Ben Bickley is an Artist and Tattooist from Chepstow, South Wales. His drawings are full of incredible detail and are extremely

realistic.

www.theartofbenbickley.com

his work.

Ben Bickley is an Artist and Tattooist from Chepstow, South Wales. His drawings are full of incredible detail and are extremely

realistic.

www.theartofbenbickley.com

his work.

Hi Ben, So how did you become interested in art?I became interested in art at an early age, but never took it seriously until two or three years ago. I think it all began when I used to watch my mother draw or paint or even teaching me the basic skills when I

What inspires you?Textures mostly. I love the colour of rust and the different bumps and cuts it can create due to weather-ing conditions. This along with his-

What are you currently working on?I am working on a realist painting in acrylic for a client where the main

theme is relaxation. It should be

Which of your work are you most proud of?I am never usually proud of any of my works. I tend to critically rip it apart to see where i can improve for next time round.What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?Work hard and if you think you get to a comfortable zone where your happy with your work then work harder otherwise you will never improve your skill and you will probably end up with a swell head. Keep your head clear and give it breaks once in a while.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself being in 10 years time?I hope to have my own tattoo studio abroad, but i am not sure where. I will carry on with what i am doing and hopefully get a bigger client base .What are your favourite things to draw/paint?People. Where most things stay the same people change.What do you think makes a great artist?Attitude and mindset is the most important thing. I feel that if you do not have both of these your skill will not improve along with it.

What three items could you not live without?Books, coffee and pencils.Tell me a bit about your work. What feelings are you trying to convey?I always start off by organising a composition and then follow it with ideas and gathered reference. Pres-ently my work is more factual and perceptive than rather conveying a hidden meaning. I think i am still look-ing for my own style.What does art and design mean to you?One of many forms of expression.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself being in 10 years time?I hope to have my own tattoo studio abroad, but i am not sure where. I will carry on with what i am doing and hopefully get a bigger client base .What are your favourite things to draw/paint?People. Where most things stay the same people change.What do you think makes a great artist?Attitude and mindset is the most important thing. I feel that if you do not have both of these your skill will not improve along with it.

What three items could you not live without?Books, coffee and pencils.Tell me a bit about your work. What feelings are you trying to convey?I always start off by organising a composition and then follow it with ideas and gathered reference. Pres-ently my work is more factual and perceptive than rather conveying a hidden meaning. I think i am still look-ing for my own style.What does art and design mean to you?One of many forms of expression.

Gregory Euclide is an Artist living and working in Minnesota, America. His work is made from a number of different ma-terials, which results in really interesting mixed media pieces. His work can be

found at:www.gregoryeuclide.com

about his work.

What inspires you?Being in the land, the history of painting, Music, people who stand up for human rights.....What three items could you not live without?My laptop, eggs and chocolate. What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring artists?Read a lot. Look a lot. Work a lot.How and in what medium did you begin working? How has your work evolved up to this point?I started painting in high school using oil on canvas. I became al-lergic to the paint and the clean up always bothered me, so I started using acrylics. Because they are inexpensive and non-toxic, I could treat the process of painting much looser. I also liked the way acrylics

would absorb into paper and one could draw on top of the paint-ing and use other materials such as typeset, thread and litho tape. I was raised to think of |Drawing| |Painting| |Sculpture| - all in little boxes… That mindset is constrictive

experience… or become inspired. Currently, I try to use whatever material or process best expresses what I am trying to convey.What are you trying to capture with

with a work? How do you work?

and watch it, like one would watch the ocean or a river. Music is very important to the work. I have to start off with something that is go-ing to get things moving (Pedro, I’m

Not a Gun, Four Tet) . Because I work for 8 or so hours straight on a work, it is important to match the energy levels with appropriate music. I might

music often drives the work to a certain place. I like music more than visual art... possibly because I could never really play piano, or because

the feeling I get while listening to a certain work... Or... the feeling I get when walking through a forrest... it is

the same feeling.. and it comes out

three hours of working on a painting are pretty fun. It is like a dance.... and everything is unfolding before me on this sheet of paper.. and that is why it gets done again... because that experience of making the landscapes in the image of music and thinking about the history of the space and putting that together with the present ..... nice.

