Interview by Charles Festa

Hello there, and how are you doing today?

Swamped with work, but great, nonetheless.

How did you get your start in design?

I went to art school for illustration, and that's what I do now. When I graduated, I no longer had art as a hobby because it turned into my job. So I thought I'd learn a bit about making screenprints, and I've had fun designing simpler graphics that don't need to be rendered out.


What inspires your work?

I love scary old fairy tales, mythology, vintage frames and paper ephemera, as well as books of all kinds. These things, along with life experiences and observations, inspire me to work and inspire the work itself.

How does it feel to win on Threadless?

It feels great! I love Threadless. I have been a fan of your site and all of the great shirts that get printed for some time.


What do you plan to spend your winnings on?

Exciting stuff like school loan payments and credit card bills. But some will probably go towards the new laptop I'd like to buy sometime soon.

How is life going? Last interview you seemed to have quite the hectic life, has that changed?

Nope. I'm busy. But that is good. It does tend to be feast or famine in the freelance world, so I have to be grateful that there are lots of people willing to pay me to paint stuff. I'm finishing up a few projects now, and will dive into some new ones as soon as those
are turned in. I've got deadlines lined up until next April. This is a bit scary to think about, but also quite exciting since my assignments are getting more and more interesting now that I've been working a few years.

Get that new laptop?

Not just yet. I need some time to research what I want to get. I don't have a laptop at all right now, and there are so many places popping up with free wi-fi that I want to join the laptop club. I also haven't decided whether or not I will trade in the PC and go with a Mac. So it may be just a little while longer. Perhaps April.


What do you do when you are not bogged with work?

I like to think that I fully take advantage of living in a city (Los Angeles) that has a lot to offer. But I usually end up perusing a paper store, going out to dinner, or writing about paper arts on my blog. I also do some printmaking for fun. It is very different for me than painting, and I've even found good use for my silkscreen designs (i.e. Threadless submissions). I'm taking an etching class in the Fall, and maybe an Improv acting class to mix things up a bit.

What is something you have seen in the last month that has made you cringe?

Hmmm...that is a tough one. I was procrastinating yesterday by internet searching for a circus school that I heard exists here in Los Angeles. I found their website and they have classes, which could be a new fun hobby. But I cringed at the sight of a picture of one of the performers arching her back sharply in such a way that made me close the window, and decide not to be too hasty in signing up.
In general, it really makes me cringe when I see people throw trash out their car window. It drives me crazy. I really don't know what to do with myself when I see people do that.


Read any good books lately?

Unfortunately I haven't had much reading time recently, but I must admit to recently reading Harry Potter book 5 and I'm listening to the sixth on audiobook now. I also love anything by Roald Dahl, and Neil Gaiman's Coraline is creepy. Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass series is a bizarre epic that should be read by anyone who likes a good ( and strange) story. Sure those are all books written for people under the age of thirteen, but I have an excuse since I paint for children's books. It's a tax write-off after all.


Interview by Charles Festa

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