FK talks to Jefferton James, a Sydney based illustrator who was one of our Art Competition finalists

How would you describe your style and how has this evolved over time?
Thats a tough one, but I suppose its a cross between pop art and surrealism but the kind your Nanna would like (Nanna and Pop Art)! I think my target market is for that kind of person who thinks collecting spoons is still cool. I think its evolved over the last year as I have become more confident with photo montaging. In the beginning it was purely hand drawn; if I couldn’t do it by hand then I wouldn’t even attempt it.

How long have you been creating art and what is your background?
I was drawing before I could talk, if you count drawing charlie brown over and over again as drawing! I only started ‘knuckling down’ about three and a half years ago. Before that I was a big film nerd, which helps in my art as I try to tell a little story in each picture.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Pretty much entirely in the past, namely old photos and posters and children’s books. I used to have this weird thing where I couldn’t even contemplate an idea without going for a lunch time stroll and listening to “Road to Nowhere” by The Talking Heads. I don’t do that so much anymore!

What are your favourite types of artwork to create and what materials do you favour the most?
I would say a gig poster is my favourite thing to create as most of the time its a free license to go and be as experimental as you like. I’m lucky that most of the bands I work with are more than happy to let me loose on something. My main tools are free Ikea pencils, my 0.2 pen and my two dollar sketch pads. I also use Photoshop for colouring and lighting the images.

Where do you create and what are your surroundings like?
Oddly I seem to work best on public transport but that’s a little unsteady sometimes, so I come home and polish it up in my messy room or I borrow my very kind housemates snazzy computer.

How has the journey been in setting yourself up as a professional artist and what is the biggest thing you have learnt?
Its been a rather nice journey starting out, I was helped a lot by word of mouth within the inner west music scene. I also got a small business grant and they helped train me to figure out all that tricky business stuff. I would say the biggest thing I have learnt is how to manage my time. I wish I could learn how to manage my money though!

What are you working on at the moment and what are you looking forward to in 2010?
I’m working on a few things at the moment. A rather epic cd cover that has a navy and an airforce made out of musical instruments that are traveling on a powdered wig. A few video clip concepts for Sydney band ‘Boy and Bear’ and one for singer/songwriter Jack Carty. I’m also working on some t-shirt and bag designs.

What does being a finalist of our Finders Keepers Art Competition mean for you?
What I do is fairly solitary work and being a finalist for Finders Keepers actually makes me feel apart
of the art community. It’s also like having your work put upon the best fridge you can imagine.

www.cuteasfudgefactory.blogspot.com

FK talks to Lauren Carney, the Brisbane based artist is the winner of our recent Art Competition and will be featured at our next Brisbane Markets.

Tell us about your style of art and what makes it unique?
I’m detail obsessed. My illustrations don’t have to overload the page, but what is there must be intricate and detailed in some way. Most of the content is based upon dreams, nature, and childhood memories. I like to explore femininity in various works too. The peculiar theme with traditional and digital mediums clumsily meshes together to create a portion of who I am on paper/canvas  etc.

When did you begin creating art and how do you think your approach has changed since then?
I was always making creative messes of epic proportions since I was 8, but began to take art more seriously in high school. My artistic style has drastically changed since then, and the content of my work reflects who I am now. To grow creatively and spiritually goes hand in hand. I always liked drawing at best, but now I’m starting to branch out and play with mixed mediums, paper craft and sewing. Fun times!

Who inspires you creatively?
Ultimately artists inspire other artists. It’s amazing how another’s work, whether it be photography, painting, music or sculpture, can impact on you. I need daily inspiration to function. Plus I am a total blog fiend, and lurk online for a good hour in the mornings peeping at other creative blogs like Daydream Lilly, The Design Files, and Where the Lovely Things Are (blogging plus tea sipping is a morning ritual).

What is your favourite creative thing to do in Brisbane?
I love going on adventures to places to be creatively inspired. I love people watching actually (it sounds creepy, but people are so fascinating) I can’t go a week without taking my art diary to a coffee shop to do drawings and take in the surroundings. Queen Street is the best for it – there are so many quirky characters that come and go.
Apart from that, frequenting art galleries, visiting markets, and checking out indie boutiques are favourite pastimes too!

