SI-Blog-LA: The Illustrators' Blog.

Name
:

Sarah Atlee

Website
:

www.sarahatlee.com
flickr.com/photos/sarahatlee

Describe your illustration style.

Interpretive portraiture with a smattering of pop surrealism.

Saint Allthumbs, the Second Coming, acrylic and bottlecaps on canvas

How did you get started in the illustration field?

I went through college on the fine arts track, and didn’t get to know illustration until I was a graduate student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. I learned that what I am is a visual communicator; I wish to communicate ideas through imagery and other visual information. That was about five years ago.

When I was younger I wanted to be…

…a famous artist. Now I’m happy being any artist.

What’s your favorite medium? Least favorite?

I love drawing, it’s instant gratification. Nothing gives me greater control and freedom. I love that every drawing is a direct record of a person’s physicality, whether they freely express that or try to cover it up. My least favorite process I’ve ever used is lithography. It’s the opposite of immediate. Lithographers have a great love for their medium, and I admire them for that.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Being in the midst of a good creative flow. After a painting session, I feel full, like I’ve eaten a wonderful meal.

Leigh, acrylic on fabric

Describe your typical work day.

I recently quit my day job. It was one of the best (and scariest) things I’ve ever done, but incredibly liberating. I highly recommend it! Now I wake up at a reasonable hour in the morning, and spend some time inboxing, getting an idea of my tasks for the day. I like to get chores like dishes and laundry out of the way early (because they’re unavoidable). Being my own boss is tough. I have to make myself start drawing or painting, but once I’m in it, I remember that it’s my favorite thing to do.

What was your favorite project?

Last week, in a fit of frustration, I painted a portrait based on a photo of a friend. It took about an hour, and is my favorite thing I’ve done lately. Some things just come out right the first time.

What advice do you wish you had at the beginning of your illustration career?

It’s okay to keep a swipe file or a morgue; in fact, it’s very helpful. It’s okay to want to make a living off art. Plenty of people do just that, though it seems to be a secret. (Shh!) It’s not a good idea to limit my dreams because they might seem unrealistic. I will only achieve those big goals if I reach for them.

How do you balance work and play?

Nothing motivates me like a deadline. Most of my work is for gallery shows, which are planned months in advance. I’m good at planning long-term projects and breaking big workloads into smaller bites. I figure out how much work I need to do each month, then each week and each day. I know how many hours I can work before I burn out and need a break. (I keep multiple pieces going so I can switch gears when I get tired.) I also know how long I can go without painting before I go into withdrawal.

Margaret V, acrylic and graphite on masonite

What are some of your inspirations?

At some point, while I was a student, I figured out that in order to become a good artist I had to hold myself to a very high standard. I have to make work that’s not just as good as the people in my class, or my school, or my town, but as good as successful professionals in the field. If I’m not reaching for excellence, and demanding quality work of myself, then I will be subconsciously settling for mediocrity. Right now, some artists that I’m looking at are James Jean, Gary Taxali, Debby Kaspari, Jeff Soto, Camilla Engman, Norman Rockwell, and August Sander. Those are some of my usual suspects, but ideas are likely to strike from the least expected angles. I find exciting art on Flickr all the time. Chance favors the prepared mind, so I try and keep mine open.

Normal, OK: Mundy Tulsa (1944), acrylic and graphite on stonehenge paper

Outside of assignments, do you have creative side projects or hobbies?

I always have a file of images and sketches that intrigue me, although I don’t yet know what their purpose will be.

If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be?

Very, very sad.

—

Current SILA members are invited to submit a member spotlight interview.

Click here for more information: http://si-la.org/spotlight.html