Vine is an amazing platform for creative people like you and I to try new and ways to showcase our creativity. I am constantly amazed with what I find on Vine. Every time I open the app I see something unique that impresses me. Browsing the app gives me new life as an artist and sparks ideas. There’s so much creativity, personality, and heart out there. Hopefully you’ll start adding yours to the mix. Here are some creative Vines that I really like. Watch, follow, and get inspired to do something new.

post by Chris Collins

“My visual designs transcend the hustle and bustle of everyday life to introduce a fresh mix of dream worlds, far away places and the nooks and crannies of nature worthy of any place on earth, or elsewhere. And musical sensibility for the more subtle energy of patterns, textures and colours…”

“This serie is my favorite piece, before getting to it, I was trying hard with searching, looking, listening ; everything and people.  I was mistaken, somethings were wrong or different. Everywhere was full of data and contents, I was understanding for sure but all of them never reached essence of me. While creating this serie, that journey made me to totally get everything, almost like with Baudrillard saying : ‘Everything is to be discovered, everything to be obliterated.’”

“I was drawing mustache onto politicians faces in newspaper when I was 3 or 5, curiosity and modifying things had found new ways while I was growing up. At university, I’ve started to study photography and video but couldn’t stand on the one medium. I don’t choose a medium at first, when the image comes into being on my head, it chooses it’s own way.”

“Open your mind to everything. I mean ‘ everything ‘. Even it’s based on opposite being of yours. Discover it, even if you have to destroy it into little pieces. Understand it with it’s existence. After this, I believe you’ll find yourself with modifying it in your ways.”

“Firstly, The idea attach me in someways, it happens just like shake your hand. And I become have no hideaway, imagining or hearing it during the daily life. When it gives a signal to inform me that’s getting ready, chooses it’s own way, I hang onto my pens, sound or camera and try to make it real.”

“Sometimes people write me, including friends, they say “how hypnotic thing that you’ve done to me” or something like “you gave me peace and I started to think about my humble daily life” This is nearly enough for me…”

“Black and White occurred to me so early with personal memories, I realized while I was growing up; all works that I’ve made was about giving a message or a little peace to unaware people whose rights have been denied, without questioning. Understanding the hotchpotch of ideas onto people’s perception, forced me to find many communication ways. For my view, experimenting these ways is a success itself.”

“Living is the greatest joy.”

Work © Asu Ceren Yazgan // website / bandcamp

Quotes taken from email conversations with the artist.

“As beautiful as it is to achieve evoking a deeply sad emotion within someone through imagery, I’d always like there to be a lighter, positive emotion that envelopes my pictures and the eyes which see them. I always want what I’m doing to be a positive movement. There are some careers which only have a negative impact on the world, be it a small or large scale. I feel with creating beautiful pictures and documenting precious detail, my outlet while I’m on the earth can only be warm and happy and lovely. I don’t wish to hurt anyone, simply. So if i could control my future, that is the one thing I’d like to be certain of; to bring goodness and give only goodness.”

“I capture it by not just seeing it, but feeling it.”

“It all has been the greatest. and i think it all always will be. Even the struggles are the greatest, they are shaping me as much as success and happiness are shaping me.”

“I have to burn the creative energy I have swirling like crazy around my insides… it’s madness. In an instant I can loose it too, though. so I hold onto it when it’s filling me up and I go out and execute my ideas and plan the next things I have been dreaming of in a frenzy before i hollow out again.”

“What keeps me going is my mindless need to do it. There is no process or logic or divine purpose, it is reckless and spontaneous and I can’t reign it in with control (as much as i’d like to sometimes).”

“So I must. it’s what i am here for, it’s what I am breathing for.”

“I really love everyone I’ve worked with so far, they’ve all had such a spark of good nature and warmth and I think that’s what attracts me to them in the first place. because you can feel that in pictures.”

“I can read emotion in people’s eyes in their pictures. so I steer clear of models who exude that arrogant air, they stand out harshly because of that and I find it hard to imagine photographing them, let alone actually doing so. I would never choose a model (I personally find uninteresting) based on status or reputation to get me further or to get me more ‘noticed’ because we need that connection…”

“If I can’t feel it, I lose passion and enthusiasm for the pictures we are taking together. Because it is a ‘together’ process. It’s not them posing like a stiff board so I can get some shots, it’s something they can give to me, and I can give to them.”

