Artist Spotlight: Reilly Webster
Get to know Oakland-based graphic designer Reilly Webster
Read MoreArtist Spotlight: Amanda Leigh Ponce
By Amanda Leigh Ponce
Amanda Leigh Ponce really does it all. As an actor, graphic designer, and illustrator, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Get to know Amanda and all of her creative endeavours below.
Malaika for Also Cool: How did you get into creative work?
Amanda: I honestly can’t remember a time in my life where I wasn’t participating in something creative. I’ve been dancing since I was a kid and spent most of my childhood inside dance studios. After a back break right before college auditions, followed by illness, I switched gears. I focused on acting while I was recovering, and eventually ended up going to New York City for college to train to be a film actor.
Throughout that entire time, I had been drawing and teaching myself how to use design programs just as a hobby. It wasn’t until I got to New York that I realized that art and design were things I could pursue as a career. A friend of mine had seen some of my work and mentioned that I should set up an online shop.
So I began reaching out to the network I had established as a performer. Many of the theatre companies I’d worked at gave me my very first opportunities as a graphic designer, and really gave me the confidence to begin freelancing.
Amanda Leigh Ponce
Also Cool: Do you have a primary medium?
Amanda: Yeah, it’s definitely changed over the years. I started out trying to act full-time, but being in a smaller market wasn’t sustainable. So now, art and design are my primary mediums, and how I spend most of my day today! Pre-pandemic I was auditioning a lot and going to New York for shoots, but everything came to a halt. I had to pivot and sort of re-assess how I was going to be able to pay my rent, ya know?
AC: I really enjoyed your blog post about the pressure to be productive as a creative during quarantine, and for your work to reflect the current times. Do you still feel that way now, and if so, how do you manage these expectations?
Amanda: Thank you. It was kind of cathartic to write, to be honest. I definitely still feel that pressure a little bit. I’m trying to learn how to give myself some grace and to not force myself to create out of an expectation. As a generally anxious person, I think I do that to myself a lot.
Since May, when I initially wrote that post, I’ve really been working on not stretching myself too thin. Setting actual work hours, allowing myself to pursue the projects and hobbies that bring me joy, scheduling out my social media weeks in advance so that it’s not even something I have to think about. Doing what I can to support and lift the voices of other Black and BIPOC artists who have the energy to create in that way has also been important to me.
I’m very slowly beginning to realize that my productivity and output do not define my human worth. The more I lean into that, the better I feel all around.
By Amanda Leigh Ponce
AC: Who are your creative inspirations?
Amanda: Oh gosh, there are so many different people, but some I can think of off of the top of my head are Hsiao-Ron Cheng, Corinna Dodenhoff, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, in particular, have had a significant impact on how I see colour and composition.
AC: I love your fake film posters! What are some of your favourite films, and why?
Amanda: Thank you! I love working on alternate posters, it’s always a fun way to pay homage to movies that I love. Right now, I’m kind of obsessed with Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. I thought it was really thrilling and beautifully shot and I’ve watched it multiple times now and have noticed something new with each viewing, which I love. Another film that I think is just so visually stunning that I know a lot of people hated, lol, but that I will always have a soft spot for is Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. The soundtrack, the cinematography, the costume and makeup design, it’s really just a visual treat and I really love highly stylized pieces like that.
By Amanda Leigh Ponce
AC: In your opinion, what makes a good poster?
Amanda: Whether or not it grabs my attention. It’s a weirdly simple answer but that’s kind of the point, right? Movie key art exists to get audiences excited/intrigued about what’s to come. So if it makes me really stop to take it in, it’s done it’s job. I think a lot of posters sort of fall into the same basic composition/fonts/etc. and I definitely feel like those are less likely to catch my eye.
AC: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a freelance artist? What would your advice be to others who are trying to figure out how the freelance world works?
Amanda: Honestly, that there’s enough work to go around for everyone. I’m so lucky to have a circle of incredibly creative friends and colleagues, and I find the more that you’re willing to support other artists (even if they’re your ‘competitors’) the more support that comes back your way, and then you’re really able to begin creating a community that you can lean on, which I think for me as a freelancer has been absolutely vital.
The other major lesson that I think every freelancer has to learn in their own time, is to know what your art is worth, and not budge on it. Figuring out my rates (and not being bullied into changing them once they were established) was a huge game changer for me.
As far as advice goes, I would just say don’t be afraid to shoot your shot. I’ve sent out countless numbers of ‘cold emails’ with my work to brands/companies that I would love to work with. And while most of the time it doesn’t work out, sometimes it does, and they wouldn’t have known me from any other artists out there if I hadn’t taken the time to do that. Of course with that being said, you need to make sure that you’re prepared and have a solid portfolio of work to show people, but ultimately I’ve found that most people are pretty open to this because artist and designers are problem solvers.
