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Spotlight Artist Jan 2010

Jan Spotlight artist of the Month: AliF King

V2W 24 Questions

1.Who is your #1 supporter?

I'd say my elder sister cuz since day one she has been pushing me to expand and share my art. My fiancé should also be my number 1 supporter cuz she seems more proud of what I do than I do myself, when I told her about a year ago that I was thinking about giving up all that drawing stuff I just felt scared like that author in “Misery” hahaha!!!

2. What advice would you give someone who wants to be an artist?

I don't really consider myself as an artist, I'm more like an artist in a making so it's hard to give advices to people. First of all you got to feel what you create, observe what surrounds you, and listen to your insights, all that art stuff is more about feelings and perseverance.

3. Who inspired you?

Nobody... everybody... as a teenager I was drawing just like a competitor, a contestant, I couldn't bare having a friend, a neighbor or anyone drawing better than me... that was dumb but it helped me upgrade my art. Discovering great artists such as Mike Thompson was a real plus in my skills.

4. What do you do to get your creative juices flowing?

Just let it come, when I try to force my creations I just make some tasteless art.

5. What inspires you to create?

I'd say creative people and life... anyone/anything that lightens something in my heart, pieces of art that talk directly to my soul, music, my own thoughts...

6. What are your aspirations?

I just want to get better, being able to be proud after finishing an artwork, and of course being recognized as a gifted artist by other gifted artists.

7. Are there any future projects that you’re currently working on?

I'm thinking about one but hush...

8. Where are you from?

I was born in Senegal, lived in Ethiopia, raised and grown up in France...

9. What are you most proud of, out of all your artwork?

I'd say my father's portrait. He past away in 2000 after a long hard year of illness and that drawing just made me reminisce all that time, not that I have forgotten all the sadness of that period, nor that I feel better now but adulthood, professional lifetime just distracts people from thinking about the lost ones. It ain't my best artwork and it has many mistakes in it but while drawing it I realized that I was forgetting some details of his face. I'm proud of this one because it's one of my most personal, intimate artworks.

10. If there is one thing you could change about yourself, what would it be?

Getting back the imagination and the patience I had back in the days, when I was a teenager. I'm more skilled now but I was more imaginative then...

11. What do you like about your talent?

Don't know, I just like drawing... maybe the fact that it makes me look special for some people...

12. What’s the feeling you get after completing a project?

“AT LEEAAAST!!!!” it's what I feel anytime I finish an artwork... I feel quite satisfied and completed for about an hour when it's done and then I start noticing the mistakes and all that I could have done better and then I feel disappointed...

13. What’s the best thing your talent has done for you?

Made me meet really interesting people.

14. What do you like about being a V2W artist?

As I already said creative people inspires me, so being surrounded by them and facing their judgment is the best think to make me upgrade.

15. Are you the only creative one in your family?

My father used to play the guitar, my lil' sis' and bros are having fun with that painting and drawing stuff but I am the only one who made it that far.

16. What is your favorite quote?

“On n'a pas le même vécu”, we don't have the same life/experiences... I use that sentence so often! I won't judge who you are and you shouldn't judge who I am cause we are not facing the same life... all we can do is to advice each other with our one experiments. Even if it sounds dumb I like to use that quote.

17. If there is one thing you want to be known for, what would it be?

I don't really care, maybe being a righteous man and, as I said before, being known as a talented artist.

18. At what age did you start?

Just like everybody, since the first time I handled a pen. I remember that about 4 or 5 years old I used to draw on everything : papers, books, tables, toys, walls, ceilings, over my bed, under my bed, anywhere, anytime... my parents were getting crazy I guess!

19. How long do you see yourself being an artist?

As long as I remember I've been drawing so I guess that I will be drawing, painting till my last breath (if my hands and my eyes let me create till then).

20. What mediums do you choose to work with?

Anything that is under my hands when the inspiration is there..

21. What is your favorite artwork that you’ve created?

I'd say the angry Santa one.

22. Why is it your favorite?

Cause it's my last artwork and it's quite exactly like I imagined it would look like.

23. How long does it take you to create?

It depends of the complexity of the piece, depends of the materials I use, depends of the free time I have...

24. At what time of the day do you get inspired to create?

Mostly during the nighttime, love to create when everything is quiet around me, just me, my music and my artwork...

Thanks for letting us Pick your brain AliF King.

Click here to go to AliF King Page.

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