“Light and colour and texture are just so delicious, it feeds my soul more than anything else, and to capture them feels like bottling sunlight and keeping it under your pillow; glowing warmth that is yours to keep now, but also yours to share. Photography is how I share beauty and give something beautiful to others, strangers or lovers, when everything else I do fails me.”

“Every story is just different and mine is approached freely and energetically.”

“The first step is being happy with the lighting of my images so that it is already emulating the feel I want for the picture in the first place, before I’ve begun editing. the rest is minor tweaks with curves. On average I work on an image for 5-10 minutes. I just have rich colours and shades that I really love, so I bring them out in an image, but never force it. I make sure they’re there in the first place. my aesthetic is nothing excessively contrasted and stark, or neon and saturated in colour. nothing too artificial, I like to keep things feeling very real.”

“Retouching depends on the feel and style of the set of images. For instance, work that is more fashion heavy, the model’s skin is flawless in the final image. for my usual work, and especially with my new series ‘with earth’ which is very raw, there is little to no retouching involved. the difference is knowing where it’s necessary, and knowing where you should leave it alone.”

“It would be great to see photography go back to its roots a little more. have it more about the subject, the content, the emotion, the patience, the imperfection.. that split second instant that determines whether a photograph is good, or phenomenal. all of the aspects that make photography a craft, that’s what I would like to see recognised again. These days if something doesn’t work out for a photographer (and i’m not tarring everyone with the same brush here, it’s an example only) they’re happy to photoshop the missing link(s) in. The outcome may be beautiful, yes, but it is not genuine. the artist behind it then begins to fall into the medium of digital artist, rather than photographer. again, let me say, the patience behind photography is just as much the ‘art’ of it as taking a wonderful picture is. it’s about not settling for an okay shot when you could wait a week for the right time and have it turn out perfectly.

It excites me to see that there seems to be a lot of celebration for the art of photography at the moment in youth. a lot of teens are picking up their cameras and putting down their phones. i think image collective sites such as Tumblr and Pinterest have really helped that enthusiasm grow, where kids start realising that they’re not just appreciating the object or the cute boy in the picture, but they’re appreciating the picture itself for being simply beautiful and perfect in their eyes.”

Work © Laura Marii // website / blog / flickr / facebook

Quotes taken from email conversations with the artist.

A self portrait by Laura

Music selections by Laura:

My name is Elaine Williams and I am currently a final year art student in Aberystwyth. My work often varies in medium which i think can make it difficult to define simply but probably the best way to describe it would be ‘girly’, as vague as that sounds.

The way i draw my girls can be a bit repetitive; they often have the same face, the same sort of mannerisms. sometimes they are solitary and sometimes they are crowded together in one image. I’m not sure if they are all different people… I like that that doesn’t really matter.

There are lots of themes that I have in mind when I paint: escapism; rejection of real life society and the invention of a new one where the rules of ours are irrelevant questioning innocence and exploring the blurred boundaries between childhood and womanhood….and cats. cats are pretty important.

NS: We found your work and noticed that you have some strong contrast in style. A lot of your more recent work is light, colorful, pastel, and delicate. Some of your older work is extremely dark. Did something change for you?

EW: I’ve never really thought about it like that, but yes i’ve changed a lot! The drawings on my society 6 are from a time when i was very isolated so my work then was about that and about the environment in which i felt comfortable at the time. since then i’ve nearly completed three years at university and i’ve grown in confidence a lot. My work is a lot freer and brighter, now, but it’s still coming from the same sort of place.

One other thing that contributed to a change of style was taking illustration for a semester. There was a big focus on high detail accurate drawing, referenced from life, which put me off the whole thing and my drawing style began to simplify immediately after the module ended.

What’s your process like? We love how in some of your works, detail is implied. It almost looks smudgy. How do you get this effect?

For drawing it’s all very familiar… my hand moves automatically to form the shapes of the faces i draw. Painting is more exciting because a lot of it is just figuring out how to paint. The last painting i did has several layers of completely different colours and images over which i’ve added paint and added new figures until i’ve found something i’m happy with. I’ve been having a lot more fun since i started working on a larger scale – the process is much more experimental and more energetic than my smaller drawings. It’s all lots of just slapping on paint and seeing what works.

What’s your favorite thing to draw/paint? We see a lot of girls/hair/cute things/etc.

