June Artist of the Month

*Peace-of-Art

Sometimes on deviantART, you can run across an artists page that just amazes you. That is what happens whenever you go to to their page. A Stock Duo, that has some of the highest quality stock here on deviantART. *Peace-of-Art has under their name, dA's Best Kept Secret . I'm hoping that will change. The amount of detail and work they put in their stock is incredible. I was able to get an interview with both keepers of the account, and get some insight into the minds of this wonderful account.

Kat
Tell us a little about yourself
There really isn't much to tell. I love art of all kinds. Everything from interior design, photography, crafts, gardening, music, and yes manips.

How long have you been using DeviantART?
The last day of July will be my one year anniversary here.

What is your real name?
My name is Kat and Wishmaker is my artistic last name. Like authors have pen names, this is mine.

Who is your favorite artist on DeviantART?
Now that would be a very tough one. I think it would depend upon the style. I have several that I consider favorites of mine. Those I love to watch and those I admire. I couldn't name just one. There are so many different styles of art here on dA that it would be impossible for me to say "this person is my absolute favorite of all"

What is your favorite style here?
I love conceptual art. I rarely do a piece, in fact I don't think I've ever done a piece here, that hasn't had a concept when I made it. Sometimes others see what I might have meant, other times they come to their own conclusions, and it fits them.

Which do you prefer doing, Stock or Manips?
When I get in the manip mode, there is nothing like it in the world. It consumes me. Almost too much. I will spend hours or days pouring over it. I'm never really happy with my result. I usually have to ask someone close to me to look at it and give me their opinion if it's even worthy to be posted.
I feel much differently about stock. I know I provide just the basics for others to turn into art. So I don't feel the compulsion to keep trying to make changes. I can let go of it much easier by saying to myself .. "it's ok if it's not just right, the artists who use it will make it that way."


How do you feel about pageviews?
I'm known for being outspoken. So I will be truthful in this. How can one be seen by others without pageviews? How one goes about getting them is a different story. I want the majority to be about my deviations, whether it's about art or about stock. But I love featuring others, and showcasing the work of others. So, if a good portion of my pageviews comes because of that, that's ok with me too. Especially in stock it shouldn't be about me, it should be about the art that's been created by others.


What clubs are you involved in with DA?
I'm not a good club member. I keep forgetting to submit my devs to them. I know I should do this, it's a way of getting your work seen by more people. But, I just seem to get side-tracked. They are all great clubs though, and ones I would recommend to others.
In alphabetical order:

What is your favorite submission?
My favorite art submission is I don't really know
My favorite stock submission is probably Rev's trees. He's a fantastic artist and photographer.

What is your favorite Favorite?
here again, I have NO CLUE! I love so many pieces of art, and I've had some gorgeous ones dedicated to me, I couldn't possibly single one out as my favorite of favorites.


What kind of ideas do you have for doing in the future?
I have a few ideas of things I'd like to attempt, but since I haven't really brought those ideas to fruition yet, I think I'll pass on sharing those. They could be flops ya know? lol

What inspires you?
When someone honestly appreciates the stock, I'm inspired to do more. Artists aren't typically wealthy people who can all rush out and purchase stock from paid sites. We scour the free stock and hope to find something suitable for our manips or references. I think the artists on dA are so lucky, to have such a variety of wonderful stock artists here to choose from. And each stock artist seems to find our own little niche.


Can you tell us a little bit about where you live?
I'm lucky, I live in two places. I'm from Missouri. Land of rolling hills, and rocks and wonderful trees and fresh water lakes. I spend most of my time in Florida, with the ocean and beach, tropical weather and fantastic fun places to go to.


What is your favorite thing about DeviantART?
The people. The sense of community. The friends I've made here. The ideas that they share freely.


What is your least favorite thing about DeviantART?
the time outs that plague the pages, a few lurkers who try to spoil things.