Also - and this shouldn’t be that surprising but - be kind! Firm, but kind. It will help you to navigate all of the different types of personalities that you’ll come in contact with doing freelance work.
By Amanda Leigh Ponce
AC: Finally, is there anything you want to promote or shout out right now? How can we can best support you?
Amanda: I would love if you checked out my website (amcoart.com) and gave me a follow on Instagram (instgram.com/leigh.corbett). For whatever reason, the amount of followers you have seems to “legitimize” artists in the eyes of some brands, so that’s super helpful for me as I continue trying to branch into the crazy world of brand partnerships. I also post cute cat pics! I’ve been selling prints of my work on Society6 for a long time and recently launched a store where I’m selling prints directly through my website, plus I have some tee-shirts available through Hot Topic! A visit through my website (to the ‘shop’ link) will direct you to all of those places!
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Rico Montaño on Colombian Graphic Design, Freelancing During Quarantine & Chimbites
Design by Rico Rica for Cuarenteca
Rico: My name is Rico, and I'm never in one place for too long. I’m currently based in Barcelona, but grew up in Colombia, and lived in Canada for 13 years. I love my culture, I love colours, and I love people.
I go back to Colombia as much as I can, and I take many of my photos there. A lot of my work is documentary or editorial. I mostly photograph people I love and the people I collaborate with, and I always shoot with film. I love analog. Even in my design practice, I love starting with a painting or a drawing and then it becomes something else.
Design by Rico Rica
Malaika Astorga for Also Cool Mag: Who inspires you for graphic design, and why?
Rico: I take a lot of inspiration from things that aren't graphic design. Growing up in such colourful streets in Barranquilla made me become almost obsessive about colours. Luis Barragan is a big inspiration (he was in his turn inspired by North African architecture). His book on emotional architecture "Obra Construida" really resonated with me, so I dedicated a semester to studying his work and did a three-part book about it.
My dad was my first exposure to graphic design, without realizing it. He's obsessed with stamps. He has a lot from Colombia from the 1940-50s and 1800s as well. I didn't understand why he liked them so much when I was younger. Now that I'm trying to find more Colombian graphic design, I go to them for inspiration and plan on making zines to document them.
I truly admire the work of Ramon Tejada and Jerome Harris on decolonizing design and documenting African-American/Latinx work in our field. I’m also really inspired by Leah Maldonado’s take on typography and education. These days I’m really into 3D typography, early 2000’s internet art and anything that shines.
“Ver, Leer, Sentir” on Luis Barragan by Rico Rica
AC: How have you been able to find your style?
Rico: My style has always been really colourful. Quarantine has helped me get out of all the practices that have been in my head from school. I think I just had to go the complete opposite way. I'm still exploring, I'm experimenting with, for example, how many textures and gradients I can add to something.
Design by Rico Rica for Nox Lounge
Design by Rico Rica for Nox Lounge
AC: How are you managing your freelance work? How have you been able to figure out balancing it with your routine?
Rico: Balance is a big word. (laughs) I think the most challenging part has been balancing mental health and freelancing.
AC: Well, you seem very like on top of things.
Rico: I'm trying. I think something that's helped to get the ball rolling over the years has been building up a network of other artists and collaborators. That way, we're working together, and I don't take all the responsibility on myself.
I enjoy coordinating in general, getting people together, or building a team for a project. It's something I'm slowly starting to do more, and spending less time on the details of the project.
Social Distancing campaign by Rico Rica x Florient Aniorte
AC: What are you working on right now?
Rico: I'm working on a collaborative project called Chimbites with my friend Julicore from Bogota and a community of Latinx artists in Montreal. It's an intersectional Latinx Artist Network, focused on encouraging collaboration, community building and solidarity within the Queer Latinx Immigrant community and Latinx artists in Latin America.
The initial idea came up in April and is finally coming to fruition with our digital event on September 11th. It will be a fundraiser and a collective performance in solidarity of two organizations: Taking What We Need and Dos Latinas.
The event will showcase artists from the Latinx community and allies performing to raise funds for various organizations, aiming to support Femme, Trans, Two-Spirit and Marginalized communities in Canada and Colombia.
Chimbites will happen in two parts: a Mixcloud Livestream, showcasing short films, music sets and performances, and a Zoom afterparty with Club Quarantine.
Taking What We Need is an informal volunteer-run community group dedicated to helping trans women, trans-feminine (AMAB), and Two-Spirit people get what they need through discretionary funding, primarily in Tio'Tia:ke-Montreal.
Dos Latinas is an organization that provides food, basic hygiene products, contraceptive care and sexual education workshops that seek to protect women in marginalized territories in Colombia. Their work is crucial throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as the number of unwanted pregnancies augmented, and the poverty situation is worse than ever before.
