Marina Muun - Interview

Marina Muun is an illustrator living in London. Take a look what she said for our blog: 

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Have you always wanted to become a artist/designer?

I don’t think I really knew what I wanted when I was young.  I’ve always drawn but I think I only really considered the option of going to art uni towards the end of high school. I’ve received a lot of encouragement and support from my parents along the way and I think that helped make the decision easier, but sometimes I feel I could have easily gone into a different line of work as there are so many things I find fascinating. 

Which project has given you the most satisfaction?  
I get the most satisfaction out of projects which are a bit out of my depth. I like a good challenge. 

What types of books are on your bedside table?
At the moment a book called “ Winston Churchill’s Afternoon Nap “ about the nature of human time and the different ways in which our minds and bodies keep track of it. 

What is the best moment of the day?
The moment when I realise I have free time which is a luxury I’ve really learnt to appreciate in the past couple of months. 

What would be your dream project?  
At the moment I am secretly obsessed with fabric. I really want to have a go at applying my artwork to wearable items. 

Can you recommend some movie you’ve watched recently?  
Survive Style Five. 


Who is your hero at the moment?
I don’t think I idolise a single particular person at any given moment, I try to learn as much as I can from everyone.

Cat or dog?
Cats all the way.  Dogs are way too high-maintenance.

What is the best part of your work?
For me it would be the process, the development stage which can be absolute hell until I come up with an idea I’m happy with but somehow I enjoy that too,  and the moment when you see the whole thing come together. That’s the most fun and rewarding part for me.

If you were a character from a cartoon, which one would you be?
Fire Princess from adventure time

If you could do any other job what would you choose and why?
An athlete or a dancer.. something very physical I miss that active element in my life sometimes. 


Where could we find you on Friday night?
Traversing the streets of East London. 


Pepsi or Coke?
Neither…who drinks that stuff anyway ? 

Favorite blogs/sites etc.?
http://www.brainpickings.org
http://lostinfiber.tumblr.com
http://artandsciencejournal.com
http://magical-contamination.tumblr.com

How would you define your personal work-life balance in terms of ratio (50/50 70/30 etc)?I’d say about 50 / 50 at the moment which feels really nice but it’s known to reach 100/0. You learn to be very adaptable as a freelance illustrator. 

What brings you joy?
My friends, my family, planning for the future, the sun, surprises, serendipitous coincidences, good food, exercise, new experiences, being out in nature (which does not happen very often when you live in London)

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Thank you Marina :) For more info about her work please visit her site.

Wednesday interview - Teodoru Badiu

Hello dear readers! After a short break from the interviews, we are coming back and this time with Teodoru Badiu, creative Media Designer, 3D addict, vinyl toy collector and art lover based in Vienna, Austria. Take a look at his wonderful work and what did he say for our blog. 

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Have you always wanted to become a artist/designer?

Yes I did. The road to do what I do today was long and it took some years of struggle, but in the end I managed to rich my goal.

Which project has given you the most satisfaction?

I really enjoyed the work on the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Animation together with the NY based Studio Dancing Diablo.

(http://social.macys.com/parade/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-parade-_-n-_-n)

What types of books are on your bedside table?

Hi-Fructose Collected Edition vol.2, Treasury of Cartoon Classics: Walt Disney' Silly Symphonies and my sketchbooks.

What is the best moment of the day?

My morning coffee time.

What would be your dream project?

To work on an 3D animation movie.

Can you recommend some movie you've watched recently?

Despicable Me 2

The Hobbit

Who is your hero at the moment?

Mighty Mouse

Cat or dog?

Cat

How important is craftsmanship in your design process?

Very important. It is part of the creative process. Either being drawing and sketching ideas for some 3D characters or sculpting and painting some customs.

If you were a character from a cartoon, which one would you be? :)

Pinocchio!

If you could do any other job what would you choose and why?

Modeller for some animation company because It is one of my dreams.

Where could we find you on Friday night?

Having some beers with friends or working on some new ideas.

Pepsi or Coke?

Pepsi

Favourite blogs/sites etc.?

Behance.net

CG Talk

Abdozeedo

Whataart.com

How would you define your personal work-life balance in terms of ratio (50/50 70/30 etc)?

70/30

What brings you joy?

Flea markets and vintage toys!!

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Thank you Teodoru very much for this interview. For more info about Teodoru's work, please visit his web or Behance profile.

Wednesday interview - Kellen Hatanaka

Today we present you Kellen Hatanaka, Toronto based illustrator, designer and artist. Take a look what he has to say about his work, things that he likes to do and stuff. Enjoy:

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Have you always wanted to become a artist/designer?