I can remember drawing girls all the way back in primary school. I’ve added a few other things to my favourites since then, such as cats, cute underwear, plants… it’s all about creating a sort of ideal environment; everything is very dreamy. It’s a fantasy, but it also just isolates all the best bits from everyday life.

Do you make products or shirts? How does fashion come into play (if at all)?

I really want to make t-shirts! I have lots of little day dreams about making underwear and dresses with my drawings on them and I’ll definitely try it out soon, but I’ve got to see my current painting project through to the end first before I go getting distracted by other things. I have made a few little things already though, like brooches, hair clips and stickers, which are available in my shop.

Many of your characters seem bashful/hurt/shy and are sometimes exposed (even nude). Where does this come from? Is there some sort of reason for this expression?

I guess that suits my personality; I often seem to come across to people as being quite timid, even when I don’t feel that way… but lately, my girls are all quite expressionless, aren’t they? If they look sombre, then part of it is that drawing smiling faces usually makes me cringe… but i think they’re all just getting on with their own thing and there’s no need for them to stop and smile for the camera or anything like that. The nudity is about vulnerability, but also comfort and how those two things go together.

We found you through our member Nadine Carina. She said you are working together. Are you doing an album cover or something? Have you worked with other artists/musicians/businesses?

Yes! Nadine used one of my images for the cover of her new cassette. I’ve never collaborated with anyone in that way before, so it was really great for that to happen and I’d love to work more with her and others in the future.

Work © Elaine Williams // tumblr / cargo collective / etsy

I have been attempting to understand myself ever since. Photography for me is about self expression more than anything else. My focus nowadays is to better understand my style and grow upon it. I’m also involved in theatrical direction and hoping to make the leap to moving image soon!

NS: Pick a favorite photo or two and talk about the process of creating it. Why is the image important to you?

LM: I shot this image around four years ago when I first started photographing. Although it isn’t part of my portfolio, it’s an image I will most certainly never forget the hard work and luck involved.

It was shot at Bournemouth beach, on the south coast of England during a cold autumn’s day. We put the model, all chained up in the water and without realising the strength of the waves, I had to shoot with the camera pointing down above my head. I wasn’t looking through the lens. Also, I had three assistants helping to block the strong sun and its reflection on the water. The model wasn’t at all comfortable and I only had the chance to take two frames. Upon reaching the beach, presuming that it hadn’t worked out, I took a look at what we had shot and there it was, the shot – perfectly exposed and without any unwanted reflection!

We love the colors and tone in your photos. Can you talk about your process in getting these looks? Do you use a lot of lighting effects or editing?

Thanks! Well, since starting analysing images while studying at the Arts University College at Bournemouth, I feel in love almost immediately at how light could convey, enhance and create a feeling by itself in an image. I started experimenting, with off-camera flashguns, to achieve certain effects and contrasts I would see in other images. It’s funny actually, in the beginning my images were very soft and I often tended to desaturate colours. With time, I have changed to work with more lights and more colours. All is achieved on set, and yea, played around a bit in post production.

Can you talk about your education. You studied both photography and sociology, correct? How have the two connected for you?

I began studying sociology, anthropology and philosophy at sixteen. Yep, pretty deep. I have always been hugely interested in our behaviour and emotional responses. At 17 I decided to leave college and apply for an intense one year course in Photography. I was accepted at one of the leading institutions in England, the AUCB, and there I spent the year studying and shooting every single day of the year. I would spend 10 hours a day working on projects.

For me, everything is connected. And I really mean everything. It is crucial for every creative person, by saying creative I mean everyone who is aware of his or hers creative instincts, to realise that everything inflicts on our ability to perceive and express.
Now that I am beginning to express myself in other mediums I find that my past studies have really helped me understand people develop my ideas.

What fashion inspiration drives your work? Do you read certain blogs or magazines? What other photographers do you follow?

Pretty much everything inspires me and by that, my work. I check daily various blogs and magazines to see what’s happening outside my front door. It’s for our benefit that we can today access so much information with so much ease. Although we take it for granted, it’s wondeful how we be in contact with so much art with the Internet!

I follow various photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier, Koray Birand, Solve Sudsbon, Sebastian Kim, David Sims, Peter Lindbergh. Well, only to mention very few!

