- What is your name / organization / title?
Melissa Jensen / beepear / artist
- What motivated you to become a maker?
I'm fascinated by the process and challenge of creating. If I see something I haven't done before I want to see what would happen if I tried creating that thing. For example, when the youtube artist community started painting on waterbottles I researched the process and tried it, then I repeated the process on a watercolor palette.
- Looking back on the early stages of your journey, what advice would you give yourself now?
Don't be afraid of a messy sketch, not everything has to be perfect. If you want to draw fanart, draw fanart. Ask more questions. Don't be afraid of posting your work.
- What is your favorite thing you’ve ever made? Why?
This is like picking a favorite child right? It's so hard! Probably the wedding invites I designed for my best friend started out as a rough sketch for a fun idea. I needed to get that idea out so I could focus on something more serious, but she and her fiance loved the fun one more so we worked on perfecting that into a finished painting as the background and then finally the wedding invitations themselves.
- What’s the next evolution for you (or your industry) going to look like?
It's hard to say until it happens. My husband and I just moved so I've been trying to set up our studio space while getting caught up on Inktober52 drawings and sketching project ideas. I'm trying to do more art journaling to encourage myself to experiment more.
- Who would you partner with (living or dead) for your dream collaboration? And what would you work on together?
So many! I would love to collaborate with Maria from Art Tool Kit on a custom watercolor palette or with James Luke Burke on a journaling project. Also Lindsey Stirling and Jake Parker.
- You're on death row and it's time for your final meal. What'll ya have?
Baked mashed potatoes, zips french fries with ketchup and tarter, my mom's buttermilk fried chicken, and broiled carrots, zucchini, and potatoes. I LOVE potatoes.
- In a world where you have two hands, all of your pets and loved ones are safe, and your studio is on fire, what do you try to save?
The cup I got from a Japanese garden in Portland and my computer for my wedding photos.
- What is one piece of pop culture (movie, tv, artwork, song, etc.) that no matter how many times you return to it you still draw excitement, movement, or inspiration?
Harry Potter
- I love useless facts. Impress me with a seriously useless fact!
Hydroplanes can go over 200 miles per hour
- If you could try any profession other than your own, what would you choose to do?
Probably psychology, I'm constantly questioning why people do what they do
- What is your personal strategy/philosophy when it comes to using social media for your work?
My goal is to post and not worry about what others might think. Art can be such a personal journey that opening yourself up is terrifying.
- Speaking of social media, where can people find you?
I go by beepear on instagram and twitter.
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