Super Star Interviews: Flora Chang

Welcome to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month (and I’ve got some goodies lined up for the new year!!!).

To kick off the New Year, I’m chatting up the adorable Illustrator/Designer, Flora Chang! I “met” Flora while classmates in Lilla Roger’s inaugural Make Art That Sells class and simply couldn’t get enough of her bright, happy and fun artwork—it just makes you feel fabulous!!! Flora is a full-time designer at Hallmark Cards during the day and an avid doodler at night. She is the designer behind her own brand, Happy Doodle Land, and has also been a featured artist in books such as "Craft-a-Doodle", "Creative Lettering", and "Playing with Sketches". She loves to draw and creates artwork that will put a smile on your face. You can see more of Flora's works at www.HappyDoodleLand.com

I want to live here, in happy doodle land!

Q: You have worked at Hallmark, which has a stellar reputation for being a fabulous place to work, for a long time. What is the best thing about being an in-house artist? What is the worst?

A: The best part is the people and the resources. I get to work with many talented artists everyday. When you are a freelance artist, you usually work from home by yourself and it can get lonely at times. But for me, I get to bounce ideas and learn different techniques from my fellow artists on daily basis. As for the resources, we have an art library and art supply store at work, so when I feel like I need a creative refuel, I'd go to the library and browse the latest magazines and books, and if I am low on any art supplies, just go to the store at 9F—it's so convenient.

Of course, there are also disadvantages of being an in-house artist. The biggest one for me is the limitation on what kind of freelance projects I am allowed to take on. Since Hallmark produces products in so many different categories, due to the non-compete policy, there will be a lot of outside projects I am not allowed to work on. But, when I do decide to take on any outside projects, I can afford to pick only the ones that I truly love since freelance is not the main source of my income (because of another advantage of being an in-house artist, a steady paycheck.)

Bright, Bright, Bright!!!

Q: Your artwork is so happy & playful. Who, what, where inspires you?

A: I love all kinds of handcrafts and folk art; I love their organic shapes and forms, apparent hand-of-the-artist qualities and modesty. I also love children's artworks and find a lot of inspirations in them. Some of my all time favorite artists are Alexander Girard, Paul Klee, and Gomi Taro (now you can see why).

Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.

A: Any Sunday that allows me to sleep in is a perfect Sunday! I like to go out and have a nice and slow lunch by myself while reading books on my Kindle. After lunch, I'd go browse local antique shops and see if I can find any one-of-a-kind treasures. In the evening I'd have some simple dinner then curl up on my couch and doodle while watching TV.

I love these little guys! Don't you?!

Q: Talk to us about your artistic process—concept to sketches to final. How do you begin a project? How do you decide which medium to use?  All the details!

A: I am pretty much all digital nowadays. If it's a work project, I dive right in since I can't spend a lot of time dwelling on it due to the workload. I will do some really rough sketches first (just for myself to have a quick idea of the layout and where the lettering will go) and then I will start right away on the computer. I mostly use Photoshop for the illustration and Illustrator for the letterings. Sometimes I scan my hand-drawn linework into Photoshop and then add color, sometimes I draw everything directly on my computer.

When it comes to personal projects, since I keep a sketchbook with me and doodle in it all the time, I'd go to my sketchbook and find some ideas in it that I can further develop, whenever I want to do some personal pieces.

Q: What advice would you give to illustrators looking to break into the greeting card/gift market?

A: I would say it's important to develop a style that's uniquely your own. I would also think either having a good agent or displaying your works in trade shows will make it easier to sell your artworks to greeting card companies. Also, try to refine your hand-lettering skills if you can; it will be a big plus for you. Be a keen observer of trends. Have a great sense of colors. And most importantly, create lots and lots of great icons, seasonal or everyday that can be easily applied to cards or all kinds of gift products. (Another tip, try to create your artworks digitally with layers, it will make the card designers' jobs so much easier and they will love you for that!)

Flora's adorable bowl would surely make any meal a joy!

Q: Describe your studio space, both at home and at work. 

   

A: My space at work is much more organized than my space at home. At work I have my own little cubicle and I keep lots of toys around me. When I say cubicle, it's really more of an open-sitting situation. We used to have walls but not anymore, but I am starting to like the openness more and more because it's so much easier to collaborate with other people this way, and you don't feel as cooped up in your tiny space all day. At home I have a desk just for computer work and another desk for more messy works like painting and other stuff. I also have a small library room on the 2^nd floor—sometimes I like to draw in there while watching TV. 

Thank you so much, Flora, for chatting with us here on Bird Meets Worm! We simply can’t wait to see what adorable doodle you create next!

Mermaids, Mermaids, Mermaids!

In southern California, mermaids are beloved thru all seasons! And here I'm warming up the winter months with some dreamy summer mermaids complete with shells and fancy details!