Yes and no. I’ve always been interested in design and making things, but I didn’t really understand what illustration or design was all about until I went to university. Once I realized there was a way to apply those interests and make a career out of it, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

Which project has given you the most satisfaction?

I’ve been lucky enough to work on a lot of great projects over the last few years. The project that has given me most satisfaction recently has got to be my children’s alphabet book, Work: An Occupational ABC, which I just finished. It will be released this fall.

What types of books are on your bedside table?

Right now I’m very interested in furniture and product design so I’ve got a few Japanese Joinery books on the go.

What is the best moment of the day?

Hanging out with my wife after a long day of work.

What would be your dream project?

Recently I’ve been working on some home-wares products under the company name Datsu Brand. Continuing to develop and produce more products is what I’m really passionate about. Aside from that, doing some work for a skate company would be great!

Can you recommend some movie you've watched recently?

I really enjoyed the Charles Bradley documentary, Soul of America.

Who is your hero at the moment?

There are so many great designers and illustrators out there that inspire me. I have to say that the people who motivate me the most often are my close friends and colleagues Jim Mezei and Adrian Forrow, two incredible illustrators, and Markus Uran, who’s doing some really great stuff with his company Metsa. We’re all currently working together on a year-long project called Weekly Crop where we each produce one illustration per week based on common theme. It’s been a really awesome and motivating experience.

Cat or dog?

Dog for sure! My wife and I just adopted a puppy named Paul.

What is the best part of your work?

Over the last few years I’ve moved from working at an agency to freelancing and starting up Datsu. I think the best part of my work is that I get to work for my self in a variety of different disciplines including graphic design, illustration and product design.

If you were a character from a cartoon, which one would you be? :)

I think being one of the ninja turtles would be pretty awesome! They just skateboard, eat pizza and keep bad guys off the streets.

If you could do any other job what would you choose and why?

If I could, I would love to be in a band. It’s a pretty cliché answer, but I’ve always loved playing the drums and I think it would be amazing to tour and record for a living.

Where could we find you on friday night?

My wife and I love to host people at our place often for dinner, but you can also find me out at a concert or grabbing a drink with friends at a local bar.

Pepsi or Coke?

Coke.

Favorite blogs/sites etc.?

I’ve been really into the189.com recently. They’ve got an awesome web shop and blog with lots of really interesting content.

How would you define your personal work-life balance in terms of ratio (50/50 70/30 etc)?

It’s really hard to say. My work comes in waves so when I have a lot of projects on the go, or have a deadline work definitely takes up a lot of my time, but once that’s over, I get to enjoy a couple weeks off where I can really just hang out and enjoy my free time. With that said, I always make time at the end of the day to hang with my wife and puppy, it’s what keeps me sane at the end of crazy day!

What brings you joy? 

Spending time with family and friends, traveling and skateboarding. 

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For more info about Kellen's work, please visit his site to blog. Thank you very much for you answers, all the best in future projects.

Wednesday interview - Madalina Andronic

Madalina Andronic is an illustrator from Bucharest, Romania. She got her MA degree at Camberwell College of Art, London. She does amazing things with her imagination and hands, inspired by fairy tales, Slavic folklore etc. Enjoy her lovely answers for Krishka:

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Have you always wanted to become a artist/designer?

I've been drawing for as long as I can remember, so I guess the art was a sure thing for me. But as a child, I would flirt with other artistic directions too, like dancing or singing or theatre, so there must have been times when "ballerina" or "pop singer" trumped "painter". However, with time, things cleared up and I decided to give my pencils and papers their rightful place in my heart. Rest assured, I was never a 'next big thing' for the science world :)

Which project has given you the most satisfaction?

Satisfaction comes with every successful project, but a very special one was the illustrated version of 'The Princess and the Goblin" commissioned by The Folio Society (UK). While I was in London doing my MA, I really wanted to work with this publisher and took part in all of their competitions and sent in dozens of portfolios. It didn't happen and I was crushed.

But a year went by and after coming back home, The Folio Society sent me an e-mail. Next day I had a book on my doorstep, ready to be illustrated. It was the best illustration-day ever.

What types of books are on your bedside table?

Fairytales, old myths and legends, Romanian literature with a magic touch.

What is the best moment of the day?

When I come home and curl up with my boyfriend and my cat, with something good to munch on, while exchanging little pleasantries and laughs - I've been slowing down a bit lately and I'm finding out the perks of having free, lazy hours, with absolutely nothing do. Or maybe with a lot to do, but refusing to do it as long as the cat purrs and the boyfriend makes awesome vegan pizzas. And they do that a lot.

