What is it, that it is, that you do?
I’m an artist/illustrator primarily and a designer on the side I guess. I’ve been working as a web designer and logo designer leading up to making the decision to jump out of the nest like a no chute base dive. Making the leap’s been a bit of a journey of self discovery for want of a less wanky phrase and you can read a bunch more about it here in the post ‘Creative hindsight’. I left the comfort of the job to travel and the pandemic, amongst other factors, has forced my hand in a good way: Leading me to just focus on drawing, painting and getting back to street art. A return to what used to get me excited as a kid.
Where did it start?
All over the shop. I’ve traveled, what I think is, a fair bit but while I was on the road I met the odd voyager who’d been, what seemed like, everywhere. That’s one thing I always liked the idea of being: that transient weirdo with the super deep understanding of the world and its people. But more accurately the whole Foksy thing has its origins and foundations in the UK where I lived for ten years.
Why Foksy?
I was always obsessed with the icon of the fox while living in Leicestershire. I always saw them around town at night and have always been against the hunting of them. I have this weird affinity with them I guess. I operate better at night and am a little shy and guarded. Even go as far as saying I feel hunted. Just swap the red coats with the cronies of social constructs, rule makers and worst of all… those who follow the rules blindly without questioning anything at all.
There’s loads more on the idea behind it in a blog post here in ‘The naming and conception of Foksy’.
What’s your process?
I got myself a drawing tablet (Small intros pro) thinking it would power me forward and allow me to make awesome artwork. Long story short: a lifetime of drawing with a pencil and pen led to a lack of patience with learning digital art tools. I couldn’t create anything I liked. It all looked the same as all the other digital art. I stick to more traditional mediums as the imperfections make my art more human. I just use the computer as an aid rather than a tool. Who knows. If my artwork turns a decent profit then I might try one of the fancy schmancy drawing tablets but they’re a bit pricy. Plus if I lose my pens and paper or get robbed it doesn’t cost much to replace.
Got sidetracked there talking ‘bout how I don’t work. I sketch and trace to get the idea down and then ink out the work using brush pens, fineliners, Posca markers or ink on paper. I’ve done canvases in the past but settled for painting old skateboards and giving them a second life. If you wanna see my work, it’s all in my folio here.
What’s with the tree huggin’ hippy vibe?
I just want to leave the world better than I found it which is becoming hard. I don’t have a massive voice on carbon emissions but I’m a firm advocate for the fight to breathe cleaner air, surf plastic free oceans, ski rubbish free mountains and sticking up for the world’s flora & fauna. I have just tried to make a bunch of changes in the way I live to have a smaller impact.
- I only buy what I need.
- Reduced my belongings to fit in a bag.
- Sold the car (Sorry Zoids, had a good run)
- Minimise air travel.
- Minimise my waste output & single use plastics.
It’s all a fuckin’ pain cos I have spent years, unknowingly, forming bad habits. Sorry mother earth. I’m tryin’.
