Dennise and Joshua even had their own work table at the show allowing them to show spectators first hand how they create their art.

Dennise’s Plush Toys have become her signature pieces beginning with the ‘Luchador’ series she did back in 2008. She’s also an illustrator, character designer and art director for a major web marketing company in Delray Beach, FL.

Joshua has been creating mixed media collages for as long as I’ve known him and they are fresh, flashy and colorful. His Spanish themed collages are thrilling, colorful and fun along with his plaster masks (one being Darth Vader!)

Danny Brito’s illustrations show the softer side of this artist. He’s been drawing most of his life and although not classically trained, he captures the sweetness in his subject’s portraits.

Special thanks goes to the Fabrika crew for having such amazing energy and for pulling this off in such short notice. Toto, Claudia and Diana YOU ROCK! Check out more at: Fabrikalink.com

(More Photos soon!!)

FABRIKA ART SPACE
When: May 8th, 2010
Where: 2722 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL (Wynwood Arts District)
Ph: (786) 286-3775

We will have a live plush creation by Dennise Rodriguez and a live collage performance by Joshua Surprenant.

Music by: iPauer
Drinks by: Cerveza Cristal (Perú)

We hope to see you here for a drink or two!

Featured Artists:
Dennise Rodriguez (Illustrator & plush artist)
Danny Brito (Illustrator)
Joshua Surprenant (Mixed Media)
Claudia Calle (Mixed Media)

Last night was Claudia Calle’s Opening Night at her new studio at the Wynwood Design District. The turnout was amazing, such support for a great artist and friend. Claudia is exhibiting five series of photographs: “Republic of China”, “Mao’s Eyes”, “Long Life”, “Living in Silence” and  “Between Frontiers: The Longneck Story” All beautifully presented in the new space.

Earlier today, I had the honor of interviewing Claudia and we taped the entire interview, Thank you JC! and he will be editing it for us and I will post it as soon as I get it back. We talked about her beginnings, her process and all the spiritual, personal and professional growth this past year and we dissect each of her collections so the viewer has a better idea of the concepts behind each one. It is a very casual interview but we learn about Claudia’s personality and what drives this great and sincere artist.

It’s a very exciting time to be in Miami during ART BASEL. There is Art everywhere and people are in very high spirits, I love that and the excitement to see what great artists are emerging and also we get to see all our already favorite artists show what they have been working on for the past year as well. Enjoy the shots.

Claudia Calle
Age: 33
Email: calle@claudiacalle.com
Website: www.claudiacalle.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)
At the moment I’m working with a combination of medium including photography, acrylics, design and collage. The “Made in China” series was mostly done on wood because every piece of wood, has an unique characteristic which is what I wanted to represent with China, that even though we look at them like they are all the same, they are totally different one from the other.
2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? Visiting the Republic of China had a great impact on me, not only because of its fascinating culture and history, but also because I can now see a socioeconomic phenomenon that was once invisible to me.
That triggered an inspiration to let people know more about their human side and impact on the world.

3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)
Through the creative process something wonderful happens.  My mind, eyes, hands and spirit aligns and without premeditation, in a magical second, I capture the essence of the people and things that are in front of me. The final result is always perfect because it comes from a spontaneous act. I enjoy experimenting with photography, painting and mixing elements over different and non – conventional materials.  In my work I use symbols as part of the human occultism with the purpose of spreading and protecting the truth.

4. How did you get started with your artistic career?
Since my young years I spent long hours at my father’s creative studio drawing and playing with all the materials they used to produce billboards and signs. With the years, I got inspired to study Visual Arts in Colombia and then Photography in Mexico, completing my studies with a Photo Design degree from the Miami AD School. I was deeply involved in the music photography and design for years, which lead me to a more spiritual and artistic desire for traveling and creating art based on my trips.

5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?
One of my greatest accomplishments is to wake up and be able to do what I love to do. At this stage of my life, I’m using my art as an expression, a meditation, a therapy and a communication tool to speak louder than my voice.

6. Where does your inspiration come from?
Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? 
My inspiration comes from being present. Being aware and conscious of my surroundings also inspires me.

7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?
I’m in a constant search for new media and materials that can communicate to large masses and be more accessible to the world. I’m more interested on being part of an evolution than being trapped in a museum. - IC

Nimit Malavia
Age: 21
Email: nimit@nimitmalavia.com
Website: www.nimitmalavia.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)
With the majority of my personal work I try to explore and utilize a large variety of traditional mediums. I work with acrylic a lot, usually layering it with different dry mediums on top, like pencil crayon, chalk, and at times collage, to offer depth and give the image a more finessed quality. With my black and white work I use graphite a lot, usually with layers of acrylic placed over top.