Menstrual cups and contraceptives will be sent to the womxn in Baru, Colombia, and their neighbouring islands. Food baskets will be sent to the Afro-Colombian community in the urban Palenque in the city of Barranquilla.
AC: It's really cool to see how you integrate community into your creative practices. Do you think that this is something that you want to continue, like past this event and into the future as well?
Rico: Definitely. It's attracted people from all around the world, who are a part of the Latinx community. There's a lot of interest in participating in the next one.
We want to keep using this platform to collaborate, creatively, or even find and allocate funds. We're also not exclusive to Latinx people only. Anyone can help, and we encourage non-Black people to help by opening up their wallets and donating.
Design by Rico Rica
AC: Is there anything else you'd like to put out into the world right now? Advice or otherwise?
Rico: I feel like this article is a bit of a goodbye letter to Montreal. My last advice is to follow your gut feeling and to listen a lot.
Ensure that your intentions are in the right place and that you're listening to the community around you. Listening to the people, you're trying to help. If you're in a position of power, delegate it. As hard as that can seem for some people, it's an important thing to do.
Set boundaries for your time and take care of your mental health. Take care of yourself and your friends more than anything.
Rico
🥂𝐸𝓍𝓅𝑜/𝒫𝑒𝓇𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒🥂via MixCloud
SHORT FILMS
Eléctrica Rogil @edsoniebla Tupamara Alta @La_crymoso
FASHION PERFORMANCES
Rastros de Amor @posadas.apparatus CoctelCancer @analcancer2009 Neus Lakraviadus @neagonorrea @_lakras_ @otrusextraviadus Chimbites Collab: @viasus_ x @culonahigh
WARM-UP with @Yoggaton
MUSIC SETS
@jas_h_im x @accept__cookies, @deidre.opal9 x @teozamudio, @lomaasbello (live), @isabellalovestory (live), @climatecollapse x @us3rname2, @__jerico_____ x @custoblanch,
Chimbites Collab: @teykirisi x @metacyber.s.a
🥂𝒜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓎: @clubquarantine🥂via Zoom
LINEUP
@tayhana_ @k.hole_kardashian @laguapiss @phaedramu @akadjmilf @anpob
The winners of the Raffles we have with @earthnotescents, @lmbainofficial and @arielledepinto will be announced during the event!
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How Warm.Up.Project Keeps Creativity Flowing In Quarantine
Via Warm.Up.Project
Malaika for Also Cool: Who is Warm Up Project? How did it get started?
Jean David: Warm.Up.Project is a daily collaborative project between me (Jean-David) and Louis.
It started after I was forced to come back from my three-month trip in Asia due to Corona. I felt like I needed to transfer my energy into something creative, to forge a habit and release stuff without overthinking. I wanted to create music on a daily basis, and I immediately thought about asking Louis to collaborate for visuals. At first he said: “Ok let me think how I can pull this off without investing six hours a day into it,” to which I replied, “Think about it and let’s talk tomorrow”
I woke up the next day to 25 messages from him. I felt his excitement and determination. We posted the first collaboration two days later, and now we have more than 50 posts, with more to come!
Via Warm.Up.Project
Also Cool: What are your backgrounds? The combination of your visuals & music choice is stunning. I definitely binge-scrolled through your account when I first found it.
Jean-David: I’ve always been in the audio and music industry. I took art classes here and there for fun, but I’ve worked in recording studios all my life. Throughout the years I’ve collaborated with a lot of talented artists, creatives, directors and international brands. I’ve always thought that music and visual art were meant to enhance each other. I am super grateful that I met Louis, and after all these years it was time for me to finally release music regularly and share my passion with the world!
Louis: I had a three years cegep program in graphic design, and then got into freelance work by sheer luck! I met like-minded people and started doing more projects in animation, while still keeping and evolving my taste in graphic design. I met Jean-David some years ago from afar, and always considered him to be a genuinely talented guy. So I was flattered when he came to me with this project. The more we work together, the more we realize how connected our visions are! We really respect each other's work, and we are stunned how sometimes our inspirations match up perfectly. There have definitely been a few moments of “DUDE it was meant to be!!”
Via Warm.Up.Project
AC: Have you always been interested in combining arts and music? How does that manifest in your life outside of this project?
Jean-David: Yes! Like I said earlier, for me it’s a great combination that I think we need more of! Adding eye-catching visual effects to the emotional aspect of music is so powerful. Geometry, colors, perspective and compositions have always been important for me visually, and Louis understands that, making for a great artistic connection between the two of us!
