Jane Ferguson

Name: Jane Ferguson
Website: www.janewferguson.com

What do you do?
I am a Fine Artist, my primary mediums are watercolor and acrylics but I enjoy experimenting with mixed media.

Where can we find your work?
The Viewpoints Gallery In Los Altos. I take part in Silicon Valley Open Studios every year. I also show my work with various local art club .Currently I have a solo exhibit of my work at the PHO 69 Restaurant in San Jose called “Outside The Lines In Side The Box” This whole exhibit will be moving to Intero Real Estate in Santana Row in February.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I get excited using color and creative designs and look for my inspiration for this in unusual places when I travel and go about my daily life. I enjoy cycling and hiking and these help feed my inspiration. People also fascinate me and what they wear .When my creative juices stop flowing I start to play and take the seriousness out of my work. I reduce the size of the paper or canvas I am working on. Actually some of my best work has been done doing this.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Both are need to help me grow and improve as an Artist.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I am fortunate to belong to an excellent critique group and they have helped to keep me motivated and pushing forward to get better at what I do. Mike Bailey a local art teacher helped me find my own voice by teaching me more about design and less about technique.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Robin Hood

When do you get your best ideas?
First thing in the morning as I am waking up from a good nights sleep.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I have a huge selection of pens and pencils and all manner of tools to create line in my work. I do use brushes but for my larger abstract canvases I like to use decorating household rollers.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am mainly self taught with classes from local artists and workshops arranged by the Santa Clara Watercolor Society. I feel it has allowed me to have more of my own voice and less following a set out path with lots of rules. Although I certainly will use rules to my work when I feel things are not working.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet , fruity with zesty under tones and some herbal fragrances.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Meet with friends, ride my bicycle, hiking and hang out with my family. I love listening to music and watching a good movie. When I cannot paint creating in the kitchen is also something I enjoy doing.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I feel it has always been there and I have a rather extravert personality . I love meeting people who enjoy my work and will even buy it .It still give me a huge buzz.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Relax and enjoy what you do. If you are not having fun.....STOP!

Eric Belladonna

Name:Eric Belladonna
Website:
www.facebook.com/theworkoutparty
www.facebook.com/adultdnceparty
www.facebook.com/wastelandsj

What do you do? Where can we find your work?
I'm a Downtown San Jose Indie/Electro Dance Party Promoter. I'm also a Photographer and just an overall event coordinator…I love being creative and geeking out with like minds! I Have these super fun and stylish Parties throughout this awesome city… One Party is called theWORKOUT Party (with my Friends @ Agenda Lounge Downtown San Jose; First Fridays! ) and the otherADULT DANCE PARTY (with my local hero DJ BASURA…at The Blank Club; select Saturdays) I'm just the luckiest kid these days, things have gotten pretty neat, I can't even believe it! It's kinda weird actually. I'm probably in homeroom actually dreaming this up back in 2004. haha

www.facebook.com/theworkoutparty
www.facebook.com/adultdnceparty
www.facebook.com/wastelandsj

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
My BIGGEST inspiration is boredom! My whole life I was that kid that was looking out windows, pregnant with wanderlust, fantasizing about being in a better place with more excitement. My problem, much like many others, was I always wanted more and wished for everything, but I never thought to actually commit to do anything about it! As soon as I got the guts to do what I dreamt about secretly, things just kinda started developing! Its such a magical process when inspiration strikes, and I'm always looking for that next ZING! When I feel bored, I know that I'm actually just not pushing myself to do more new things! I have to remind myself a lot to keep growing!

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
When a person puts their heart into something, it always shows! It's beautiful when someone presents to you a small part of their soul. You appreciate it more, it because valuable and important. With parties it's strange to say it's an art, but it is. How do you get people to get out of their home, drive x miles, pay money and stay the whole night, even though they work early in the morning? You have to give them something they can't refuse…and we give them everything we have! There's a moment during every party where everyone is on the dance floor, so in tune with everyone around them and the music, that’s the moment we really work for, we fight for it! Everything must go perfect...

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I'm super duper inspired by my friends! I live for them, they are so fascinating! For someone like myself, I grew up with very little friendships and acceptance for being: gay, too fat, too skinny, too tall, braces, too weird, everything that was "Me" was wrong! So I've really come to appreciate the opportunity to have sincere people who care about me…and my friends are exactly the kinds of companions I wanted: artsy, intelligent, and crazy silly! That's the kind of people I'm attracted to! What makes my events successful, in my opinion, is the people who attend; They are probably the coolest bunch of happy-drunks you will ever meet! And those are the persons I target…people who become my friends, not my clients.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Ziggy Stardust! He's M.A.G.I.C.A.L!

When do you get your best ideas?
I get my best ideas when I'm listening to T-Rex in my room at 2am, folding my clothes and drinking green tea. Like every other old lady in town.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My MacBook is my office…non of this would exist without it! It's super scary when I think about it…my hands just started sweating…

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I started as a nightclub Photographer in San Francisco. 2006 I think, It was a pretty radical time for parties, and I was the Dude capturing them all, but I wanted a party to call my own! San Jose seemed like the best place to start! All though, My friends and I never thought it would actually take off, I was just being dreamy as usual!

