[The Penguin Who Could Fly]

My latest interview was with one of Elftown's artists who enjoys creating art and perusing the art other Elftowners make: [The Penguin Who Could Fly]!


Is there a story behind your username?

Not really. I joined Elftown at the urging of [Purple Artichoke] back in the day. While signing up I asked her what my username should be, and she suggested "The Penguin Who Could Fly". I've always thought it sounded like an adorable childrens' story that would be fun to illustrate, so I kept it.

What is it you mostly do on Elftown?

I love being able to follow all the great artists who share their work around the website. I follow a lot of diaries to see all the interesting articles and art and other things members share. I keep in touch with a couple friends I've made here.

What inspires you to make art and crafts?

I've always loved it and found myself driven to it. I was given my first sketchbook when I was 9 and was constantly drawing. Back in the day I loved anime, it really lead me to make up my own stories and draw original characters. In art school, I focused a great deal more on working observationally. In art school (in mine at least) there's this real disconnect between art and craft, and the latter is often looked on as "low art" and not taken as seriously. As a result I ended up making a lot of quilts and printing on fabric. One of the first books I made had a soft quilted cover. It's interesting because a lot of the things that inspire me and motivate me aren't held in high regard by the high art community. I try to be aware of themes or methods from art history while also being influenced by anime, rpgs, cartoons, and fantasy novels.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

-Practice your art every day. Even if it's only sketches or freewrites, whether you want to or not, whether you think it's any good or not, you should make yourself work. To grow and produce worthwhile work, you have to simply produce a lot of work, or varying quality.
-Don't shy away from doing something different or taking a break from your usual style or methods. You might discover something new.
-Talk to people about art. Let them ask you questions that are hard to answer. Don't let criticism hurt your feelings, instead try to feel a sense of resolve from it. Most of the time, it's not personal.
-Never stop loving what you do.

What do you like most about science fiction and fantasy?

Fantasy and sci-fi can serve as a great escape, since the content is so different than the sort of day to day life I have. I find, though, I'm more drawn to the the parallels that exist when characters appear very real or remind me of people I know, or when themes or events mirror real life. I love when a story seems so different than my own life, but I can relate to it anyway.

What is your advice for all Elftowners?

Be awesome to each other.
Don't send pictures of your body parts unsolicited to anyone!
No, seriously, though, there are a lot of really great people here on Elftown, who make amazing things, do incredible work outside ET, and have awesome stories to share. If you're going to be part of Elftown, get to know some of these folks.



To view the complete interview with this member go to FMI The Penguin Who Could Fly
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