Every Monday, a new artist will be profiled for your reading pleasure. This week, we're talking to a mixed media artist who is making a mark in New York City!
Suite101: Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to share with Suite101.com's Mixed Media Art topic! In another interview you and I worked on together, you mention your interest with working with mixed media. Could you tell us how you pick your materials and which ones you tend to use the most?
Dan-ah: For mixed media pieces I usually choose papers for color and texture, then base the rest of the piece off of that scheme. I try out color palettes, layer the papers, cut them into shapes that provide as the set or landscape, the mood. Then comes the drawing and painting on top, adding the characters, and lastly I piece the story together with a needle and thread. I love sewing it together at the end, adding that last detail- it feels like closure to the process.
Suite101: Your website and etsy shop is full of such wonderful work, I'm sure visitors return time and time again (I know I do!). How often do you update your pictures? Do you find you're selling out of items quicker than you can update your content?
Dan-ah: I do feel like I don't update with new work often enough. I also try not to post everything I make, just to keep some work private. And I'd rather not have needing to sell prints be the motivator for wanting to do art.
Suite101: What are your long term career goals? Do you see yourself switching modes or are you comfortable with sticking with what you're doing now for awhile?
Dan-ah: To keep working on film sets (in the art department), as it's a job with so much potential and constantly facing new challenges and meeting creative people. Working on films can get so consuming though that it turns into a lifestyle rather than just a job. Illustration wise I think my career is very young and I have a long way to go before starting to feel comfortable. There's also plenty of potential for growth for an illustrator, from working commercially to children's books, and I'm a long way off before having tried it all (I suppose that's the long term career goal). Something I'd love to do very much
is travel more, whether to work abroad or to have shows.
Suite101: Readers here like learning about new projects and they like to keep themselves constantly inspired. When was the last time you learned something completely new to you, as an artist, and what did you learn?
Dan-ah: For awhile I was getting restless and frustrated being in my room all day and trying to force new pictures out of my hands, and realized that it's dishonest trying to make work joylessly just because it's what I should be doing. Besides it doesn't work and a lot of needless thumb twiddling and chocolate eating happens! Instead of trying to draw for the sake of having a new piece, I'd do something like go to the park with a friend, collect fallen branches and take them to the rooftop to spray paint and then tie fabric to. Just doing something, anything, crafty and playing with materials I don't work with everyday.
Suite101: I've noticed you've sold quite a few items from your etsy.com shop. Do you have any words of wisdom to share with others trying to sell their work as to how to achieve some success?
Dan-ah: You can do what you love and wait for other people to come around, but it doesn't help very much. Honestly, anytime my store did well it was usually through the kindness of another website or blog posting my artwork and incidentally promoting my store. Then being respectful to customers and hopefully they spread the word on your site. I suppose self-promotion is key for independent artists, and being savvy on the business end as well as working on the quality of your art. Always helps to submit to websites, magazines, and pursue other opportunities.
To view Dan-ah's work, visit this link: Dan-ah Kim Art
To purchase Dan-ah's, visit this link: Dan-ah Kim's Etsy
