Maureen Gubia interview

How are you and how's everything been ?
Maureen: very busy , very. trying not to lose momentum

So where are you living these days?
Maureen: i live in ecuador in the coast

When did you realize that you were interested in art?
Maureen: 17



What have you been working on recently?
Maureen:  christmas princess series, referenced from pictures of my younger sister.
watercolor paintings

do you have any interesting projects coming up that you can tell us about?
Maureen:  trying to make all the mediums and formats i work with come together to make
something else, the sum of all parts. i think about this constantly



Who are some of your favourite artists/illustrators?
Maureen:  munch, helene schjerfbeck, tim hawkinson, duchamp, cant remember now

Whats your favorite tool to use? (pen, pencil, paint, or markers?)
Maureen:  watercolors and pastels and white gouache

So whats a normal day for you?
Maureen:  draw as much as i can, fill up my sketchbook, occasionaly recording a snippet
of some melody, idea, so on. watch films, pet the dog, check the mail



I've also noticed that you make music, how did you get into that?
Maureen:  it seems natural for me to start making my own, just laying out ideas. i grew
up singing to myself, making impressions of my favorite vocalists. just now i
took up various instruments and started teaching myself. i mix these sounds with
adobe audition

What are your favorite things to draw?
Maureen: people, old men. kids, faces, the human figure. suggesting tension and
movement perhaps



So what inspires you?
Maureen: im obsessed with capturing gestures as quick as possible. family albums too,
inspire me.

How do you kick back and relax when you are not working?
Maureen: i go out and take pictures, chase stray cats,try and pet them

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Maureen: a gymnast



whats your favorite color?
Maureen: that bright pink in between joints-elbows

whats your favorite place to be ?
Maureen: cuarto 24

Are there any projects you would love to work on but don't have the chance to or nobody has asked you to do yet?
Maureen: not really. i cant think of any frustrated projects



Can you tell me about some artists or something interesting that I should
know about?
Maureen:  just thinking a lot about jandek. his earliest albums, the quality of the
recordings and the character he embodies. man-child creepy rambling. the way he
crops the pictures on each album cover is so deadpan but beautiful and haunting.
out of tune guitar plinks&plonks !

any final words?
Maureen: that was that




:::
Maureen Gubia
contact [at] gubiaa@gmail.com
http://gubia.neurasthenic.net/

timeless days

the past few months have been hectic.

A few months ago my friends are i decided
to put out a magazine. We had sponsors, people
to print everything up,most of the files we need to get
everything done-but it just fell through for some reason.
instead we are making a book though. Which is a way
better idea. Each book will feature 150 differnt artists.
There's alot of details to be worked out with that,
but in the meantime i had a few interviews with some artists
whos work i really like and instead of letting them go to waste-
i'll post them here instead.

the first interview is with a friend Fumi Nakamura..

So where are you living these days?
and how is it?
Fumi:i still live in the south bay, California (let's make it vague as possible). this is my four and half years living in this area.I am going to move out here soon and thinking about moving closer to the Bay. Possibly, Oakland or San Francisco.Anyway, living in this place is very isolating and cold. it is great and also terrible for my life. it is great because I can concentrate on work. I have many friends and they are good to have, but right now I like to concentrate on what I want to do for my future, so yes. living in this terrible place is a great idea. But it does get lonely and I want to be closer to the city badly, so it does get hard. once in a while i explode and ask my friend to take me away from this place.that is where i am living and lived for last 4.5 years.


When and where did you realize that you were interested in art?
Fumi: I got really interested in art when I was fourth grade in Japan.
but I didnt think about it that this is what I want to do till I die till 3~4 years ago.
Living in the United States definitely changed my perspective and made me possible to do what I am doing and have
been doing.


What have you been working on recently?
Fumi: I've been drawing for shows and clients. Also redesigning my new site that is coming up soon.





do you have any interesting projects coming up that you can tell us about?
Fumi: I will be in the show called Fight the Flight at thinkspace gallery in LA in January then another show in Florida in March.
what else...I am working on lots of new drawings for the current series and it will be on my new site soon and everywhere.
There will be few t-shirt designs I've done will be released too! busy!


Who are some of your favourite artists/illustrators?
Fumi: My favorite artists/illustrators are kiyoshi kuroda, non-format, sam webers, Jenny Saville, Thomas Doyle and Mario Hugo.

So whats a normal day for Fumi?
Fumi: i am awake most of the part of the day. school, draw/work at school studio till 5 am. sometimes till 8 am.then go to sleep for couple hours. play with chinchilla. have million cups of tea and coffees. and bike.


Apart from art what other things are you into?
Fumi: i like riding bike. but i not serious like those biker gang kids. i think that's too much for me.i like to sew stuffed animals. listen to music. sometimes write and occasional readings.and cook food.


What are your favorite things to draw?
Fumi: probably mouths and hands. and details around the eyes.I live to draw wolf too!

So what motivates you?
Fumi: life and experience itself. people do fascinate me, but sometimes it gets too complicated and it would not motivate me
to actually draw. I like to seek what is meaningful. I love seeing the connections and reactions with things. Art to me is a
creative process to figure things out and express our emotions. these process is is fascinating and motivate me to create
more work. so i can make more connections and emotions with others, and at least to myself.


How do you kick back and relax when you are not working?
Fumi: listen to music loud with my headphone and walk around / ride bike.
write down ideas and drink beer and ale!


whats your favorite color?
Fumi: i know gray is not a color and that makes me upset, but
i think i love orange-red. They are warm and color that I use a lot in my drawings.
It's so vibrant color! and makes me blood boil.


Bicycles are-
Fumi: the new awesome horses!

Are there any projects you would love to work on but don’t have the chance to or nobody has asked you to do yet?
Fumi: there are so many things I would love to do. and yes. I don't have enough time....What I really want to do is make more merchandises. Like tote bags, postcards, calendars, shirts/clothes, cups/dishes, pins and books! I want and love to make a lot of things!


Can you tell me about some artists or something interesting that I should know about?
Fumi: I recommend checking out Thomas Doyle's work (http://www.thomasdoyle.net/). He does beautiful and most amazing works.

Any final words?
Fumi: Life is experiences and there are many things you can experince and change. It is all depend on you. It's your choices and
decisions to make. It sounds like a simple process, but it's really not. knowing yourself is difficult and not knowing yourself
will cause mistrust with others. it is simply because we don't know and cannot trust ourselves how. Be passionate about what
you do and what can you do. everyone can make differences. so work on yourself and make it happen. I want to see a whole community to help each others with everything and make a big difference. and i know it's possible, because I want to do that
and I need lots of people who are willing to make difference and create a wonderful community full of art, music, life, philosophy, history and connections. please work hard for yourself, then do it for others. :)

take care
and talk to you soon.

much love,
fumi

:::
fumi nakamura
contact [at] miniminiaturemouse [dot] com
http://www.miniminiaturemouse.com