Featured Artist Interview: Dela Cruz

A New Way

Lace9: So first things first... Where do you hail from and where are you located now?

Dela Cruz: I was born in Baja, Mexico. Lived there for 10 years, then moved to Puerto Rico for 11 years, then Florida for 10 years, and in July of 2011, I moved to San Francisco.

Lace9: Did you study art academically, if so where? If not how long would you say art has been a serious passion for you? Tell us a little about your early days as an artist.

Dela Cruz: I taught myself how to paint. I have been "professionally" painting for 2 and a half years. I've been drawing since I was little, usually with pencil and pens. I made my first painting at age 16 with my mom's ceramic paints. She thought it was a good painting.

The Choice

Lace9: What medium (graphic design on computer/paint/pencil, etc...) do you work in?

Dela Cruz: Lately I've been only painting with acrylics, but I'm feeling the itch to go back to oil.

Lace9: For those seeing your work for the first time, how would you introduce your art? What genre does it generally fall into? Are there any overarching themes that you would say are prevalent?

Dela Cruz: Vibrant. Bold. Beautiful.
I guess it falls in the surreal genre, or Pop Art. I'm not sure.
Overarching themes in the paintings are of our connection with the world, nature, the cosmos, and the human condition.

Migration

Lace9: What artist or art are you most inspired by? Where else do you get your ideas from?

Dela Cruz: Dali, Alex Grey, Mucha, Scott Scheidly, too many.
I love art that's well made, that you can feel the artist devoted his life to perfect his craft. That is the path I'm following. Most ideas come from recent worldwide events. The problems and issues we are facing to save this planet. Most of the recent pieces have a lot of wildlife in them, as well as galaxies and destruction. Also, sleepless nights can make you very creative too.

Lace9: What single piece of art equipment can you not do without? (pen, pencil, charcoal, etc), and why?

Dela Cruz: My 7050 Script brush. It does a lot! line work, detail, signatures, I love it.

Earth Perspective 2

Lace9: Where can people find/buy your art?

Dela Cruz: You can view my work at DelaCanvas or on Facebook. Message me if interested in any piece that is available. Most prices are listed.

Almost There

Lace9: Which of your works is your personal favorite? And why? What can you tell us about it?

Dela Cruz: One of my favorites is the piece "Almost There". It was completely drawn and painted from imagination, except for the manekin that I used. I just love how it came out, I love the dimension in it, I love the message of us painting a picture within a picture. And the title is right on.

Lace9: If you had to pick out one thing - What difficulty have you overcome as an artist & what would you say to other artists going through similar?

Dela Cruz: Being able to support myself with art. It took me a while, but I'm learning so much and progressing in skill because I have not stopped painting for the past 2 years.
The advice I would give to other artists would be to paint or do whatever you LOVE everyday. To recognize you and I will make a ton of mistakes. But embrace the mistakes and accidents. And to teach yourself to love the craft that is ART. Be relentless.

Lace9: Is there anything else you would like people to know about you?

Dela Cruz: I'll go into detail about where some of the ideas come from. At times when I can't sleep and I'm laying down in bed, i'll get visuals when I close my eyes. The visuals are perfect too, like master abstract works. I try to tap into that lake of creativity every night.

Zazzle Featured Artist Interview

This week we're interviewing Zazzle Artist Tina:


Lace9: Tell us about your Zazzle Store:


Tina: Collie Love is a store for anyone who likes Collies, kittens, puppies with a sense of humor, floral images, landscapes, and wildlife.

Lace9: How long have you been Zazzling?

Tina: 4 years


Lace9: What do you like most about Zazzle?

Tina: It's a great way to share the beauty of Nature around us. I think the site is very easy to use and I have fun designing products. I get excited when I realize others enjoy my photography as well. I love reading my email "your Zazzle Product(s) has been purchased." It's a good feeling.


Lace9: What medium (graphic design on computer/paint/pencil, etc...) do you work in?

Tina: Mostly photography.


Lace9: What genre does your work mostly fall into?

Tina: Nature, animals and wildlife.

