Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Getting to Know Jaye Thirteenth

by, Amy Olson of Amy Olson Jewelry

Recently I had the pleasure to get to know Jaye Thirteenth of thirteenth story, a member of Boston Handmade, a little better. By reading her 'profile' from her etsy site, I found out that she is not only an illustrator, but is also a tattoo artist and comic book writer as well! I was thrilled to find this out and intrigued to learn more, so I put together a few questions and set up an interview with Jaye. Now you can get to know her a little better too!

AMY: How old were you when you first start drawing and how old are you now?

JAYE: My earliest surviving drawing is a windmill done in magic marker on wood- the wood on my fathers desk to be specific. I learned that I couldn't draw on the walls, but nobody said anything about the furniture. From the style of it I'd guess I was six years old; and I just turned 34 in September.

AMY: How did you get into tattoo artistry? How did that lead you into what you create today?

JAYE: My first tattoo design was done in college. A guy in one of my classes saw me drawing all over my notebook, and asked if I could draw a skull with a beret. How could I pass that up? From there it was band logos, eagles, tribal cuffs, and even a
few for myself. Working with someone else on a design for their own skin is a fantastic process. Its a humble undertaking, one rarely about what I would like and always about what they want. Today, I can easily see the path I took from tattoos to my current art. I often use the word "iconic" to describe my style, because they are bold images with a clean use of color, much like tattoos.

AMY: How were you trained?

JAYE: Self taught. And I think I've improved quite a lot since that windmill.

AMY: What inspires you?

JAYE: The two biggest influences on my work are print advertisements and comic art. I've always been enthralled with a good poster, including ones from the Lautrec era, as well as present day concert fliers. Growing up I had magazine covers and ads taped to my walls. Graphic novels and comic books are a more obvious approach to marrying storytelling and drawing, and they have a lot to offer in terms of pacing, layouts, and use of black. Images that make a statement, tell a story, or create a quick sense of wonder are right up my alley, and teach me constantly about composition.

AMY: Where do you sell your work?

JAYE: On etsy.com there are originals, prints, and zines. My other major venue is craft fairs and art shows, which are always announced on my once-per month mailing list. Occasionally I pick up a tattoo design or music design gig from craigslist, and those have been a ton of fun.

AMY: So, you are taking a break from your full time job?

JAYE: Ooooh yeah. I am a property manager and I will always have over ten years experience in that field to rely upon, but now I am taking time off to focus on art. I've been working hard since I was fifteen years old, and I am more than ready to take the risk of making art full time. Of course, I am busier than ever now that I am doing something that I love. I've got lists and lists of projects I've never gotten the chance to sink my teeth into because of time constraints, but that is changing and I find myself getting up earlier in the mornings and enjoying every moment of the day.

AMY: How will you focus more on your art now that you have more time?

JAYE: Being extremely organized helps. I use a calendar to map out my entire day; there are blocks for eating and exercise in tandem with blocks for different creative projects and business needs. For example, a couple hours cartooning, an hour answering emails, a trip to the Post Office, another chunk of time for life-drawing sketches. I keep every day different and flexible enough to also handle appointments, marketing, grant or show applications, and housework.

AMY: Tell me more about your new cartoon and what compelled you to make this decision?

JAYE: FIN is my first cartoon series, and it truly embraces the art style that I've been developing for years. He is a ninja, born on the pages of my sketchbook. He's a bit of a menace, and a totally endearing addition to my creative process. As a fan of comic art, it was inevitable for me to meld my art and cartoons. There are a few other stories I have scripted, and will soon start drawing them as well.

AMY: Do you have an artist statement? If so, I'd love to hear it!

JAYE: Nope, not yet. its one of the first business related things I'll be doing in November, as many grant applications call for one.

AMY: From drawing to cartoons, to zines, to tattoos... do you have a favorite?

JAYE: All of them! To me, art is a fantastic tool for storytelling, and in every one of those mediums I get to play with stories. I invite everyone to check out my website, thirteenthstory.com and thank you for reading this interview.

1 comment :

  1. Great interview! It is so interesting to read about fellow members and see the similarities and differences we have. Amy and Jaye you ROCK!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...