We ask this of everyone: What advice can you give to the aspiring artists in our society hoping to get where you are today? What about living a creative life is important to you?

I think the most important thing is for every aspiring artist to imagine they are a sponge and absorb everything around them – go back to being a baby and look around with grandiose questionable eyes. Ask questions, strive for new answers, challenge opinions with your own instinct, back up all information you have and be brave! Everyone has at least one hidden gem inside of them; I believe it to be essential for us to break free from the barriers we create in our minds and take the leap of courage to create what we want and feel is right.

And please, don’t tell me you want to be different! That is utter rubbish, be yourself and that way you will most definitely be different. It’s natural.

Oh by the way, I am developing my first experimental short film. It was all shot on an ipad as I’d like to inspire others to look at producing independent short films with whatever available mediums they might have. And not to limit themselves or their creativity to expensive cameras as a means to produce independent work.

Work © Lucca // website / facebook / twitter

Mattias Adolfsson is a successful freelance illustrator from Sweden who has been commissioned by the New York Times Magazine, The Onion, Spotify, and published a book of his art entitled ”The First in line, from the sketchbooks of Mattias Adolfsson.” His drawings feature infectious characters, fantastical worlds, sci-fi elements, and gentle, pleasing colors. We spotted Mattias and had to get in touch. Lucky for us, he agreed to do a short interview with the Nonsense Society. Read on to hear about this career, experience, and see some of his work.

NS: How did you get started as an artist? Is this something you’ve been doing since childhood? Please expand on how art has influenced you growing up and maturing.

MA: Well I have had a rather unfocused career starting studying to be an engineer, I was rather gifted in mathematics so it felt like a safe bet. I loved the math part but wasn’t to interested in the engineering part of the education. Taking a break from higher education a worked with some crude computer generated imagery before trying Architecture instead switching half way to a master in fine arts in graphic design. I fell in love with 3d modelling and animation during the time in college and spent the better part of ten years after graduating in the game industry. So it was deep in the dungeons that I suddenly felt fed up with creating on the computer that I broke free five years ago instead opting for a career in Illustration.

Your pieces are so fantastical. We get lost in them. Where do these inspirations and concepts come from? Are there other artists who inspire you?

Not sure where I get the inspiration sure there is probably other artist that inspires me but I tend to spend little time looking on other artists work (sorry) I get a lot of inspiration from listening to music and online lectures apart from stuff I saw while growing up.

Why do you draw such incredible pieces in sketchbooks so often? What draws you to the sketchbook and not to a larger canvas?

Well I’m thinking of switching from sketchbooks, but one reason is the ease of handling and working on larger fromat really takes longer time.

Are you content where you are as an artist? What would you love to do in the years to come? I could see your work on an animated TV show for example. I could also see you gathering a huge cult following and simply selling your art and products that people love. What do you think?

The problem is that I have no clue to this moment I’ve just been drawing and getting more and more commissions. I’m at a stage when I might have to much assignment and I might have to cut down on my free outlet. I hope to find a balance, but at the end it has to come down to pure economics.

Can you tell us about your experience being published in the New York Times Magazine? That’s a huge accomplishment, by the way! How did it happen? Did they give you guidelines? Did they find you or were you networking and reaching out in that direction?

The first time they contacted me I was invited to the Clermont Ferrand Sketchbook symposium so I had to pass the first assignment, so I thought I had blown it but they contacted me again a couple of weeks later. Each time they have given me an assignment they have presented me with an image I have already made, so they wanted something in that vein. Not sure how they found me, I seldom do but I keep coming up all over the web these days.

We’d also like to hear about your sketchbooks being published by Sanatorium. Can you tell us about that process? Specifically, what made you decide to publish a book? Was is a fun experience or a difficult experience? Has the book brought a lot to your career or a little?

I was contacted by Jens at sanatorium, he had been following my work for some time and wanted to do a book. It was a nice experience and for me very easy he more or less curated the book and I gave him free hands. We had very little success in Sweden getting more or less no press but as a whole it has been great and the book is out of print. I’m trying to get the second volume in print this spring.

Finally (we ask this of everyone), please give some advice to the many young artists who read our blog. What have you learned so far in your life that you can pass on to the artists who definitely look up to you?

It all comes down to putting in the hours, it’s a rather boring answer I guess and I guess there is some artists that are blessed from the beginning but I was not one of them.

