John Avon Interview with Guy Coulson in June 2011

What was your first MTG painting and when was it painted?

That would have been Mirage 'purple' Mountain back in 1996. The first set of mountains always reminds me of how I knew nothing about Magic and could have so easily not taken on the work- how lucky I did as it was a life changing moment. My early artwork seems to be loved by some people and that's great, I just see work that I could do so much better now, but a good time capsule, after all it was … years ago. The thing with your art being so public is that it follows you where ever you go- but that’s ok... just!

What is your favourite MTG non-land image?

A hard one and varies, but always liked 'Gaze Of Justice' as nice and dramatic. A white purple dude in a black skirt of feathers being zapped! Though I am best known for my land's I actually am much more comfortable designing a central character or feature (as the main subject) in a landscape. This way the land is the environment to the figure or action. So often with 'just' lands, it is a struggle to get the narrative /story element exciting, but then that's the challenge! I also come back to (Sliversmith) – a wacky tube like figure welding a Sliver. I actually posed a toy figure for the lighting, wrapped it up in loose wires and covered it with talcum powder- all in a day’s work...

Any funny stories?

The time that really hit home how ‘unusual’ my work is, occured in a quiet sense. One day on my to my old studio in Brighton, this very upper class lady I vaguely knew sat next to me and said ‘Oh hello, John, how’s work?’ I said very busy etc etc, she said ‘I hear your an artist- tell me what are you painting today?’ I paused and said ‘Oh just finishing off an underwater meditating Octoperson (Quiet Speculation), then starting a really exciting image of a man with his brain on fire’ (Mindblaze) To which she looked extremely confused, ignored me for a few embarassing moments then said ‘tell me- how are your children getting on at school?’ Yes.. I do so enjoy being a bit wacky and challenging the ‘normal’ state of people. This lady obviously thought I was completely insane or weird (all fine by me!) and had an assumption that artists painted nice pictures of pretty cats or a vase of flowers. No problem- but I would rather paint a cat with an UZI 9mm machine gun or a vase of flowers being attacked by an amarda of small 2cm UFO battleships from the planet Zooblee.

So many ‘normal’ people out there are like from the film ‘The Matrix’, plugged into a bland world of polite nothingness and drone like conformity. I know that sounds like a judgement, but I think being wacky and unusual is more alive?

Where do you draw your inspiration?

The journey to the first sketch starts usually with sitting at the computer (or looking at my books) and getting more examples of the subject. I LOVE the way most cards mean I need to research a new area. For example 'Evolution Vat' I would Google 'vats' and be amazed at how my assumption of what a vat looks like is often so primitive to what is actually real. I will then sketch or create a collage of reference and distort/ stretch/ tweak that image, till something clicks that says 'fantasy' OR relates to the vibe of the set. This, plus other inspirational reference elements then forms the idea for the sketch; that is the basis for the art. The whole process is very organic and has a life of it's own. I would say the initial stages are totally key, the rest is window dressing and technique.

How long does it take you to complete a typical MTG painting?

Armageddon took me 2 hours, Ravnica Island took me over 2 weeks! But the average I would say is about 3-4 days, including the initial work and the final upload to the client. I wish I was one of those artists who can 'just knock a picture out in a day' but I never have been able to do this. I care so much about the emotion of everything I do, each image is a new journey of discovery. Still to this day, on the harder ones I doubt if I will ever finish it and can suffer huge drops in confidence ;/ But then again most artists can feel this. Art is not like a production line. Some days when you feel unwell but still have a deadline to meet at 5pm, the pressures are agonising. So then it's gallons of coffee, chocolate and massive determination! Most 'working' artists have skills – but the real skill is a HUGE willingness to not give up :) I have never given up on a job :0

Can you explain why your work is now purely digital?

Yes gladly! Firstly if it would not be for my beloved Photoshop and Apple Macs I would not be doing this job anymore. Before computers, as I became more successful, I was at the point of literally cracking up. In simple terms, the deadline looming and the painting not feeling right, making changes by painting out whole areas, then the airbrush and masking became a kind of hell to me. I was successful doing work I loved but the process felt wrong. In my younger days I loved painting, especially in oils, but the necessary shift to acrylics & airbrush was a horrible time for me.

So along came computers fast enough to do the artwork AND go back in time AND make changes in a split second- so bingo! Yes I miss the fact that I cannot hold a painting in my hand- but I don't miss the process!!! I just love the way with digital art you can experiment, go back, experiment, go back etc etc and then! Finally the solution appears! It's like searching for the Holy Grail- ok I never get there, but closer with the aid of these amazing machines. And yes folks- they are amazing machines. We DO live in the future NOW and all this technology- used wisely- is amazing!!

Where do you buy your socks?

At last a sensible question! Mostly at Marks and Spencer's as they tend to last longer. But the problem with having 2 grown up sons (and the fact that ALL black socks shrink to just one size) when we do the laundry we end up with up to 50 lose socks that no one knows who's they are? Recently I bought 6 with bright red tops- hah these are mine!!

Are you overwhelmed by the interest you get from fans?

Only at events and yes it is overwhelming. In Barcelona I have guys waiting outside the toilet for my signature. The problem for me is that I would hate to come across as arrogant and want everyone to be happy, but going from working an a small studio with Pat my wife to a huge hall with 1,000's of players is such a contrast, I sometimes just cannot cope. However is is such a privilege to have a job that is so public and with so much feedback. I am very mindful of this and really helps my confidence. I am my own worst enemy and see such amazing other artists who do stuff that is miles beyond my skills, I often have a very low opinion of my work. So to get a lovely email from someone about how my art has 'inspired the them to... ' can put tears in my eyes. So back to the question on a physical / mental level at the signings it is off the scale overwhelming, but I return home feeling 'well I must be doing something right?'

There is often a lot of emotion in your work, how do you achieve this?

There is a lot of emotion in me! So it comes out in my work. Actually it's like art therapy, anything creative is a vent for the emotions (that build up in us all) and I am lucky to be able to channel this. I am 100% passionate about everything I do and for me there is no option but to give my heart to anything in front of me. I am the same with my music. When I compose a piece on the guitar of keyboard, I do not care a bit about technique, it's all about passion and expressing the heart. On the wider front, I genuinely feel that my career has only just begun and cannot wait to do my own work. I see all my commercial work as joy but it's training for what will come next!

Can we talk about my socks again? Or is that extremely uncool?

Thanks John, we can discuss your socks further in the next interview.

June 2011