Interview with Dave Seeley

Dave Seeley claims to be a victim of modern mass media and the one-second-MTV-vid-shot, hence the moniker “Image Junkie”.  He is far more influenced by contemporary sci-fi film noir than by the legacy of science fiction illustration.

Dave came from an education in architecture and fine art.  After 10 years as an award-winning architect, he was seduced by the glamour of illustration and derailed his career for the far more immediate gratification of image making. The inner-architect is flourishing in his work, where a sense of materials fetishism and a love of spatial atmospherics are omnipresent.

Dave’s recent monograph, The Art of Dave Seeley, published by Insight Editions, has received top-ranked reviews from ImagineFX magazine and io9.com.  In addition, Dave is one of 10 artists profiled in Dick Jude’s Fantasy Art Masters by Harper Collins and profiled in Karen Haber’s Masters of Science Fiction and Fantasy Art.  He is a contributor to Jane Frank’s Pixel or Paint by NonStop Press. Dave is interviewed in issue 39 of ImagineFX Magazine and is featured in the August ’06 Art Scene International.  He is also featured in the documentary film by Michael MacDonald at Roadhouse films called  Visions From the Edge: The Art of Science Fiction, and is included in the Bill Neimeyer film Art of the Fantastic.

Clients Include: Hasbro, Disney, Lucasfilm, Vivendi Universal, Microsoft Games Studios, FromSoft Games, Sideshow Collectibles, Sony, Baen Books, Tor Books, Randomhouse / Del Rey / Ballantine Books / Penguin, Harlequin Gold Eagle, Ace, St Martins, Kensington Books, PYR press, Simon and Schuster, Harper Collins, Scholastic, Harcourt School Publishers, Night Shade Books, Solaris Books, Midway Games, Fox Interactive, The Village Voice, Heavy Metal Magazine, Popular Science Magazine, Boy’s Life Magazine, Humanoids Publishing, White Wolf Publishing, FASA, Wizards of the Coast, TSR, Wild Planet Toys, DC Comics, and a host of advertising firms.

You can see, commission, learn about and buy work in multiple media at DaveSeeley.com.

1.     Tell us about your work.

I’m far more influenced by contemporary sci-fi film noir than by the legacy of science fiction illustration. I strive for edgy, sexy, dark, high impact, gritty, witty, substantial.  At any given moment, I’ll have several obsessions bubbling in my psyche, and they all will play a role in current work.

I utilize all available tools in 2D and 3D, using photographic, digital and traditional media, and I try to add to my toolbox as often as I can.

    

2.     Tell us about your artistic training, learning process, and particularly how your work evolved as a result of it.

While I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember, I went to school as an architecture major and minored in fine art. Then I practised as an architect for a dozen years while collecting comics and fantasy art before I decided to make the lateral move to being a pro illustrator. I certainly approach image making with an eye toward complex problem solving, which is the core of architectural design. I also still have a strong sense of materials fetishism and a love of spatial atmospherics. Not sure if that was in place prior to architecture training, but it persists in my work as an illustrator.

3.     How did your interest in science fiction and fantasy develop?

I’ve always been fascinated by visions of the future or alternate visions of our past.  Early television shows certainly played a part and pulp novels as a teen.  Heavy Metal magazine was a great source of sci-fi, fantasy, and libido tickling rolled into one visual package.  It introduced me to adult-centric euro-comics.

          

4.    What is the glamour of image making?

There is glamour in the conquest of a satisfying final image, and the reaction of my audience as the rabbit is pulled from the hat.  That sets one apart and provides for a low level simmering celebrity, in our tiny circle.

5.     What are your ambitions as an artist?

My ambitions have always been “to feed the art spirit, and still get paid.”  Easy to do one OR the other, or both part-time; but tough to do both simultaneously full time.  Of course, the art spirit is a moving target, so I make an effort to take time to reflect and plot my course.

