#whatsmells

I love love love our Diaper Dekor, it is exactly what we as first time parents needed when we found out we would be changing twice as many diapers. :) (feels like years go!)

I was a bagillion months pregnant, registering for my baby shower, and researching which was the best diaper pail in the universe. I especially wanted to know what diaper pail could hold enough diapers and not have to be emptied every five minutes, and contained the stinkiness… I heard a lot about the diaper genie, some of my friends swore by it, but others… Not so much. I was also a huge fan of the Baby Bargains book and they highly recommended the Dekor, so based on that, online reviews, and the size we decided the Diaper Dekor was the right one for us. We were even able to get the Dekor Plus which holds even more diapers! Translation - less garbage duty for my main squeeze. Huge Plus…

So why am I all reminiscing today? Well I saw on Amazon (my internet lover) that the Dekor is now available in these adorable colors!! Stylish + functional= the perfect combination.

I've been a fan of Zach's collage work for a while and finally got an interview! This is also really exciting because I will also be doing a collaborative piece with him!

This is his studio:

Q. Where are you from?

I grew up in Iowa right outside a little town called Chelsea in Iowa. I now live in Minneapolis, MN. Q. How would your life change if you were no longer allowed to create?

Well I don’t believe a it is possible to no longer create. Creating can and will be altered by unknown factors, but feel there is always a way to create. Q. How have you handled the business aspect of being an artist?

I really haven’t had to deal with much besides applying and shipping my work to shows at this moment in my life. Even thou I have been creating for a number of years it was just recently that I made it a point to apply to shows and started using social media to get my work out there for others to see. Q. How do you keep motivated when things in the studio get rough?

One thing I do quite often when I am struggling with a collage is to put it to the side. The next day I will take a look with fresh eyes. This seems to help me as I sometimes looking at my work so long I tend to overlook the obvious. Q. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

My dream would be to make a living off of my artwork. I think this goes for most artists, but I am not counting on it. If it works out-Great! If not I will still be doing what I love-creating and doing collaborative works with other artists. Bottom line happiness means more to me than money. Q. How did you get started? Any experience or story?

I have always been in and around the Arts looking for where I fit. I have taken drawing, painting, photograpy, ceramics, digital photograpy, foil imaging, graphic design, web design, art history classes ect, ect…along with two internships (with a potter and graphic design) looking for where I fit. I started making traditional cut and paste collages in September 2011. Working in this way was influenced by my decision to revisit my involvement in a horrific car accident as a child, which put me in recovery for months. A year later I am convinced I have found the medium for me! I wake up everyday thinking collage! Q. How do you want people to react to your work? Who's your audience?

When it is hanging on the wall I don’t want people to walk by without a double take. Meaning I want a reaction good or bad. I think my audience has a wide range from young to old. Q. What's the best music to listen to while working?

I have a ridiculous amount of music on my Ipod and usually just put on shuffle, but sometimes it depends on the mood I am in. Q. What smells in your studio?

My studio smells of old magazines and ink.

Thank you for sharing your story with me! Check out his tumblr for more awesome artwork.

At a Behance Meet-Up last month, I got the chance to meet Seattle-base artist Jared K. Nickerson. He presented his artist and life philosophy along with his awesome illustrations. I sent him some questions for What Smells and he included them in his official FAQ sheet! Here are a few to start :)

When did you first become interested in graphic design & illustration? I was always into art & my dad made sure we always had a computer in the house while I was growing up. It was a natural transition after playing with MSPaint & Corel Draw all those years. I don't think there was a specific time I became interested, it just developed over time. I had been working for an online broadcasting company in Vancouver, BC & found myself with a chunk of extra time while traveling for them & decided to pick up a copy of Adobe Illustrator, & the rest developed from there.

Did you go through any hardships or negative situations to get to the position you are at? If so, did it influence you into becoming a better artist? I was kicked out of my parents house when I was 16 & had to support myself completely while finishing the last 3 years of high school. Obviously, I didn't have money for college, & I worked more than a few dead-end jobs. Once I moved to Vancouver, I ended up working for a company that paid well & gave me plenty of time to do freelance design work. Once I realized I was spending more time & making more money at freelance, I made the switch permanently. I definitely think this made me a better artist because I learned everything myself & my art was never tainted by a professor's opinion.

What or whom influences you? I take most of my inspiration from every day life & music. I notice advertising campaigns more than the company/product advertised. I find myself looking at logos/packaging of products all the time. I take photos with my iPhone constantly to remind me of things that inspire me. I'm always taking voice notes with my phone whether it be design ideas or lyrics/vocals for a song I'm working on.

How do you want people to react to your work? I want people to escape into it to some extent. Be it the message or the story it tells. Or even just the humour.

Who's your audience? I think anyone & everyone is in my audience. I don't think I have an overall specific group. Anyone from children to senior citizens can enjoy my work. With that being said, I find the more humour-based designs I do appeal to mostly teens & young adults.

Could you tell us what your typical work-day looks like? Really depends on what sort of client work I am juggling both that day & the night before. Since I deal with clients anywhere from Germany to China to the US, I find my schedule is constantly in a state of flux. When I first get up I normally do the regular email checks, social media checks, etc. & during the coffee & oatmeal phase I start up a video game to ease into things... I don't suggest this process to anyone, & it could explain why things are always left to last minute. You can't force inspiration I guess, you have to work with it when it comes, whether that be 4am or 4pm.

How have you handled the business aspect of being an artist? It depends on which business aspect you're talking about. I hired an account manager to handle the email inquiries, invoicing, bookkeeping, etc. so that I could focus on the art/art direction. I find that this enables us to answer more emails, complete more interviews, & communicate with clients more efficiently.

Favourite drink? Beverage: Zevia Cola Beer: Stella Artois Cocktail: Soho & 7

What smells in your studio? The delicious lunch my wife made me: Chicken strawberry salad, a bowl of fresh mandarins & blueberries, & a strawberry-banana smoothie.

Thanks Jared!

I've been featuring the work Andrey Ivanov for sometime now, he does some beautiful fashion photography! They are sublime, fashionable, and mystical compositions that are refined to an eye catching photograph. He did a little interview for us:

Q. Where are you from? A. I'm from a small city in the South of Ukraine. Nobody knows where it is so... It's crap! Q. What or Who inspires you? A. People I'm working with always inspire me and of course the other photographers, such as Paolo Roversi, Steven Klein or Mert and Marcus. Q. How did you get started? Any experience or story? A. It was kinda accidental. Three years ago photography became my hobby and two years ago it became my job. Nothing interesting, actually It's a boring story I've told a thousand times before... For me it is much more important what's next - only this matters :) Q. Any advice for aspiring photographers? Something you wished you knew? A. I'm not so good to give any advice! I'm an aspiring photographer too and I hope I'll be learning all my life, 'cause if you think you're already perfect - you loose! There is no limit to perfection Q. Who's your favourite historical figure? A. Alexander the Great and Bogdan Khmelnitsky. Q. What smells in your studio? A. Smells nothing - conditioner is always turned on. May be sometimes it smells cigarettes and perfumes :)

Thank you for interview Andrey!