Artist Proof: Chelsea L. Jones is an illustrator with a BA from Billy Blue College of Design, currently living and working in Sydney, Australia.
Artsprojekt: What inspires your art?
Chelsea: Ever since I was a little kid Ive had a big love for comics and cartoons. My Saturday mornings consisted of a television, a pencil and a blank art book. I’d sit for hours and recreate the characters on the screen. It helped me become very familiar with the form of almost any character on television. Still to this day, those sketching sessions have had an influence over my work..
I also get inspiration from the media world and celebrities. I like choosing delinquent celebrities who have been in the media and recreating them at their worst.
AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work?
Chelsea: I’ve often been told that my work looks like “realistic cartoons with an edge.” I think this juxtaposes quite well with the themes and concepts in most of my pieces because it provides an alternate world in which these characters or people can exist. I like twisting and tweaking with the personalities or perceptions of the characters so implementing the “realistic cartoon” side to my work pushes that extra button in the audiences imagination.
AP: Describe your first experience of making art and how it affected your life’s journey
Chelsea: Well, my first real experience of art-making (besides the Saturday morning sketch sessions) was way back in primary school when Pokemon, Dragonball Z and Tazos were in vogue. I was the token artist of the class and that meant that I’d get about 10 requests a day for drawings of Pikachu, Homer Simpson, Sailor Moon etc.
I also discovered graffiti art back in those days and I’d design graff pieces on paper for almost everyone. Drawing all of that shit gave me a ton of practice and I havnt stopped drawing since, so I think if it never happened, I’d have never become an artist..
AP: Describe your most recent experience of making art.
Chelsea: I’m working on a wall-piece at the moment using a mixture of acrylics and spray paint. Only problem is that it’s in a poorly-vented room and it’s summer in Australia now so it gets pretty intense. I find myself usually painting it in 30 minute sessions.
AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist
Chelsea: Well at the moment I’m usually creating 1-2 digital works a day depending on how inspired I am. However when it comes to paid-jobs I’ve gotta find that inspiration quickly so I’m usually raiding art blogs on the Internet and reading magazines like Empty and Juxtapoz. I’m also a freelance graphic designer so in conclusion, I work from home and just go out and chill whenever I want really. It’s a tough life I’ll admit.
