Megan Frau
merum
Website: Fraunie.xepher.net
Flickr: Megan Frau
Myspace: Megan Fraunie
Deviantart: Fraunie
Livejournal: merum
Talent Database: Fraunie
Etsy: MeganFrau (Nothing's currently listed at the moment to sell.)
1) What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
A need to say something: a story to tell or a call for action. It's hard for me to make art without an intended purpose. I typically need to have an idea formulated entirely before I begin. I'm very project oriented.
Reading and writing inspires me mostly. I write more in my sketchbook than sketch. Also life experiences and social causes for me have impact on my work.
2) Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
Both. I grew up teaching myself to draw cartoons, but my more formal drawing was helped along with my college art classes. The emphasis of my art, printmaking, was entirely taught while in college as well.
To a small degree, I feel academic teaching could hinder you, but only in the sense of complete self expression. You spend a lot of time making sure that your portfolio is accepted by your professors to achieve a desired grade. I was lucky to have teachers that gave me some artistic freedom. I'm going back to school in the fall to start on my Master's, so my thoughts may change on the matter entirely.
3) Do you have a ritual, quirk or superstition that influences you and the way you create? (example: I must where the green underwear when I paint hair or it will look horrid, etc.)
I use to obsessively research ideas before starting. I would have pages of references, notes, and doodles pasted into my sketchbook. Lately, I've been trying to break from that habit so I have more spontaneity and happy accidents with what I'm creating.
I guess my new habit is to have a sketchbook that's not store-bought and boring to look at. A friend of mine only used handmade journals because she believe it inspired her to use it everyday. I think that rubbed off on me.
4) What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
I work with everything and anything. I don't restrict myself to brands and enjoy experimenting. For drawing/painting I've been experimenting mostly with inks and spray paint. I sometimes work digitally, but I have to mix it with natural mediums too, so it doesn't become too mechanical. I suppose the one consistent material I need to work with is good quality paper or illustration/masonite board. It makes all the difference when I'm printing or bookmaking.
5) As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? And now?
As a child I first remembered wanting to train dolphins! My mind changed 20 times until it settled on artist though. For some reason, I never thought that maybe doing what you like as a career should be an option.
6) If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
I geek-out over slick graphic design, it's something I wished I studied that while in school. Weird? Perhaps. It would also be rad if I could do renaissance art. Just because.
7) Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
Once again, both. The ability to have that exposure is an advantage, but then there are greater chances of art thieves and copycats. It's also harder to feel original when you can see what everyone produces. You're constantly thinking of ideas, but once you're halfway through making it you realize twenty other artists are doing similar stuff. I'd like to think that perhaps having that hurdle of frustration will push me to think more outside of what's standard. Hopefully.
8) How do you deal with creator's (or writer's) block?
I tend to have a billion "to-do"s that I always never complete. Whenever I have a creative block, that's when I take advantage and shift my energies. That means working on the website, scanning, applying and mailing off stuff for shows, enjoying leisure time, researching ideas, and finding inspiration. If the creative block doesn't include writing, I'll write a blog post or otherwise. Growing up, having a block was more difficult and I tended to be very grumpy. --->pseudo-angsty teen =)
9) How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
Most of the shows I've participated in have been big group exhibitions where I send my submission off in a big box and pay a hefty postage fee. If I'm lucky, my work is hung at a local gallery and all I have to do is drop it by framed. My BFA thesis show was another story. The venue was in a "renovated" space and our group had to clean, provide lighting, and my friend and I had to build a wall in order to have more space because most of walls were inadequate to hang art on. The floors were all uneven so everything I had on pedestals sat crooked and there was a bathroom was right next to the emphasis of my show. Never again.
10) At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
Probably when I realized how much a creative block effected me. To inability to create was not an option. Art makes me happy, even if I never become successful with it.
11) What was your worst experience with art?
Hm, probably when my dog ate the face off one of my sculptures (no joke) that I spent my entire summer creating. Handling bad criticism is a far second.
12) What was you best experience with art?
So far being published in a book. It was a small publication, but I felt accomplished. I hope to have more to gain in the future.
13) How would you define your style? Is it an extension of yourself, or something else entirely?
Eh, the only consistency in my style is that it's inconsistent. I get bored way too easily with my work and always change the style drastically. It's constantly back and forth with using cartoons and realistic to the materials and color choices. I keep trying to have a "style" but I often ponder if it's all beneficial.
14) What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)
It's an organized chaos. My desk is currently a place to put all my recently finished work. I hate working there, but it's more to do with it not being near a tv or some form of entertainment. I have ADD pretty bad, but I work best if I have a movie or cd playing in the background. So often I work on the floor of my living room.
15) Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you're passionate about?
I probably come off very domestic, but I like to cook! I try to learn new dishes whenever I can afford to splurge. I've also been making a hobby of reusing old art prints/paper and converting it to sketchbooks or new art. I want to take on new hobbies like sewing once schooling is over.