Louis: In animation, rhythm plays a crucial role. Good music is a driving force to push the visuals further. I like fixed images without any sound too, you have more time to really analyze the art. It’s like photography versus cinema. But in the end, a specific moment that moves both in image and sound is really powerful to me.
AC: Who are your favourite artists right now? Both musicians and visual artists?
Jean-David’s favourite musicians: Rival Consoles @rivalconsoles Superpoze @superpoze_ Olafur Arnalds @olafurarnalds
Favourite visual artists: Charlotte Taylor (Dello Studio) @dellostudio Alexis Christodoulou @teaaalexis Sean Meilak @seanmeilak David Umemoto @david_umemoto
Louis’ favourite musicians: Yussef Dayes @yussefdayes Daniel Caesar @danielcaesar Jordan Rakei @jrakz Skinshape @skinshapemusic Yves Jarvis @yvesjarvis Lianne La Havas @liannelahavas
Favourite visual artists: Linus Lohoff @linuslohoff Lou @holalou Jeremy Rieger @jprgd Romain Loubersanes @romainloubersanes Rafael Araujo @rafaeldearauj0 Violaine et Jérémy @violaineetjeremy
Via Warm.Up.Project
AC: How have you been keeping up motivation to be creative during quarantine?
By “forcing” ourselves to create something new everyday! We created a habit and it’s the greatest decision. Sometimes it’s hard and you feel like you’re not coming up with anything right, but if you just try, there’s always something good out of it. It’s so satisfying to see the accumulation of our work!
Also, we agreed that this project should always stay fun, not stressful. If there’s days where we don’t have time or we are simply not feeling it, we skip it and come back stronger the next day.
Being two in this project means that we can always push each other, it’s really energizing! The people who appreciate and support our work with amazing feedback is a strong fuel too. It’s all about the people around us in the end!
AC: What’s the best way to directly support this project, and both of you as artists?
If you like and enjoy what we do on warm.up.project, you are welcome to share with your network! It’s always good to know that people can enjoy our art and it resonates with them.
Jean-David: I’ll be releasing an album this year and I am super excited! I also just launched a new company called “Supersavant.” It's the apogee of my knowledge and experience in the audio and music industry + my determination to create and support local talent. I can’t wait to invite you to the launch party!
Louis: My goal is to create work with and for genuinely awesome people with collective, ambitious and cultural projects. So spreading the word helps me get to them, wherever and whoever they are!
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Artist Spotlight: Fatima Jimenez
Image by Fatima Jimenez
Today’s aritst spotlight is on Fatima Jimenez, a Los Angeles based graphic artist. She shared her colourful lyric visualizations with us, and chatted about her graphic design inspirations.
Also Cool Mag: Tell us about your graphic design work & how you got into it.
Fatima Jimenez: Hi! I'm Fatima, but all my friends call me Fat. I am a graphic artist. I mix my love of music, film, and television with my love of typography and colour. It actually took me a while to realize my passion for graphic design. When I was younger, I was doing "graphic design" without even knowing it on MS Paint or Powerpoint. Believe it or not, I had no idea what Adobe was until I got to college. Based on what I had learned in school, I had this idea that graphic design was just branding work for others. I did that kind of work here and there, and still do, but I never did it for fun.
I wanted to practice and play around on Adobe Creative Cloud programs. So, last year, I started a project called The Audiofiles. This project was the beginning of my journey as a true graphic artist. Every day I'm learning something new, and I'm really just having fun with it. Whatever happens, happens!
Image by Fatima Jimenez
AC: Have you always wanted to be a graphic designer, or do you experiment with other mediums as well?
Fatima: I'm the type of person who wants to try everything. I've experimented with writing, photography, web design, painting, DJing, drawing, video editing, nail art, but graphic design is my focus right now. I still do most of those practices for fun, except for web design; I studied that in college and absolutely hated it.
Image by Fatima Jimenez
AC: What's the story behind your quotes in this series? How did you choose the songs/movies for each quote?
Fatima: I love music, film, and television. It's a way of connecting all my favourite things, using a medium I'm comfortable with. A lot of the quotes are from my favourite songs, movies, and TV shows. If a quote stands out to me, I use it! Sometimes I'll be listening to a song or be watching a movie, and when I hear a line I really like, I get to work right away. I can't live without my Notes app, and I have a ton of lyrics and quotes saved for later.
AC: Who are some of your graphic design inspirations right now?
Fatima: @subliming.jpg, @polygon1993, @ericaofanderson, @roycranston, @mad.leif, @mimizhuxiyuan, @yourbuddymeg, @markyoder.designs, and @mishko.co
AC: Where can we keep up to date with your work?
Fatima: Follow me on Instagram at @babyfat_, but I'm really hoping to be able to get rid of that underscore soon!
Fatima Jimenez
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