6.     Tell us about your fine art tools and techniques and how you incorporate them into your art and illustrations.

Oil painting is my primary fine art tool.  Digital tools have replaced almost all else because of superiority in explorations and modifications.  I used to draw incessantly, and now, almost never.  It’s the final look/feel and painterliness of oils that I love, so often when I use it, I have already developed the image digitally to a very high degree of finish, then make an archival print, and cover it in oil paint as a final massaging of beautiful abstract mark making. 

7.     What do you find most rewarding in the creative process, and how do you overcome that which you find challenging?

The most rewarding part is emerging from the inherent struggle of the creative process with something that is surprising and or satisfying.  All of it is challenging, and I find that sustained attention and iteration is how you overcome challenges.  Sometimes mixing several projects into a timeline helps by getting me disengaged and allowing a fresh look when I return.

8.     Tell us about your book, The Art of Dave Seeley.

The book was a very long time in the making… but awesome to have it published and out there.  It started as a conversation with Insight Editions, my publisher, about a dozen years ago, when they were doing a lot of high-end Star Wars related books.  The initial flirtation waned and went dormant because I think there was a lacklustre response from potential buyers.  In 2013, I reached out again, thinking it really was time to make the book, and they ultimately agreed.  An “art of” book is on every artist’s bucket list, so it’s very satisfying to have that one checked off.  The only substantive downside is that every time I finish a new image that I really love, I’m sad that it’s NOT in the book.

9.     Tell us about the role of photography in your work.

Photography has been in my life since my dad gave me a Canonette 28 rangefinder camera as a teen.  It was a necessary base skill in college while studying architecture, and even more so when I swapped into illustration.  I had a subsistence level skill up until about six years ago when I decided I really needed to up my game.  I expanded my equipment and began to learn a lot about studio lighting.  I rigged up a drop screen and began using model/photographer sites to track models.  I’d hire a model for a particular job, and then shoot for everything else I could think of.  It was incredibly helpful in image building for illustration to develop my own series of shoots of high resolution “stock.”  Typically publishers will only pay for a single shoot, so this allows me to do multiple characters from my backlog of pics.

10.  How essential are Photoshop, Corel Painter, and other types of software to you as a professional artist?

When I lecture on my process, I talk about my “toolbox.”  Within the toolbox, Photoshop is the glue.  It allows me to take all the disparate parts and pieces created with all the tools, and put them together seamlessly.  In contrast, Painter is a very specific tool for me.  It’s about digitally giving the image a painterly quality…so more like a very complex and multifaceted “filter” within Photoshop.  The way I use Painter, it’s only about the final finish.  There are times when I don’t have time to mount a canvas and use oil paint, and there are images where the client wants a purely digital workflow.  I use 3d software more and more.  It’s awesome for finding unexpected perspectives or lighting a complex architectural background.

11.  What advice can you give regarding copyright protection?

I can only speak to copyright protection under the US laws.  As soon as you create an image that is not derivative of another work, it is considered copyrighted.  If you chase another person’s infringement of your work, it becomes an issue of proving you created yours first, so documentation is an issue.  Registering your work with the US Copyright Office is the best way, but because of time and modest expense, most artists don’t bother.  That said, I don’t worry much about it.  I’d much rather be creating new work, than fretting over people stealing my images.  With time and expense, you can get a court injunction for infringers to stop, but you can’t get a monetary judgement from them unless you can show that their infringement has lost you revenue.  That’s an unlikely scenario for an illustrator.  If the infringer is looking at financial loss because they have to pull product from the market because of an injunction, then they will typically pay you a settlement in order to license the image. 

Flip that around, and my advice to artists who infringe on other artists’ work, is don’t do it.  It’s not legal, despite what you think you know.  There is no such thing as “changed it enough.”  “Fair use” does not apply to commercial work.  Anything derived from another’s work, in any degree, without a license, is illegal.  The rub is that it costs money and time to chase infringers, so they think they will not get caught, or they even evolve into believing that it must be ok because they aren’t seeing other infringers penalized.  Legality aside, artists who infringe develop a reputation as thieves, and at some point, clients avoid them.

