friend who introduced me to jazz and then kendrick lamar- game changer.

-how have your own personal experiences shaped you and how will you use those experiences to your advantage ?

I never used to be great at processing personal experiences and so I used to write them down; rereading those months later always helped me figure out what I got out of each situation.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

I think probably humour and the colour palette that happens when I make work, I generally find a lot of things funny and so I think that has managed to seep its way into the way the I draw and paint. I’m also someone who feels a lot of things and I think that’s also why some of the subject matter that interests me is a bit deep.

-is it important ?

It’s not intentional but I do think its important- its nice for people to say they could tell it was your work you know.

-what are your expectations from fellow artists ?

I’m genuinely so happy when people are smashing life so I just hope people keep doing what they’re doing. I wasn’t expecting it and I really enjoyed Banksy over the weekend.

-how do you differentiate or separate your art from politics ?

There really is no separation for me. It’s kind of like how you know R Kelly is problematic and so you can’t easily listen to his music now; I don’t think I could now vibe to R Kelly knowing R Kelly. You can’t really separate the two. The same way I can’t make a piece of artwork without there being a concept behind it or a comment or an area for discussion however loose. Sometimes I do just really like making a gif about Squash and sometimes it has to be deeper.

-is it important ?

It’s important for me to keep being interested and keep making work about the things I’m interested in.

-what was your pre internet activity ?

Pre internet, I was really good at puzzles the 100 piece ones and so I used to do that until I got older and inherited my sister’s walkman. I also really love to read so I’m sure I was doing that.

-what will be your post internet activity ?

Post internet I’ll probably still be reading or learning a skill like carpentry which is my life’s dream.

**write down a question as your younger self and answer it as your older self**

-Can you still wear trainers when you’re an adult? Absolutely.

(follow Jess Nash’s work on www.jessnash.co.uk)

[ablogcalledhowl]

MATEUSZ SARZYNSKI

-who are you? 

I try to be human, In my free time I paint.

-what do you do?

I do architecture( I have MA in architecture), drawing, painting and recently tattooing.

-what is your process?

I try to paint everyday. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes wrong. The only constant thing is the need for continuous work no matter what the effect.

-what are your weapons?

Oil, ink.

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ?

I try to paint as honest as I can.

-what was your pre internet activity ?

Playing computer games offline.

-what inspires you ?

Everyday life, simple things.

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

I like painting and I like the work of many painters. I will only mention a few: Giotto, Rogier van der Weyden, Bellini, Delacroix, Richter, Hockney,Tal R, William L. Hawkins, Morandi and Matisse.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

I try to work honest. I am from Poland so maybe there are some Polish elements in my work.

-what will be your post internet activity ?

I hope I will still paint.

-how do you unwind ?

Good food, sleep.

(follow Mateusz Sarzynski’s work on: www.instagram.com/mateusz.sarzynski/)

[ablogcalledhowl]

LUCY SHERSTON

-who are you ?

I'm an artist and illustrator currently based near Brighton.

-what do you do ?

I work freelance as an illustrator as well as working on my own personal projects and hair-brained schemes. I also work part-time in design-led shop. Outside of those things I spend a lot of time thinking about food and eating and dreaming of long sunny days.

-what's your process ?

Lots of sketchbook drawing, sifting through ideas and refining any good ones. Then I scan things into a computer and start collaging things together.

-what are your weapons  ?

a pen, paper, computer and a scanner.

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ?

I try to inject my work with positivity and a kind of hopefulness. I hope people who view it feel those things. A lot of my personal work focuses on small tender moments or scenes, I guess I want to nurture a culture of slowing down to appreciate things. Maybe this is in contradiction to my own life where I'm very impatient and always looking to move on to the next thing.

-what was your pre internet activity ?

I used to read a lot more during the time periods before I go to bed where I now normally turn to netflix.

-what inspires you ?

People who are completely and whole heartedly themselves. Certain colour combinations, nature, heat.

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

I guess time mainly has shaped my work. Through making things for years through trial and error I have come to a process of thinking that shapes what I do. Along-side everything else, the artists I've admired, the films I've watched. I think it all feeds in to each other.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

It's what I think about almost all the time, I think it's rarely separate from who I am.

