Roz and I first met on a previous site, but we only really got to know one another in greater depth here on dA.

She is a talented lady, full of intriguing surprises, and has led a very interesting and varied life. She was denied the opportunity of using a grant that was offered her to go to art school, but this has led her into many other opportunistic areas, and as a self-taught artist and a teacher of belly-dancing until recently, she has achieved amazing things, which now includes writing scripts for Apophysis users to enjoy.

The Interview

1. How long have you been doing art?

Since I was a tiny child.

2. What, or who, got you started and influenced your work?

My aunt was a headmistress and quite artistic, she started me on the road to a lifelong involvement.

3. Do you have any formal training as an artist?

No my father would not let me accept the art school scholarship I was offered. I went to work in a tea packing factory instead. Then I left home at 15 and got a job in a fabric shop where they let me dress the windows.

I suppose I am self-taught from books, I have a great many art books and when I lived in London, visited the galleries all the time. Now you can't get close enough to spend any time at all in front of a painting. So I look online or in books.

I have also had my own art shop and gallery, exhibited all over the UK, organised exhibitions for the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, ran arts and craft fairs for years. Then came the bellydancing, still an art form, however I did get very interested in the Orientalists. Some very beautiful art there.

4. What software do you normally use for creating or preparing a work for display on the internet?

I use Apophysis more than any other program, however I like XenoDream, Fractal Explorer and Bryce.


5. Do you have a preference for the type of picture you like to create?

I love colour, colour is life, dullness to me means depression and a dull uninteresting existence.

I want some light in my life and what I do gives me that.

6. Can you give a brief overview of the techniques you use?

Whatever program I use to make an image I always have a bit of a play with it before I upload it to DA.

I use Photoshop, The Gimp, however I have to say Paint Shop Pro is my favourite. I have loads of lovely filters I like to play with. I also like to frame and sign my work. I feel presentation is very important as with any art form. I want my audience to see a finished product.

7. What sort of things inspire your artwork?

Emotions, colours, shapes and a great desire to please both myself and others.The images we are making today have never been seen by anyone. The tools we have are unlimited and easily available. We are very priviledged.

8. Could you pick out 3 of your most favorite images from your gallery and explain why you partiularly like them?

When I make an image I am immediately pleased with it so I have to answer my latest 3 images, the next three will then be my favourites until the next and so on.

9. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

Yes! Please, please look at your presentation; is it eye friendy? Does it look finished? Look at it in a mirror to try to see it through others eyes (good for checking symmetry) Don't spend all that time working on a piece and not sign it. Be proud of what you have made and put your name on it.

We are at the beginning of a wonderful unlimited era in art. Don't put barriers on how you make your images, it's the end result that counts, freedom for art and creativity.

10. Do you have any future plans for diversifying your artwork?

Yes I have a copy of Zbrush.......

11. Is there anything else you'd like to add about what you do?

Firstly, I have worked quite a lot alongside on scripts for Apophysis, and this last weekend I came up with a new script on my own. All links to the scripts I've been involved in can be found on my Main Page, but here are some individual links to where you can download them:

Grand Spiral Script
Intrinsica Script
Amwica Scripts

I am also very interested in the video side of things. dA is going to be developing this in the near future.

I see this as an easily attainable art form-form we can all use. If you have not tried to make a video it is really easy to drop stills into Windows movie maker and then insert transitions, a sound track. Convert it all to DIVX and upload to Youtube. If dA can make it as easy as that then it will be a very interesting development for everyone to enjoy.

A last tip on the movie making is don't worry too much about making high quality images, they will be too big for the upload limit. You can use a screen capture program to collect your images, then trim them in whatever you use (PSP Photoshop or Gimp) When you upload them to Youtube they convert the whole thing and any quality you worked at is lost. However go for the overall effect. I tried it both ways and the end product looked just the same...

Finally, make someone happy, make yourself happy, MAKE ART. It's a gift.

Thanks Anna for asking me to do this interview. It is a priviledge.

Here are just a few samples from Roz's Gallery

It's hard to know where to stop! There is so much to see that I would really like to invite anyone who doesn't already know Roz to take a look at her extensive gallery. Not all of her images were created in Apophysis, either. You will see that there is a mix of programs employed, and there are some very interesting scenes that she has created in most innovative and colorful ways.

ENJOY!!