Okari Blackpaw
What initially captured your imagination about the medium you use?
It was always an interest to me, mostly because of the freedom of it, it allows you to go to the deepest depths of your imagination and make something without having to worry about the costs of brushes, canvases and paints or accidentally losing them.
What types of things inspire you to create art?
My love for animals mostly and my dreams, which is where some of the more occult feel comes into play with some of the things I create.
What life experiences have helped to shape you as an artist?
Probably for the most part I've always been able to express myself through the animals in my artwork. And, people have been supportive of that. That and in all of my art classes we were told that nothing was a mistake, and so going forwards with that I've learned to just let myself do, and if it turns out good in the long run then that's great, if it doesn't then that's something to practice on.
Tell us about your creative process from the beginning of a typical piece to its completion?
It starts with an animal or a human model in a certain posture, and then once I get that down it either blossoms itself into an idea or I already have something in mind that I've seen in my dreams, or that I've seen that inspires me and I create a different rendition of. I start very basic, blocky shapes and rough lines, and the more detailed I get the harder it gets until it's completed simply because I like small details.
What plan's do you have for the future direction of your art?
Possibly animation, or just doing more detailed and realistic versions of what I'm doing now.