-is it important ?

For me I don't think it would be effective if it wasn't personal. I think if I distanced myself that much from a brief or a piece of work it would probably show in the work.

-what will be your post internet activity ?

Hopefully reading, I'd like to do some form of exercise but in my 26 years I haven't found one for me. I'm sure it would do wonders for my mental health.

-prince or the fresh prince ?

Prince

(follow Lucy Sherston’s work on: www.lucysherston.com)

[ablogcalledhowl]

MARLEIGH CULVER

-who are you ? 

I am an artist and graphic designer on my 27th orbit around the sun in Richmond, Virginia.

-what do you do ?

I do a lot of things, always have about 2-10 freelance projects happening along with making prints and art and working full-time at Need Supply Co. I also need to do yoga, take baths, read and cook in order to feel steady. I am a warm weather bird.

-what's your process ?

My process is to sit down and not think too hard. All day I think about ideas and talk to myself in my head. My day job is very specific with its needs, so when I go home I can be as free as I want in my work. It’s nice. I feel like a cannon.

-what are your weapons  ?

I am always mostly on my computer… I find it freeing actually. I can do anything I want on it, I never feel limited and it’s easy for me to manipulate things to perfection. I also use a tablet so it’s a bit more natural even though I’ve constantly held a mouse in my hand since I was about 12.

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ?

Since my work is abstract, it’s harder to pull out any direct references, sometimes it’s just emotional reactions to social or political states. It’s just grief in this time for a lot of things for me. I also really like to draw muses when I want to just sketch around. I’m influenced by art of course, so just the general movement I am moved by and it makes me want to create.

-what was your pre internet activity ?

Pre-internet activity would be dance. I have always loved dance. I used to make mixed media work in high school as well. Both of those things will always be in my heart.

-what inspires you ?

What inspires me is what’s in my head. I’m always thinking about different things and things I’ve already seen or moments I really cherise at the time. My work is derived from emotions and colors that remind me of a specific feeling.

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

A lot of other working artists I admire have shaped me. I never want to be like anyone else and am always searching to be the most original I can. A lot of abstract/modern/pop-artists and conceptual artists have always influenced me.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

My feelings and my choices of color.

-is it important ?

Everyone always comments on the color of my work which is really important that it is so definitive.

-why ?

It’s important to me because that is what makes me me. I’ve always been visually driven and wanted to live a rich, full and exciting life. So I hope my work mirrors that.

-what will be your post internet activity ?

Painting will be my post-internet activity! And gardening.

(follow Marleigh Culver’s work on: www.marleighculver.com)

[ablogcalledhowl]

SALINA LADHA

-who are you ?

A person born on planet earth just like everyone else?

-what do you do ?

I'm a sculptor, painter, illustrator, and home cook.

-what's your process ?

I usually start drawing with an initial vague idea until I get into this flow and I'm not really thinking any more. The process creates the work. Some of the drawings stay as half blown ideas in my sketch book, others I refine by re drawing, painting or taking them into a 3d form.

-what are your weapons ?

Brain and hands and eyes working together.

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ?

It's not something I purposely think about, but I guess it can't be avoided. When it happens its a product of me being here now

-what was your pre internet activity ?

School, the outdoors and sports.

-what inspires you ?

Feelings.

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

Forms in nature, master painters, people, weed, and travelling.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

I only create when I'm feeling something strong other wise I'd rather be doing something else.

-is it important ?

Yes

-what will be your post internet activity ?

Being dead

(follow Salina Ladha's work on www.everydaysmile.bigcartel.com/)

[ablogcalledhowl]

ELLIOT FOX

-what do you do ?

I'm a painter.

-what's your process ?

Either painting followed by printing or vice versa

-what are your weapons ?

Paints, brushes, printer, projector, MacBook, Iphone

-what are the themes that permeate your work ?

The day to day stuff , the serious stuff the irrelevant stuff and finding a balance

between the two.

-why have you incorporated these themes ?

It's just what interests me and I've always gone with that idea of write what you know, in this case paint what you know. I don't want to pretend I'm cleverer than I am, I just

want to talk about what I thinks interesting and if people find it interesting too then that's cool.

