Chris Buzelli interview on Illustration Friday

Yuko Shimizu's interview with Chris Buzelli is up on Illustration Friday.  Chris was asked some very insightful questions, and it's interesting to learn a bit about his history and to get a glimpse into his creative process. And it's great to see Chris getting the recognition he truly deserves!

Excerpt from the interview after image.

[YS] Since 1998 you have been taking 3.5 hour bus ride each way up to RISD to teach. Now you are such high-demand illustrator, do you feel like this gets in your way of your work, or it fuels your work? If you have figured out how to utilize 7 hours of sitting on a bus, I am very curious to know. 7 hours is a long time!
 
[CB] Yes, I’ve been teaching up at RISD for the past 10 years and I take the bus once a week from NYC to Providence. I actually look forward to the bus ride. I’m a workaholic and I live in my studio. So the bus ride has become a sort of a break from the normal schedule of painting all day. I think my mind needs a vacation to do other things. The bus ride is filled with catching up on emails, reading books, watching movies or just daydreaming. The class is 5 hours long and it just flies by. I think it’s because I really enjoy teaching what I love to others. And the student’s enthusiasm and their passion for illustration makes the experience even more fulfilling. Of course, that one-day away from the studio really cuts into my work time, especially with tight deadlines. And sometimes I do lose money by missing assignments or turning down projects. It is getting more difficult because my workload has increased and/or I’m just getting slower, but I still think it’s worth it. I believe the whole experience fuels my work. (Go to full article)

View more of Chris' work