Work © Mattias Adolfsson // blog / behance / facebook / twitter

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with Johan Potma and Mateo Dineen, the artists who created Zozoville, the first gallery they opened together in Berlin. The gallery/studio space located in Friedrichshain, it’s the busiest of all their galleries and has been successful since first opening it’s doors nearly 8 years ago. Their first reception was entirely full and the gallery has paid for itself from the very beginning.

“Carnivore” by Mateo Dineen

“The Writer” by Johan Potma

I find the story of their success quite inspirational; it was born out of the Berlin markets where Johan and Mateo first joined forces 8 years ago. After a few years it was evident that they should open their own shop. They had built up a huge following; people would stop by every week to check out new work and wanted to see more from them on days other than Sunday.

The transition from market to gallery wasn’t difficult for them to make. The market showed them how to manage the business end of things. Both Johan and Mateo have a good business sense and make a very strong team, which made it even easier to become successful rather than trying to go it alone. They balance each other out and are good at recognizing trouble spots and coming up with creative solutions.

Originally, the guys met through Johan’s first business, a company that he started to help artists support themselves with their work. Discouraged with the direction that the company was heading, Johan was ready to head back home to Holland, but Mateo convinced him to stay. Since then, they have been sharing studio space and knowledge; it was interesting for them to see each other’s processes. They both grew exponentially; creatively as well as professionally. Competition is a good thing, it pushes you and makes you strive to excel.

Initially, Johan’s style was more graphic and Mateo’s was more painterly, over the years their styles have influenced each other and Mateo’s work has become a bit more graphic and Johan’s has become a bit more painterly. Mateo creates more intricate set pieces, whereas Johan’s focus is more on the character. Both artists leave room in their work for the viewer to step into that world and interact with it. There’s something in each of their pieces that makes you want to return and continue exploring that world. After so many years of working together they were concerned about their styles becoming a bit too blended, neither wants to lose their artistic identity. However, it’s only to the untrained eye that their styles appear interchangeable.

Growing along with their success, Johan and Mateo opened another gallery together, Onkel Zozo located in Kreuzberg on Oranienstrasse. Additionally, they each opened their open studio/gallery spaces. Johan opened Cheese Mountain Tragedy on Schönleinstrasse, also in situated Kreuzberg and Mateo opened Skallywag on Herrfurthstrasse in Neukölln. The studio/gallery spaces reflect each of the artists’ personalities. Johan really enjoys the activity in the shop – he uses it creatively as fuel. It might end up in a painting somewhere, might set something off, another connection, another spark. Whereas Mateo wants a sanctuary, somewhere he can work uninterrupted. Visiting their gallery/studio spaces was almost like walking into one of their paintings. You feel like you are stepping out of your world and into theirs. I almost expected one of the creatures from their paintings to peak out from around a corner.

Johan’s studio/gallery “Cheese Mountain Tragedy”

Mateo’s studio/gallery “Skallywag”

Johan and Mateo receive requests for commissions and have an international presence. They have a web shop, galleries, and a variety of different products. However, they aren’t just chasing more success, it’s important for them to able to stand behind everything that they do. Johan and Mateo are both very driven and their push to succeed helped them get to the top.

“We Find Clues Along The Way” by Johan Potma

“Iron Aged” by Mateo Dineen

Article by Heather M Schmaedeke. Heather is a freelance editor for the Nonsense Society and a photographer in Germany. You can find Heather on Flickr and arttart.tv.

In 2012 we welcomed the popular photographer Greta Tuckute to the Nonsense Society, exploring her delicate photographic portraits. Since then she has evolved and grown as an artist. In particular, she has explored darker themes and sides of people. We wanted to get back in touch with Greta, ask her some questions, and find out what’s changed and where she is today.

NS: It’s been a while since we featured your work on the Nonsense Society. Can you tell us what has changed/evolved for you in the time since?

GT: I would say that I have become more confident concerning my photographic style, my view on aesthetics and possibly myself in general – that is a completely natural part of growing older though. I am more aware of prioritizing and planning my time to make the most of it. In terms of photography a few things has changed, however it does not really feel that way. It has gone from almost only shooting friends and family, to mainly shooting people with some model experience. My number of followers on social medias has gone from a two-digit number to a four-digit number. Besides these things I would not really say anything has changed – I still have the same passion and eagerness about photography and likewise it still makes me genuinely happy.