Ben Bickley

Ben Bickley

Tom Kitchen is an illustrator and print-maker, currently working in Cardiff, Wales. His work involves a combination of digital techniques with traditional illustration and

screen printing.His work can be found at:

www.tom-kitchen.co.uk

his work.

How did you become interested in art and design?Drawing keeps me grounded, tuned in to the world around me, you know what I mean? More self-aware like. Also it stops me from just sitting in front of the t.v day in day out! Keeps me motivated, gives me a sense of self-worth. We’ve all got that drive to create and express our self, be it how you dress or whatever. Drawing is my way of saying this is who I am and this is how I process the world!What inspires you?

Ha, everything I guess! I’m real into self-perpetuating narratives, little single frame stories that appear to have been on loop for an indeterminable amount of time. That kind of sense that things are stuck in one place but still always moving, you know what I mean? I like to think about that within my work a lot.I like real neat concepts with no

the main reason I only really work in black and white. It’s purely about the image and the shape.

The level of subtly and expression you can get from how hands are placed is something I love to play around with too.What are you currently working on?Right now I’m working on a fun little design project with a Cardiff based company called I loves the Diff ’. Merging classic Welsh sayings and

-ing alternate movie posters.Also I’m working on a set of playing cards for an exhibition coming up in June.Which of your work are you most proud of?I had some pieces over in Berlin as

opening. Berlin is an awesome city with a very interesting art scene, it’s been a goal of mine to exhibit there for a while and I was honored I got the chance to do so.Also last summer I produced a series of portraits based around the Mr. Men, I was real happy with how they

put together a collection of that size; most of my pieces tend to be in groups of 2 or 3.What advice would you give to an aspiring designer/photographer?Be prepared to work your ass off and get a lot of rejection. It’s not fun all the time, although it’s something creative and something you’re passionate about, it still needs to be treated like a job if you want to make a living from it. As corny as it

sounds real discipline and self-motivation are your 2 most important tools!But on a more positive note, tell everyone you meet what it is you do and make sure you’ve got a decent website you can link them to.What are your plans for the future? I’d love to be able to spend a year, 2 years working towards a solo show, just solidly exploring one theme or story, all the work tying in together. I just don’t have the freedom right now for something that devoted!

reasons to make drawings!What do you think makes a great designer?Ha, individuality I guess is the most obvious answer. Don’t just stick random pop-culture references together!But being aware of what’s trending and what’s popular in the design world is real important, your work can look dated pretty quick if you don’t keep your eyes open. But at the same time being able to make it your own, you’re looking to make people go ‘Oh, why didn’t I think of that!” you know what I mean?What three items could you not live without?Probably my phone, cigarettes, sketchbook and a set of decent pens (that counts as one right?)

Matt Wisniewski is an artist, currently working in New York. He creates surreal digital col-lages, which blend fashion and beauty with

nature.His work can be found at:

mattw.usAll the images included here are a collabi-ration with the photographer Derrick Leung.

Tom Kitchen

Tom Kitchen

Matt Joyce (aka the meek shall) is a designer and illustrator from Cardiff, Wales. His work is very fun and

stands out. His work can be found on his website at:

www.themeekshall.co.uk Pixel to Print spoke to Matt, to find out more about

his work.