Lace9: What artist or art are you inspired by?

Tina: I'm only an amateur Photographer.. But I love checking out what the greats are doing, like the Zazzle seller TomPurse.. and wishing I was that good. :-)


Lace9: Where do you get your ideas from?

Tina: I just watch what's going on in my back yard. I have noticed I see thing differently now than I used to. I definitely do not leave home without my camera. I may be inspired anywhere. The Beauty is all around us.


Lace9: Is there a product in your store that you liked so much you’ve bought it yourself?

Tina: Yep. I loved this shot.

Pansy and friends by minx267
See other Pansy Mousepads

Lace9: Do you have a favourite Zazzle store that’s not yours?

Tina: As I mentioned above... Tom Purse is a favorite of mine.. I could look at the world through his eyes all day. You can find him here: Northwest Scenescapes Photography


Lace9: Do you have your art on other sites?

Tina: I have a blog but I don't get many views so I tend not to keep it updated as I should. Amazing iPhone and iPad Cases

Zazzle Featured Artist Interview

greendeer

How long have you been Zazzling?    

Started end of February 2011

What do you like most about zazzle?    

That all I have to invest is my time and work - one can make products without soending the money for printing and having the basement full of t-shirts to sell; also, the variety of available products is great.

What medium (graphic design on computer/paint/pencil, etc...) do you work in?    

I draw with a paintbrush and Indian ink and process the drawings in the computer. Then I use some magic powder made from a genuine speedy gonzalez whisker to bring them to life (only in moonless nights)

What genre does your work mostly fall into?   

Cartoon art more or less

What artist or art are you inspired by?    

I am into telling stories with my drawings, so I am inspired by comics as well as film and (most of all) books.

Where do you get your ideas from?    

All those animals live in my mood. I just have to ask them.

Is there a product in your store that you liked so much you’ve bought it yourself?

I didn’t buy anything yet, but I am still quite new.

Below is a fine example of greendeer's artwork on this 2012 calendar cool animals calendar.

cool animals 2012 (customizable) by greendeer
Browse Year Calendars

Do you have a favourite zazzle store that’s not yours?

so many..

Do you have your art on other sites? (Blog, Website, other POD site)

I have a blog with little stories connected to drawings I use on zazzle products:

http://www.deer-prudence.blogspot.com

and a website with my work as a graphic designer and illustrator:

www.peterguckes.de

Some photos I do are shown on ipernity:

www.ipernity.com/deer-prudence

Visit greendeer's zazzle store to see more of these fantastic cartoon creations

Featured Artist Interview.

Adrian Delgado: The Visual Poet

So first things first... Where do you hail from & if different where are you located now?

I'm from South San Francisco California. I'm about 15 minutes away from beautiful San Francisco. Ive been living in the Bay Area all my life.

Did you study art academically & if so where? If not how long would you say art has been a serious passion for you? Tell us a little about your early days as an artist. 

I was about age six and remember visiting a museum in the city and seeing a Van Gogh painting. I wanted to touch the layers of paint. It was my first moment of clarity. I thought it was amazing that a grown up created it. I wanted to grow up and be an artist. I spent years in elementary school drawing for countless hours throughout the day and fantasizing about my dream of becoming an artist one day. Elementary school was especially difficult for me because I was placed in special education classes, and I was consequently bullied and humiliated by my peers. Ironically, the rough edges of social life, however, filled my heart with passion and carved a talent for my powerful gift for art. My childhood can be depicted in many of my paintings and they cast a powerful emotional message to my viewers.

Life for me began to take its turn in High School. Finally freed from special classes, I was able to make new friends and began to artistically observe a new social life. It was in high school where I took my first classes in art and began to explore and deepen my journey to become an artist; what was once a dream was slowly becoming a reality. On the eve of graduating high school, I made one of the hardest decision and commitment of my life – to pursue a career and life of art. Nothing and no one could possibly hold me back.
Soon after high school, I picked up a small job at a local grocery store and began my journey in community college. When my past began to haunt me, I cleansed my thoughts with the pouring of alcohol and I began to hide beneath the bottles of liquor. After years of booze and a few waist sizes later, I was hit with another moment of clarity – and it hit me hard, like a brick to the face. From that painful but enlightening moment on, I began to change my life around and manifest my gift – art. My free time was filled with tubes of paint and new art experiments. I spent My summers traveling to Mexico and translating my observations into work of art. I had a few of my paintings and other works of art held in small art galleries, but they did not seem to get the attention me and my admirers believed they deserved. Today, I am an artist. But the truth is I have always been one.

