The PROJEKT

Artist Proof Interview with Artist: Jezabel Nekranea

Global Location: Spain

AP Shop URL: http://www.zazzle.com/nekranea

Jezabel Nekranea is a Spanish artist born in 1976. She has worked as an illustrator, graphic designer and character designer, she has participated in several projects of animation, comic and illustrated books. Her personal work is usually inspired by nature, she loves imagining and creating magical beings, hybrids between humans and animals or plants. She also has started sculpting this year, giving life to small creatures made of polymer clay.

AP: How long have you been making art for and what lead you to start.

JN:I’ve been drawing since I was a child and always wanted to become an artist. I worked as a vector illustrator and graphic designer in some companies in the past, but it was not very creative. I found a real way to express myself just a few years ago, my overactive imagination, the need to put my ideas on paper and create my own worlds and characters have led me making art for a living.

AP: Where do you currently live and work and how does this influence your work.

JN: I used to live in the city but I moved to the countryside two years ago, I´m living in a village an hour and a half from Madrid, my artwork is totally inspired by nature since I live here. I like quiet life and being in contact with nature, I love watching the storks in front of my house, the swallows’ nests out of my window, breath fresh air, go to the river, walk into the woods, find skulls of animals, collect flowers, listen the birds… . Nature elements are very usual in my personal work, I love creating magical beings that looks like hybrids between humans and animals or plants.

AP: Did you have formal training if so whatω If your self taught can you tell us what you prefer about being a self taught artist vs having formal training.

JN: I took some art classes in the past but I don´t have any art degree and I´m totally self taught in digital painting and sculpture. Technique is an obsession to me and I spend much time researching and experimenting, I want to learn more and more!. Probably this learning process would be easier if I had formal training but also I think being self taught helps me to follow my own path, achieve the better way to express myself and create a unique style. I know what´s inside me and what are my goals so I´m my better guide.

AP: Can you tell us about where you make your work is it in your house, a studio etc.. and how it effects your work.

JN: My partner and I work at home, he is the great artist Felideus, we have an art studio-living room in our house where we spent all day, working in our commissions, personal projects, learning, discovering other artists´ work, watching inspiring movies, networking… it´s pretty great because all our time is dedicated to make and enjoy art, but sometimes we spend too much time indoors, we are very obsessive and we have high goals.

AP: What are some of you favorite design projects/exhibitions you have worked on to date.

JN: So far my personal works have been more interesting than my commission works and I´ve not had any exhibition of my work yet. Probably my series of nature spirits is my favorite project to date.

AP: What is your medium of choice.

JN: Most of my painting works are digital, this medium helped me to improve my skills very fast, it´s easy trying new things without worrying about mess up your work. Anyway, I´d like a more traditional look in my personal work so I´m going to practice traditional techniques, especially acrylics with color pencil. In sculpture, I’ve only used polymer clay painted with acrylics so far.

AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work.

JN: I´d like to achieve a perfect balance between both. I´m happy with the content in my work, I think I have a characteristic imagination and my own style of drawing, but I´m still working on the technique. I´d like to find a characteristic technique too, a better way to express my ideas that makes my work unique. The sculpture is helping me finding new ways to create.

AP: Who are some of the artists that have inspired you and or your work.

JN: I think Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite painters and Hayao Miyazaki are the artists who have inspired my work the most, but there is an endless list of artists with different styles and techniques that inspire me.

AP: In what direction would you like to see your work going over the next five years.

JN: There are lots of things that I´d like to do. I want to work more traditional techniques, create several sculptures/art dolls and do some art shows, also I´d like to work in some animation shorts, mixing painting and stop motion animation, work in some illustrated books, and so on. There are endless possibilities and I´m open to all.

AP: What forth coming projects and or exhibitions do you have scheduled for 2011.

JN: I’m working on a series of sculptures/art dolls about spirits and creatures of nature and also I´ll make another series of little sculptures/art toys designed by my partner Felideus and sculpted by me. These sculptures will be on sale before the end of this year.

AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist.

JN: Sometimes I spend long periods with strict timetables, waking up very early, practicing meditation and some yoga exercises, eating lots of fruit and working at the same hours all days, but sometimes I have a bit chaotic periods, without working out, and working and eating irregularly, I can spend lots of hours working in something without eating nor sleeping. I usually have these little chaotic periods when I´m going through changes, experimenting creative or emotional crisis. I think they are necessary steps in my life to rebirth and achieve new goals.

AP: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions.

JN:Thank you very much for featuring my work.