Artist Spotlight of the Month: "Chalk Twins"
Welcome to Dot Editions “Artist Spotlight” series, where we’ll be interviewing one artist a month and sharing a little about them with you. The team of artists at DOT Editions have collaborated to bring you a monthly celebration highlighting local artists we’ve had the pleasure of working with through the studio. By these artists sharing a bit about themselves we hope to inspire the artist community to keep pursuing their dreams.
Artist: Devon and Lexi Fulmer aka "Chalk Twins"
Medium: Soft Pastel
Experience: Over 15 years working in soft pastels (10 of which have been professionally)
1. Q: Where are you from?
A: Lexi- “We are originally from Sanford, Florida”
2. Q: How did you end up in Asheville, NC?
A: Devon- “We’ve been driving around the country for work for 10 years now and began to realize that being in Florida wasn't the most practical place to live for that. We were thinking about moving someplace more centrally located and thought of Asheville. Having spent 4 years in Greenville, SC, we would regularly go to the Asheville area and always found it fun and a community that seemed very friendly towards artists like us.
3. Q: How many cities have you lived in and how hard or easy was it to get into the local artist community?
A: Lexi- “Besides living in Greenville, SC for college for 4 years and spending a semester abroad in Italy, we have only lived in Sanford. Because of that we kind of grew up in our local artist community in Florida and have also naturally built an artist community within the comic convention world we’re in. We are excited to get out and meet new people in our new artist community of Asheville!”
4. Q: What do you like to listen to when creating? Do you have any suggestions/playlists to share with us?
A: Lexi- “Honestly, we usually have tv shows playing in the background while we work. A lot of our art is based in pop culture so it feels doubly productive to watch something we have been meaning to get into while creating.”
Devon- “Though I do catch Lexi watching more of the show than actually working sometimes! That's why when I want to focus a bit more, I have a bunch of go to podcasts.”
5. Q: Do you have any kind of routines that help get your creative juices going and ready to create? Please share.
A: Devon- “It may not be exactly a routine, but we try our best to respect our well being. That means getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, and exercising at least a little. Our job is pretty physically and creatively demanding and we want to make sure we can keep creating for a long time, so making sure we routinely take care of our health is a priority for us.”
6. Q: What’s your best advice on how to not procrastinate and get rid of creative blocks ?
A: Devon- “We try not to let it overwhelm us when those moments come because we can so easily spiral into negative thinking. We believe this is really the best part of being partners in our art. Usually one of us will be able to come up with a rough idea, that will lead to us both brainstorming, and eventually breaking through the art block. I would say the best advice we have received about art blocks is to take it as a sign that you may need a break, but to not expect the creative block to go away by itself. You have to push yourself to get through the crappy ideas and sketches to get to something you actually like.”
7. Q: What does your creative space currently look like? Show us a photo! Tell us what you're working on, if you’d like to share.
A: Lexi- “Because we just moved, we still don't have a dedicated working space. We’re on the lookout for something that we can use for a studio but in the meantime, we have been working on the road as we travel to our events and work live at those events. Currently, we are preparing a 10 ft x 20 ft anamorphic mural that we’ll be creating for Chalktoberfest in Marietta, GA.”
8. Q: What is one thing that most people don't know about you?
A: Lexi- “We have been to all 50 states!”
9. Q: What advice can you give to the artists that are just starting their creative careers? What can they do to help get their work out there?
A: Devon- “It's cliche but the best advice we have is to practice, practice, practice. Try to practice creating things that you think you aren't good at (for us it's landscapes). The best way to gain confidence in your work is to keep trying things that seem hard to you right now, because eventually you will look back and see that they are easier now!
Lexi- “As far as getting your work out there, I feel like now it's easier than ever. Don't be afraid to share your art and find artist communities online that will be encouraging and offer helpful critique.”
10. Q: Did you go to art school or are you self-taught? If you went to school, where? If you didn’t, how did you start and what has helped?
A: Lexi: “We went to a liberal arts school called Furman University in Greenville, SC. I got my degree in Graphic Design and Devon got hers in Painting.”
If you’d like to check out the artist’s website and social media click on the links below.
See you next month for our next featured artist!
Thank you for reading, we really appreciate your support.
Website: www.chalktwins.com
Instagram: @chalktwins