Creative Thursday Interview: Jen Collins
JC: I divide my freelance time between working on illustrations for other people
& on personal work, which often includes creating illustrated items that I
sell through my online shop (http://hellojenuine.etsy.com) & a couple of
bricks-&-mortar shops.
SSH: Where did you study?
JC: I studied Illustration at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee, & lived/worked
in Dundee for a few years before moving to Glasgow. I was determined to continue
practicing illustration and not burn out after leaving uni, & have pushed
myself to keep making & working. I also work in arts marketing (previously
at Dundee Contemporary Arts & currently at the Centre for Contemporary Arts)
which is a great balance for me as I enjoy working with people & sharing
ways for people to get involved with the arts, & it takes off the pressure
when it comes to paying the bills!
SSH: Tell us about your favourite piece of your work?
JC: I'm going to cheat & say two:
one being my Botanic I & II drawings, of two ladies quietly sitting amidst
some greenery. I'd been in a bit of a rut before drawing these; in short it was
the first time in a long time I'd drawn something that I really liked - that, if
someone else had drawn them, I'd have wished I'd drawn them. The other is some
notebooks I recently made - I don't really do very much abstract/non-figurative
work, but with this design I just switched off & drew circles in as many
different ways as I could without thinking about it too much. I then made a
pattern & screen-printed some notebooks. I find (though maybe others
wouldn't agree) that a lot of my work tends to be quite bold & colourful,
but that I'm not drawn to very colourful work by other people. These notebooks,
like the Botanic prints, ended up being just the kind of thing I like.
JC: I’m currently selling a selection of my work at a stall in Edinburgh for the
Fringe, plus working on some illustrations for a cookbook. I’m also taking a
class at Glasgow Ceramics Studio which is great - applying my style to ceramics
and creating tangible objects has been a really enjoyable process.
SSH: What is your favourite creative blog/ website or other source of
inspiration?
JC: I'm not really sure I have one
that I go to for inspiration as such. I enjoy browsing Gems (www.lookatthesegems.com) & I like
Pinterest - it came along at a time when I had a very cluttered desktop folder
full of images I'd collected. I don't really follow many people on it, I prefer
it for gathering illustration/art/objects/ideas that I like. It's kind of a
satisfying way to store things.
SSH: Any advise for other illustrators starting out?
JC: I recently made a set of Nice
Advice postcards (https://www.etsy.com/listing/158084262/brand-new-nice-advice-postcard-set)
featuring simple advice to follow. I think I made them for myself as much as
anyone else.
JC: I don’t want to pick just one as the Southside’s got lots to offer. I love
Tapa for coffee (I didn’t even like coffee before drinking Tapa’s), The Glad
Café for beers & chat, Locavore for local grub & Queen’s Park for
hanging out & watching ducklings. I love being a short walk from a post
office, greengrocers, Co-op & library too.
SSH: Name another Southside creative whose work you admire?
JC: I love illustrator David Galletly’s work (http://davidgalletly.com) – I actually liked it before either
of us were Southsiders, but now I can love it from a close range (creep).
SSH: If money was no option what would you change about the Southside?
JC: Open a small arts centre that I
could work in so I don't have to travel to the city centre. One with a print
studio & art house cinema so I don't have to travel very far to make work
& watch films. :)
SSH: Tell us one other interesting fact about you?
JC: I'm pretty good at dog breeds. I
have a terrible memory but I was obsessed with dogs when I was younger &
seem to have retained that information.
Labels: Creative Thursday
posted by Alburt at 16:46
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