-is it important ?

Don't know

-how do you inject culture into the work you create ?

Well culture is a pretty broad term, but I try to reflect what I see about me into my

work and living in south London and it being such a multi cultural area I think I lift a lot of the language from the environment directly into my work. Like the halal symbol for example.

-what was your pre internet activity ?

Pier jumping

-what inspires you ?

Money and success

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

Generally relationships with people combined with the repeating themes that occur in my life.

-what element of yourself do you inject in your work that makes it personal ?

I'd like to think my masculinity. I used to think you had to be really sensitive to everything that was going on, you know in the bigger picture, but now I'm realising for me it's more just about being myself within my work. At times it's more subtle but as I move forward it's becoming less and less so.

-what will be your post internet activity ?

I'll always have football.

-what's your favourite colour ?

Blue

(follow Elliot Fox's work on: www.elliotfox.co.uk)

[ablogcalledhowl]

ABBIE DOUGLAS

-what do you do ? 

Photography 

-what are your weapons ? 

35mm film 

-what is your style ?

A lot of people have described it as raw and honest, I guess it's true, even when I shoot a fashion story there's always a sense of realism

-what has been your favourite shoot ?

A personal project I shot of girls in their bedrooms. I loved how comfortable the girls were being shot in their own environment, it was also interesting to see their bedrooms because I think that alone can reflect someone's personality

-how do you remain consistent and loyal to your style ?

By shooting people I find interesting

-how do you prepare for a photoshoot ? 

I don't always prepare, I think it's nice to just go with the ~flow~

-how do you sustain a relationship through the lense between you and your clients ?

A lot of the time people can feel uncomfortable with a camera pointing at them so most of the time I just talk to them the whole way through the shoot. Also this way you get more natural facial expressions

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ? 

Magazines are my main influence. I love document journal, hot and cool and inventory 

-how do you unwind ?

Bath bombs

(follow Abbie Douglas’s work on: www.abbiedouglas.com)

[ablogcalledhowl]

ANNA BEAM

-what do you do ?

Make stuff and draw stuff and stick stuff to other stuff -what are your weapons ? 

Gouache paints, craft knife, clay, sewing machine, and a few boxes full of paper scraps. Coffee. Also recently, a jigsaw. -what is your style ?

I'll have to come back to you on that one, I don't really know what I'd call it. -what is your process ?

It kinda depends what I'm working on, but as a general rule I work in a really analogue way, I make a lot of collages and the surface pattern stuff I do is all hand drawn. The products I make are, for the most part, all hand made because I enjoy being able to do the whole process myself, rather than designing something and sending it off to be made or printed. -how do you remain consistent and loyal to your style ?

Even though I use a lot of different processes, my approach to generating ideas or images is always the same. Basically, make lots of mistakes until some of the mistakes become the thing that works

-do you re-create a piece of work mid-creation ?

Again, it depends what I'm working on. But yeah, definitely. I've come to accept that often I have to make lots of stuff I don't like, which I'll later take apart and use as the raw materials for something I end up happy with. The failures are a crucial step to making the good stuff. It can be a long and frustrating way to get there, but it's a formula that seems to work. -what was your pre internet activity ?

I guess that would have been sort of a post Barbie doll but pre stoner time in my life, so... I remember lots of time spent playing outside, making up games and swinging on swings. -who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

I'm inspired by an increasing amount of artists who are blurring the lines between fine art, commercial art and craft. I used to feel like if you wanted to make a living doing something creative, you either had to go into commercial art, or hope that you'd be noticed by a gallery. But things have shifted and it's okay now to be several things at once. You can be an artist and an illustrator and a ceramicist at one time, and you can sell or self publish stuff yourself. People are charging ahead on their own paths instead of waiting for the 'gatekeepers' of the industry to pick them up, and I think that's making for some really exciting work and collaborations. -how do you unwind ?

Reading, mostly sci-fi. -what advise would you give your younger self ?

Floss daily.

(Follow Anna Beam’s work on www.annabeam.com)

[ablogcalledhowl]

LEW CURRIE

-what do you do ?

