Thursday, January 26, 2006

my first published illo!

newmoonprint
new moon illo

many moons ago i got asked by new moon a magazine for girls aged 8-12 to do my first magazine illustration! it just came out in the jan/feb issue and i'm so pleased to see my name in print:) in the summer i sent out about 50 postcards to various publications, and i was shocked that someone actually responded and asked me to do an illustration! strangely enough, i was not nervous at all, but just excited! i love that it was a magazine for girls that matches my values... even the article about body image is something i feel strongly about. this is why i wanted to do illustration in the first place to make kid's books and affect change in some small way.

it's hard to keep that on the forefront... i'm taking 2 classes right now: sequential imagery and color workshop. the first is just what the title says, but most people in the class are comic book fans, and me i'm more interested in kid's books. i fear that my work is going to look so dorky and clean-cut next to their bloody, sexy, gory and hip (that's the one that gets under my skin the most... those too cool for school sullen art students intimidate me bc i'm so not!) imagery and it will be hard to get a real crit and inspiration. i really want the courage to just follow my own unique image making and get some projects that i'm been working on for years, namely kid's books, out the door and to publishers! it's such a competetive field and i really need the structure of a class to help me finish them. i am writing this down to remind myself to focus and to hold my own even if it's not popular. i should follow the advice in the article... laugh along, ignore it, speak up... if my art is not found "cool". hee. screw being cool, i said that's what turning 30 was about.... being myself and not cool! i'm way to earnest for playing that game.

the 2nd class is a painting class that should be good, but i know is going to rock my ship. it is so hard to stay focused in art school with what you really want to do. the nature of art school is to question you constantly to make you stronger in the end, but the process is so critical and picking it all apart. i just like color and prettiness and evoking feelings and telling stories... i'm not referencing this artist or trying to make a statement about post-modernism. alrrright? some days it's so fuzzy and others i feel so strong about my goals. ultimately, i know i want to create a life where i can be making art every day-- whether it's for a coffee shop or kid's books or etsy or t-shirts... no me importa. i needed to get that offa my chest-- thank you for reading! off to my studio!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Super cool! Congrats!

Anonymous said...

"Learn to say, 'Fuck You' to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, rumbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose-sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding grinding grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO. Don't worry about cool. Make your own uncool.

Make your own, your own world."

(excerpted from "The Accidental Masterpiece" by Michael Kimmelman)


i happened to find that extremely encouraging this week. hope you do as well. congrats on the publication!

Anonymous said...

You ARE totally cool! You are cool in a way that is about positivity and openess, not exclusivity and one-upmanship. The mask of 'cool' that the 'hip' kids wear is really about their own vulnerabilities and fear of real connection with others.

I also wanted to say, that I don't think your stuff is 'pretty' in the sense of being 'light' or 'merely decorative'. Your work oozes personality and quirk, and sometimes it is even DARK. Look at that crazy scissor weilding cat gadding around in his jocks...that picture made me laugh out loud and is more than a little bit SINISTER. I like that in a painting.

xx Helen
www.stripysockstudio.com

mati rose said...

thank you! i needed to read this all and just printed out the fuck you quote!

Anonymous said...

oh congrats!! its beautiful!
:)

Anonymous said...

wonderful illustration & congrats! wishing you more opportunities like this!

gkgirl said...

congratulations on the illustrations!
they turned out great...
and what a great magazine to do them for...yay!

i envy your determination
and goal setting...

:)

Anonymous said...

what a super accomplishment! three cheers for you: yay yay yay!

FRIZZ said...

Everything will fall into to place as it should!! Great piece. I'm excited for you!!

Cin said...

congratulations on your first published illo Mati, it is a beauty in every way!

Goddess Leonie * GoddessGuidebook.com said...

you are truly fabulous.
congrats on your illo
and thank you for sharing about art school... i've not been, but have wondered about it. i love hearing about it from someone who's in there, experiencing it all and sharing it so honestly.

be blessed,
leonie

Swirly said...

You rock!!