Winter Ice Skating

Merry Holidays & Happy New Year from me to you! I'm looking forward to an exciting new year of making and selling amazing artwork and sharing it with you, not to mention all the fabulous new interviews I have lined up for the year! Tune in next Tuesday for a cozy chat with the fabulous Illustrator, Flora Chang! Cheers! XO

Hawaiian T-shirt Designs for Keiki

Warm up with my NEW Hawaiian T-shirt designs for keiki! Don't they just make you crave a shave ice under the bright sun among all the chickens running loose?! Oh, Hawaii, how we love you!

Super Star Interviews: Tansy Myer

Welcome to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month.

I apologize for the delay in this month’s interview (you’ll note today is Saturday, not Tuesday!). I was laid low by the flu earlier this week, but am THRILLED to now be sharing this month’s interview with the lovely, brillant Artist/Illustrator/Designer/Retoucher, Tansy Myer. Tansy and I met years ago thru our men, who both happen to design movie posters for a living, and we hit it off instantly. Tansy was born and raised in Venice Beach, California. She paints, draws and creates digital art and is inspired by strange, pretty, and nerdy girls. You can view more of her intensely beautiful artwork here.

Venice Beach Babe.

Q: In what ways can we see your hometown of Venice, CA reflected in your artwork? Talk to us about how the city has influenced and shaped your creative vision.

A: Venice is an eclectic, unique place. It is dirty and grimy but also funny and bizarre and beautiful. Growing up, Venice was not the bourgeois enclave it is now, it was a meeting place of artists and musicians and that's why my parents came here. I grew up at the beach, surrounded by the strange superficiality of fame and wealth, beauty and sexuality. I think my work reflects these issues women confront in defining who they are and what is important to them in this world.  

Debbie is a nerd girl.

Q: You artwork explores themes of feminine beauty and identity. Tell us about how you see your work relating to women in the current culture.

A: I think we are in a very important time where women are defining their roles and sexuality on their own terms more than ever before. That being said I still think idealized, traditional and narrow slots are carved out for women in society and girls are being manipulated from a very young age what is the right way to look, act and feel. I hope my artwork celebrates all different types of girls and definitions of beauty. Uniqueness is the most beautiful thing to me. Being you and feeling you and following your own heart is the truest

Circus Series - Elephant Acrobats.

Q: You are gifted in your use of both traditional media as well as digital media. Tell us a bit about your process, how you decide which media to use and how it all comes together.

Lately I have been painting and drawing more than anything and have fallen in love with my Pentel Japan ink pens. I spend so much of my time on the computer for work that it is really nice to get dirty and use ink and charcoal. It is so different from my digital work because of the unexpected and happy surprises that happen from the flow of the ink or the stroke of a few stray hairs in the brush... I love to work big as well so drawing on full 20x28 in sheets of paper has been really freeing. My digital drawings start as a pencil drawing, which I scan in and color in Adobe Illustrator. That's what is cool about working in vector is I can print my drawings huge when I'm done. They satisfy and also personify the search for perfection I'm talking about in my work. My raw, stained canvas paintings and paper drawings juxtaposed with my mathematically precise, slick digital drawings represent the two sides of a woman—the flawed person inside the glossy exterior we construct for the world.

Awkward/Beautiful

Q: In your career, you have worked for wide variety of clients ranging from art galleries to magazines to fashion powerhouses. What have you enjoyed the most, what have you enjoyed the least and why?

A: I enjoy when a client and an artist build a relationship of trust and mutual respect. That is when projects are most successful, when an artist is allowed to do what they do best. I love doing fashion illustration and something magical can happen when an artist and client share a passion for each other's art.

You will find a lot of people who are untrustworthy and say one thing while doing another in all of these businesses, which is what I enjoy the least, so it's important to have a consistent, open dialogue and to know your worth. You must empower yourself as a businessperson and as an artist. 

LOVE this girlie!

Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.

A: Sundays I like to stay home, cook good food, pet the cats, watch movies and make art.

Q: What are you working on right now? And what can we expect to see from you in the future? 

A: Lately I've been all over the place, studying, learning new skills. I've really been enjoying my big black and white girl drawings and I am thinking of making my own graphic novel of sorts/adult coloring book. One of the best parts of being an artist is seeing how my art can speak to another girl out there and I'd like to take that to another level. It's been in my mind for a while, combining writing and storytelling with my illustration. I think it's time. 

Thank you so much for catching up with us here at Bird Meets Worm, Tansy! We love your girlies and can’t wait to see more! XO

Vintage Games Repeat Patterns

This month, as I'm beginning to prepare for SURTEX, I've been inspired by vintage games and all the jewelry and crafts my fellow etsy-ians have been making out of them. Three cheers for old fashion game night! Here's a fun game to play: find 6 different monopoly pieces, 2 dominoes, 2 scrabble pieces and 1 game of life spinner in my main pattern below!