12.  In the digital age, a lifetime of work can be lost in an instant. How do you store, archive, and backup your precious work?

I keep two complete sets of backups on hard drives…. and one is off-site.  I rotate the on and off-site copies as often as I can.  This is so much less expensive now that huge hard drives are comparatively cheap.  I depend on hard drives failing, but not at the same time.  Still risky, but so far so good.  Yet another set of drives in another location would be a worthwhile expense (maybe one for images only).  For backup files on hard drives, I use Carbon Copy Cloner to keep them identical.  That does NOT protect me from overwriting as yet un-cloned files (usually current working files) inadvertently.  For that, I use Apple’s Time Machine functionality with a dedicated 8tb drive inside my desktop computer… hourly.  That way, I can protect anything over one hour’s work.  The only time it has failed me is when I inadvertently overwrite a file without realizing it for a long period of time.  That happens.

13.  Tell us a little about any good art you’ve seen recently or good books you’ve read.

I’m constantly discovering new art I like/love.  Facebook and Instagram are great for that.  Recent discoveries are http://nicolasuribeart.com/ and  https://willeysart.com/ , both via Instagram.  Currently enjoying audiobook Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari.  Fun to get a long-term perspective, and to ponder that we were happier as hunter-gatherers.

14.  What are your other interests?

When I was an architect I had hobbies in personal computing, collecting comics and art, painting, drawing, travelling and woodworking.  Most of those have been subsumed in my career as an illustrator, and I am ALWAYS working.  Even when I’m on vacation, I shoot pictures that I might use in my illustrations. 

15.  Where can we find you and your work?

The Art of Dave Seeley is a great collection up through February 2015.  The only piece I had, but could not show because of NDA, was Ronin.

Signed Slipcased edition available through me exclusively on eBay.

Or Trade Edition via Amazon.

Online:

www.daveseeley.com

www.shannonassociates.com

www.photographercentral.com

www.ixgallery.com

Interview with Alex Saberi

Alex Saberi is a National Geographic photographer from London, England. He began photography as a hobby, mainly taking photographs of Richmond Park, the largest of London's Royal Parks. Only recently, he turned this hobby into a profession and has published a photo book of the park, titled Richmond Park.

Alex has appeared in many digital camera magazines and publications, and has won several photography competitions, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Wildlife Competition, as well as several worldwide online competitions. He placed second in Landscape Photographer of the Year with his photograph, One Man and His Dog, and appeared several times in both the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Landscape Photographer of the Year books.

With his Year in Richmond Park collection, Alex has been featured in the national press, including the Daily Mail, Metro, Evening Standard, the Times, the Sun, and the Telegraph. He also appeared in the November edition of National Geographic and is a National Geographic exclusive artist. His photographs are available for commercial use through his agent, Nat Geo Creative.

1. Tell us about your work.

I am primarily a nature and wildlife photographer. Although I enjoy mixing it up sometimes by delving into street photography and more artistic styles. I am happiest when taking photos of animals with dramatic or atmospheric backdrops.

2. Tell us about your photographic training, learning process, and particularly how your work evolved as a result of it.

I think I was always a creative person and originally worked as a web designer. I took up photography as a hobby and enjoyed the whole process of teaching myself. Although, a big help was using online photographic competition sites such as www.dpchallenge.com. Here I could learn from other photographers, submit my own work and get feedback. Each week there were several different challenges, each giving you a chance to be creative and to learn different styles and techniques. This led me to develop and turn to what I loved most, nature.

