Teefury

Words from the curator:

I laughed, I cried, I wound up the gramophone and played it again.

Tell us about this design:

It's a play on Nipper, the RCA dog who looked quizzically into a gramophone that played "his master's voice." I drew it with the P.D. Eastman children's book "Are you my mother?" in mind; the RCA dog was searching for his master and came up short again. I thought the e collar was a nice parallel to the gramophone. I realized later that the picture could also be read as a lost opportunity after a certain procedure at the veterinarian's office.

What do you want Teefury fans to know?

I love t-shirts! You might have seen my drawings kicking around as submissions on threadless or illustrations on daytrotter.com for a little while, but I've been quiet lately.

How did you get into art?

Both of my parents are really good artists. My dad has always painted and drawn in an abstract style. My mom is an engineer and her drawing is technical and very precise. I like technical and realistically detailed drawing but I also like that I have the power to decide when something is finished. I think a lot of my drawings could be the encyclopedia or dictionary illustrations tucked into the margins that make you take a second look because there's something that isn't quite right. They get the point across but they aren't masterpieces. I think that my affinity for that style relates to a sort of documentary or preservation motivation I have that also fuels my interest in photography. I carry a camera with me all the time and I got in the habit of photographing birds eating strange food people leave behind. Birds are so quick and those moments are fleeting. I'm compelled to document and collect things.

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years with your art career or other?

Right now there isn't any pressure on my art. It's a hobby. I like having deadlines for projects because it helps me to focus but I don't really have anyone to answer to. Sometimes I think that if I tried to turn it into even a part-time career all the business and competition would kill the enjoyment of creating. It's nice to have my skills recognized and appreciated on a certain level but I've never been in a position where people are paying me for my art work. Maybe it's because I've never asked. Hopefully I'll build up my confidence and be able to get more illustrations further than my sketchbook.

MAC or PC?

I've developed a PC sensitivity, but I'm loyal to my MAC. I use a PC at work and I've realized I truly am in the minority as a MAC user.