Hello Zso: Q&A with Sara Blake

Feast your eyes on the amazing work of Sara Blake. Combining hand drawn art with digital magic, her hybrid illustrations capture the feeling of a forgotten dream. We’re so excited to do a feature on this hot little lady, thank you Sara!

Sara Blake x Christopher Ewers

TNA: What kind of kid were you? Did you draw and doodle all over the walls and anything else you could get a hold of, or was drawing something that developed later in life?

SB: I was a total weirdo. I’ve worn glasses since I was 2 and was cross eyed for much of the beginning of my life. I was OBSESSED with wolves and wore on wolf t-shirts from the nature company for years, and I was painfully shy and awkward (the latter, probably still true). I always drew since as far as I can remember. In kindergarten I drew a series of animals and my school’s art teacher gave me private lessons during recess…for reasons unbeknownst to me–I’ve seen these drawing recently and they’re pretty terrible. Regardless, I always considered art to be a main interest and I think the support of teachers and my family convinced me I was good at something and should keep at it. I always kept sketchbooks and by high school I was enrolled in a couple special art programs and later focused on getting to New York for school. During all this time though I never had a style or real focus other than drawing. I was a terrible painter, and pretty terrible and contrived photographer, and an equally crappy sculptor. It wasn’t until the year after graduating NYU that I came into my own stylistically. I still feel like I’m working toward getting better every day.

TNA: Tell us about your teenage high school style, where would we find you at lunch time?

SB: I made pretty silly things in high school. I still beg my mother to take my high school art off the walls when I go home to Richmond. I remember really enjoying portraits though. I copied women out of Vogue spreads and drew my friends and boyfriends. I think like most students I thought that being able to draw a face realistically as possible meant that I was good, and I worked very hard at that, but of course as I get older I’ve take more interest in distorting or spinning that reality into something more interesting. But back in high school during lunch you’d probably find me desperately trying to finish homework for my afternoon courses which I had fallen asleep on the night before. Cross-country was exhausting, after all!

TNA: Personal creativity and customer direction are sometimes 2 completely different things, how do you balance both keeping your style and meeting your clients needs?

SB: It’s often something I still struggle with. The premise of making art for me has always been going into a drawing without any expectations and accepting the possibility of total failure at the outset. Of course with client work you can’t operate that way. I’ve had to learn to adjust to these expectations– the pressure of expectations can sometimes be paralyzing. Often I can’t separate my personal drawings from who I am as a person because it’s as integral to my identity as my hair color or gender, but with a client I have to remember that this work is for your client’s identity. That can be difficult to learn.

TNA: What’s an awesome art/design book you’d recommend?

SB: Albertus Seba’s Cabinet Curiosities or Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms in Nature.

TNA: What’s your favorite shape?

SB: Any of them, as long as they are slightly imperfect and drawn with a shaky hand.

TNA: What’s been your favorite career highlight? any “I made it” moments?

SB: I’ve never had an “I made it” moment because I don’t feel like I’ve made it. But I definitely think one of my highlights so far has been being flown over to Auckland to participate in the We Can Create conference last August. I was the youngest speaker and I was among some idols of mine, so it was pretty cool. I’d love to do more conferences. Huge learning experience as well.

TNA: We love our furry friends, do you have any pets?

SB: Yes! I have a black cat named Eugene. He’s very poorly behaved, perennially grumpy, and only likes me. He’s the best. Growing up though, I’ve always had labradors. It’s just too hard to have the big dogs I love in tiny NYC apartments. One day when I have more room, more support, and a more flexible schedule I’m definitely getting a dog. Or 6.

TNA: We love your tattoos, is it all other people’s artwork, or did you draw some of them out?

SB: Oh why thank you! It’s all my friend and tattooer Steve Boltz’s art. I would never get my own work tattooed as I’m pretty instantaneously sick of everything I make. It’s all about the process for me and then trying to make the next thing better.