3. How did you make the transition from hobbyist to professional photographer?

Well, I was lucky really, in that a journalist picked up my work from Flickr. She ran a story on my time in Richmond Park, which was well received by all the newspapers in the UK. From there, I got a book deal and offer to appear in Nat Geo November 2011 edition with my Angel Swan photo. All this happened whilst still doing my day job as a web designer. Shortly afterwards, I got signed up to be an exclusive photographer with Nat Geo and decided to leave the day job to become a photographer.

4. Tell us about the gear you use and your loyalty to Canon.

Well, I started with a Canon 300D and then continued down the 5D path. I now use the Canon 5D MKIII and the MKII as backup. I shot quite a great deal of photos using the Canon 100-400mm lens, which for me did a great job. For landscape shots, originally I used the Canon 16-35mm. I have now moved on to the Canon 200-400mm, which is AMAZING. I love to have the flexibility of a zoom for wildlife - I think a great deal of shots can be missed otherwise. I replaced the 16-35mm with a 14mm Canon and a Canon 24-70mm. I prefer that combination. I also have a few other lenses such as the Canon 85mm 1.8 and Sigma 50mm 1.4, plus a Canon 180mm macro.

5. What’s always in your camera bag?

I usually carry with me both the MKIII and MKII bodies, a Canon flash, Canon 200-400mm, 14mm, and 24-70mm MKII lenses. Along with ND grad filters, polariser, tripod, spare batteries, and a cable release.

6. Tell us about the challenges involved in shooting in exotic, foreign locations.

In Brazil, where I live now, I have had a few problems with the humidity. In fact, my Canon 5D MKIII stopped working several times due to this. I now use silica gel bags in my kit as standard. The main problem is actually choosing whether to go with a non-photographer, a photographer, or alone. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

7. What do you find most rewarding in the creative process, and how do you overcome that which you find challenging?

For me, just being at an amazing location and having the sheer luck to have an animal walk into the frame at the right time in the right spot, that is always the highlight. Then, I suppose, the excitement of getting home to see it on the computer and find out if it was as good as I thought. With nature photography, I try to just go with the flow and not force things. It’s impossible anyway! That way, I never feel challenged, just happy if I get a few good shots at the end of the day.

8. Tell us about your book, Richmond Park.

My first book, Richmond Park, was a collection of shots throughout the years in a park, near to where I used to live, in London. It is still one of the most stunning and atmospheric places I have ever been to; that, combined with having so many animals there, makes it a very special place. Even though I must have visited the park over a thousand times, each time I visited, it took on a slightly different feel. Another thing I really enjoy, that Brazil doesn’t have, is the seasons. This really makes photography in the same locations a lot more fun.

9. How essential is Photoshop and other types of software to the contemporary professional photographer?

For me, I used Photoshop a lot more in the old days, when the digital cameras were struggling more to capture what you saw. Now, I am steering away from any real processing, other than slight contrast and saturation tweaks, cropping, and white balance control.

10. I’m aware of at least one instance where your work was used without your permission. What advice can you give regarding copyright protection?

There isn’t anything you can really do, apart from sending a polite email asking if they can credit you. I do try to place a watermark on my shots in an area where cloning it out would be problematic.

11. In the digital age, a lifetime of work can be lost in an instant. How do you store, archive, and backup your precious work?

Since I had a hard drive malfunction, a while back, I always copy each hard drive and store the copies in another location. I try to always have the work in two places, even three.

12. Tell us a little about any good photography you’ve seen recently or good books you’ve read.

I am a massive fan of Steve McCurry. For me, he captures the essence of a person or scene.

13. What advice can you give to aspiring photographers?

Just be true to what you love - combine the love of taking photos with a  passion; whether it is travel, a sport, people or animals. In that way, the passion will show in the work.

14. Where can we find you and your work?

Online at www.alexsaberi.com, www.flickr.com/photos/alexsaberi, www.facebook.com/alexsaberiphotography. The vast majority of my photos are available for commercial use through my agent Nat Geo Creative. Alternatively, please use the contact form on my website to contact me directly.