What would be your dream project?

a) Decorating my home in the smallest detail, so that everything goes with everything and I get to actually put nails through my walls (which I cannot do at the moment, since landlords are usually so afraid of filler). 

and b) Opening a super hands-on school for art students who really want to know how things are done in the real world, bringing working professionals to be their mentors and show them how to get a good product out there.

Can you recommend some movie you've watched recently?

Oh boy, I'm so bad with movies! I'm more into tv series

Who is your hero at the moment?

I don't think I ever had a hero. Most of the time I see as heroes my fellow illustrators or designers working six ways from sunday in an office space, with awful bosses and difficult clients. And then I'm thankful for what I have. 

Cat or dog?

Cat

What is the best part of your work?

Being my own boss, working from my living room - most of the time in my Pj's. 

If you were a character from a cartoon, which one would you be? :)

Betty Boop

If you could do any other job what would you choose and why?

I would be a cook, I guess. I really love food and making it pretty - like homemade, Nigella pretty.  Or...maybe, you know, a burlesque dancer? only so I can bathe with that cute olive sponge!

Where could we find you on friday night?

Usually, in my studio, i have the tendency to stay up late and work on new projects. But I might as well be watching a movie with my boyfriend or getting up to speed with our friends.

Pepsi or Coke?

Fresh orange juice.

Favorite blogs/sites etc.?

I have a lot of go-to artsy webpages and blogs, but most of the time I could spend hours on Pinterest discovering new talented artists and looking for inspiration for whatever my heart desires.  

 

How would you define your personal work-life balance in terms of ratio (50/50 70/30 etc)?

I think it's 70/30 in favor of working, but i'm trying to balance things whenever I can, after all I'm a freelancer and I have a flexible schedule.

What brings you joy?
Health and love and good feedback from people I love so much drawing for.

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Thank you Madalina for your time and great interview. For more info about Madalina's work please visit her site blog and Facebook

Wednesday interview - Katerina Kopytina

Katerina Kopytina is a product, industrial and furniture designer from Moscow. She was kind to answer our questions and show some of her great work. Enjoy:
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Have you always wanted to become a designer?

Yes, I always loved to make things, but being born in USSR I didn't know what design is. So when I grown up I was very surprised and excited looking at objects of Stark and Maurer. They were the first designers I remember. Now I changed my priorities but still keep warm memories about them.

Which project has given you the most satisfaction?

At the moment my favourite project is LightBean. Beside all the design aspects such as usability, sustainability, production process etc it's just very appealing. It's nice to have, to touch and to look at. 

What types of books are on your bedside table?

At the moment: James Burke 'Pinball effect', 'Endy Warhol Giant size' by Phaidon.

What is the best moment of the day?

20-minutes walk to the studio in Moscow downtown.

What would be your dream project?

I dream to redesign a city. I thought of it travelling in Russia's small cities. I can see how beautiful and happy they can be, but total disorder and apathy of government and people make it very sad. This project would be more about organisation and scenarios of activities which would force people to organise a local culture by local citizens. May sound weird from product designer but I think that the base of every successful project is a common sense. 

What type of music do you play while creating?

I think this playlist will clear this up:  http://radio.2dubs.com

How important is craftsmanship in your design process? 

While working on clients' projects I'm making simple paper models or 3d printing. There's no need to go too far with materials because you can't really imitate silicone or metal. Now I'm starting to work on simple natural materials such as wood, clay, ceramics. So I plan to dig into workshop and see what happens.

Who is your hero at the moment?

Steve Jobs, Wes Anderson and my grandfather, he is Great Chemist and Great Man.

Cat or dog?

Dog.

If you were a character from a cartoon, which one would you be? :)
Finn from Adventure Time!

If you could do any other job what would you choose and why?

I would be a scientist. Probably in the field of astronomy, chemistry or microbiology. 

Where could we find you on friday night?

If there is a cool exhibition opening or gig on in the town - you can find me there!

What is the most inspiring pieces for you to design and why? 

I like simple stuff made of simple materials. But this simplicity should be comprehensive. La Fionda as an example. It is a wooden car with iroquois that shoots with rubbers. So it's cool as for kids as for adults. 

Favorite blogs/sites etc.?

Oculto, Dezeen, ThisIsPaper

How would you define your personal work-life balance in terms of ratio (50/50 70/30 etc)

Work and life is the same process for me. Lets say working/not working is 70/30.

What brings you joy?

Adventures, trips, concerts, work, friends, yoga and many others.. )

For more work and info of Katerina, please visit her site or behance profile. We thank Katerina for time and wish her all the best in her future projects.