How old are you? Are you currently studying at a University? What has that experience been like?

I turned eighteen last autumn. I am currently at my last year in high school and I will finish in a few months. It feels extremely surreal! I have come to realize that education actually means a lot to me. I find it both important and meaningful to keep learning. I have never felt that I wasted my time in a classroom. I am sure I would love going to university, however I still have to figure out what I want to study! The problem is not to find something interesting – it is more eliminating possibilities that makes it difficult.

Why are you working in black and white a lot? Do you find black and white more powerful in certain ways? Why?

Yes, generally I find black and white more powerful in portraiture than colours. Undoubtedly some photos are definitely best in colour, but I mostly find myself working with black and white. It is simple, graphic and clean.

What has been one of the most significant things in your growth as an artist? we’ve seen your success and popularity growing so much in the past year. What have you seen from your perspective? Was there a point in time or piece that changed things for you?

Quite specifically I remember one of my photos from my 52 weeks project; “Wanderlust”. I was not really sure whether I liked it or not, but I ended up posting it anyway Sunday evening. When I checked my account the following day, it had more than 300 likes. I updated the site again and again, because I was completely certain of it being a technical error. It turned out that it was not. Moreover, I accidently stumbled upon the photo on Tumblr, where it had more than 100,000 notes. It seemed so bizarre and absolutely amazing at the same point of time. I simply could not believe it.

Another turning point was an article on the front page on one of Lithuania’s biggest online medias. It received a lot of attention – naturally both positive as well as negative. I was completely overwhelmed by the positive feedback, however a large part of the responses were negative. I actually thought that it would affect me a lot, but I was surprised to see that it did not. It is always easy to criticize when you have not faced somebody’s situation. It might be wrong to say – however necessary, I think – but I know how much I have worked to achieve my accomplishments so far. Some people were quite prejudiced, and put down my work tremendously. I am definitely not asking for everybody to like what I do, but I came to understand that when you know that you have worked hard towards something, critique does not strike that bad.

Do you have any big goals and dreams as a creative photographer? Where would you like to be and what would you like to do with your creative life?

My hobbies have usually been extremely fleeting, but somehow photography really caught my attention at the age of thirteen. Photography was basically my thing, which I was really lucky to realize quite early. I could never give up photography; it is a completely regular part of my life. Honestly, I really cannot grasp where I want to end up – which I am somewhat thankful of! My life would be boring if everything was set and I knew where I wanted to go. I try to enjoy the freedom and independence that is a part of being young. I am always trying to do my best and likewise I am really ambitious as a creative photographer. I am dedicated to photography only because of the fact that it feels right. Where it might take me? I have absolutely no idea.

Who are your biggest inspirations? Artists? Musicians? Filmmakers?

It might not be the most obvious link to photography; nevertheless I am very inspired by universes created by certain authors. Lately I have been extremely fascinated by Haruki Murakami and Franz Kafka. I would definitely not mind discussing a few subjects with these two men over a cup of coffee, haha! Unfortunately that might not be really realistic… Besides that artists like Hedi Slimane and Tim Burton are a never-ending source of inspiration and creative ideas!

What’s your experience like with the models you work with? Are they friends? What’s your relationship like with them while shooting?

It is a luxury working with professional models. All the models I have worked with have been so kind, friendly and talented. In short, a pleasure. The relationship seems natural – we have actually often been of the same age. I always look forward to shooting models – besides making great photos, I have a really good time.

Can you describe your creative process from conception, to creation, to perfection/editing?

It all starts with being inspired by someone or something. I find photos, drawings, illustrations and maybe even people that portray the essence of the idea. Then I often spend a while choosing a model. The model has to go perfectly with the concept and it has to be a person that I find inspiring to shoot. A talented stylist/make-up artist is likewise a significant contributing factor in creating a unique final product. After the shoot I spend some days editing. I usually do not edit more than two or three hours in a row, because I simply become blind to what looks good and bad. It is an extremely ambiguous feeling to finish a shoot! You have spent many days of planning, researching, shooting and editing and finally you are finished. It is both fantastic and odd to finish everything off, because basically you could keep polishing and making everything look perfect. But that is definitely not what I am striving for!

What is your current favorite piece? Why is it your favorite? What’s the significance for you?

