Teefury

A word from the curator:
I love the swirly, motion-filled feeling of this octopus- it captures the sense of rough seas and an ocean teeming with life.

Tell us about this design:
The octopus is an amazing animal. It is so elegant and beautiful yet is an aggressive and effective hunter. And because the octopus is such a recognizable animal, it is fun to abstract and tweak the look with the octopus while maintaining the look of an octopus.

Tell us about yourself:
I love my wife. I love my kid. I live in Chicago. I love playing video games and making art. I am happy. I hate politicians, but am intrigued with politics. I am a listener, not a talker. I hate to clean..but do it anyway. I like toys more than I should for my age. I am a weirdly picky eater, texture is as important as taste in most cases. I have 2 cats, one is a jerk and the other is nice..but sometimes they switch places.

What's a day in the life of Mark like?
Wake. Juggle Kid. Work. Juggle Kid. Draw. Play Video Games. Hang with Wife. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

If you could go only to one restaurant for the next five years, which would it be?
I would probably choose a local place in Chicago called Grande Noodles. They have a good selection of Thai, Chinese, and Japanese food. Good place with nice selection..I think it would take a while to get sick of all the selection.

How did you get your start in art?
I've been drawing for about as long as I can remember. It always just seemed more appealing than school and/or work.

What do you think about art school?
I meet a ton of great people, spent way to much more on tuition, and actually got a decent education.

What advice would you offer to aspiring designers?
There is always gonna be somebody out there better than you are at whatever you do. Instead of getting discouraged, get inspired. No one starts at the top. And nothing worth anything comes free or easy.

MAC or PC?
MAC at work PC at home. I use them both quite a bit. I have no major preference. Although having a tablet is key for either to get any serious work done.

Cats or Dogs?
I like mammals. Birds are noisy and fish get boring. I always had dogs and cats when I was growing up. I like the both. But Ultimately I am more of a cat person. I like how you have to earn their respect and attention. I also like to be able to leave my place for a couple days without anyone having to take care of pets. Cats are very self sufficient.

Any shout outs?
MissMonster.com, Dwellephant.com, and the nice folks at TeeFURY!