I'm an Illustrator, ice cream man and a drummer.

-what are your weapons ?

pencil/pen/paper/photoshop

-tell me about the way you create a drawing in your mind before you create on paper ?

I don't like to say too much about how I do things, as it's always changing! But generally... It begins with a pencil rough, which I draw over the top of in pen and erase the pencil lines. Then I use a light box to make some textures on a seperate piece of paper using the line work underneath as a guide. For the textures, I'll use a mix of media. Then scan both pieces of paper in and line them up in Photoshop. Finally it'll be a long editing process which involves colouring and a load of other bits and bobs.

-your work is very playful, where do your inspirations come from ?

I don't know really.. I want to say people are my biggest inspiration: people I see in the street mostly. I try to give all my drawings character, whether they're a human, animal or an object. My work used to be a lot more serious, but being playful is more fun.

-how did you get into illustration ?

The reason I wanted to get into illustration was because of music. I saw a lot of artists making work for bands and it seemed easy enough to do that myself. I would have done anything to work with my favourite bands, and now I am! Nowadays, I'm trying to branch away from the music scene and get into editorial work.

-who/what has influenced and/or shaped your work ?

In terms of illustrators, my initial interest was for Keaton Henson.

-do you re-create a piece of work mid-creation ?

I  don't stray too far from my original idea, but I'll definitely add little things in which I think of on the spot to make the illustration funnier or something thats going to get the idea across to the viewer more successfully.

-how do you unwind ?  

FIFA

(follow Lew Currie’s work on lewcurrieillustration.tumblr.com)

[ablogcalledhowl]

JOHN POWELL-JONES

-what do you do ?

I work as a freelance illustrator/print maker/educator/sound maker.

-what was SAVWO ?

SAVWO was an alias I used for a number of years, I'm slowly trying to ween it out and just go by John Powell-Jones nowadays!

-how would you describe your work ?

Illustration/image making with a big influence from traditional print.

-what is your process ?

Varies from day to day, most projects start with printing patterns/characters out of my sketch books and looking at stuff.

-what are your weapons ?

Squeegees, screens, charcoal, block printing, rollers, pencils, ink, paint, paper, plastic, clay......

-your work is very much influenced by the dark arts, who or what are your sources of inspiration ?

Constant sources of inspiration are: Keith Haring, Corita Kent, Gary Panter, Matisse, Miro, Dylan Carlson, Philip Guston, Steve Hockett, Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, Aliyah Hussain, Tove Jannsson.  

-prince or the fresh prince of bel air ?

Will Smith

-how do you unwind ?

Baths.

-what was your pre-internet activity ?

I don't remember a world without the internet.

(follow John Powell-Jones’s work on www.johnpowell-jones.co.uk)

[ablogcalledhowl]

LAURIE MAUN

-what do you do ?

A multitude of things. But my main practice is textiles, particularly hand embroidery.

-what are your weapons ?

Needle, thread, colour, brain...

-where do you ideas come from ?

Most half decent/usable ideas I have come to me at night, during that 5 minute period before you’re asleep, when every part of you has shut down and there’s no pressure. It’s annoying and nice all at once. I also partake in art projects as a duality to my textiles work, be it painting, collage or photography. So I guess each of these mediums feeds the other.

-what was your pre-internet activity ?

Made loads of friendship bracelets and pretended to be mel c.

-what are your inspirations ?

Sometimes inspiration is unexplainable, without trying to sound too arty farty but it can be a moment, a sound, a crazy gal on the bus. If I had to pinpoint a particular style I’d say my eyes are generally drawn to south and east asian culture. The colours, patterns and clothes have a pretty prominent influence on my work.

-what is your process ?

I’ve developed this sort of DIY style, where I make, style and shoot everything by myself. I use friends as models, not just because I’m cheap, but because I believe I manage to capture this raw innocent imagery which is so natural and impossible to achieve when using models.

-what designers have influenced and/or shaped your work ?

I’m inspired by couture, but I’m not inspired by gowns, and florals, and everything that relates to couture. If that makes sense. I look to couture more for technique and quality. Notably, Margiela (pre Galliano).

