Feature Artist Profile
Name: Andrea Melione
Online Alias: EraserQueen
Website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/littleboots/Email: Andrea2000(at)gmail(dot)com
Where are you from? How does that influence who you are and what kind of art you create, or do you think it does?I’ve lived and traveled up and down the east coast most of my life (including bits of Canada) and to people who’ve been all over the world, that may not seem like much, but there are a lot of subtle differences in the local culture, weather and landscapes. I do not work in the landscape genre very much, but I am highly influenced by the natural world and the artists who interpret it.
I think the fact that I lived in Williamsburg VA gave me my obsession with historical clothing and the decorative arts because we would spend so much time at the museums there. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center and their Tasha Tudor exhibit during the 1990s (A New England Illustrator, noted for her adherence to an early 19th century lifestyle) also made a huge impact during my formative years.
When did you first start drawing? And what is your favorite medium/media to work in and why?I stared drawing as soon as I could make marks on the wall with anything. I think I even used dirt at some point (my poor mom!) Nowadays, I’m just as experimental (within reason of course!) I use a lot of different media, it just depends on the look I’m after and how impatient I happen to be at the time. I stay away from oils mainly because I’m really into instant gratification, but I’ll try anything once. Right now I’m a big fan of soft body acrylics, because I can just use the bottle top to dip my brush into, and there’s really no clean up involved.
Can you remember the first image you displayed publicly online or in real life? What was the general reaction?Aw gee, it was probably just really bad Harry Potter Fanart! I can’t knock fanart though because it was just that which broke me out of my teen obsession of drawing paperdolls and clothing 24/7. Because of fanart, I started drawing men (who are harder to draw than women!) and backgrounds and weird creatures and playing around with perspective. Since then I have shown work in a few academic exhibits, but I’m not sure that really counts as bragging material.
What does art and the creating of it mean to you? Is it a hobby or pastime, or is it something bigger and more meaningful?I suppose it’s a hobby or pastime, simply because at this point I’m not making it a source of income, but it feels meaningful to me because I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t creating; it’s a meditation in a way, and half the time I don’t know how a piece of art is going to turn out, as I don’t do very many planning sketches or thumbnails unless I’m working on an assignment. Oddly, I sketch out on paper what I design graphically on the computer, but never plan out a traditional media piece that I am making to please myself or trading out.
What do YOU personally think of your own art? We are our own worst critic, and it's interesting to see how you rate yourself..Hah, I enjoy it! Sometimes I go though periods where I like nothing I’ve made, or where I feel like I can’t come up with anything I like. I think that’s natural for an artist to feel. Also, it’s why I like trading ATC’s so much, because I like being inspired by the swap themes, or creating a card commission at a buddy’s request. ATC’s have kept my creative juices flowing when I’m going through those personal creative dry spells.
I discovered your art through IllustratedATCs and loved it right away. It is bright, bold and often quirky. I've mainly seen your ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), so, I am wondering if you do larger scale art or just work in miniature?Aw, thanks! I do some larger work, but not by much! I will sometimes go up to 4x6 or 5x7, and rarely a 9x12. Anything larger was mainly academic work, but I like adding lots of detail, and I can’t get that in larger pieces unless I spend a lot of time on it, and by then I’m bored and usually want to go on to a new theme. I have started doing a few larger pieces, but they incorporate collage papers with ink drawings, so maybe I’m trying to inch out of my comfort zone!
I find your figures especially interesting, their elongated necks and armless 
torsos often make them look rather alien or even zombie like, but still absolutely beautiful. How did you discover their stylized form and what about them speaks to you that you continue to create them?Thank you again! I think I started elongating the necks because it allowed me to do more with the background of the ATC, which are rectangular in shape, so the figures fit into the space better that way; same with the lack of arms; less room, so I stopped drawing them! I know that doesn’t sound like a very aesthetically profound answer, but it’s true! Plus, I’ve always been fond of the zany and unusual, and love it when artists distort the figure in an interesting way.
How have you developed this style over time? What influences helped get you to this point? And, How would you describe your current style?I suppose I’m still developing, style-wise. Like I said before; I get bored visually, and like to try new things all the time, and this includes how I render the world around me. My current style is probably best described as funky-whimsy. I am fascinated by counter culture (more as an observer rather than participant), and lean more towards the far-out, rather than the sweet and naive.
Are there any other artists you draw inspiration from, living or dead?Good lord yes. *takes deep breath* Kinuko Y. Craft, Jody Lee, Hirschfield, Waterhouse, Turner, Gainsborough, Sarah Bishop, Hilary Knight, Trina Shart Hyman and Diane Goode just to name a few. I also like a lot of artists that aren’t really well known, especially a number on DeviantArt and folks who are part of the illustrator/webcomic scene, like Dylan Meconis and Vera Brogsol.
What is one of the pieces that you've created that you especially love and why?Hmmm…Well, probably the “PEZ Art Queen” is a top favorite of mine, I made it for a buddy, Sarah Zamora, in a Pick-a-Theme swap because she collects both of those themes, and I felt like everything worked out in that one, color, composition, I even feel like I chose the right media for it (acrylics for the most part, which can give a great flat gouache/designer feel). Regardless, they all feel like my babies, but normally I like best whatever I recently finished.
Do you have a website or etsy account where we can find you online? Are you open for commissions?I will have an ETSY account up soon, but for now I can be reached at Andrea2000 at gmail dot com. I am open for commissions (and have worked on them in the past). In addition I am a graphic designer and article contributor at
ArtTraderMagazine.com, feel free to come check us out! We’re always looking for reader submitted artwork.
Thanks be to Etsy and other online markets! Never again will you have to buy a boring gift.
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