Don't ya just love game night! We are chess fiends in my house!

Spin, spin, little arrows!

Checkers or chess, anyone?!

Super Star Interviews: Renee Jablow

Welcome to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month.

This month I’m so excited to be catching up with the amazing Paper Engineer, Renee Jablow! Renee and I became friends while working together at Intervisual Books, a novelty children’s book publisher. It was amazing working on so many titles together! Renee lives in Los Angeles where she creates pop-ups and paper novelties for publishing, advertising, and packaging. She learned the art of paper engineering at Intervisual Books (Piggy Toes Press) where she worked for thirteen years. She is credited with paper engineering more than sixty pop-up and novelty books. In 2009, Renee was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Recording Package" for The Ditty Bops' "Summer Rains" pop-up CD package. You can visit more of her work here!

Check out this adorable Dogs At Sea pop-up card!

Q: You are a paper engineer, which is an unusual career. Tell us all about what a paper engineer does and how you came to be one professionally.

A: A paper engineer designs pop-ups and mechanisms using paper. While these paper designs are most often created for children's books, they can also be found in greeting cards, packaging, calendars, advertising, and promotional materials.

I learned how to be a paper engineer while at the novelty book company, Intervisual Books. I started out as an intern in their art department putting together pop-up books to be used as sales samples. After a couple months, I was hired on full-time. I eventually worked my way up to manager of the Paper Engineering department.

I'm currently a freelance paper engineer working with private clients as well as publishers. My most recently published books are Silly Skeletons by Jumping Jack Press and Shapes by Reader's Digest.

Perfect for Halloween! Shake your skeleton!

Q: Tell us a bit about how you begin a new paper engineering project and what your artistic process is like.

A: Every project is different and most people aren't familiar with how a pop-up is made. So, I first determine the best course of action based on my client's needs and understanding of the process. Usually, my client will supply me with a sketch of what they want the pop-up to look like. I'll then create a rough mock-up based on the sketch. As I engineer, I draw templates for all the pieces in Adobe Illustrator. The next stage is to have an artist create finished art, which I use to build a color mock-up. I make sure all the pop-ups and mechanisms still work properly with the final art applied.

If needed, I'll then assist my client to get their project produced. This involves finding vendors that are capable of printing, die-cutting, and hand assembly. While most projects I've produced have been done in Asia, I've also produced some domestically.

Q: You have paper engineered over 60 children’s books. Which book is your most favorite and why?

A: I do have a special place in my heart for Harry Potter Hogwarts School: A Magical 3-D Carousel published by Scholastic. Besides being a Harry Potter fan, this book came along at a time when Intervisual was doing fewer pop-up books. I was excited to work on a more complex pop-up and have the opportunity to work with the editor at Scholastic.

Harry Potter magic, indeed!!

Q: Novelty books have always been a mainstay of your craft. What do you see for their future as more and more young children are turning to apps and e-books?

A: I do think that times are hard for novelty books. While children are redirecting their attention to apps and e-books, I think the larger problem is economic. With online merchants like Amazon, there are fewer bookstores and even fewer people are going to them. Even if a video of a pop-up book is available online, it does not replace handling the actual book. And, there are fewer novelty books out there from which to choose. The cost to manufacture these kinds of books has rapidly increased to the point that publishers are rather reluctant to publish them. 

With all this being said, I do think there will always be a place for novelty books. Apps and e-books can't replace the tactile experience and sense of wonderment a child has as he or she turns each page to discover a tab to pull or a scene pop-up.

Happy pop-ups make celebrations more fun!

Q: You are a grammy-nominated artist! (So super cool!!) Tell us about the project you worked on that was nominated and what the experience was like.

A: The project was creating pop-up packaging for the album, Summer Rains, by The Ditty Bops. Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald of The Ditty Bops are very creative and wanted to do unique packaging for their first independent album after recording two albums on the Warner Bros. label. Along with their photographer/graphic designer Rick Whitmore, we created a CD package with a pull-tab on the front, pop-up in the center, and revolving wheel in the back. It was important to The Ditty Bops that this package be made using eco-friendly materials and processes, so we produced it locally with recycled paper and soy ink.

We were all absolutely thrilled to be nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Recording Package" category. We unfortunately didn't win the Grammy, but we did get to attend the award show!

Ditty Bops super cool packaging!

Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.

A: I think more than a particular activity, my most perfect Sunday would be spending time with people I love. And, hopefully it would include something chocolaty!

Thank you, Renee, for chatting up with us here on Bird Meets Worm! We can’t wait to run out and pick up a copy of your latest book! XO