I’ve recently been asked, “What aspect of Lethbridge stands out for you the most?” And, besides the stupid ridiculous amount of trucks that plague this city, I would have to say it’s the amount of talented people I have met along the way (Lethbridge is also full of them).
In particular, I am proud to feature an amazing artist, and one of my best friends, Martin Warszawski. Since back in the day, he and I were creative influences upon one another, drawing comics, recording puppet shows and a Shakespeare video assignment featuring a dead gopher (we found it like that).
Introduce yourself
Hi, my name is Martin Warszawski. I was born and raised in Lethbridge. I now live in Calgary and I am attending the Alberta College of Art and Design.
What are your influences?
Comic books and cartoons when i was younger. Things haven’t changed much, but now I look at a lot of fine artists and illustrators. James Jean, Gustav Klimt and Tomer Hanuka come to mind. John K, Jim Smith and Joe Madureira still have a firm hold on me from my youth. Working beside so many talented artists at school also influences me greatly. It is nice to have so many people around you to help you and feed off of. Having an awesome girlfriend that is also an artist helps. She isn’t afraid to be ruthlessly honest with me.
What are your favourite materials to work with?
Right now I would have to say oil paints and ink. If you asked me last week I would have said watercolor. Media seems to change a lot with me. It is good to explore despite how hard it is leaving a comfortable, safe medium. I am starting to get excited about my rich media class so maybe next week it will change to Photoshop and After Effects.
How long have you been drawing, and how has your art evolved?
I have been drawing all my life but I haven’t really taken it seriously until I was in sixth grade. I think that was around the time I met you Jonathan, haha. I have had many different styles and stages that I have gone through. Super heroes and cartoon characters to fine art paintings and drawings to graffiti to now. I stopped drawing and painting for the most part of a year awhile back, I think that was the worst thing I could have done. It is nice to be back into it. I think evolution is necessary if you want to stay fresh and have fun. I can’t wait to see where I go next.
Where are you headed?
I am currently in the illustration stream at school. I am still picking and choosing what I like and what I’m good at. I don’t want to say it but the dollar signs are are always there in the back of my mind so that plays a factor with what I want to get into. Motion graphics seems to be the way to go and I enjoy making animations so right now that is where I see myself going. I seem to be getting more excited about motion graphics than anything else at school right now.
Lastly, how many lights are there?
There…Are…Four…Lights!!
If you’d like to get in touch with Martin, his email address is martin.warszawski@gmail.com. He’s happy to answer any questions and is available for commission! To see more of his work, head over to http://martinwarszawski.blogspot.com.
Thanks, Martin!
I’m a webslinger located in Lethbridge, AB. I love all things nerdy, like cartoons and videogames, and am also a bit of a foodie. When I travel, I always keep my eyes out for hot springs and great places to adventure with my wife, Melissa.
cool stuff!!
cool stuff!!