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Featured Artist - Kristen Tercek

Zen in progress

VITAL STATS

Name: Kristin Tercek

Location: New Jersey

Favorite food: allofit…is that acceptable? (note: it sure is! ;-)
Favorite movie(s): In no particular order: Apocalypse Now, Star Wars, Lost in Translation, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ghost World, Babe, Ringu, Fight Club, Goodfellas, Uzumaki, Defending Your Life, Finding Nemo, Alice in Wonderland (Disney)
Favorite accessory: my husband (he’s the one with my name tattooed on the back of his head)
Pet peeve: hmmm….
Current obsession: painting and Lucky Charms

(kristen’s hubbies head!)

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What should everyone to know about you?

I’m a late bloomer. Always have and apparently always will. I just turned 40 this year and I’m basically starting over. I feel like I’m back in school with all the new things I’m learning everyday and I love it!

Who are your favorite artists or designers?

List is sooooo long: Murakami, Anna Chambers, Mark Ryden, Tim Biskup, Nagi Noda, Esao Andrews, Wayne Thiebaud, Trevor Brown, Junko Mizuno, J. Otto Seibold, John John Jesse, Nathan Jurevicius, Ernst Haeckel, Tokidoki, Kris Kuksi…

Citruside Print

Where do you go to check out new art?

Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park, NJ is awesome and close to my home. Arrested Motion, Sweet Station, MoCo Loco, Shanalogic (seriously!), Hi Fructose and Ektopia are regular online stops for me.

How did you start doing your craft?

I was bored and thought it would be fun to sew a plush doll. Started Cuddly Rigor Mortis, and 3 and a half years later I was exhausted but filled with creative energy that needed to come out some other way. Painting was always my first love, started when I was 11 and although I had long periods without it, I always came back. I’m thinking it may be back for good this time.

Kristen’s workspace

What do you look to for inspiration?

Anything really. Food really inspires me lately. Watching other artists work inspires me too. If I see anyone creating, I suddently have to make something too. Visiting new places inspires me too. After my husband and I went to Tokyo, I was (and still am) filled with energy from the surroundings. And that was two years ago!

Who do you have in mind when you create something?

Me. I’m completely self-centered when it comes to my art now. I always used to work for someone else, ‘will they like it?’ ‘will this person get it?’ ‘will it be acceptable for children?’ It was too much and I decided that I needed to free myself from that and be a little selfish. At least try it and it’s worked so far.

Sweet Lobotomy Print

How do you go about making stuff?

I have a sketchbook that has hundreds of little characters in it that I’ve been working on for about four months now. I’ll scan a sketch in and the plaque that I want to use and put them into Photoshop. I’ll tighten up the lines and block in colors and shading, print it out for reference and then paint the actual plaque.

How would you describe your style?

Creepy, cute, modern, low brow. I keep asking other people what they think because I’m not really sure.

Detail of Minty Melt Print

Are you working on any new projects?

I’m fleshing out some packaging designs for boxing up my prints. A box set for a series so people can have a nice place to keep them. I’m also in talks with a lovely jewelry designer about putting my artwork on some lockets. Fingers crossed!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I just want to say that you [ me, shana! ;-) ] were the first person to sell my plushes when no one had ever heard of Cuddly Rigor Mortis. You were also the first person to sell one of my prints and I can’t thank you enough for all the support and inspiration you’ve given me over the past few years. Shanalogic rocks!

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