What medium (graphic design on computer/paint/pencil, etc...) do you work in? 

I have always thought a great way to be a great artist is to experiment with different mediums. I do consider myself to be self tough. I have learned ceramics, sculpture, sowing, drywall, tile. My main focus right now is mosaics and oils, but I try to combine all I have learned and create something that shows my wide range of imagination.

For those seeing your work for the first time, how would you introduce your art? What genre does it generally fall into? Are there any overarching themes that you would say are prevalent? 

It's a very aggressive style of art. I tend to embrace the imperfections in life. I know it's our imperfections that make us beautiful. I capture the balance in life. I call the style drunkality. When I was an alcoholic I taught my self how to paint with this emotional powerful style that even now that I control my drinking I'm still able to paint with such anger and happiness somehow mixed together. The themes seem to come from, experiences, dreams, poetry, writings, and everything around me. Its main focus is on color and texture.

What artist or art are you most inspired by? Where else do you get your ideas from?

My inspiration stems from the beauty that embodies the world. The natural art of the world is just one of my inspirations; Im also inspired from the art of the post-impressionists, the surrealists, the baroque, and the classicalists. A few of his favorite artists are Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, and Vincent Van Gogh. I call my art poetry, and I believe I am a window-maker to enable viewers to see the reality we all typically and effortlessly dismiss. My favorite artist is Jose Guadalupe Posada.

What single piece of art equipment can you not do without? (pen, pencil, charcoal, etc), and why?

My single piece of art equipment I cant do without is my soul. I feel my soul is what does the work for me.

My website is currently under construction. I find the hardest question to be "how much?" if hugs could buy paint that's all I would charge. Pictures never seem to capture the pure color and the texture. My work seems to look more amazing in person, and because of this I love to sell them at shows, but I'm always happy to help admires any way possible to buy prints or whatever. i usually post my shows on Facebook under "Adrian Delgado thevisualpoet". to find me and work visit:

thevisualpoet.deviantart.com
meshcollective.org
thevisualpoet@gmail.com
http://www.zazzle.com/thevisualpoet
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrian-delgado-visualpoet/124947494201177

Which of your works is your personal favorite? And why? What can you tell us about it? 

The truth is I don't like my work.....I extremely love the process of making my work. there is something that completely relaxes me and keeps me balanced threw the process. it's a natural high, and a way to freeze what is running wild in my mind. i constantly take pictures to some how remind myself of what i did threw this time of unconsciousness. One of my favorite works is called "elgin" Dedicated to my cousin's friend who died. We are all flowers some of us never seem to bloom. Elgin died at a young age when he was starting to bloom. He was unique and loved all who surrounded him. He was a student studying music, and had dreams to produce music but his life was cut short in a car crash. Rest in peace brother, this painting is for you.

 

If you had to pick out one thing - What difficulty have you overcome as an artist & what would you say to other artists going through similar? 

One thing I can say is that the only person that can hold you back is yourself. I like to think that everyone in the world is a flower. Some of us never seem to bloom. Some of us bloom then die without ever being seen. Make sure to bloom in life and don't be afraid to show your colors. Everything I do in life is to improve my mind body and soul.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about you?

Meshcollective!!!! we're a group of artist who are passionate and extremely talented about art, that include music photography all forms of art. We show our work anywhere except money hungry galleries. were going to be expanding soon and changing the way people see art.

