The Little Cloth Rabbit: Artist Interview with Linden Eller

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm super excited today to share my next artist interview with you all. I find this lady's work mesmerising, intriguing, subtle & beautiful. Each collage seems to tell it's own story & never fails to get my imagination whirling. Please enjoy & share to inspire others too : -)

Hi Linden, can you tell us a bit about yourself/your background & how long you've been painting & illustrating for?

I spent my childhood in Arizona, studied in California, and have been moving around ever since - spending small seasons in Rhode Island and Maine in the States, rural England, Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and currently, Australia. I really enjoy and support things from the old world - analog photography, writing letters, homemade anything. I also like picnics a lot.

I began drawing when I was a kid and picked it up again in my teenage years, mainly using charcoal. I began painting and illustrating a little over ten years ago, when I was 19.

When & how in that journey did you discover Mixed Media?

I started playing around with mixed media in my first art class at university, 2-D design. Someone introduced me to matte medium and I sort of never looked back. I don't ever remember "choosing" mixed media, though. I guess I just stayed curious about it, and it always seemed infinite in terms of growth.

I started out using the process of collage purely as an emotional exercise, and would build up layers indifferently beneath a more polished painted illustration on top. But in the last few years I've slowly tried to give collage a more dominant role, allowing me to focus on things like abstraction, subtlety, and composition.

What are your favourite techniques & art supplies currently?

Tracing paper is magic to me right now. But I think that's because I'm temporarily only working with paper. It's what I use instead of paint to make things faint and distant. Copic markers are lovely, and I've always been particularly fond of the white china marker, as well as the plain old fashioned pencil.

When starting a new piece of work, staring at a blank canvas or piece of paper can be daunting. What is your go to/favourite method you use to create the backgrounds for your work?

Well, instead of using canvas or blank paper, I often use recycled materials like old paintings from thrift stores or book pages as bases (a whole different set of challenges). So I've never really had traditional backgrounds in my work. But to be honest, the beginning is always the easiest and most exhilarating for me. I tend to begin with a trigger, a scrap that I'm really drawn to. I can get excited by just one little corner of a photograph and that's really all it takes to start the process. The funny part is sometimes that initial trigger scrap ends up being covered up by another layer.

For anyone trying to turn their creative passion into their career it can be very daunting & intimidating. Can you tell us how you overcome any negative thinking (if you have any!) about putting yourself out there as an artist?

It's difficult for sure, but I always try and remember that as long as I'm being authentic, there's really nothing to worry about or hide behind. Passion is contagious, and people will naturally be excited about your work if you are.

It won't happen quickly, turning it all into a career - and in the meantime, just make what you need to make, and don't apologize for it. The rest of all that icky negativity like constantly comparing yourself to other (more successful) artists or doubting your ability is just something you eventually get tired of feeling and fades over time. I think confidence is probably the most necessary and challenging attribute to obtain as a working artist in society.

For anyone just starting out in their creative endeavours what do you think is the best way to get your work out there & seen? For example, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, an Illustration or Art Agent? Approaching possible clients with your portfolio? A website? Or a combination of all?

Honestly, I think a combination is important. An official website is good for a professionally presented archive, where as Instagram provides a good window into an artist's world and daily life. Each platform has its own audience and even though it can be tiring to keep up with them all, I think it's worth it. Etsy is overwhelming and at times discouraging to me, so I use it more just as an online store than a social media site.

I think residencies can also be a great way for your work to get out there - resartis.org keeps a pretty comprehensive list.

What other artists are inspiring you at the moment?

Old favourites are Millet, Rauschenberg, Andrew Wyeth, and contemporary Joe Sorren. Lately it's Sharon Etgar and Fred Free.

I'm also constantly inspired and encouraged by three friends I studied with who are all working artists: Keiko Brodeur, Malachi Ward, and Tom Monson.