Rush - Time Machine 2011

On 25^th May, I had the pleasure of being entertained by three virtuoso musicians: guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer Neil Peart and bassist Geddy Lee – a belated birthday present to myself. The venue was London’s O2 Arena, and I was 4^th row, centre-stage watching my favourite rock band: Rush, on their 2011 Time Machine Tour. I was close enough to the stage during the show, to wonder if I had been singed by some of the pyrotechnics. Past, present and future came together onstage as Rush performed to sheer perfection, their classic hits including the entire ‘Moving Pictures’ album, as well as new material from their forthcoming ‘Clockwork Angels’ album. Although I have been a Rush fan, since I first heard ‘The Spirit of Radio’ on the radio back in 1979, this was the first Rush concert I had been to. OK, so I don’t get out much… Bite me.

For anyone who hasn’t heard of Rush, it may be worthwhile to read what Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, has to say about them. And no fan should be without the excellent ‘Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage’ DVD, released in 2010. It is one of life’s great mysteries that this phenomenal band has yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite over 40 years of professional activity during which they achieved 24 gold, 14 platinum, and 3 multi-platinum records, with estimated album sales of over 40 million units.

Regarding ‘Time Machine’, subtitled: ‘The Future As It Ought To Have Been’, lyricist Neil Peart relates how he had an idea for a fictional world that would make a great setting for a suite of songs that told a story. An avid science fiction fan, Neil Peart proposed a ‘steampunk’ approach. He described ‘steampunk’ as a genre of science fiction pioneered by authors such as his friend, Kevin J. Anderson, as a reaction against the dehumanised, alienated and dystopian societies portrayed by ‘cyberpunk’ futurists. 

Unlike ‘2112’ and ‘Red Barchetta’, both set in what Neil Peart described as a “darker kind of imagining, for dramatic and allegorical effect,” ‘Time Machine’ is inspired by the steampunk definitions: “The future as it ought to have been,” or “The future as seen from the past,” citing the scenarios imagined in ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ by Jules Verne. The results left me speechless: stage and lighting design evocative of the Victorian age, comical short films that transported me to a parallel universe and music… such incredible music.

The concert began with ‘The Real History of Rush’, a satirical documentary that presented a fictitious band called ‘Rash’, playing a polka version of ‘Spirit of Radio’ in the 60s, before being transported via a time machine to 1979 where I found Rush onstage at the O2 Arena, performing the much-loved song. You’ll note from my photographs, that Geddy Lee wore a ‘Rash’ T-shirt on the night. 

The show was presented in two halves. In the first, Rush gave us stunning performances of tracks spanning their whole career. After a brief interval, came ‘Moving Pictures’, my favourite Rush album. All 7 songs were perfectly rendered before Neil Pert wowed the audience with his reinvented drumming style in a blistering drum solo exploring progressive rock and jazz themes. Throughout this stunning performance, his new drum kit revolved 360 degrees showcasing his virtuoso skill. Frankly, I have no idea where this man got the energy. In fact, all three members of Rush seemed to possess superhuman endurance. The skill, energy and concentration displayed during the show were mind-boggling. After a high-energy performance of ‘Far Cry’ the band left the stage to a rapturous standing ovation. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, they returned to perform an encore including the legendary ‘La Villa Strangiato’, one of the most technically-complex rock instrumentals ever made, clocking in at well over 9 minutes.

The pictures of the concert, on this blog, I took with a compact camera and my BlackBerry; ‘professional’ photographic equipment wasn’t allowed at the concert. There is no shortage of Rush imagery to be found, but nothing compares with the connection you have with pictures that you’ve taken yourself. Somehow, I managed to capture both Alex and Neil staring right at me. In this image-dominated world, Rush may not be as famous as some less skilled bands. They may not be considered ‘cool’ by the style police; but as far as I’m concerned, their skill as musicians is unrivalled, and I love them. ~ Wayne Gerard Trotman

Interview with Joseph Corsentino

Joseph Corsentino has always been attracted to art and storytelling.  He spent his youth creating videos, writing, or studying temporal theories.  In high school, he took a photography class and quickly developed an obsession with turning the stories that he wrote into photographs. Joseph spent the early part of his career, working at a high-end wedding photography studio, perfecting his Photoshop skills.  In 2003, Joseph left his daytime job and drove west to Los Angeles, California “to see about a girl,” his future wife, Donny. Joseph also took this opportunity to experiment with his photography full time.

