Meet the Artists: Holiday 2020 (Part II)
Recently, we got to know inspiring female artists Ana Hard and Jo Taylor. Today, we are introducing two more brilliant illustrators behind the JIGGY puzzles that are getting us in the holiday spirit with their festive designs.
Meet Livia Falcaru
What is the inspiration behind A Cozy Christmas?
I love the Christmas atmosphere and I wanted to depict a scene that would be more unconventional (which I consider it shouldn’t actually be called “unconventional”, but this is another story). Sometimes family means your same-sex lover and your cat — that’s it, and it’s still a family. I live in a country where, unfortunately, this thing is still debated and it shouldn’t be. This illustration was made to show my support for the people that are going through this.
A Cozy Christmas, by Livia Falcaru
You mention that your work is a reflection of your life and emotions. What do you hope your art makes us feel as we puzzle through the holidays?
I hope it manages to give a bit of comfort in these uncertain times we are navigating the best we can. I hope that people get to relate to it and feel a lil’bit better.
I read that you actively experiment with ceramics, animation, murals, and augmented reality. Can you share any recent or favorite projects where you have created art within these spaces?
I’m actually in the process of launching a limited series of objects in collaboration with Infinite Objects. I made an animation that will be looped infinitely on a screen that is surrounded by a custom acrylic frame I designed, a very nice thing to have in your home or studio. It’s still in the making, but I will share more details with you soon on my Instagram.
What is the best part of seeing your art transformed into a JIGGY puzzle?
I think puzzles are a fun activity to do with your loved ones. I used to make a lot of puzzles with my family when I was younger and I really love the fact that JIGGY manages to make them cool again while supporting female artists as well.
Where else can we find your art?
You can find my work here:
Livia is an illustrator, visual artist and AR creator currently living and working in Bucharest. Her work is, above all, influenced by her personal experiences as a woman living in these days. The Romanian illustrator often finds herself fascinated by the daily life and the emotions we might all feel but never care to mention. Her visual style is defined by bold lines, contrasts and cheerful colors. She has collaborated with clients such as Vans, The Washington Post, WhatsApp, Avon, Always, Samsung and others.
Meet Joy Ting
What was your process for designing and creating Merry Paws?
For Merry Paws, I thought it would be fun to combine foxes and Christmas. Christmas is such a great time of the year and it was really fun to put different hats and glasses on the foxes.
Much of your work depicts floral patterns and other natural elements. Are there specific locations you like to visit to source inspiration?
I love traveling with my family, and we always try to go out in nature whether it’s hiking trails, foraging for mushrooms or exploring/hunting for geocaches. We also have a little cottage on a lake in Upstate, New York, not too far away from where we live, and that place is my favorite source of inspiration.
Since you spent nine years in elementary education, do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
My advice is to practice and play. By playing with different tools and supplies, you end up finding what you love or don’t love to use – whether it be watercolors, acrylics, pastels, etc. By practicing, you will start to see yourself improve. Keep going and don’t be too hard on yourself if things do not turn out exactly how you envisioned. (I have to remind my boys this all the time :)).
You share daily paintings on social media. How did you establish your routine and do you have any tips for incorporating mindfulness into your daily practice?
As a self-taught artist, I was struggling with how to use watercolors. In January 2015, I decided that I would try to learn how to paint by going on a 30-day watercolor challenge. 30 days turned into 365 days, which is now up to 1,860+ days of doing something creative whether it be painting or drawing. I would suggest that you try a 30-day challenge. Choose a medium to play with and give yourself some time to create something. I have two boys running around and keeping me busy, so sometimes I only have five to ten minutes to create, and that’s ok, as long as you are able to show up daily. I find that my daily practice helps give my mind a break and focus on the “now”. After a few days, your mind and body will be so used to creating that you’ll look forward to those little bits of time to center and focus yourself.
Where else can we find your art?
You can connect with me via Instagram - instagram.com/joycharde/ or my website www.hijoyting.com.
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