2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey?
I usually try to work from what I know, in an effort to depict the ‘human experience’, or at least my perception of it in the most honest way possible. I often try to develop my work based off of emotions and ideas I have, sometimes fleeting dreams. A lot of the time, I find myself creating from feelings of suffering and strife, to try and understand and appreciate the quiet beauties of moments lost.

3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)
Each piece begins with a concept or feeling in mind, from there I like to work up a few very loose black and white roughs, usually rather small. Once I am happy with the basic design and gesture of the rough, I gather any reference I may need, usually photos or textures, and jump right into the final. I try not to finesse my roughs too much, I find if I work up a rough too much, I become really attached to the way it is represented in the sketch and I kind of lose some of the energy in the final. So I try to keep most of that for the final piece.

4. How did you get started with your artistic career?
I was fortunate enough to be able to take an internship with a gallery in LA, it gave me the opportunity to show with a number of galleries across the States, Canada, and even in Europe while I was still in school. It opened a lot of doors for me which have since led to a number of illustration and design opportunities.

5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?
I think being able to showcase my work to people, and to just be able to create work for a living is something I’m thrilled about. Not many people get to do what they love, and I feel extremely fortunate that I’m able to do that.

6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by?
My inspiration comes from just about anywhere. Sometimes it’s something I hear, a song I listen to, conversations, a feeling, something I read, etc. My experiences, I guess. Lately I find myself looking at a great amount of sculpture work, mostly from the greats like Rodin, Bernini. Some other artists that I am particularly inspired by would be J.C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, Ryan McGinley, Klimt, to name a few. I’m also really fascinated by older package design as well.

7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?
I’m looking forward to working on a much larger scale, hopefully I can work life-size, if not larger!! I’m hoping to continue to explore different mediums and surfaces, and really just grow myself. I think if I allow myself to develop personally, and hopefully the art will do the same. - IC

Max Wanger
Age: 30
Email: hello@maxwanger.com
Website: www.maxwanger.com, www.maxwangerblog.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and ex-plain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)
I’m a photographer and I currently shoot every-thing digitally. As much as I love the look and feel of film, it’s much easier for my workflow to shoot digital. Plus, I’ve invested so much in lenses that there’s no turning back now

2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey?
I got into wedding photography because I wanted to see if I could do it differently. I wanted to be as non-traditional as possible, in the hopes of attracting the right clientele. I make it clear when I meet with couples that I’m not a typical wedding photographer. I like to be as creative as possible and I don’t like to follow any rules. I do what I think looks and feels best, I trust my instincts and my eye. Hopefully my photographs speak for themselves.

3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)
I always carry around a notebook. Actually, I have a bunch, some in the car, some on my desk, one in my pocket (it’s a small little postalco notebook I just picked up in New York that I love!) If I have the time, I love to storyboard my shoots, or at least just sketch ideas and write down thoughts. I’m also always scouring magazines and books to find inspiration.

4. How did you get started with your artistic career?
I’ve had a love for art, design and photography for as long as I can remember. I started to shoot professionally only a couple of years ago and this is my first full year of mainly doing weddings. I re-ally just sort of jumped in feet first. I didn’t know what to expect. But so far so good.

5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?
Deciding one day (not too long ago) that I wanted to photograph weddings and seeing where I am now and what I’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.

6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by?
Inspiration comes from everyday life. Traveling inspires me. Music inspires me. Art inspires me. I love the work of Rodney Smith. Every time I see an image of his, my jaw drops.

7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?
I hope to continue to shoot weddings and I hope I can branch out into other arenas as well. I would love to do more editorial and commercial work in the future. I’m constantly learning and being inspired – hopefully my photography will only get better and better. - IC

Dominique Fung
Age: 22
Email: mail@dominiquefung.com
Website: www.dominiquefung.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)
In the past, I have experimented with various mediums such as oil on canvas, as well as digital painting. However, as a new independent artist, I felt that my body of work had reached its limit in those particular medias. Instead of conforming to one particular media, I am now using mixed-media on Stonehenge.

My work process begins, like all pieces of art, as a mere sketch. Once my idea has been set, I will scan my image onto the computer and add the necessary details and changes, and then enlarge the image to conform to the scale of the Stonehenge paper. After printing, I will piece together the enlarged sections, and then trace my digital image onto the Stonehenge paper. Once the tracing is complete, I then spray on a fixative to protect the surface from any smudges. I will then add layers of washes in various amounts.