Now, a professional photographer with ten years of experience, Joseph works with models, actors, and musicians, to develop images that fully capture their talent and beauty. As an artist, Joseph focuses on the ‘Time of the Faeries’ project, an epic retelling of the faerie mythology inspired by many of the people he knew growing up.  His take on faerie lore is based on urban myths, the current political climate, and the spirits who carry on nonetheless.  While beautiful, it contains his vision of the chaos and tragedy that is present in a fading, counterculture.

During the 7 years he's been creating 'Time of the Faeries', Joseph has had his first book, of the same title, published by Imaginosis Publishing. He has been featured in numerous magazines, and is a regular guest artist at many conventions such as Faerieworlds Festival and Faeriecon.  More recently, Joseph was a guest of honor at conventions such as Fantasy Modelfest and Xanadu, Las Vegas.  His photography is licensed to various companies, and can be found through Art.com, Stickerchicks and I Do Believe, UK.

1. You are described as a ‘visual storyteller’. Tell us about your ‘visual novel’, ‘Time Of The Faeries: Afterlight, End Of The World’. 

Afterlight, End of the World is the first in a four-part visual novel series. The Afterlight Visual Novel Series combines digital art and narrative, to create an epic tale of the evolution of a new mythology - spanning past, present, and future. It explains the origins of the Faeries, why they left us, and what has become of them since they were suddenly forced back into our modern world. It shows how some adapted and learned to thrive in this new and unfamiliar landscape, while others wasted away in apathy and depression. It sheds light on the evolution of Angels and Vampires from a common Fae ancestor, and their own unique adaptations to the modern world. It follows the alliances and tensions that develop between these three species as they struggle to protect human civilization, or shape it to their will. And, it explores the mysterious phenomenon of Kai, the energy of possibility and potential, which flows through every living being and is the lifeblood of Faeries, Angels, and Vampires alike. The Afterlight follows several lines of cause and effect, revealing possible versions of the Apocalypse at the hands of all three species; but ends with the fate of world resting where it was always meant to: in humanity's hands.

2. Why did you choose to produce photographic images of faeries, and what do you hope to achieve with them?  Is there an underlying theme or message in your work?

I’ve been a photographer for over ten years now, but I only got into fantasy photography about eight years ago. With a group of friends, I used to run around Long Island, NY taking photos and having fun. At one particular photo-shoot, we shot a dozen faeries, creating individual wings and costumes for everyone. From that photo-shoot, I was inspired to create more fantasy art. Years later, Time of the Faeries evolved.

The character and depth of my faeries, evolved from a very poignant moment years ago.  On a trip to Tiajuana, Mexico, I got lost and found myself in the red light district. The streets were lined with young girls, prostituting themselves. Their desolate poses as they stood, waiting for customers, struck me so deeply that I developed the idea of the street faeries: creatures of magick, lost in our urban lifestyle. What I hope people will draw from Time of the Faeries, is that magick exists in our world, even in the grittiest of places. But, at the end of the day, it's about people doing the work, not relying on fantasy or magick. It's about people working as people, to evolve and create, and better themselves, and the world around them.

3. Of the images you’ve created, do you have a favourite? If so, why this particular work?

My favourites change from week to week!  Whichever is the newest, which took the most time and effort, or showed a new change in my style - they all end up favourites, at some point.  Currently, I have ‘The Life Elemental’ on my desktop.  She’s a long-time character that I’ve played with in my head, but never quite realized until now.  Though she represents life, her ultimate destiny is to sacrifice herself.  I like to visit tragedy upon my creations.