What materials do you love working with and why?
I go through phases with materials, one week I’ll be obsessed with patterned paper, the next water colour paints. But I can’t go on without the traditional art liner pens and moleskin paper. I adore sewing with crazy bright patterns also, and get sewing withdrawals if I go too long without stitching up a pretty something or other.

What is it like to work as a freelance artist?
Challenging would be the key word! It is such fun, and I adore it, but channeling my creativity into a particular time frame is the hardest part!
I don’t really have any proper structure in my days, which probably isn’t a good thing, but at least each week something new and exciting is going on. I love what I do though, which is the most important thing!

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
I have a huge art crush on Catherine Campbell, Mel Stringer along with street artists Ghostpatrol and Creepy. Any opportunity to collaborate with them would totally rock my world! Such a clever bunch!

What does winning our Finders Keepers Art Competition mean for you?
So much!! (Emphasis on the double exclamation marks) I went to the Brisbane markets last year and was blown away by the talented stallholders and the young trendy folk whom flocked from far and wide to see the goodies on display! I remember thinking “golly, it would be swell if one day I could be a part of this”. So I was delighted that I was given the opportunity to be a part of this year’s Finders Keepers!

www.laurencarneyart.com

Lauren Carney from Brisbane! The below artwork is what Lauren submitted to us and we think it best portrays who we are at the Finders Keepers! Congratulations Lauren and we’re very excited to see this artwork on t-shirts that will be available to buy at our upcoming events throughout 2010. Lauren wins a free stall at our markets in Brisbane so look out for her work on sale in June!

The winning entry! Lauren Carney from Brisbane http://www.laurencarneyart.com/

Lauren Carney is a polly pocket sized artist who inhabits the city of Brisbane. She is a curious, forgetful, quirky, confused and extremely indecisive piece of white meat, who enjoys the company of youngtrendies and artytypes. she also has a fine appreciation for all things handmade, arty, crafty and vintage.

We’re also very excited to share our fantastic runners up! Who will also be featured on our website over the coming months at our events. See below.

Ant Hayes artist based in Sydney http://www.antisant.com/

Ant is an Australian born illustrator / designer / doodler based in Sydney. His black and white illustrations sometimes feature a splash of colour as well as an unhealthy obsession with tentacles and pyramids. His illustrations can be found on anything from the back of a coaster right through to shoes, toys and t-shirts.

Emma Kidd from benconservato http://www.benconservato.com/

I am a Sydney based artist/illustrator obsessed with monsters and the strange. I like creating in gouache on paper, but have a degree in photography and printmaking too.

Jordan Clarke from the Art of Jordan http://theartofjordan.com/

Fascinated by all things dark, whimsical and vintage her work is characterized by a collision of Victorian vignettes, rockabilly pin-ups, religious iconography, tattooing, 20th century circus and fairground lore, to name but a few. Employing a variety of traditional and digital techniques, Jordan aims to create haunting, bold and colourful artworks.

Jefferton James from Cute as Fudge artist based in Sydney http://www.cuteasfudgefactory.blogspot.com/

Sydney based illustrator and graphic designer, Jefferton James, has been running his own small Design studio since 2007, focusing on design for the music industry. Cute As Fudge was born from a conversation with a peer, speculating about the “perfect” design studio – one that’s sole basis was designing for the world of the performing arts. Starting with only one band the business expanded through word of mouth and by early 2008, Jefferton was designing for major companies including MTV and Sony Bmg. Although the vision of the studio is to remain independent and to nurture a continuing relationship with bands over many years , the occasional big job helps make this a reality.

Beth Emily http://www.beth-emily.com/

Beth-Emily is multi-disciplinary creative with a background in illustration, print-making and graphic design. Based in Hobart, Tasmania, Beth likes to collaborate with other like-minded creatives.

Beth takes delight in the study of nature and her approach to figurative illustration combines the fantastical world of her imagination with representations of real-world flora and fuana. She also loves to draw from her roots as a printmaker and experiment with fusing figurative illustrations with abstract and tactile imagery.

Congratulations on all our winning entries and look out for these artists to be featured at our events on our website in the upcoming months! We would also like to thank and acknowledge all the entries we got for the art competiton – we had an amazing response and here is a sneak peek of some of the other amazing entries we got in!