2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey?
Some paintings have a more personal meaning behind them then others. Recently, I have been focusing on habitat awareness, concerning plastics flooding our natural environment. It scares me that even within our community, there are still thousands of endangered wildlife due to the lack of recycling. The earth is headed toward a downward spiral due to the pollution. If we do not try to preserve our habitat. Our government promotes that every person makes a difference, no matter how small. Through my art, I’m hoping that I can contribute towards that difference
I think it’s beautiful creating something from nothing. Almost creating a playground for yourself in the world that you imagined. There is something powerful about that.

3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)
One of the most important practices as an artist and this also applies to other fields, is to always explore and to never give up. I find inspiration from found objects, shapes, images, stories, but mostly from the people around me. If inspiration comes, then I’ll draw up a small sketch in my sketchbook. Process is vital, and every artist has ways that they prefer to work in

4. How did you get started with your artistic career?
Ever since I was young, I was always interested in the arts. My family has been supportive from the beginning and wanted me to develop my creative senses. From playing the piano to art lessons, it was always drawing that stuck with me. Starting from my elementary year, I started taking art classes, until the past year, upon receiving my Bachelors Degree in Illustration at the Sheridan College in Oakville.

I believe that formal training does not define the talent of an artist. But I do believe that an education in learning the fundamentals and skills as an artist is necessary. The artwork that I create now does not follow the elements of design to a tee, but due to my thorough knowledge and understanding of art, I am now able to look past the technicalities, and break free from the restrictions.

5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?
I believe that one of my greatest accomplishments was gaining my independence away from my hometown in Ottawa, Ontario. To be off on my own and to be producing Art as a living is a privilege. For people to understand my concepts and wanting to be a part of what I create is inspirational. Next stop will hopefully be New York or California!

6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by?
My inspiration comes from all my surroundings from the simplest things like a rock to giant sculptures and buildings it all has a large impact on what I draw. The environment that I immerse myself in definitely does influence my works. I also believe that a lot of it comes from truly seeing the beauty in everything.

7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?
My work continues to grow everyday and I’m willing to learn and to adapt new ways in depicting an image. There isn’t a set way that I see my work evolving but I do know that I am passionate about advertising, marketing, fashion and galleries. I see myself doing more print work in the next little while, but also still trying to maintain an organic feel, more so than completely digital. Never stop learning. - IC

David Zsako
Age 26
Email: davidzsako@yahoo.ca
Website: www.humanmetalart.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)
I use pigment ink pens, metallic gel pens, sharpies, and heavy stock paper for my illustrations. To get the photo-realistic effect I trace photographs that strike me in a certain way. The source images are usually extreme or sensational, mainly documentary or exploitation in nature. When I have the core concept for the piece down, I then start to add other components such as symbols, psychedelia, and representational elements. Once everything is in place; I spend endless hours reworking the drawing with over the top embellishments and finish it off by coloring in each individual self contained bubble not unlike painting by numbers.

I usually start with a stack of uniform 16×12 inch watercolor paper and draw a variety of figures on each. Then I go back and decide which ones i want to work on and go from there.

2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey?
My work is a struggle between the beauty of aesthetics and the vulgarity of content. I am naturally attracted to disturbing and strange things, events, and people that exist in the real world. I enjoy exploring unusual occurrences unhindered by censorship. At the same time I am a sucker for eye candy. My stylization process which has evolved naturally into what it is today fuses the work with an attractive repulsive quality.

3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)
Research can be the most time intensive and mentally draining aspect of my work. Finding the right picture can sometimes take weeks and more often than not, I do not start out with a specific image in mind. The final source photography, which can be made up of several unrelated pictures taken from newspapers, magazines, or the internet, often evolves throughout the course of the research period. The final illustration usually ends up light years away from anything I had envisioned from the beginning.

The hardest part in the creation process, which I have to go through with every single illustration, is to force myself to keep an open mind and have faith that the drawing will work out in the end. Fighting the urge to give up on a piece is the most necessary routine I engage in on a regular basis. It was fairly difficult to keep going when I first started making this type of illustration, but after some of my best accomplishments were born out of what I had initially thought were failures, it became easier to trudge through self doubting phase of subsequent pieces.

4. How did you get started with your artistic career?
I come from a family of practicing professional artists, so to take an artistic path in life was not a very difficult choice to make and was not really met with any resistance. It is difficult to make a living as an artist especially if there are children in the mix, but being a practicing artist is something that I never question, to me it is just a given even though I may have to subsidize my art with a day job.

5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?
Having an amazing domestic life with a beautiful wife, a young son, and a baby on the way.

