The Town Herald

The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.

Featured Cover Artist [Chimes]

by [windowframe]




Emma-Louise Carroll, 18, Oxfordshire, UK.

Work: I am a student, currently of Oxford and Cherwell Valley College studying my second year of A Levels.

Hobbies: Photomanipulation, writing, singing, reading - all of the fun stuff. 

Q: Where is your work is available for sale?
Currently, I don't offer my work for sale. However, if you wanted a commission you could message me and we'd see what we can do. :]

Q: Where can you be contacted professionally?
hanehaku_opacho@hotmail.com or keychild@noir-rouge.net
The latter isn't checked as often, however.


Q: How did you get started with your art, and how long have you been drawing?
Every small child doodles, so that's how I got started too. However, if we want to be more specific about photomanipulation (as that's what the cover image is) I started last year. I just decided to mess around with GIMP and a photomanipulation happened. It's been full-steam from there. 

Q: How would you describe your pieces in general, and what they mean to you?
It depends entirely on the piece. One piece could just be me messing around and trying something new, another could be meaningful and personal. It depends on the mood of the day and the piece itself. 


Q: What sort of technique do you use when painting or drawing?
I don't tend to paint too often but lately I have been using watercolours and printing inks. I still need practise in making them look good though. Drawing, I don't know. I just draw, there is no technique to it.


Q: What would you consider your favourite or best piece and why?
'Here in my place', 'On Angels Wings' or 'Keyhole' - I can't decide between the three. Each of them were turning points in my work, though the more obvious turning point was in 'On angels wings' as it is different from anything I've ever done before, I was trying a new style and I liked it.


Q: Where do you see your art going, are there any different styles, artists or subjects you’d like to experiment with?
I'd like to improve in all areas but I have no idea where my art will go. I do it for fun so who knows? 


Q: Will you stay with your fantasy subjects, or do you think you’ll branch out?
Most of my work is fantasy... so I don't see that changing. I do have a love for Dark Art though, so it may well develop into a cross-breed. We'll see what happens.


Q: What is it that makes the genre of Fantasy special to you, what makes it so magical and capturing for you that most of your artworks spring from it?
Anything can happen in fantasy, you have no boundaries. It's free. Imagination can float around in whatever way or direction it pleases. 

Q: And, finally, What do you have to say to those aspiring Elftown fantasy artists and writers? What would you love to see from them, what do you warn them against, and what do you think they should remember?
I say the same as I said in my last interview: "I want to see something different, something I've never seen before. Surprise me. I think that people should remember that it's not what other people think about what you write, draw or create that counts, it's what you think. These things will mean more to you than they ever will to anyone else and as long as you like them, that's all that matters. I don't think I warn anyone against anything, it'll either come out really good or really bad, it's a risk but it's worth it."

More about the featured piece(s):


What was your inspiration behind this piece?
Beginnings and endings, of course. It's called 'Of Life and Death', I still think it needs improving, so we'll see. The inspiration and the manip, itself, may change as time goes on.

What emotions, or vision were you trying to portray within this piece?
Life over death, if that makes sense. I wanted the life section to seem more appealing than the death... I'm fully aware that the latter needs a lot of work. One day I'll go back over it, I'm sure. 


Tell us a little bit about how you came to create this:
Saw the theme of this issue and went with it, really. I tried not to use textures, as a challenge, and I succeeded. Even without the textures it remains true to the majority of my work, using my blending brush especially. It doesn't really have much of a story behind it. 


How do you feel about the finished piece?
It needs work, as ever. I like the 'Life' section but the 'Death' section really does need improving. I hope to do so one day.






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