{the interview series} pretty little thieves + giveaway!

Hoje a minha convidada é uma ilustradora americana que já há muito tempo me fascina com as suas misteriosas personagens... Nancy Mungcal é a mente criativa responsável por pretty little thieves, que é palco de um universo pessoal intrigante. Adorei ficar a conhecer esta artista um pouco melhor, por isso é um prazer partilhar as suas palavras e trabalho convosco.

E para além de participar nesta série com uma entrevista, a Nancy aceitou oferecer um dos seus belíssimos originais a um dos meus leitores! Leiam até ao fim para saber o que poderão ganhar e como participar neste fantástico giveaway!

Não se esqueçam de seguir {the interview series} no facebook e de reler todas as entrevistas aqui.
(Por motivos óbvios de extensão e compreensão do texto, tanto pelos entrevistados como pelos potenciais leitores do resto do mundo, a entrevista segue em inglês.)


Today my guest is an American illustrator who has long fascinated me with her intriguing characters... Nancy Mungcal is the creative mind behind pretty little thieves, which presents an intriguing personal universe. I loved getting to know this artist a little better, so it's a pleasure to share her words and work with you.

And besides participating in this series with an interview, Nancy has accepted to offer one of her beautiful original drawings to one of my readers! Read until the end to know how to enter in this fantastic giveaway!

Don't forget to follow {the interview series} on facebook and to read all the previous interviews here.

Nancy Mungcal | pretty little thieves
Los Angeles, California, United States
site | blog | shop

1. Let’s pretend we don’t know each other and I’ve never heard about Nancy Mungcal. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Nice to meet you. My name is nancy. I love to draw, paint, collage and make things.

2. You illustrate, paint, draw and make collages. How was this creative passion born? Was it part of your academic background?
I am very lucky to have parents who have always encouraged me. I started drawing and making things at an early age. I never really stopped.

3. pretty little thieves is such a cute and unusual name! When was this brand born and why is it called like that?
I thought of the name many years before I started using it.

4. You create mysterious characters, alone or in interconnected groups - do they carry a message? What are they trying to tell us? And you also often feature some animals, like wolves, foxes or bears – why?
Thank you for calling them mysterious. I like that description. They have also been called disillusioned which has been one of my favorite ways they have been described. I am always interested in the connections and disconnections within ourselves. I think that the girls have a message or an emotion they are trying to convey. I prefer the viewer to relate to them in their own way.
As for the animals, I love wolves, foxes and bears and rabbits too so they show up in my work. There are other animals that I also love but they do not show up in my work very often.

5. Which mediums do you enjoy using? What inspires you? Tell us a bit about your creative process.
I draw and paint all the time. I am always working on more than one thing at a time. There are piles of almost finished work and things I am developing.
I am inspired especially by traveling and road trips. Music and art are constant sources of inspiration.
As for the creative process, sometimes I will draw upon an idea or sketch in a notebook to begin my work. Other times, I will just choose to draw, paint or cut and paste and allow the work to develop in a more organic way. This is the way I work most often.

6. You’re a published artist and your creations travel all around the world! What means do you use to promote your work?
I have a website, etsy shop, blog and a flickr account. I am really grateful to all the wonderful people that have shared my work! so thank you!!!

7. What is creating for you: a profession, a passion, a necessity, a life style or a hobby?
A passion and a necessity.

8. Would you share with us a regular day at work?
I drink too much coffee or tea. I do not get enough sleep. I try not to spend all day on the computer. There is usually music on. I stay up too late. I will draw, paint, collage or make something depending on deadlines, projects, and shows.

9. Would you give us a glimpse of your working space? Describe it and tell us what you love most about it.
I hope to someday have an inspiring work space. These days I have a small table facing a window which does not provided enough light. I do love my chair which is a vintage modern one and I like to watch the birds in the tree in front of the window.

10. I once bought a beautiful original drawing at your shop. Then you were selling it to help Haiti during its tragedy and now you try to help Japan through American Red Cross with the sale of some originals. Do you think art is a good way to promote charity spirit? Or you simply believe that, as an artist, this is the best way for you to help?
I feel a responsibility to help when I can. I am lucky to get to do what I do and I hope that I can give back.

11. You live in Los Angeles, USA. Do you think that the time and place where you live have great influence in your work? Would you like to live anywhere else?
I think that where you live does influence your work in some way. I draw disconnected and awkward girls that often don't belong.
Yes, I would like to live somewhere else but my family and friends are here.

12. If you could live in any historical era of your choice, what would it be? Why?
Many of my favorite books are set in the early 1800's. I would choose this period in American history as this was a time filled with stories of pioneers, new frontiers, cultivating and exploring new land, as well as tales of cowboys and indians. I am drawn to the sense of adventure and would have loved to have seen the landscape of this country back then.

13. In your blog you often share magazines or artist that inspire you, often related to art, photography, jewelry or fashion... but what else are you passionate about doing in your daily life?
I can often be found at a thrift(charity)shop, tag sale, or flea market. I am always collecting. I have a love for things that have had a past and sometimes stories to tell.

14. What advices would you give to someone who would also like to become an illustrator?
Be brave. Put your work out there. Be true to who you are.

15. What are your plans for the future? And your most unrealistic dreams?
I hope to do more shows and projects and continue to keep working and sharing my work. I also hope to travel more.

Now some quick question and answer game so we can find a bit more about you and your tastes! Tell us one:

book: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
music: the Avett Brothers
movie: me and you and everyone we know
personality/artist: photographer zoe strauss
color: yellow
object: book
animal: wolf
drink: tea
food: japanese
season of the year: fall
travel destination: too many to list
piece of clothing: grandmother's vintage dress
secret: can't dance (not really a secret)

Thank you so much for allowing me to invite your beautiful and mysterious characters to join the conversation in this edition of {the interview series}, Nancy!

And now... the giveaway you're all waiting for: Nancy is offering to one happy reader a beautiful original drawing she created especially for this ocasion... it could be you!

giveaway time!

You have the chance to win this beautiful and delicate original titled this little love, a drawing created by Nancy Mungcal from pretty little thieves in acrylic, watercolor and graphite on paper. It measures 4" x 6" (about 10cm x 15cm), it's signed, titled and dated on the back.

So... what do you have to do?
+ just leave a comment bellow!
+ you can have an extra chance to win by becoming a facebook fan of {the interview series}...
+ ... and you can have a second extra chance to win by becoming a follower of this blog, so you won't ever miss a bit! (just look for the followers widget on the left column).

Please, don't forget to leave a separate comment bellow for each entry, letting me know about it, so it can count for the giveaway, even if you're already a fan or follower.
The winner will be announced on wednesday next week and contacted by email, so don't forget to leave your name and contact. Good luck!

UPDATE: We had 40 entries in this giveaway... yeeey! The winner was picked using random.org.
And the happy winner is... picnipic! Congratulations!!! I'll be contacting you soon... I'm sure you'll enjoy your prize!
Thank you so much to all participants! If you didn't win this time, keep trying, maybe you'll be lucky next one ;)