That is a really tough one. I think I would have to say a photo from the top of Kilimanjaro. An early sunrise seen from the world’s highest freestanding mountain. After six days of hiking we finally reached the summit and the moment was worth it all. It cannot be described with words: It was divine; everything made perfectly sense while tears ran down my cheeks in the cold air.

We ask this of everyone: Can you give some advice to all the young artists in our society who look up to you?

It fills me with happiness when other young artists contact me because they have found my work inspiring and have led them to take a step further. That is so important and I am extremely thankful for that. My advice would be to stay true to your own view on arts and keep your feet firmly on the ground. My experience is that when I have done something only for the sake of others and compromised too much, it has not turned out the way I wanted it to. Follow your own wishes, ideas and aims. Also, enjoy the process. I know that I tend to become too focused on the goal, and forgetting to appreciate the way getting there. I have to remind myself of being content while creating, considering and maybe doing nothing at all – it is all a part of reaching a final destination.

Work © Greta Tuckute // blog / tumblr / flickr / deviantart / 500px / behance / facebook 

See her recent feature by our friends at Atlas Magazine.

I am an illustrator and graphic designer from Montreal, Quebec. When I’m not being a graphic designer at my day job, I am usually drawing or painting. For anyone who knows me, I have an intense love for astronomy.

NS: Your work is so bold and beautiful. Your portraits are incredibly detailed. Can you talk about your process? How long do these pieces take? It looks like you put a lot of time into these.

AM: My pieces take anywhere between 40 to 60 hours. The process is quite timely due to the amount of detail I add to each piece. I have an obsession with realism and detail. For every single one of my pieces I have started with the eyes. They set the tone for the rest of the piece. If the eyes don’t get completed first, it is like having a conversation with someone without knowing who they are.

What supplies do you use? Do you have favorite pencils? Paints? What do you use to color?

My main tools are Staedtler pencils, gouache, and Windsor & Newton oils.

I love how you specify feelings and qualities that your work represents on your website. Other times you will specify the inspiration behind your work. Where do these inspirations come from? Do you start drawing and decide what the piece represents or is it usually something that inspires you to draw about an idea (for example, a piece about “strength” or pieces based on Greek Gods). Basically, we’re wondering how these ideas evolve.

Sometimes the concept will come before and sometimes halfway through the piece. That’s why when I don’t have a specific idea I will still start a piece because I know that something will eventually connect and take it in a new direction. The idea behind the Greek Gods was the most I’ve planned before a drawing. Because I was dealing with historical characters, I wanted to be as accurate as possible. I’m inspired by many things so it’s difficult to say where the inspiration comes from exactly. Sometimes it can come from a song I just heard, a poem, nature, space…

How have you evolved as an artist? I see definite growth in your portfolio. Can you tell us how this has happened and what you feel has been the most important growth leading to your current success?

I love constantly challenging myself with new things. I tried almost every medium before realizing that pencil fit me best. The first portraits I did were very detailed but what really set my style is when I decided to move to a more “selective” shading style. This has been my signature for 4 years now but as I said before, I have decided to kick it up a notch this year and throw a new challenge my way; oil portraits. The idea of full color never sat well with me but I’m trying it anyways. I must say that I am really enjoying the process. I have been working really hard to make the paintings feel like they are coming from the same artist that does minimal black and white drawings. I have been posting some work-in-progress photos on my blog and fanpage but the full pieces have not been revealed yet. I am also making a short introduction video of me using the new medium which will be up the beginning of March.

I see several instances of birds in your portfolio. Are birds a big inspiration to you or is this just a coincidence?

I think it was more of a subconscious thing. It was only by the third bird drawing that someone pointed out the fact that I like to draw birds. The raven in ‘Dark Wings’ represents the a dark side of my personality. Not dark as in “I’m-in-a-cult”, but more the fact that I enjoy the night sky, drawing with one light on, and black and white images. My 2 favorite birds are ravens and owls, there is something so mysterious and powerful about these birds that I feel like I need to display them in my work.

What kind of fan reaction to your work would make you most happy?

Any reaction to my work has always put a smile on my face. The first time I exposed my work was at the FIMA festival in Montreal. I didn’t know what to expect since I never got a face-to-face reaction from people. I was astonished by the comments and praise I was getting during those 3 days. I am so happy knowing that what I do for a living can generate such amazing responses.

Do you have a favorite piece you can talk to us about? Why is it important to you? What was your experience like making it?