Adam Lau - http://www.adamlaudesign.com/

Eugenia Tsimiklis – http://www.emikli.com/

Yuki Nakano – http://yukinakano.com/

Megan Manning – http://theeverdazzling.blogspot.com/

Ashleigh Steel – http://ashdesignsthings.blogspot.com/

Jess Hyde – http://www.truthbetolddesign.blogspot.com/

Meeri Anneli – http://meeri-anneli.tumblr.com/

Alison Richards – http://www.alisonrichards.net/

Nathaniel Kiwi – http://www.nathanielkiwi.com/

Kirbee Lawler – http://sugarsweetdreams.tumblr.com/

Previous featured artists include – Catherine Campbell, Kareena Zerefos, Kevin Tran & Courtney Brims!

We’ve decided to run our very own Finders Keepers featured artist competition. Lately we have had lots of emerging artists approach us with their artwork so we have decided it’s time to put together a competition! We are asking young emerging creative artists to submit us 1 x artwork specifically for the Finders Keepers for a chance to gain exposure for their work and be featured through us.

The winner and 5 runner up’s will have their artwork digitally printed on t-shirts as part of our featured artists collection and sold at our Finders Keeper’s events throughout the year. Each t-shirt sold will have a small bio attached to it, to help support and bring more exposure to you!

Runner up’s will recieve their own printed t-shirt, and the opportunity to be apart of our featured artists wall at our market events and also an exclusive feature on our website! The winner will also recieve their own t-shirt, a special feature on our website and their own stall at one of our market events to sell and feature their work! (Valued at $400)

For all that don’t make into the top 6 spots, we’ll also be picking artworks to be featured on our blog from the final entries! Terms and conditions apply – please read below for more details. Competition closes Thursday 18th February at midnight EST.

Artwork entries:
1. This artwork competition is for Australian residents only.
2. Artists must be over 18 years of age.
3. Artists must be new & emerging but have a strong body of work to be included in any of our events.
4. Competition opens Monday 25th January and closes Thursday 18th February at midnight EST.
5. All artwork entries must be accompanied by a small bio, URL link to existing work online or a zipped version of your portfolio work.
6. Final artwork needs to be sent to us on a white background only, for digital printing.
7. Artwork must be sent to us via email in a low res format suitable for email (jpg or pdf) or a link only to final artwork, preferably nothing over 1MB. We will not accept hi res files and in the occurence of sending us hi res files we’ll ask you to re-submit in a suitable format.
8. Artworks for consideration need to be sent to: info@thefinderskeepers.com with ‘Artwork Competition’ as the subject title.
9. Artists chosen in the final 6 will be notified via email on Friday 19th February. Unsuccessful applicants will unfortunately not be notified.

Final Artwork submission:
If you are chosen in final 6 you will need to have the final version of the artwork prepared in advance. Final artwork must be sent to us in high resolution format. Must be sized at least at A3 and at 300 dpi for digital printing.

Finders Keepers rights of distribution:
1. If your artwork is chosen in final 6 you will be asked to sign a contract that confirms Finders Keepers usage of your artwork for re-printing.
2. Finders Keepers will always endeavour to credit the artists via all links on the website and any printed materials with the use of your artwork will have a credit printed on it.

For any queries please feel free to contact us at: info@thefinderskeepers.com

We have an exciting giveaway to offer our Finders Keepers followers! New film PAPERHEART starring Charlyne Yi (as herself) and Michael Cera (Juno, Arrested Development) which is opening on limited national release from 24th September.

Winner, Sundance Film Festival, Waldo Salt Award for best screenplay, in PaperHeart Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn’t fully understand: Love. Michael Cera becomes the object of her affection. Weaving together reality and fantasy, Paper Heart combines elements of documentary and traditional storytelling to bring a fresh perspective to the modern romance.

You can view the trailer at  www.paperheart-movie.com

Finders Keepers followers in Sydney are invited to a preview screening on Wednesday, 16th September and 6.45pm at Hoyts Broadway. We have 25 double passes to giveaway!! Simply email us at info@thefinderskeepers.com with ‘PaperHeart Giveaway’ in the subject, with your full name and postal address. Competition closes this Thursday 10th September, passes will be mailed out on Friday. Good Luck!