Steven Felmore – Senior Finished artist and illustrator
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin in Personality Profiles
Steven Felmore – Senior Finished artist and illustrator for Berge Farrell
• What’s a typical workday for you?
Arising at 6:30 and driving from Glencairn to Newlands. I work until around 6pm, then drive home, then either making supper or playing guitar while Avril makes supper. After that I usually either work on a freelance illustration job, or I practise my classical guitar. It’s a very special Colin Cleveland 1985. I might help Avril with her CTAM (Cape Town Academy of Music) website, and on Mondays and Tuesday evenings I teach classic or electric guitar for the CTAM from 6:30 to 7:30.
• What do you enjoy most about your portfolio?
Realistic oil-painting style illustration work.
• Where would you go for the summer holidays?
Haven’t had a decent holiday for ages, but when I do, usually Hermanus.
• Describe your home environment briefly.
It’s a wooden house on the mountain in Glencairn. We are surrounded by natural fynbos and it has inspired me to start a series of oil paintings. I am busy with number 4 so far. Avril plans to compose a series of guitar works based on my fynbos paintings.
• Are you more of a TV/Radio or DVD person? Favourites?
We watch DVDs – I prefer action movies, Avril likes romance. But my best is to go to the cinema – it’s a psychological break from the stress of work.
• We live in a brand conscious society. How do you feel about that?
I have a good consciousness of branding through my years in the business. I feel the importance of a strong brand identity cannot be denied especially given the current economic situation. Companies who allocate more budget to this and not less, will have the advantage over the “wait and see” companies. For example, in supermarkets consumers are reading ingredients copy on packaging and comparing quality with similar priced product as opposed to simply reaching for what they have always bought. With such a critical market the packaging design and marketing/advertising thereof is essential for survival and growth, and this is where I come in.
• Are you a labels or off-the peg person?
I am definitely an off-the peg person. Clothes, provided it fits me and is good quality, do not have to have the “right” label – advertising in the clothing industry is aspirational and the quality is not always related to cost.
• What’s your Sunday morning read?
I don’t read on a Sunday morning!
• Which are your favourite magazines or must-buy magazines of the week?
I usually buy the car magazine, otherwise American artist and National geographic. I also like Scientific American.
• Favourite online site?
www.avrilkinsey.com
• South African hero/oine?
Mandela
• Best dining out venue?
Dixie’s or Cattle Baron
• No 1 industry peeve?
There is simply not enough money spent on good artwork. The emphasis is on speed and not quality. I am asked to do an oil painting for an illustration but it’s wanted tomorrow. So I use the digital equivalent, Painter on the Mac and I use a Wacom digitiser – but it’s simply not as good as a proper oil painting. My ideal would be to be commissioned like the old days – Howard Pyle who produced serious artworks for magazine covers – no chance of that these days…sorry to sound negative, but the question used the word “peeve”!
