Music taste
The Hives, Dirty Pretty Things, The Staggers, The Horrors, We Are Scientists.
Favorite drink
Water and fruit juice.
Favorite vacation spot
The park by Finch Lane. And the Field.

Mac or PC?
Both!

Recommended Books
Not the Bible by Tony Hendra and Sean Kelly
Twentieth Century Eightball by Daniel Clowes
Phoenix, Volume 2: A Tale of the Future by Osamu Tezuka
Intellectual Liverwurst by Clarence Von Lipkenstein
Specialty?
Ink and acrylic paintings incorporating type, with the addition of odd characters and objects plus a plethora of arrows!
 
 
 
 

Jaleh Afshar:
painter/art director


Location: Salt Lake City, Utah.

Portfolio: jalehafshar.com
Blog: jalehafshar.blogspot.com

 
 
 
 
Interview
 

How did you become a artist?
I've been creating what I consider art as long as I can remember, however, the shift from doodling to a more realized approach of purposeful design came when I was in late grade school. By then, I was working at my artistic skills not just as a hobby, but also a preparation for a future career path. It was at that time that I began freelancing as a graphic designer.

Where are you from originally?
I was born in the San Fernando area of Los Angeles, California. After some drifting, I settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I've been here since.

Did you go to art school/college or are you self-taught?
I am currently earning a BFA at the University of Utah. Prior to college, I had been teaching myself PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc. I had a primarily digital art focus up until the past two years, where I started to create predominantly traditional works.

Any advice or tips to novice painters?
Spec work will not help you advance your career.

What has been the most rewarding and challenging project you have worked on?
The most challenging projects for me are always personal promotional pieces.

What is your favorite portfolio piece? Why?
I have a special connection to all my works, but I am always the most enthralled by whatever piece I am currently working on.

What American art or artist inspires you most?
I am always excited to see the new pieces by Mark Ryden, Kristian Donaldson, Daniel Clowes, and Craig Thompson.

 
 
All images have been used with permission. All images are copyrighted and strictly for educational and viewing purposes.
 
 
 
  A Year Ago This Day
20" x 20"
Acrylic and ink.

This came after thinking about birthdays and deathdays.
 
 
  Organic Abduction
24" x 36"
Acrylic and ink.

Layering and material build-up were the main elements of this piece. The original painting of the masked girl is almost completely covered by the more graphic representation you see in black.
 
 
  Vanishing Point
18" x 24"
Acrylic, ink, and colored pencil.

This was completed as a university project. The stipulations to the assignment was to use motifs from a provided picture frame (in my case, the chevrons), and to incorporate a bust sculpture (which is visible near the top of the brown paper).
 
 
 

Steven (detail)
18" x 24"
Acrylic and ink.

I started creating autobiographical comics a few years ago, and "Steven" is a detail taken from one of the panels in my recent series.

 
 
  SLC Format
14" x 20"
Acrylic and ink.

This one is done directly on prepared wood. It was used as a poster for the Salt Lake Fashion Stroll.
 
 
 


Pedestrian
12" x 18"
Acrylic and ink.

The idea behind "Pedestrian" was to take a widely recognizable icon (the walking man), and produce a corruption of the image. The quote is by Goethe.

 
 
  Repeat
11" x 17"
Ink and gouache.

"Repeat" was one of my contributions to a collaborative design project in which the challenge was to create print advertising for a shoe company.
 
 
 


Faking It
18" x 24"
Acrylic and ink.

A bit of an art school joke. The words are from "Design, Form, and Chaos" by Paul Rand.
 
 
 
 
 
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