4. How is creating fantasy art different from creating other genres?

Truthfully, I’m a science fiction fan first and foremost.  It’s turned out that the storyline I created is more fantasy than science fiction; but I still managed to incorporate science fiction elements, such as time travelling and several apocalypses into it.  For me, it seems that when I create fantasy art, I tap into the emotional side of things, creating visuals that convey an emotion or a mood.  When I create sci-fi art, I’m thinking more about linear events and causality.  It is different, even if my process is the same.

5. What do you find most rewarding in the creative process?

As a photographer, I find the collaborative nature of the work most fulfilling.  Yes, I have characters in mind that I want to photo-shoot, but these characters are created in dialogue with the make-up artist, the stylist, and ultimately, the model.  Every image I create, is a testament to creative collaboration among many talented people.

6. What do you find most challenging, and how do you overcome it?

I seem to have two brains, the writing brain and the visual art brain.  It takes a lot of time and energy for me to switch between writing and working on the next image.  However, Time of the Faeries: Afterlight, demands that I do both; so I struggle to write for a stretch of time, then switch to doing image work.  I try to compartmentalize and prioritize, so that I don’t have to do both at once – because, it just doesn’t work.

7. Tell us a little about how images were created for the ‘Time Of The Faeries’ series.

My artwork is based on collaboration, with the people who model for me. First, we find a person with the “spark” or characteristics that we are looking for. We invite them to do a photo-shoot with us, dress them up, and then spend a few hours shooting and building a character. Finally, it’s time for me to sit at a computer for hours and days building the magick and background, using Photoshop as my artistic tool. It is an intense process for me, and for the models.

8. Evolution seems an inherent facet of fantasy art. What new developments are you aware of, with regards to the application of technology, in this genre?

You know, I used to do this with a film camera?  Do you know how expensive that was?  Then, the digital cameras came out, and Photoshop started getting better and better with each iteration.  My images also started getting bigger, more detailed, and richer in character, with each step of the technological evolution.  I don’t know what the latest development in visual art technology is, but I can tell you that I’m probably going to invest in it, and my art will be directly affected by changes in technology.

9. What advice would you give to artists considering a career in art?

Keep creating.  If you are serious about a career in art, then the best thing you can do is to keep creating.  As you create, you improve your techniques, you find your voice, and you find your style.  This is not an easy career to be in at the best of time, and in a depressed economy, such as our current one, it’s terrifying.  Don’t quit your day job immediately; but that doesn’t mean you can’t create in your free time.  The best advice I was ever given?  This game is called “Last Man Standing” and years later, I’m still standing here, shooting.

10. Tell us a little about any good fantasy art you’ve seen recently.

deviantArt is chocked full of amazing art.  I came across a new favourite, One Vox.  He’s just amazing;  I’m in awe of his “Simikiel”.

11. What do you do, when you’re not being artistic?

I’m a media geek.  I watch every sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero movie anybody cares to put out there.  My walls, shelves, and tabletops are lined with Transformers figures and always have been. I’m a fan; I guess that’s why I create art, because I enjoy this stuff!

12. What aspirations, or reservations, do you have regarding your art being used in film and television?

I love movies.  When I write a story, I write it as if I’m watching a movie, so yes, I would love to see Time of the Faeries as a movie or television series.  We’re working on it!

13. Would you like to see your book adapted for the screen? If so, who would be your director of choice, and why?

Can’t talk about this now, but would LOVE to expound on this at a later date!

14. Describe your art in one sentence.

Bringing reality to fantasy.

15. Where can we find you and your art?

http://www.timeofthefaeries.com

http://www.facebook.com/timeofthefaeries

http://www.twitter.com/timeofthefaerie

http://josephcorsentino.deviantart.com