This month’s cover artist Eli (Ziggy) Hayter tells us about their work, inspirations, and tips for staying creative…
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I'm a queer, disabled, trans artist based in Nottingham. I use traditional techniques such as oil pastel, gouache, and pencil to capture the little moments of everyday life. I use my art as a way of unmasking – grounding myself in the real world – outside of social media, and also as a personal way to protest AI.
What is the story behind this month's cover?
Andy Warhol meets Nottingham, but with my own style. Inspired by the famous Warhol soup cans, I hand painted each can using oil pastels, and then added the text digitally. I love using traditional mediums, and I'm especially loving oil pastels at the moment. I played around with colour and shading to put my take on the Warhol piece.
What inspires you as an artist?
The little mundane things in everyday life. There's something so nice about noticing something's beauty for the first time. I draw a lot of bodies and nature, but recently have been inspired by childhood objects and toys and the nostalgia that brings, which is why I started a monthly print club with the theme of 2000s nostalgia.
Tell us about some things you’ve worked on in the past…
I love how many different directions my art takes me, and last year I ran my own fun, social life drawing events. I was the live illustrator for the Queer Solstice Ball, and I ran a fundraiser where people commissioned me to draw their nudes – all the money went to trans people's gender affirming care fundraisers. One of my oil pastel pieces also featured in STRAP magazine!
Do you have any tricks for getting started and staying inspired as a creative?
For me, my art needs to be about the joy first and the money second. It's never been my main source of income, and that works well for me and gives me the freedom to play and take risks with my art. When art starts to feel like a job, it loses its joy. Go out and be a sponge and absorb the world, whether that be walks in the park, book shops, galleries, or sitting and drawing people in cafes. You can't expect yourself to churn out ideas if you aren't allowing yourself to rest and recharge.
If you could sit down and chat with any artist in your field, who would it be and what would you talk about?
David Hockney! He's a massive inspiration to me. His work reminds me that it's good to evolve and it's good to use different mediums and play and try new things. I'd ask him about what he wants to try next, and how to not get weighed down by ‘finding a style’. His work is not defined by one thing – not his style, not his queerness, not his medium or subject matter – yet all these things are integral to who he is and his work.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell LeftLion readers?
Prints of the front cover and my other work are available to buy on my Etsy [ziggyhayter]. And you can sign up to my monthly print club to get an A5 print, mini print and letter sent to you in the post each month at buymeacoffee.com/ziggyhayter/membership
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