Interview with emarts

Time to get to know a bit more about emarts. You've seen the work, let's hear a little something about the person.

Give us a short introduction about you.
My name is Samson Colborn. I'm from the Northern NJ area of the United States. I've been in Digital Graphics and Design industry since 1987. I started out as a photo-editor and eventually combined all my skills to provide a wide range of digital art-related services.

In 1997, I started my company, Electronic Media Arts, L.L.C. (http://www.ElectronicMediaArts.com) as a digital design firm, providing layout, illustration and photo-manipulation services to creative services companies. In effect, we were an extension of our clients art departments.

In 2000, my company added internet and multimedia capabilities. Last year we decided to pursue the Fine Art market, particularly art decor, and started a new website: http://www.em-arts.com. Soon we will be offering marketing and printing services specifically designed to meet the particular needs of digital artists. Our new website is http://www.PrintingArtwork.com.

Where did you grow up? Tell us a little story about the young you.
I grew up in Suburban NJ, under the shadow of New York City. I was fairly talented with drawing, but never took it seriously, even though my teachers pushed me to go after an art career. Instead, after high school, i bummed around in Florida for a year-and-a-half. It wasn't until I happened to get a job as a designer of slide presentations, using a Forox camera and a Genigraphics computer, that I thought about seriously persuing a career in digital art.

Is there a typical topic, story or concept that fuels your creations? Where does that fascination come from?
My fascination is with portraits. I think there is nothing more interesting than the human face. Getting it right is extremely difficult for me and I am inspired by those who can capture the personality of a person with just one frozen moment in time.

Are you part of a collective or group? Would you recommend it to others and why?
Although I am the Managing Director of my comapany, EM-ARTS is like a small network of artists, programmers, photographers, writers, voice-over talent. We form a sort of "virtual studio" and we all work from our own locations. The internet and a high-speed connection makes this all possible.

I would only recommend it to those who are self-disciplined enough to get work done while watching cartoons. If you're interested in joining our hive, contact me: samc@em-arts.com.

Visual artists and music is like cookies and milk, does music do anything for you?
I love all sorts of music. My mood can change in an instant. I usually have smooth jazz playing in my studio, but I can have anything from classic rock to 80's pop to today's alternative palying at any given moment.

How would you describe your style?
My style is still developing. It's a bit of a mess but I am trying to tone down my colors a bit. Right now, the artwork in my gallery is too bright for my taste. It overpowers the subject matter and leaves no impression of the personality of the person. Although it's not too bad for children's portraits.

What's your opinion about traditional media? Is it an advantage to have experience with real pencils, paint or conventional camera?
There is no greater tool for creating artwork than the simple pencil. If you can master that, then you can train yourself to master paints or digital paints. Mastering the camera however, is a different animal. You need to be technically familiar with your tool and really see a composition in a scene beyond what the average person can see. Thinking as a photographer must be different than thinking as a painter.

Do you work in the creative industry? Describe your job or the work you do.
I work as a multimedia designer for a small design firm. I also have my own business running a full service art studio. We also print and sell artwork. It's a busy lifestyle . . . hopefully it will pay off some day.

What makes your job so much fun?
Sometimes it's not. It's hard work just to get paid. But when you are working on a project, that's the only thing that matters at that particular time. You set aside other cares or worries and just get lost in your art.

Describe your dream job. Where would you love to let loose your creativity?
I would love to work for the NHL or any NHL Hockey team. I love the sport.