I think I am fond of every new piece I create. The most recent piece I completed was ‘Limbus’ and it became my favorite very quickly. My newest oil painting, which I will be revealing in March, has now become one of my favorites. I think that after spending so much time on each drawing and/or painting, you develop a relationship with it and know all its secrets, which makes every piece a favorite.

Can you tell us some of your favorite music? What role does music play in your creative life?

The main reason why I started to draw was because of music. Some of my first portraits were of my favorite bands and musicians. Without music playing in the room, I have a hard time drawing or painting. Some of my favorite artists are Radiohead, Interpol, Portishead, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys and Depeche Mode. I also have a fond love for classical music.

What about graphic design? Is this something you studied? Is it something you do now, professionally? How do the portraits and design connect for you?

I studied graphic design for years, college and university combined. It was during my bachelors that I started incorporating illustration in my projects. I never wanted to turn it into a career because I was afraid that I would loose my drive. After a few months I started drawing every single day. I couldn’t stop, I would sometimes come home from school and draw instead of doing homework. After University I took a year before looking for work to explore more design projects that I didn’t have a chance to do during school. This was the year that I started to really push my art forward on the internet.

My designs tend to have a lot of white space and minimal elements. This also plas a large roll in my art. I try to keep things graphic and work with the white space of the page.

Finally, a question we ask everyone, can you give some advice to the young artists in our community? What has been the secret to your success? What’s been most important in your creative life?

The best advice I can give would be to never stop trying and focus on things that make you happy. I don’t really have a secret for success, I just worked really to get to where I wanted to be and I never gave up. The most important thing for me in my creative life would be my surroundings, music, family, pencils and to always have a few blank sheets of paper near by.

Work © Amanda Mocci // Blog / Behance / Flickr / Society6 / Etsy / Facebook / Twitter

Perhaps you think Instagram is just a photography app that lets people share what they see, but beyond the countless photos of nature, food, and cups of tea, a secret world is hiding away. It is a world of creative wonders.

@littleswedenart

You may not be fortunate enough to go to Sweden any time soon, but you can still explore Swedish artistry through Camilla Hällgren’s (@littleswedenart) macro technique photography. This interesting artist and researcher from Umea University uses 12-millimetre model train figures to explore ideas of identity.

When you first look at her creations you start smiling, admiring the ‘little people’ and their activities. But actually, beyond these funny looking sets a bigger thought is hiding. Camilla uses this medium to explore ideas of identity, social roles and the power of relationships.

Her photos provide punchy explanations of irony, love, sympathy and joy for who we are in this big world and what it means to be human. ‘Little Sweden Art’ will surprise and delight you straight away.

Instagram cuts the boundaries of how art is being presented. It also allows people to interact with it and find out more about the artists and their work in real time.

@osatosh

Without Instagram, finding Satoshi OTA’s (@osatosh) beautiful drawings would be much more difficult. This Japanese artist tells interesting stories through the use of pencil techniques and watercolours.

His evocative artwork relates to human emotions and deeper meanings. He also sneaks within his drawings some political statements, negative spaces and intimation of introspection. He will definitely mesmerise you with his detailing and crosshatching techniques.

@naoto_hattori

If you are on Instagram and you are looking for some unusual inspiration, Japanese artist Naoto Hattori (@naoto_hattori) may introduce you to the wonders of Japanese pop surrealism.

If you like quirkiness and perfectly detailed work, Naoto’s paintings may be for you, with their combination of aliens and classical art, reinterpreted into something fairy-tale like.

Through them, you feel like you travel between worlds of different cultures, influences, and reinterpretations. His unusual work earned him a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts as well as winning countless awards from art competitions. Not a surprise to learn then, that he has been working on his doodling and painting techniques since the age of 3, which we can now explore in prolific imaginary, which he describes as the “practice to increase awareness in stream-of-conscious creativity”.

Thanks to the existence and popularity of social networks like Instagram, we can be inspired by creations of talented minds from all around the world. Before the age of social media, this reach was much more restricted. But this photography app has revolutionized not only the way we take photos, but how we engage with other creative individuals, and how we experience the world.

Post by Kasia Piekut. You can find Kasia on Instagram at @kasia_piekut and @markmakingdesign.

Kasia is a social media communicator working for marketing & creative design agency, mark-making*, based in Oxfordshire.