How did you become interested in design?I think I always have, I’ve always been drawing and creating things. Design is a natural extension from those things.What inspires you?I get inspired by all sorts of things, photography, music, architecture... creative things and creative peo-ple inspire me.What are you currently working on?I am finishing off some illustrations for a poem book, and about to start on a poster for a Devon based risograph printers.Which of your work are you most proud of?I made some cards recently that

have a picture of a moustache and have ‘you are fantashtic’ written on them. I’m pretty proud of using such an awful pun.What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?Work hard, drink lots of tea and draw more. What are your plans for the future? I don’t really plan ahead, I’ll just keep on making stuff and drawing. Although I’ll probably put the kettle on in a bit.What makes a great designer?Im not really sure, passion and en-thusiasm are good things to have. What three items could you not live without?Tea, pens & paper

Sashiko Yuen (aka Wishcandy) is an artist and il-lustrator and a graduate from Towson University,

America. Her drawings mainly depict beauty and the grotesque.

You can see more of her work at:wishcandy.net

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Studio Muti consists of two people, Clinton Camp-bell and Miné Jonker. They are based in Cape-

Town, South Africa. They have a unique and illustrative style, which makes their work really stand

out. Their work can be found at:

studiomuti.co.za

more about their work.

Hi Miné, So how did you become inter-ested in design?

so design seemed like a natural next step.We both spent four amazing years with Illustration and Animation studio Am I Collective in Cape Town. Ear-lier this year we decided to kick our-selves out of the nest for the freedom of having our own company. And so Muti was born… Together we pro-vide illustration, typography and de-sign for the ad industry both locally and abroad, whilst also working on our own projects, collaborations and exhibitions.What inspires you?SO many local artsist: Kronk, Jordan Metcalf, Louis Minnaar, Adam Hill,

,’trA fo droW‘ morf nedroG eeL-ykciRAm I Collective, .....the list goes on.International artists would have to be Audrey Kawasaki, James Jean, Leif Podhajsky, Mark Ryden, Sam Weber, Teagan White, etc, etc, etc.I also love old architecture, museums, history, interior design, photography, ceramic art and musicals. :)What are you currently working on?A series of classic Fairy tale illustra-tions for a pro active job that will be entered into Cannes. Which of your work are you most proud of?Hard to say. Each presents it’s own

challenges. But I like the work I did for ‘Winter Wonderland’ as it was self initi-ated with no brief. What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?Learn how to market yourself. A lot of young artists seem to struggle with this aspect of running their own busi-ness.What are your plans for the future? Lots of fun projects in the pipeline: character designs for an interactive installation piece, two group exhi-bitions - one in Durban and one in Cape Town, a series of T-shirt designs, and the logo and labels for a beer company that will be paying us in booze! :)We’re also looking for a studio space where we can create an environment for a whole bunch of freelance artists and designers to work together, col-laborate and inspire each other when needed, while still being independent. In the future we would like to travel and see new places, meet and col-laborate with other creatives, do more of our own projects and try new mediums.What do you think makes a great de-signer?Hard work.What three items could you not live without?My laptop, my iphone and my wacom tablet. (Boring workaholic!)

challenges. But I like the work I did for

What advice would you give to an

Learn how to market yourself. A lot of young artists seem to struggle with

Lots of fun projects in the pipeline: character designs for an interactive

bitions - one in Durban and one in Cape Town, a series of T-shirt designs, and the logo and labels for a beer company that will be paying us in

We’re also looking for a studio space where we can create an environment for a whole bunch of freelance artists

laborate and inspire each other when needed, while still being independent. In the future we would like to travel

laborate with other creatives, do more of our own projects and try new

What three items could you not live

My laptop, my iphone and my wacom

Danielle Aldrich is a Graphic Design Student from the University of Kansas, America. Her work is eye-catching and bright, as well as professional look-

ing.

