Interview by Rachel Gottesman

I guess I should start by asking you, how does it feel to finally have a design chosen for print after all this time? How many designs have you submitted?

I have submitted 53 designs to Threadless. My 45th design was the one chosen for print and it felt great!! Not that I ever felt any pressure to get printed or anything like that but it definitely felt like a little bit of a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Getting printed was never my motivation to submit when I started at Threadless but it feels sooooo good to have had it happen. Now I feel like I have the fever and i'm really motivated to try to get printed a couple times in 2008.



The fever? That sounds like some kind of design disease. Or do you consider yourself more of an illustrator?

Haha!! Well, it kind of is like a sickness because drawing and creating t-shirt designs has become a mild obsession for me. Although I've never considered myself a "designer" I really love the freedom that can come with doing designs for a place like Threadless because I can be more illustrative which is really what I enjoy and feel more comfortable doing.
...By "mild" I really mean a strong obsession.



Do you do design or artwork for a living?

Actually I don't do either for a living. I went to college for drawing and printmaking and when i graduated I started working right away with the intention of going to graduate school after a year or so, but it just never happened. I have an average management type position at a contract packaging company, but my goal is to still do art for a living. I still view myself as more of a studio artist and my goal would be to get into some galleries and do some shows down the road that showcase more of that side of my portfolio.

So basically, you do artwork so you don't go crazy. I get how that is.

Ha!! Yeah, I guess you could say that, but also just because I love it!! It's the only thing that I can do without ever having to over think and doubt my initial thoughts or instincts about.



Yeah thinking is for losers! ...Just kidding. So it must have been pretty flattering when all the bloggers started to rally behind you and demand you be printed. Looks like you've got quite the loyal fan base.

Oh my goodness!! I honestly can't express how overwhelmed I am by all the support I have gotten on Threadless from the bloggers and artists. There are so many people that I admire and respect in the community and when they started to rally behind me I just couldn't believe it. I've always felt pretty good about my art and my style but I could never have imagined that so many other people would enjoy it and really get behind it in the way that the community did. It really just makes me want to work even harder to continue to grow and create new art. Thanks again to all those people and I hope to be able to do some things this year as a sort of thank you for all the support. So look out for that!

"Some things"? Sounds like a secret. One that I should know about, hint hint.

Well, we'll just have to wait and see!! I hope to be able to have some crazy contests and also be able to send stuff out to some people that I owe as well as to a bunch of other really great members of the community!! That's all i'll say though!! No details!



Lame! You can't say I didn't try though. I like your paintings, especially those abstract drippy ones. You've taken to scanning in your work instead of making it digitally judging by your latest submissions. Does that make you oldschool?

I like to think of myself as old school for sure. I really love to hand draw everything. I love the process and the control that I get. I'm not saying that you can't achieve the similar effects and a really nice look by going all digital, but for me there are just subtle things that you can't achieve that way. I probably could get a lot more done if I didn't draw everything, scan it, print it out, re-ink it, etc... but I work fairly fast anyway and it just gives me more of an attachment to my final product and hopefully it has more of that "human touch" than some of the ultra clean digital work.

I'm going to take that as a "yes, I'm oldschool". Oldschool and badass. Thanks for your time, Stumpy!

Thanks Rachel!! I enjoyed!

Interview by Rachel Gottesman

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