-how do you unwind ?

Hot baths & Drake.

(follow Laurie Maun’s work on www.lauriemaun.com)

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CAMILLA TAYLOR

-where are you from ?

I was born in Northern California, but I grew up in the conservative Mormon town Provo, Utah.  I have an ongoing argument with my boyfriend about this.  I think that you are from the place that you spent the most time in your formative years, he just thinks you’re from where you’re born.  So, I always say I’m from Utah.  Provo, Utah, is the most conservative city in the US. The majority of the population is LDS (i.e. Mormon).  I was raised LDS, and then later in a small cult-ish church led by my mother.  I left the church as soon as I was an adult.  

-what do you do ?

I make sculptures and works on paper.  I use many different media, so I prefer to just identify as an artist rather than getting specific.

-how would you describe your work ?

My work is an abstraction of the human form.  I whittle the body down until only what is necessary remains for the idea to be communicated.  I think very little is required for a person to recognized something as a body.  Because we think of the human body subconsciously, we hold this picture in our minds of the body that's simplified, so I want my shapes to mimic that form.  

-your sculptures are pretty haunting... what inspires you ?

The idea of “otherness” is fascinating to me. The intent with the great crowd of sculptures is that the viewer initially sees the strangeness of the figures, but then realizes that they are the strange thing—they are the “other.” The goal is for it to be a natural unconscious feeling, rather than an intellectual acknowledgement. Hopefully I didn’t just break the fourth wall for any potential art viewers there.

-what is your process ?

I work pretty often in sculpture using fabric, and I think a large amount of my favorite artists are sculptors.  As a viewer, I don’t discriminate by media.  I watch an embarrassing amount of anime—the work of Satoshi Kon is my favorite.

-what will be your post internet activity ?

I will cease worrying about how my internet persona aligns with my meatspace persona.  

-what are your weapons ?

Fabric, clay, paper, ink, and the variegation between black and white.

-what was your last lie ?

"I'm sorry, I just ate garlic and I'm probably smelly."  I'm not really sorry.  

(follow Camilla Taylor’s work on www.camilla-taylor.com)

[ablogcalledhowl]

ALIYAH HUSSAIN

-what do you do ?

My practice encompasses performance, photography, painting, printmaking, collage, sound and costume. I experiment with the performative and technical aspects of different media to create works that reference futurist narratives, utopian visions and ritualistic practices embedded in the everyday. I am also a member of the Volkov Commanders, a group of artists who devised a unified alter ego to create collaborative sculptural and performance works that explore the boundaries between visual art, dance and costume. A well as that I have a couple of music/sound projects with some friends, which are really fun, low pressure and experimental.

-what is your process ?

I like to work in a mixture of collaboration and solo projects. I like being around people and working in an environment that allows for risk taking and potential failure and having the support of trying out daring/stupid ideas together. As it's all just stuff coming out of my brain or is a product of the things i've been researching. For me having a balance of the two is really useful.

-what are your weapons ?

All the things i keep in my studio, stuff i find and anything people give to me. I like working in an adaptable way when it comes to materials - a lot of the time when i'm working in a collective the work and ideas can be shaped by what is available for free or cheap and i like the kind of thinking this process induces and the results that can come from it

-who or what inspires you ?

I'm inspired by space, the universe, landscape, architecture, mythology, geology, abstraction, folklore, geometry, movement, the body and how it can be adorned and man made flying objects. Having a studio at Islington Mill in Salford is also a constant source of inspiration, being around so many different people who are working in different ways is amazing and there are always chances for unexpected collaborations either with the other residents or visiting artists.

-do you have an ideological hope of what you might achieve during your lifetime?

yes

-what makes something 'art' ?

I guess it would be anything that has been assigned the title or function of 'art' by someone who considers 'it' to hold some kind of meaning, purpose, aesthetic quality, or something else. I really do think anything can be art as long as someone believes it to be so.

-the fresh prince of bell air or prince ?

Prince

(follow Aliyah Hussain's work on www.aliyahhussain.co.uk)

[ablogcalledhowl]

JADE COLES

-what do you do ?