daniellemariealdrich.com

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Alexis Mire is a photographer and creative writer from Jacksonville, Florida. Her work is created by both

digital and film mediums. The photos she takes are full of imagination and feeling, which makes her stand

out from other photographers. Her work can be found on her website at:

www.alexismire.com. Pixel to Print spoke to Alexis, to find out more about

Hi Lexi, So how did you become interested in photography?I became interested in photog-raphy in my early teens when myspace was really popular. Taking profile pictures wasn’t exactly an art form, but it made me familiar with a camera and doing mini photo shoots. My friends and I would get all dressed up and just take photos for fun. After that I discovered flickr and my love for it really developed into something bigger than playful-ness. I came across really talented, young artists and photography became a sort of personal chal-lenge for me. They are my age, they are good and I know I have the capacity to be that good as well. So I went for it. What inspires you?I am inspired by a lot of things, the most unexpected things often

times. But I am mainly inspired by the human experience, the overwhelm-ing intensity of being alive and experiencing all of these things in your life and the art and culture and tendencies that we have as a society. On the other hand, I am also incredibly inspired by things that don’t exist yet, magic things, inter-active things like art installations. I just really love that idea that an artwork can suddenly come to be, out of nowhere, and if anything was done differently it would have never been born. It just feels like every-thing should always be in existence, when things come from thin air it’s so mesmerizing to me. It’s incredible, that I have the power and capac-ity to create something totally unique and never to be created again in the same way.

What are you currently working on?Well I recently released a series about the context of parts of the body and I would like to continue to explore that. But I am also really interested in working with the holga and other alternative cameras. I would really like to continue to work with film, although my film class this semester has come to an end.Which of your work are you most proud of?That’s so hard to answer, I am always most proud of a work when I first make it. It’s like a cake coming out of the oven or something, I just see it as this precious thing when I first have and share it with the world. But eventually it wears on me, I see what I could fix or I just grow out of it. Tell me a bit about some of your work. What feelings are you trying to convey?Well my work is split into weird cate-gories. My self portraits that are self portrait therapy are really just me trying to get out whatever is boiling up inside of me. I am not sure how many people can relate to them or what they even mean out of the context of my life, but they are stand alone piece that really just hold a lot of weight for me. Other work, like my work for my classes, is really just trying to make the viewer think or question something. I am really trying to put more concepts into my work recently because I want the viewer to feel something bigger than “oh that’s pretty”. Even if I am disgusting them or making them sad or confusing them, it’s more than the awe factor. I want to

make people feel anything, really.What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?Shoot shoot and shoot some more! Practice makes perfect, push your-self, experiment, don’t limit yourself to one specific style or type of photography. Play, really, just play. I would recommend a 365 project to anyone, take a photo a day for a year, you will learn to plan ahead, to get past the rough patches and to really try hard. Just think of it this way, every artist has preliminary drawings and sketches and the crap shoots are yours, there will be beautiful work, you have to sift through the small stuff to get there.What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself being in 10 years time?I would really really like to live in a city, I have a particularly strong taste for washington d.c. and/ or san francisco. Ideally, once I graduate college I will be able to work for a magazine or some type of creative something where I work alongside other thinkers towards a common goal. I would really love to work to expose the beautiful work of young artists to the world, that would be awesome to me. In ten years I honestly can’t see myself, I have no idea what I am doing really. What are your favourite things to photograph/work with?I really like to photograph my-self and my younger cousins. Self portraits are so fun and easy for me and my little cousins inspire me to no end.What do you think makes a great

photographer?I think humility, a different perspective and determination make a good photographer. Someone who has an open mind and the drive, but also doesn’t get full of it like the generic “artist” character in films and books

does. Someone who just wants to create and does it well and does it for the right reasons.What three items could you not live without?My camera (that’s a given), oreos and my cat Toby.

Taylor Holland is a photographer, who lives in Paris, France. He is most well-known for his series of photos,

named ‘Eurobus’. Eurobus is a series of 58 photographs, which were taken in Paris, on a bicycle commute, in the Summer of 2011. They show the artwork painted on the

sides of buses, by anonymous designers.His work can be found on his website at:

www.taylorho.com. Here are some examples of the Eurobus series.

Alexis mire

Alexis mire