Help! Interview for Arts Journalism Class!

[azalea]

I've had this interview with a local painter planned out for awhile. Confirmation calls and everything. So I turned up yesterday at the meeting spot and waited 2 hours...she never showed. I called and she said she forgot so I rescheduled today...I went and she didn't show again! She was actually my 3rd contact, the other 2 stood me up as well.

This interview assignment is due tomorrow at 10:30 ... and it's 15% of my grade for the class.

I need to interview an Artist or an Entertainer, and I'm hoping someone might spare me some time and answer a few questions I had prepared? Please?

Here's the questions:

What’s your name
What’s your age.
Where do you live?
What type of art/entertainment do you do?
When did you start?
Why did you start?
Is there anyone you look up to?
Why do you look up to them?
What’s your favorite thing to do?
What piece (of yours) do you like the most?
Explain the piece to me
Does it hold a hidden meaning?
Is there a piece or pieces that reflect who you are?
What are pieces are they and what part of you do they reflect.
What do you want to improve in?
How do you think other people see your art?
Is their interpretation accurate?
What’s your motivation to continue doing art?
What are your goals for the future?
Do you have any funny stories to share?
What lessons would you like to pass on to younger artists just beginning to learn?
Anything else?

<_< then I must convert answers into a 1500 word essay style Arts interview. *panics*

[Azaeziel]

What’s your name
John Mathews

What’s your age.
36

Where do you live?
San Diego

What type of art/entertainment do you do?
Web Comics - Art and Story for "Karen the Marilith" & "Azaeziel and Flame's Maple Story Adventures", Pencils and Inks for "Saturday Knights", Assorted random assignments including art and script writing for "Negate Never"

When did you start?
January 2007

Why did you start?
I admired the work of an on-line artist for a while and she encouraged me to try and tell a story of my own. My friends and family had told me that I was a good scetch artist and with thier and her encouragement I began my grand experiment in art. I enjoyed it enough to stick with it and expand my artistic endeavours and eventually was invited to join an on-line colaborative art community.

Is there anyone you look up to?
Yes

Why do you look up to them?
They are better artists then I am and I would like to emulate thier art and learn from them.

What’s your favorite thing to do?
Quick sketches, impressionistic almost, mostly just showing motion and intent, though sometimes I really enjoy getting incredibly detailed when I have the time to just sit and focus on one drawing for a long time.

What piece (of yours) do you like the most?
A drawing I did of an Elf and his Girlfriend sitting on the bank of a river fishing and cuddling lazily.

Explain the piece to me
I drew it based on two characters from a game of Dungeons and Dragons. The elf was my character and his girlfriend was played by my fiance. I had previously drawn separate pictures of the two of them in various fighting situations, but this was the first time I drew them romantically snuggling. My fiance loved it so much that she secretly had a design studio air brush it onto a shirt for me to surprise me for my birthday. It is a simple peaceful scene of two people sitting on the bank of a river, he has a fishing pole in one hand and is leaning against a tree, while she is taking a nap with her head resting on his lap.

Does it hold a hidden meaning?
Just the enjoyment and peace I have with my fiance. I thought it showed that even my imaginary self enjoys being with her imaginary self.

Is there a piece or pieces that reflect who you are?
My entire web comic "Karen the Marilith" is based emotionally on things I feel, so it could be a reflection of me in a way.

What pieces are they and what part of you do they reflect.
Ummm.. I think I answered this question in the previous answer.

What do you want to improve in?
I need to get better at incorporating backgrounds into my finished comic pages. I frequently feel rushed while drawing them and I feel the quality suffers because of it.

How do you think other people see your art?
Most times I feel that they just take a look at it and then pass on, not really looking for deeper meanings or why I drew them. Those few times people actually take the time to interpret and really look at my art, I think they enjoy it.

Is their interpretation accurate?
I don't know how to really answer this question. Art is in the eye of the beholder. Is there a wrong way to interpret something you see? If I draw something and the viewer doesn't see what I am trying to show or understand what I am trying to create, is it a failure in my art or in the viewers mind?

What’s your motivation to continue doing art?
I find it very fun and relaxing. Plus I don't want to disappoint those few regular readers who take the time to read my web comic and reply. As long as someone is enjoying my vision, I will continue to share it.

What are your goals for the future?
I am constantly trying to learn how to draw better. Faster, more realistically, in perspective, etcetera... I always want my art to improve so I am able to more accurately portray whatever vision I am trying too.

Do you have any funny stories to share?
Far too many to recount here. I'm sure every artist does though.

What lessons would you like to pass on to younger artists just beginning to learn?
Practice. Look at what you have done and try again. If something seems difficult or daunting, challenge it, draw it faster, better, bigger, smaller, whatever-er, just don't let it stop you or think it's to hard. If you want to draw it, then draw it and don't worry about what the world may say. They aren't the ones seeing it in thier minds.

Anything else?
I hope this helps, and good luck on your paper. I wish I could afford art classes, but even poor self-taught folks like me can still have fun with pencil and paper. Anyone can.

[Modesty]

Yikes, I hope you get it done in time. D: Thanks Az.

[azalea]

thank you! ^_^ and yep I got it done.

[Modesty]

Whew! *sigh of relief*
Man that must have been unnecessarily stressful. I mean it's totally NOT your fault you got stood up 3 times!