One of my favourite end of summer traditions is going to Fan Expo. As someone who is passionate about all things media, Fan Expo is such a great way for like-minded fans to connect and celebrate the media that we love. This year, I had the opportunity to chat with several artists about their creative process, inspiration, and the stories behind their work.
Read on for mini spotlights on some of the creators I interviewed at Artist Alley.
A common theme throughout my conversations was the influence of TV shows or comics on the artists’ work. This came up in my conversation with Angelika Jankac who was helping her friends Mike and Krystal Whitmore run their booth, The Painted Cupful. The Whitmore’s are artists who paint mugs and glassware inspired by pop culture.
“We take a lot of inspiration from things that we enjoy, and then also things that we know other people enjoy,” said Jankac.
The Painted Cupful
Growing up Krystal loved painting gifts for family. When she met Mike in 2011 they decided to turn Krystal’s hobby into a side business, which launched around 2013.
Originally, Krystal was the solo artist for The Painted Cupful, painting flowers and butterflies on glasses. The couple eventually branched out into painting their favourite pop culture they enjoyed as a couple including, anime, horror films, video games, and pet portraits. They also started to collaborate on custom pieces, each bringing unique artistic techniques. Although there may be overlap in style, every mug is different. Depending on the details and layers of paint, it can take around three to ten hours to make.
Jankac explains that their process of painting makes the glassware and mugs both artistic and functional.
“We paint everything with ceramic and glass paint, and then once we have it painted we bake all of the glassware in the oven and it seals the paint right to the glass,” said Jankac.
Feel free to check out @thepaintedcupful on Instagram for more info.
Kay Pop Art Studio
From a young age, Kaytlyne Dewald discovered her passion for both fandom and art. When she was seven, her parents bought a local movie store in Morinville, Alberta called Uptown Video, where she spent a lot of time watching movies. They were a source of inspiration for both her art and books.
In 2004, when Dewald was fourteen, she started selling her art at a farmers market, testing it out for a few weekends to see what would happen. This turned into having a seasonal booth and was her main source of income during high school. At the time, her dad was one of her biggest supporters, planning out logistics for her booth, including the tent, chairs, tables, and even built the display boxes that Dewald designed.
After graduating high school, she spent a year in Europe working as a nanny and exploring art galleries during her time off. Dewald saw influential masterpieces and was captivated by the details of each canvas, particularly how real the faces looked. Years later, she found her style of painting over book and comic book pages.
“It’s actual book pages or comic book pages as the background. I find old damaged copies of the books from the library and I paint on top with acrylic,” said Dewald.
Other than her paintings, Dewald’s designs are also on clothing. She takes the scans from the paintings and gets the fabric custom printed and sewn into the clothes. The process for her art ranges, but on average it can take around 30 to 40 hours to complete.
Feel free to check out Dewarld’s work on her website kaypopart.com.
Jessica Lee Sheppard
Jessica Lee Sheppard is a mother, author, and social worker. She won multiple awards for her Young Adult Fantasy books which blend real life situations with darkness, magic, and emotional depth. In her series, The Darkness and Light Saga, Sheppard explores these themes through hidden messaging.
“I sneakily teach people how to do some coping strategies and relaxation techniques. The book deals with some grief and loss and I have had customers say that it helped them,” said Sheppard. “I hope the hidden messaging helps people in their daily lives as well.”
The series follows a Canadian student, Izzy Adams, who gets pulled into the Spirit World by demons. There, Izzy faces challenges while navigating dangerous forces and her inner demons.
“She goes on a huge epic adventure, it is a strong female character and a coming of age novel,” said Sheppard.
The series took about five years to plan, with approximately a year spent on each book.
Sheppard conducted a lot of research on different religions, incorporating that research into the story. She also created storyboards and drew inspiration from her everyday life.
There are currently two books out now: Descending Into Darkness and Bound By Darkness. Find a copy on her website jessicaleesheppard.com/books.