I do a few things, I have a job programming and curating events for a venue in east London, I find interesting things, talks, speakers, music and workshops and bring them to where I work for other creative types to enjoy. I also perform in a 22 strong all female choir called gaggle who have won awards and toured Europe and released vinyl and CDs and other fun stuff. At the moment we are practicing for a musical comedy show.  In my spare time I wrote a short book called SISTER LIKE YOU about some mostly forgotten female warriors and queens from history. It’s an illustrated jaunt throw time.

-what are your weapons ?

Wit.

-who or what inspires you ? 

Lots of the normal things like books, magazines, the internet. Instagram. Lida Hujic who wrote my favourite ever book has become a dear friend and she inspires me often.

- do you have an ideological hope of what your work will mean to people in your lifetime ?

 I hope it makes other people try to discover more stories. I would like more people to have the confidence to join that adventure and explore.

-the fresh prince of bell air or prince ?

Ha ha, the fresh prince every time

-what was your pre-internet activity ? 

God, TV and my game boy where kind of massive. I had an ear operation when I was 8 and I got given a game boy and some Mario games as a presenty for being so brave (aww) I was pretty much glued to that until we got a modem.

-what is your process ?

Depends on what I am working on and the aim. The stories for sister like you are short so I needed to figure out the angle pretty quickly, I knew I wanted to draw upon the parallels of physical/mental strength. I wanted to open up a dialogue with the reader about these lives and whip in and out of the past and the present quickly – I was especially interested in all the rumours all the women had to endure, has much changed?

 -what makes your work unique ?

 The book is quite unique because every inch of it is different, different stories, from different countries all around the world and right back to Britain. Each story is illustrated by unique drawings by 10 different illustrators with completely different styles who interpreted their designs based on drafts of the overall book. Belly Kids and I were purposely quite loose with the brief in order to maximise diversity

-what was your last lie ?

 I told someone earlier that I was ‘organised’

   (follow Jade Coles's work on www.bellykids.co.uk/books/sister-like-you/)

[ablogcalledhowl]

DIE HEXEN

-what do you do ? I am Third Gender, a Composer & Performance Artist -what is your favourite equation ? The word conjures up a memory I would like to forget. Ruler + Hand = Pain -what are your weapons ? The symphonies that play out in my mind and the stream of many consciousnesses that accompanies them. And.. my body, the conduit for such energies. -what was your pre-internet activity ? By night, looking out across an infinite black, earth, sea, sky. By day, standing in the centre of a limestone quarry, emitting intermittent shouts and screams to evoke many voices. -who is your favourite lost child ? Me. I look at her, still in time and find myself staring into her black holes for eyes. -where will the next revolution take place ? In our minds. -who is your 'genius' ?

Boudica comes to mind, at this moment. -would you describe yourself as art ? Yes. -what was your last lie ? I never lie. (follow Die Hexen's work on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9l7YCAg6bA)

[ablogcalledhowl]

MAYA FUHR

-what do you do ?

i'm a photographer based in Toronto.

-what makes your work unique ?

i try to only take a picture when there's a genuine emotion or colourful aesthetic involved.

-what is your process ?

my process is usually a pretty intimate process with my model. i see what inspires me about the person (their personality and overall vibe) and i choose a way to capture the most sincere version of what I see.

-what are your weapons ?

my Hasselblad C500, Canon A1 and i've had my Pentax1000 since i first started taking photos (it's my go-to-cam)

-who or what inspires you ?

i'm very inspired by colours, odd locations, people with a unique sense of style. mostly i like to shoot people that are sort of unpredictable because for the most part, i don't plan photo shoots so I like to be instantly inspired.

-what was your pre-internet activity ?

i actually really like nature (hiking etc..) going to Value Village (pretty addicted to buying old clothes), dancing, etc..

-do you have an ideological hope of what you might achieve during your lifetime?

i'd ideally want to have many solo photo exhibitions. i want to make a feature film as well as a documentary.

-the fresh prince of bell air or prince ?

probably prince

-what was your last lie ?

telling myself i wasn't full last night at All You Can Eat sushi.

(follow Maya Fuhr's work on www.mayafuhr.com)