6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by?
Heavy metal, horror movies, and porn. Violence, gore, aggression, and sex to me are beautiful. I find a lot of inspiration in visceral things and by that I mean I give a lot of weight to things that appeal to the instinctive side of me rather than the intellectual side. I think that is why I have such a hard time describing or talking about my art, what it means, and how to interpret it; it is what I feel more than what I know. I am also a news junkie and I love political satire. Even though I do not make politically relevant pictures, the absurdities that are involved in the everyday workings of the world always seems to be in the back of my mind as I create.

7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?
I think from here I will start making more complex large scale works with even more detail and hopefully I can try to expand my colour pallet as well. Other than that I feel the more pieces I create, the work will evolve naturally on its own as I grow and gain more experience as an artist. - IC

Danni Shinya Luo

Age 26

Email: dshinya@gmail.com

Website: dshinya.blogspot.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)

I work mainly with watercolor and ink. I also will use other mixed medium with watercolor from time to time, these materials include things such as wax, pigment powder, plastic film…etc. I paint with these materials on various types of watercolor papers.

2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey?

Each of the paintings I create has an idea, message or story behind them, I do not believe in creating meaningless images just for the visual. These messages or stories are usually something that I feel very strong about. Something that moved me at one moment. As an artist, I feel that it is my job to present that certain feeling or concept to others through the images I create. So I can bring awareness to that idea, hoping that it may one day touch another mind.

3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)

I am always on the look out for new ideas. I try to pay attention to new ideas and concepts I encounter in my day to day life. When I do find an intriguing subject matter, I will remember it and let it develop for a period of time in my head. After a while, I would go back to that idea, with the addition of my own personal interpretations and experiences.

4. How did you get started with your artistic career?

I was under an apprenticeship with a very old Chinese watercolor artist. After a few years of studying with him, I attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. I’ve been painting watercolor ever since.

5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?

I believe my greatest accomplishment is always the next one. There is never the greatest, but always greater. I think the artist should always try to improve and push his or her own limits. Currently I’m happy with my explorations in the human psyche. The conflicts and tensions of the human emotions is complicated and deeply meaningful. I do my best to reflect that in my paintings.

6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by?

I find my inspirations through the beauty of the female figure, beauty of nature, human fears and obsessions, psychological tensions, current events, music, and eclectic fashion. These are all topics that have strong influences on me, so I try to discuss my personal point of view of them in different paintings.

7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?

Currently I am working on adding more elements to enhance the whole emotional atmosphere of my paintings. I want to achieve this through the backgrounds and the expressive poses of the figures in the paintings. The goal is to create more intense images, to push the boundaries

Balint Zsako

Age 30

Email: balintzsako@yahoo.com

Website: www.balintzsako.com

1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage)

These works are made with watercolors and inks on paper. I like the contrast between the fluid organic quality of watercolor washes and the sharp ink lines. This is a very practical way of working, its fast and I can put washes of different colors on top of one another to create very rich tones. The ink is applied with a quill (dip) pen. I like this because of its opacity, it can go on top of the watercolor and maintain its vibrancy.

I usually start with a stack of uniform 16×12 inch watercolor paper and draw a variety of figures on each. Then I go back and decide which ones i want to work on and go from there.

2. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc)

My working process is similar to writing fiction. I don’t know exactly where its going to go when I start, I just react to what’s on the page and what ideas I get while working. They are never illustrations of specific conceptual, political or theoretical ideas, they are a result of a cumulative storytelling process.

3. How did you get started with your artistic career?

Both my parents are artists. My brother and I have been drawings from a very early age. I loved physics and math all the way through high school, and even considered industrial design or mechanical engineering as a career but I ended up studying new media art and graduating with a BFA in photography. I have worked as an artist since then.

4. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments?

Nothing could make me happier than working on art all day.

5. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by?

Everything I look at and hear comes out one way or another in my drawings. I absorb things around me like everyone else, have specific ideas about politics and social issues, and am attracted and repulsed by various things in our world, and all of this comes out in my work, but in a mostly non-didactic or non-illustrative way. I want my works to be open to interpretation.

Sometimes people take a work I have made and tell me that it has captured a very specific event or feeling in their own lives. I am always happy to hear what people say my stories are about because sometimes they are better than the ones I think of.

6. How do you see your artwork evolving from now?

Its always changing, they started out with simpler narratives, got very complex at one point and now they are getting distilled again. I think the relationships of the figures in my works are getting more nuanced and I am using less fantastical symbols. But every drawing I make changes the one that will follow it, so you never know what’s coming up in the future. - IC