By:
Mark Ambrose
First, please introduce yourself to our readers and
maybe give a brief overview of your work - what media you're using, where
you're located, and how you became involved with Shadow Woods Metal Fest.
My
name is Rebecca Magar (a.k.a. Wailing Wizard) and I hail from Yoe,
Pennsylvania! I’m a traditional artist working with acrylics, oils, pastels,
pencil, charcoal and pen/ink. I was introduced to Shadow Woods through my
husband’s band The Owls A.N.W.T.S. (who played both the
first and current years). I have been fortunate to be able to attend this
incredible event all three years!
Could you highlight some of the musicians/bands who
you've created artwork for and what that process is like?
Some
of the bands I have produced commissioned and licensed work for include Tengger Cavalry, Wrath of Typhon, The Owls A.N.W.T.S., Layr, Misconductors, Ursprung, Night & Ooo. I’ve also had the pleasure of working on
book covers, shirts, posters, and private commissions. It’s is always a
fantastic experience working with bands because they understand the creative
process so well. I think a good album cover really starts with the music and
the band's own ideas or feelings about what they created. I like to take those
ideas and visualize/expand on them starting with a concept sketch and
eventually progressing to a finished piece. It’s a wonderful amalgamation of musical
and visual concepts!
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"Blue Wizard" was used on the Tengger Cavalry single, “A
Blade of Time”
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In what ways does music influence your creative
process? Do you have "go to" bands or albums when working?
If
I’m working on a commissioned piece for a band, I usually listen to their music
during the conceptual phase. I’m all over the map with my musical preferences,
but when I paint, I specifically like to listen to things that are slow, dark
and folky (these sounds inspire all kinds of visuals for me). Right now, I keep
The Hare And The Moon, Ursprung, Albatwitch, Sun and Moon Dance, Bound for the Ground and Wardruna on a constant loop. I
think I might add Foehammer into the mix
as well (this year at SWMF was my first time hearing them, and I loved it!
Also, I paint at about the same speed they play).
Are there any artists, visual or otherwise, who
distinctly influenced your style, medium, or process?
I
was actually brought up in a fairly strictly religious homeschooled
environment. Though I’ve always painted and made art, I didn’t initially have
any influencers outside of my own teenage angst and sadness (simply because I
wasn’t given any real exposure to the arts). I’ve always loved painting and
drawing dark fantasy themes and animals, so these naturally made their way into
my work, but over the last few years I really took an interest in exploring
other artist’s work and trying to learn/expand on my own understanding of art.
Right now, I’m particularly excited by Artuš Scheiner, Arthur Rackham, and
Brom.
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“Hearth” is the artwork for The Owls Are Not
What They Seem, “Hearth”
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There have been several blogs and articles calling
attention to appropriated or "repurposed" artwork, generally taken
without credit to the original artist, specifically in the world of "music
artwork". Could you speak a little about the current attention to this
issue and your feelings on artistic credit in general?
I
have mixed feelings on this subject. I think I would be lying to myself if I
didn’t admit that I’m influenced by things that I see, hear, or read on a daily
basis. I think people do their best work when they are expanding on these
influencers, and as a whole, this is how art movements evolve. However, there
is a very distinct difference between taking inspiration from someone’s work
and completely appropriating it. I think if you are directly copying another
artist’s work you should definitely give them the proper credit. I personally
would not directly copy anyone’s work unless it was just for the purpose of
experimentation and practice. Profiting from appropriated work feels morally
wrong. On the flip-side though, I am always disappointed when a well-known artist
complains about younger emerging artists mimicking their work - it really is a
form of flattery, and if you have reached the pinnacle of success, it seems you
should have better things to do than to chastise your own fans.
Who was your "must see" act going into Shadow
Woods? Who was a pleasant new discovery for you?
I’m
going to go ahead and be predictable by saying The Owls Are Not
What They Seem (I’ve been waiting all year to actually see their
full set!). I was extremely impressed by Panopticon, and Foehammer (Bearstorm was a big
surprise for me too). I have a soft spot for folk/acoustic sets too (Take to the Woods and Dee Calhoun were a
great start to Thursday night). Can I just go ahead and vote for all the bands?
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“Two of Wands” is the tarot card for the Dark Art
Tarot Project.
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Finally, where can readers view and purchase your work?
I
have a profile on pretty much every social media site that exists, but the best
places to see updated information are on my website at here,
or from my Facebook page at here.
I sell prints, shirts, jewelry, original art, and other oddities online and at
select events or exhibits.
I
recently had the honor of contributing a tarot card to a collaborative tarot
deck featuring 78 different artist’s work. The Dark Art Tarot Project was
successfully funded on Kickstarter a few months ago and is going into
production soon. If you are in Seattle, WA from now until October 8th you can
check out the original Two of Wands painting I did for this deck (along with a
whole collection of incredible Tarot art) at the Ghost Gallery’s "The Art
of Tarot II" exhibit. I’ll also be vending at Albatwitch Festival in
Columbia, PA on October 14th.
