Sunday, August 12, 2012

Dan Murphy - Illustrator - Painter

Lovecraft
Dan Murphy

Name: Dan Murphy
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email:artisaweapon@gmail.com
Website: http://murphycommadan.com
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dan.murphy.39566905
Twitter: @ellecirka

Bio~ Dan Murphy grew up in the Twin Cities and recieved a BFA in Illustration from the College of Visual Arts in 2000. He has done freelance work for Milkweed Editions and The Rake Magazine, and is a contributing artist to CrowdedComics http://crowdedcomics.com.  He has exhibitied at Altered Esthetics, Soap Factory Gallery, FoxTax Gallery, and the Minneapolis Indie Xpo. He also plays guitar in the Irish/folk/bluegrass group The Double Dollars.


Elle Cirka

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I primarily enjoy working with the figure and portraiture, whether it's within painting, illustration or cartooning. I'm currently working on a series of mini-comics titled "Elle Cirka", a semi-autobiographical story about running away to join a bizarre circus. I'll compile them into a larger graphic novel at some point. It's different from past projects in that it's the largest sustained narrative I've ever worked on, but it's fun to explore that world as I create it.

How did you decide to become an artist?
At age 10 or 11 I started really enjoying art classes in school and would draw all the time. Through middle and high school, there wasn't anything else that made me as happy as making art, which led me to attending to the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul. where I found being around other artists incredibly inspiring, which continues after art school with so many artists around the cities it really drives you to keep making art. It's a supportive community but it keeps you on your toes to keep improving. At this point in my life, I can't imagine not doing art, and wonder what "regular" folks do with themselves.

Mugshot

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?To keep moving forward, to understand your mistakes and keep going, and not be afraid to scrap it and start over. And also knowing when to walk away from a piece, accept that it's finished and you'll only ruin what you were going for if you keep messing with it.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?
I've mostly been selling my work at places like the Minneapolis Indie Xpo and SpringCon & FallCon, and the occasional commission, but plan to market myself more online as well as at my websitehttp://murphycommadan.com .

Sketchbook

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Alex Kuno http://www.alexkuno.blogspot.
com/
Danno Klonowski http://staplegenius.wordpress.com/
Kevin Cannon http://kevincannon.org/
Britt Hammerberg http://brittch.com/
Lance Ward http://tatertotdiaperman.wordpress.com/
Matt Kriske http://www.matthewkriske.blogspot.com/
Athena Currier http://actionathena.com/
Lupi McGinty http://lupiloops.wordpress.com/
Chris Mars http://www.chrismarspublishing.com/
Sarah Morean http://smorean.com/
Steve Stwalley http://www.stwallskull.com/
Dan Olson http://bewilderedkid.com/
Ryan Dow http://ryandow.com/ic/

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?The Walker and The Minneapolis Institute of Arts of course, but also galleries like Altered Esthetics. But I tend to remember the artists I see more than the venues I see them. Occasionally seeing some small indie films/docs at the Lagoon/Uptown or the Trylon Microcinema.

Paige

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?
These days I tend to find out about new artists via other artists I follow on Twitter/Facebook and podcasts, not really any centralized source any more. But for mostly indie comics stuff I go here:

The Comics Journal http://www.tcj.com
Drawn & Quarterly http://drawnandquarterly.
blogspot.com/
The Comics Reporter http://www.comicsreporter.com/
Inkstuds Podcast http://www.inkstuds.org/
Lutefisk Sushi Podcast http://www.cartoonistconspiracy.com/sushipodcast/

Paige / Blue

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I'm participating in Creative Property at Altered Esthetics In September 2012.The show opens Friday September 7, 2012 from 7-10PM, and there is an artists' discussion on Saturday September 22 from 1-3PM.


Other than that, I'm not sure what one should expect from me, I'd be happy to spend the rest of my life like Lucian Freud or Egon Schiele, in a paint spattered studio with good light, painting portraits of people I find interesting. In any case I'll be out there creating stuff that at least interests me, and if others like it, I'm ok with that.


Dan Murphy

Altered Esthetics

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