Egyptsand is a Canadian artist, whose playful clay figures I first saw on her Deviantart page. She accepted my inquiry to ask her a few questions to better know the maker of these cute, clay figures and many other forms of art.

Toonari Post (TP): I see that you are an artist of many talents (plushies, clay figures, and traditional drawings). Which is your favorite medium to work with and why?

Egyptsand (E): I enjoy working in a variety of mediums as you’ve noticed. The earliest medium I remember using was graphite and colored pencils, and then I moved on to paintings and recently, sculptures and plush. I am favoring sculpting a lot more lately because I enjoy the 3D aspect of it.

However, combining mediums (mixed media) is even more exciting for me to think about. I haven’t had many projects that call for this yet, but I am hoping to work on some in the near future. Another thing about sculpting is that you are able to feel the material with your hands, and it’s definitely a much different process than pencil to paper, which I quite like, that brings my creations to life.

TP: How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

E: I am a self-taught artist and have been doing art for as long as I remember. From the first day I picked up a pencil and pen, I began to draw and color all sorts of shapes everywhere. This progressed to doodling and art class soon became my favorite in elementary school. I began exploring different mediums as I grew older that were more available and accessible to me, like charcoals in high school, which were supplied by the school for students to experiment with.

TP: When you first started, did you ever hit any bumps in your art process? What were they, and how did you overcome them?

E: I’ve always been a big perfectionist when it came to making art, so I would always see visible flaws in my own work. This did not go well as one of my primary interests back then was realism, so I would spend hours and days just going back and reworking details until I was exhausted by the piece. Over the years, I have figured out various methods of simplifying details and saving time, but still retaining the intricacies. This has probably been one of the most valuable things I have taught myself.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

E: I am inspired by many artists for various reasons ranging from the quality of work to how much of a role model they are as an individual. I adore artists who are passionate for what they do and I am drawn to technical pieces in different mediums, especially ones I do not recognize. It’s very hard for me to pick favorites as I do not browse religiously, but a few artists on Deviantart come to mind: demiveemon, juumou, witchiko, babylondonstar for plush and costume, blackeri and farkwhad for digital art, olluna for her little misshapen human sculptures, and DannArte for beautifully painted and molded fan art sculptures.

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

E: I find it tough to choose a single medium, as I generally have an indecisive nature, but I am very attached to plushing right now. I just got a new machine, so I am excited to experiment and see where it will take me. Next up would definitely be sculpture, but I am aiming to push outside my comfort zone with most mediums (for example, working bigger or manipulating it in a way I have not before) because I feel like I can achieve remarkable things when they are done spontaneously.

TP: Outside of deviantart, what is your life like?

E: I am a full time student attending the University of Victoria and I enjoy gaming, taking commissions, playing piano, and working on side projects in my spare time. I used to play dance games (like DDR) competitively and still do occasionally for fun.  I feel as if I am able to tie together my experiences in my artwork as a means of self reflection. Not many people are able to harmonize their activities with what they do as a profession or would like to do, and for that I feel very lucky.

TP: What are your goals in life? Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

E: At the moment, I am finishing my bachelor of Fine Art in university, and am a freelance artist. I am planning on taking a year off after I graduate at the end of the year to think about the direction I want to pursue while working on some of my own projects. As far as a career goes, ideally I would like something that both is enjoyable for me and can supply me with a wage that I am satisfied with; I am not afraid of risk taking, but I also appreciate the security of a steady income.

I definitely want to do something related to art for my career, but I may have to take some time to decide on that still. I have thought about becoming my own manager and opening up a business, but I also like the idea of working on a larger project with a team of other artists. I’m very flexible with working alone and with others so I am not too concerned about this.

My biggest dream is to become a well established artist, to master and be known for what I do (when I decide on this, which could be one focused medium or a larger body of work in various mediums), and to be an inspiration for other artists. I have always fed off inspiration, so I hope to make it my biggest priority to help other artists achieve their dreams and motivate them with the drive they need to do this by being a good role model.

Image Courtesy of   http://egyptsand.deviantart.com/

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About the author

Kala Istvanek
Presently, I am attending Carthage College in Kenosha, U.S.A. I will be graduating with a degree in Asian Studies, with a minor in English and Studio Art. I have been a bookworm ever since I could read and I can never turn down a book. Art is also one of my loves and discovering new artists is always a thrill for me.

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