In addition to the urls provided for Adrian above you can also catch up with him & the rest of the MESH collective crew at their newly created Facebook page: MESHcollective  As well as at these other sparkly new internet places:

http://www.meshcollective.org  
http://www.meshcollective.blogspot.com 
http://www.wix.com/meshcollective/meshlove  
http://twitter.com/meshcollective

Note from Lace9:

Since I first discovered Adrian's stunning work on his Facebook page & he kindly agreed to do this interview for me, he has started a zazzle store of his own. Meaning you can now buy his fantastic works on Zazzles fantastic products!

Balance mug by adrian delgado

Whether you're a fellow zazzler or simply a fan of great art, I urge you to stop by & let him know how fantastic his work is with some encouraging words on his wall or by joining his fan club.


Show Adrian Delgado some love. Visit his new zazzle store:thevisualpoet 

Zazzle Featured Artist Interview

SusansZooCrew

A place for designs and photography in many subjects! Just a few things you can find in Susan's store:
Abstract art, Bonsai quotes, Bass guitar photographs, Musician Gifts, Florida Pictures, Animal photography, Vintage Victorian Designs, Spray Paint Paintings, Vintage Armed Forces posters, Rose Photographs, Flower Art

How long have you been Zazzling?

9 months

What do you like most about zazzle?

Being able to create templates!! (my second choice is the artists themselves).

What medium (graphic design on computer/paint/pencil, etc...) do you work in?

All mediums except oil. I have the most postings under my Spray Paint Spray-paintings, which are done using spray-paint, poster-board, and misc objects from around the house

What genre does your work mostly fall into?

Wow.....um....realism and space?

What artist or art are you inspired by?

Way too many to list. I tend to be more inspired by individual pieces I see rather than one artist though. I love any artist who can do photo-realism, but appreciate some of the abstracts (others are just paint thrown at a canvas).

Where do you get your ideas from?

Reading, nature, my photography, just about everywhere!

Is there a product in your store that you liked so much you’ve bought it yourself?

This is a painting I did based on my peacock I had named Peaburd. He was the coolest bird, love bass and listening to the band (and would throw a conniption fit when he was a baby and I didn't bring him out and let him hang with us while practicing!). He had an accident and ended up a one winged peacock, but you couldn't tell. He was my favorite! So this button is on my bass strap in memory :).

Abstract Peacock Head by SusansZooCrew
Shop for a button at zazzle.com

Do you have a favourite zazzle store that’s not yours? 

Not a store per say, but I have to give a lot of kudos to Amy (Shopaholicchick) for helping me out a TON.

There's so many great artists here that I end up browsing through dozens of stores when I'm on the hunt for promoting items!

Do you have your art on other sites? (Blog, Website, other POD site)

Just here on zazzle :).

Visit the SusansZooCrew store to see more of her fantastic art

Zazzle Featured Artist Interview

Deb's Digs Original photography and designs inspired by nature and the arts.  How long have you been Zazzling? Two years, three months What do you like most about zazzle? It allows me to share my photos and at the same time, earn a little pocket money. I also like the ease with which I can create items. I've met lots of great folks on Zazzle, too. What medium do you work in?      Photography and digital imaging. What genre does your work mostly fall into?     Nature & Art Photography What artist or art are you inspired by?     I've found that Georgia O'Keefe's paintings of flowers and natural items seem to have influenced the way I photography floral subjects especially. I love to try to capture the essence of a blossom - color, shape, light, etc. Where do you get your ideas from?     Anything I see through the view finder that's interesting or beautiful. Plants and their amazing patterns also lead me to abstract creations. Is there a product in your store that you liked so much you’ve bought it yourself?    Yes. I bought one of my posters to put up in my office at my "day job".: Dragonfly Balance Photo Poster by debinSC I also got a set of these note cards: Southern Magnolia Blossom Note Card by debinSC Do you have a favourite zazzle store that’s not yours?     Oh, no - I couldn't possibly narrow it down to one. There are so many creative designers. Do you have your art on other sites? (Blog, Website, other POD site)     I recently started a Photoblog at http://debinsc.pixity.com I post most of my favorite images in my Picasa Web Albums at https://picasaweb.google.com/DISSmith55  Visit Deb's Dig's to see more of her stunning photography