Anna Carey Interview: New Age Neon Fantasy
Every once in a while, the stars align and an artist creates something that truly resonates with the current age. With her Madam Mystery series, Australian artist Anna Carey has tapped into the latest explosion of interest in New Age mysticism. From tarot and fortune telling, to angel messages and auras, people are understandably looking for comfort from a higher power during these turbulent times.
With travelling restricted during the pandemic, Anna focused on the psychic shops in Los Angeles where she was based. She noticed they favoured a particular style of branding and architecture. Candy colours, celestial imagery and neon promises.
Luke Rion Interview: Lost Relics of an Analogue Past
“The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it… A thing that doesn’t change with time is a memory of younger days.” – Ocarina of Time
For many children of the 80s and 90s, the Legend of Zelda games are a cherished memory kept close to the heart. This is certainly the case for Melbourne based artist Luke Rion. His most recent project, fittingly titled Lost Relics, ‘journeys through childhood video game nostalgia, and how something so vivid and so relevant in youth fades and eventually becomes discarded and lost.’
Interview: Illustrator & Cartoonist Tom Dearie Keeps it Surreal
Since graduating from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London where his focus was painting, Tom Dearie has made a successful leap over to the world of comics and illustration. Last year he received the coveted ‘Grand Prix’ award at the 31st International Comic Competition (Komiksus) in Poland for his comic F is for Fire. Inspired by the fire department Tom lives near in Warsaw, the comic tells the story of a heroic firefighting father who is injured in service.
With satisfyingly simple forms and eye-catching colour palettes, Tom’s work feels both completely current and strangely familiar. It would be equally at home in a classic comic or on a New Yorker cover. While the commercial potential of his work is obvious, it’s also playfully surreal and often catches you off guard – his Steamy Pete illustration for example looks like some kind of psychedelic Where’s Wally or Tintin in a parallel universe.
Magic, Mice and Medieval Maidens – An Interview with Illustrator Serena Malyon
Rising star Serena Malyon is a Canadian illustrator mainly known for her work in children’s books. Inspired by artists from the Golden Age of Illustration but with a totally unique style of her own, Serena has the gift of conjuring whole worlds from just one image.
A master of watercolour and gouache, Serena has worked on a huge variety of illustration projects including children’s books, graphic novels, textbooks and fantasy maps. She has won a number of awards, with her Salt Harbour map winning the Cartographer’s Guild ‘Most Creative Map’ award in 2019.
Some of her most impressive work to date can be found in the Mouse Guard Alphabet Book, created with established comic book creator David Petersen. His beloved Mouse Guard series is set in a world of sentient mice who live in a medieval era, protecting and serving their fellow mice. Serena has brought this world to life with timeless illustrations that are sure to make this book a classic. Each illustration is a stunning work of art in its own right.