What would your creative work taste like?
Maybe salty like sweat. Kinda gross, sorta sexy. It might also taste Fergi-licious, so delicious.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
When I'm not being creative, I'm obsessive… I like to see other people being creative, it motivates me to be EVEN more creative. I'm such a gawker! It's weird! I love looking at creative people and telling myself I need to be on their level. I'm sick, really.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I always do my best, my Mom would be so disappointed in me if I didn't, she's a hard working monster! My Dad to! He lives in Mexico and when I visit him and my overachieving Family members, they literally sit me down and ask me to list what I've achieved… and I'd die if I had nothing to share! They all do such cool stuff, they own Hotels, Nightclubs, Stores; they're Dancers, Politicians, Musicians, Pageant winners, Singers, Actors, and other cool stuff that makes me feel incompetent and lame. haha It's a lot of pressure…but one day, I'll show them! That's my life goal! I'm gonna buy Mexico!

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Just do it! It's scary as hell putting yourself out for everyone to judge, but hey, at least you're doin it! I'm sure they're so many people just kicking themselves that are saying "I totally had the idea of creating electro parties in San Jose! I came up with that in 2002!" but they never did it, and then this weirdo came in and took that title right before their lazy eyes! Don't make that mistake…pretty sure it sucks.

Deborah Anderson

Name: Deborah Anderson
Website: athousandcanes.wordpress.com

What do you do?
I would say I am a mixed media artisan but I specialize in polymer clay jewelry.

Where can we find your work?
Kaleid Gallery, Quilt Museum gift shop, Nikkei Traditions in San Jose and Triton Museum in Santa Clara.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I have been working with polymer clay since 1993 and am a member of the Southbay polymer Clay Guild here in San Jose. I get inspired from books, seeing other people's work and nature.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I think both are just as important. You keep learning as you go through a process or a technique. As I go through the steps to create a finished project, the next time I make it, I may try something different.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Pier Voulkos, Steven Ford & David Forlano & Gwen Gibson are some of the people I have taken workshops from who have greatly inspired me.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Anne of Green Gables

When do you get your best ideas?
I get ideas when I attend a show. Whether it be a quilt show, craft faire, trade show or when I am just working and have time to play around and experiment.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Polymer clay, pasta machine, clay blade real leaves, texture stamps

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Polymer clay has so many techniques you can try and apply to your work. I have taken classes by some instructors to learn some of them and I have taught techniques I have come up with as well.

What would your creative work taste like?
It would have texture and taste a little salty with some sweet and sour

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Travel and visit with friends, go to yard sales

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I get so much satisfaction in creating and it has always been rewarding to me. People have been very supportive and encouraging.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Follow your heart & enjoy

Shoe Heaven

Donny Foley - Donbon

Name: Donny Foley - Donbon
Website: www.DonbonsUniverse.com

What do you do?
I'm the creator of Donbon and all his silly adventures and friends. I mainly work in digital art, it's much more forgiving. I do a lot of things like clocks, calendars, stationary, but I'm mostly known for my comics.

Where can we find your work?
I'm featured all over the place currently, for instance: Kaleid Gallery and... actually that's about it. My website is full of goodies though www.DonbonsUniverse.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I've met a ton of people in my life who do what I do, just hella better. But, they're content just throwing it all away for some crap job that makes them unhappy. I don't want to be like them so that usually gets me motivated.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Personally I think the content is the most important part. If you're content sucks than your technique and finished products will do nothing but just look good.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Mike Patton, Jhonen Vasquez, my girlfriend's cat Spot, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Winsor McCay (Little Nemo), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Shigeru Miyamoto & Takashi Tezuka (Legend of Zelda), a lot of my old bosses (because they're something I strive not to be), and a bunch of my friends who I wont name because if they read this, i'm sure it will go to their heads and they're heads are just fine the way they are.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Little Nemo, that kid had some sweet adventures.

When do you get your best ideas?
Ha ha randomly my most genius ideas come to me while I'm in the shower. Then I get exited (not too excited) about this new idea and can't wait to work on it. I think it's because I have nothing to do in there but think. Oh and clean.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My good old reliably unreliable computer, mouse, and wacom tablet (all of which are falling apart.).

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
For the most part I'm self taught. I'd be lying if I said I never had anyone give me a bunch of pointers. I even took a photoshop class once to sharpen my skills. But the teacher was never there so I didn't really learn a whole lot. I think not having formal training it nice, I'm able to form my own style that wasn't some teacher's that cost me a lot of money and time to mimic.

If your creative work was edible what would it taste like?
I would like it to taste like rocky road cereal from the 80's followed up with an amazing hi-5. But in reality, it would most likely taste like snail urine.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I usually go to hospitals and punch babies in the face, maybe drop an atomic elbow or two.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I use to make all these over the top and stupid comic strips in high school that everyone loved. The more positive reactions I got, the more confident I'd get. Negative reactions are great too, sometimes they're even better. They show you what you didn't see and can help you improve.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Go to a nice a quiet graveyard all by yourself, find a peaceful shady spot and make yourself comfy. Look around and tell yourself, “I can draw better than everyone here.”.