Thursday, July 24, 2014

Derek Rungsea

Website: www.itsarakoncepts.com

What do you do?
Product design

Where can we find your work?
At my website, http://www.itsarakoncepts.com
as well as other sites such as http://www.tweli.com
and http://www.thegrommet.com/citizens-gallery.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I find inspiration from everyday objects that I see in the home, outside, or when I browse through nice product and graphic websites. To stay motivated, I read a famous quote each day and remember my goals and the vision that I am trying to achieve.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I believe content and the finished product are more important. The design process is the foundation for every project I start, but the beauty of it is even though the process is the same, the final results are different every time.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I get inspired by all entrepreneurs. To be able to commit to something new, go through unknown challenges, learn a wealth of knowledge and experience, and take a chance, all because they believe in an idea, and themselves.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Yoda

When do you get your best ideas?
Great ideas can come to me at any moment. They usually occur because I see or hear something, which stimulates my mind in a new way. And without trying too hard, I think of something within a few minutes.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I sketch ideas out on paper initially, then create them digitally with 2D design software and sometimes in 3D with modeling software.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have a Bachelor of Architecture, and through design school I have created a great design foundation and work ethic. This enables me to be self taught and continue to be in almost everything. Being trained has affected my work in great ways, as it brought me a level of professionalism and expertise for my career.

What would your creative work taste like?
My work would taste like a dessert: all individual ingredients come together as necessary components to create something delicate. Desserts don't have to come from an executive chef, but still has to be executed well. Before it tastes good, it has to look good too!

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like to find balance through outdoor activities and sports such as hiking, and tennis. My favorite activity is snowboarding because I find serenity from gliding on snow through tree-lined trails.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
My creativity did not show itself until I decided to start my own business endeavors. Through new projects and clients, I have exposed myself to all design industries. Once I began expressing my own designs for others, my skills improved, and I sought out design more often. Once more and more people saw my work, I continued receiving positive feedback.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Creativity is subjective. There is always a person or a place that will find your work as beautiful as you do. Find passion in your work and keep doing it. Show as many people as you can and don't give up. You never know what can happen.











Sunday, June 1, 2014

Brande Barrett

Name: Brande Barrett

What do you do?
I work primarily in Photography; alternative process and mixed media. I have recently begun to integrate encaustics and poetry into my pieces. I also create abstract chalk and oil pastel drawings.

Where can we find your work?
Fine Art America has a few of my images available for sale http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/brande+barrett/all. I am currently looking to expand my web presence and find other outlets for my work.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
To me the creative process is what motivates me. I love to play and experiment. Discoveries made serendipitously are exciting. I think because I play so much I don’t get frustrated…

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I used to be anxious about the finished product. I am a bit of a perfectionist and this often put me at odds with making art. As a child I loved making art but since I couldn’t draw well I didn’t pursue art until I got beyond the narrow definition of what an artist is. Art is not about whether or not you can draw or what medium you use but rather art is a way of thinking.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I don’t really have influences in art. I am usually drawn to work I could never create like paintings by Camille Rose Garcia, Broken Toyland, and Herakut. I once stood in front of a Kandinsky painting and wept…I am truly inspired by strong women like artist activist Favianna Rodrigues, writer Maya Angelou, Amanda Palmer, activist Malala Yousafzai to name a few.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
Recently during a gallery opening I overheard a young woman reading my poem to her friend and when she finished they were expressing their feelings about the despondency of the narrative in the poem. I realized I had made a connection that transcended generations and the integration of poetry resulted in the viewer connecting to the photography in a deeper more profound and meaningful way.

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come in the shower! I also tend to think freely as I fall asleep so many ideas come from those quiet moments before a night of dreams. I sometimes dream ideas too!

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I miss the darkroom terribly but these days I am almost exclusively digital. Although there are many processes that are easier to do in Photoshop some things just lack the richness produced in a darkroom especially black and white solarizations.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I went to San Jose State University and earned my Bachelor’s in Fine Art Photography. I cannot imagine my life without the experience and exposure to not only the instructors like Brian Taylor, Robert Dawson and Keay Edwards and but my colleagues as well.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
This is hard to choose only one so ultimately I think I would have to say Adelaide Crapsey. She is the poet who invented the American Cinquain, a class of poetic forms that employs a 5 line pattern. Crapsey was an unfortunate soul who was a sickly woman who died without ever knowing her impact in poetry. I would like to be able to share with her the legacy of her poetry and her innovation’s success inspiring modern poets to create variations.   

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I can’t think of anything I like to do that is not creating. I love to write; poetry and prose mostly but I do have a screenplay I am currently working on. I love movies, music and I never miss the most trusted sources for news the Daily Show and Colbert Report!

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It is still very difficult to “put it out there” I feel like an awkward adolescent girl going to her first dance every time I show my work. Over the years I have developed confidence in my photography however, every time I challenge myself to work in a new medium it is nerve wracking but also exhilarating. It is the push that makes you develop as an artist.


What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Find what you love and find a way to do it every day!




Monday, February 24, 2014

Hanh Nguyen

Name: Hanh Nguyen
Website: www.hanhny.com

What do you do?
Fashion Design

Where can we find your work?
On my website at www.hanhny.com or in person at DSF Shop in San Francisco, the SJMade Holiday pop up in Valley Fair Mall (open until the end of December), and The Upperside pop up shop in The Netherlands as well!

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Life inspires me to create. My childhood, my family’s history, family and friends motivate me when things get tough.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Musicians, other artists, my family and friends

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
 princess mononoke

When do you get your best ideas?
On a long road trip, at a concert and in my sleep.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Pencil and/or acrylic on paper, adobe illustrator and photoshop.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I graduated with a Bachelor degree in Apparel Design at San Francisco State University and a Master degree of graphic design in Italy. Getting professionally trained helps a lot because it got me started and the rest are all from experience.

What would your creative work taste like?
Eclectic and contradicting– a mix of contemporary and vintage, tomboy and girly, Eastern meets Western, muted and bold. I can’t sit in one spot for a lot time…that should explain why I am a bit all over the place ;)

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Travel!

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I never thought about how to gain confidence to put my work out there. I only share what I love and am happy with. So when you tell yourself, ‘Yes, I love it! There must be someone out there that shares the same taste and aesthetics!’ then you don’t question it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
I have only been in the fashion industry for a little over 5 years now and just landed my own clothing line, Hanhny last month…I’m still learning everyday. This, I know I’ll never stop doing. It’s hard to live a life of an artist and do what you love as a profession, but if you love it enough, your mind and body will automatically make you do what it takes to keep going at it. Even if you have to do some tedious work on the side before you get there. If anything comes easy, would you appreciate it as much? At least you’ll have a more interesting story to tell!

And of course, surround yourself with people who are supportive and share the same dream, so you can help each other out.