Our Artist Guest of Honor corresponded with BayCon publications before BayCon to answer talk about her work, life, and furry family members. We’d love to share things with you, and be sure to find Elizabeth before the end of the Con, she’s much more amazing in person!
Q: You’ve been a guest at a number of fan-run conventions. What excites you about attending these events and interacting with fans?
Oh, great question. I love to get the chance to really talk about art and science fiction/fantasy with other people. Those random conversations that happen? Magic. I almost always learn something new!
Q: Much of your early work and continuing today is collaborating with science fiction and fantasy authors on book covers and magazine illustrations. Was this your goal from the beginning? Has your style always lent itself to genre artwork?
If the definition of professional work is getting paid, then no. Technically, my first gig was painting shoes in high school. My lucrative but short-lived career as a tennis shoes designer started after I had painted a pair of my own Keds for fun. I cannot remember if that first pair that garnered attention had telephones or piano keys on them, but one of the cheerleaders asked if I would paint a pair for her. I do remember that I did not want to do it, so I said I charged by the shoe and the fee was ten dollars each and she would have to supply the shoes. I had expected that to be the end of the conversation. (Twenty bucks for a teenager in the eighties was a chunk of change.) Well, the next day she showed up with a twenty and a pair of shoes. By complete accident, I had my first freelance gig!
Cheerleaders have high school social pull and the next thing I knew I had a lot of clients. Most wanted mascots or band names. A lot of them wanted the names of their current love interest. Since this was high , those names changed regularly. It was cheaper to pay me to remove or replace the name than to buy new shoes. Looking back, it was a lot of fun!
As far as style, I hope so! It is the only style I have!
Q: What is your favorite book cover featuring your artwork? Your favorite magazine illustration?
Truly, I do not have favorites beyond the affection I have for whatever the current piece is on my workspace. That is where the art love is. Once it is done, I look on it fondly, but it does not have favorite status.
Q: Is there an author or artist you’d love to collaborate with in the future?
Oh yeah, I have a list! I would love to work with S.A. Chakraborty, Becky Chambers, or Claire North.
Q: What advice would you give to new artists trying to gain recognition, especially in the speculative fiction field? How do they get that first Hugo nomination?
This may seem cliche, but the best advice I can offer is the same advice I was given. Do art you love yourself. Do not try to look like someone else. They have already perfected whatever you are trying to mimic. As far as the Hugo, truly, I do not know how I got on the ballot. I know that I am risking looking a bunch of genre points, but I really did not know what it was when the nomination email came. I was gobsmacked when I found out!
Q: You did the art direction for Lightspeed’s “Women Destroy Fantasy ” and “Queers Destroy Science Fiction,” and did work for Lethe Press, which initially published mainly queer fiction. How important do you feel that women and the LGBTQIA+ community continue to not only be represented but featured in genre literature and art today? What experience did you have with these collections, authors, artists and what did you take away?
I feel it is crucially important, but more to the point, I truly hope that it reaches a point that it isn’t something special or unique, it just is. People are people. Love is love. Writers and artists are just reflecting what is simply there. As far as what I took away from these experiences, I felt very proud of have that opportunity!
Q: How’s life as an artist in New Mexico? Is there a style of artwork or something about living in the southwest that inspires you?
I have lived a lot of different places, but there is something really special about the light here. My house looks out toward the Sandia Mountains and we are at 56000+ ft. The peak is nearly 11000. The blue of the sky is so unique and the clouds are crisp. We travel out towards the canyons and the vista views will take your breath away. So yes, it inspires!
Q: Who are some of your favorite artists in the SF/F world? Which artists inspired you when you were getting started, and who are some of the artists you draw inspiration from today?
Oh so many for so many reasons! Here are some in no particular order and for a variety of reasons. Teddy Harvia, Marrus, Chaz Kemp, Donato Giancola, Rebecca Leveille Guay, and Chris Sickels are the first that come to mind!
Q: What are you working on at the moment? Can you share something new with BayCon members and fans?
Much to my chagrin, my biggest project is deeply in NDA. However, I am working also on things for Melinda Snodgrass, Brigids Gate Press, and more.
Q: How many cats do you have and what are their names?
I have two cats at the moment. My husband and I only adopt elderly cats because well, they have a harder time getting adopted. One of our cats is named Sir Cricket and the other is Mz. Fezziwig.