How do you keep your ideas fresh and exciting?
I can't say I attempt to do that. I just look around and see what's there, and shoot it. I see things so much differently now that I am really into stock. I will come home from shooting and think I've gotten about everything I wanted to get until I really look at the pics, then I see a ton of things I missed, so I make notes so that if I get back to that location, I can take pics of the things that I missed.

You have some very inspiring stock in your gallery. What advice do you have for aspiring stock artists?
Stock IS art. Not the finished product for sure, but it's art. Treat it as such. Sometimes you can just crop a pic and it's fine. But many times you need to scale it differently by putting it on a fresh canvas. Adjust your colors, saturation levels and contrasts to make it as appealing as possible. Sometimes I will touch up a piece slightly, and if it's just slightly, I don't put it in the premades, I consider that just normal photo touch ups.
Most of all shoot what interests you, so that you have fun doing it. I look so forward to going out and planning shoots. I've met more interesting people, learned more, seen more, and all from a different viewpoint than I ever had before. Example, I love lamp-posts and columns, and look for them everywhere. I used to just think how nice they were. Now I see them as pieces of art, and have a whole new perspective on objects that I never had before. I stop to admire more things, appreciate more things than ever before.


Tell us about one thing you really support with your heart.
Giving to others. I think everyone can give SOMETHING to others. I think before you ask to take something from others that they aren't offering to give, you should first think what you can offer them in return. For example, most ARE artists here. Most everyone could offer to donate a piece of stock in return for a concession on a rule possibly. I believe that you do not judge a person by the color of their skin, their religion, nationality, sexual preferences, title, or position. You judge them by just one thing. Are they a Giver or a Taker. If someone shows me they are a true Giver, I will make about any concession that I can make to help them.
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Rev's Interview

Tell us a little about yourself
I have an over active imagination, that more times than not, gets me in trouble.
Oh, and a low tolerance for ignorance...it makes me break out in hives.

How long have you been using DeviantART?
A few years just existing, but a year subscribed in August.

What is your real name?
Christopher

Who is your favorite artist on DeviantART?
How can you pick? There's folks that have been here years, and then there's a kid posting for the first time, that blows you away. Art is art, if it moves you, great. There's not one person that I can say is my favorite.


What is your favorite style here?
Again, a tough one. I'm a fan of the darker stuff, whatever the medium.

Which do you prefer doing, Stock or Manips?
They both have their places, to see an object turned into something clean and useable for someone, or to take a image and twist it to your desire, both are satisfying.

How do you feel about pageviews?
I myself, am not a big fan of pageviews. It's like Myspace friends...
You could have 20, 000 views, but did you really change anyone's life?
It only takes one view to put someone on a new path that they might not have thought about.

What clubs are you involved in with DA?
None...I don't know if I play well with others.

What is your favorite submission?
I don't have one...yet.

What is your favorite Favorite?
Impossible to say, that's why "Favorites" is plural.

What kind of ideas do you have for doing in the future?
Making the everyday, new and exciting.

What inspires you?
Life in general...how can you not wake up and think "Wow, I am alive in this time of our world."

Can you tell us a little bit about where you live?
Michigan...Hmmm...It looks like a hand. But seriously, it's a great state to be in, a nice 4 season place.

What is your favorite thing about DeviantART?
The art! Where else could you see sooo much of it? And so many different types, truly a great place for eye candy.

What is your least favorite thing about DeviantART?
Drama...I cannot stand drama. I've been out of school far to long to deal with schoolyard tactics.

How do you keep your ideas fresh and exciting?
Sleep deprivation...yes...lack of sleep will do it every time.

You have some very inspiring stock in your gallery. What advice do you have for aspiring stock artists?
Wishy said it best, You really have to look at the everyday in a different light. What might just be a normal everyday object to you, could open a world of creativity to someone else.

Tell us about one thing you really support with your heart.
Imagination. I love to see people using it. I go out of my way to make sure my little girl uses her's.
I can't stand when someone comes down on another artist and says that it doesn't look that way, or that would not make sense. It's a world of perception and presentation. And I don't care that her horse is purple, I'm just glad she visualized a world where purple horses existed.

Stock from their Gallery