A November of Mini-Interviews and Giveaways, Week 4-Juana Martinez-Neal
Welcome back friends to our post-Thanksgiving holiday special. Chef Boris is back with us sharing his twenty-five ways to serve black olives, day-old pull apart rolls and sweet baby gherkin leftovers and we’ll be whipping up some fun and funky ornaments using plastic spoons and googly eyes! But first, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I have a super-power. That’s right, I can pick out an illustrator destined for success at twenty paces. No, no seriously. I may spend most of my time flailing at imaginary flies when it comes to my own work, but I knows it when I sees it, and when I first saw Juana’s work, I knew it, and I, so far, have a perfect record. So let’s take a listen to her fabulous accent (yes, on top of it all she’s bilingual, and this is one Arizonan who thinks that is really cool and something everyone should be, ahem) and learn a bit about what makes her tick! Please join me in welcoming the amazingly talented illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal!
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you want to be an artist or something else? If something else, what changed your mind?
I wanted to be an artist. My grandfather and my dad were artists so I wanted to be just like them. Then, I figured out I needed money so I changed my mind and decided to be a graphic designer.
2. What is your favorite food?
Ha! Welcome to your Peruvian food tour: I LOVE “carapulcra” and “olluquito” but I’ll be as happy with “Peruvian tamales” or “pan con chicharron con cebolla”. Sorry, Laura! You said MY favorite food. As much as I like cajun food and southwestern cuisine, I still love Peruvian food.
3. What from your own childhood most influences your art today?
This is easy: growing up in Peru. In some way this relates to what I told Molly a couple of days ago. Peru is old, ancient sometimes. Nothing looks brand new. Everything is used until the last drop. There is always a last minute surprise. There are always flaws. It is a melting pot of cultures and races. You can make a lot out of nothing. You improvise and adapt to whatever life gives you at the moment. I love all that and try to incorporate that feeling to my work: the imperfection, the aging, the colors, the patterns, the mismatches, the mistakes, the mixed cultures and races.
4. What do you like the least about being an illustrator?
Facing loooong revisions is difficult. I agree. But tell me that I have to prepare my documents for taxes and then throw in a couple of long contracts for me to read and you have sent me to Illustrator’s Hell. No kidding. But since we are freelancers and have to “wear so many hats” like so many people say, we HAVE to do it. But I have to say: I-don’t-like-it!
5. What do you like the most about being an illustrator?
I love the possibilities and what-ifs. Each manuscript, each sketch, each piece when going to color. It’s all about possibilities and keeping open to what-if. I love that. But I also love finding myself completely lost in the process when I’m working. That moment when I’m just letting things happen and they just flow. That moment is PERFECTION. I live for those little moments on each piece or sketch. And that’s a lot to love about being an illustrator.
Thanks Juana!
Now for a special treat, Juana is giving away a piece entitled Sofia.
The piece is a 12″x12″ original painting on canvas. The winner will be randomly chosen from all entries, and announced on Monday November 28, 2011. The more ways you enter, the more chances to win.
Ways to enter:
- Leave a comment below
- Follow me on Twitter @juanamartinez and copy this retweet on your status:
RT @juanamartinez Enter to win an original illustration #giveaway
- Like my page on Facebook
