A few months ago while wandering around a local art gallery I came across some illustrations I adored. I tried to find them online so I could stare at them whenever I pleased but was unable to. Fast forward to just the other evening - while playing with a neat little Flickr tool (flexplore) I came across one of the illustrations again. I quickly emailed the person behind them - discovering his name was Marc Johns - and asked if I could do the next Friday Flickr Feature on him. Naturally, I was very pleased when he agreed.

Where do you reside?
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

How long have you been creating drawings? Why did you start?

I’ve been drawing since I was was tiny. I’m not tiny any more though. Not big, but definitely not tiny. All silliness aside, I’ve been making drawings like the ones you see on my Flickr for about three or four years. As to why I started, well I can’t really stop. I will always always draw.

Which of your pieces is your favourite?

I don’t really have a favourite piece. I tend to like my most recent work the best. I guess I’m a bit restless that way; I feel that I can always do better. I guess the ones I like the best are the ones that make me laugh, or make me think “where the hell did that nonsense come from?” I like the ones that surprise me.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere. Magazines, overheard conversations, television, intersting articles found online, and so on. Sometimes it’ll just be one word that’ll get me going. I love language, and I love to play with it. I always keep a small notebook in my back pocket to jot down ideas. I have a drawer literally full of them. When I don’t know what to draw next, I just flip one open and usually find something. I’ve been meaning to scan a bunch of them and put them online. I always like to see other artists’ sketchbooks, so I should share mine too.

How long does it usually take you to create a piece? How do you know when it is finished?

Some pieces take a few hours. I sketch it out in pencil, and sometimes redraw it 3 or 4 times, to get the sizing and composition right. Then I’ll do the lines in pen. then I erase the pencil, and paint with watercolours. I’ll often do 2 or 3 layers of watercolour, to get more depth, and more complex colours. I’ve never really timed myself. I tend to make several drawings at once, so that while the paint is drying on one piece I can work on another. Other drawings, like my post-it note drawings, obviously take much less time! I like to keep my drawings pretty simple, pretty sparse. I usually know exactly what I want when I start them, so there’s very little ambiguity in my mind as to when it’s finished.

How do you feel about Flickr? Do you believe that there is a certain point in an artist’s career when they should stop using Flickr for fear of it seeming unprofessional?

I love Flickr. It’s been a great way for me to share my artwork, because it is a social network based around sharing and discussing images. Other networks are writing-based, like blogging and chatting. Even though Flickr’s focus is primarily photography, I still think it’s one of the best tools for visual artists. There are loads of professional artists on Flickr, so I would never consider it unprofessional. I can imagine someone who becomes a very successful gallery artist might stop using Flickr, for the simple fact that they no longer have time or need the exposure there. I’m certainly not there yet, and I doubt I’d stop using it if I were!

You can find more of Marc’s work on his Flickr or his personal site; www.marcjohns.com

Every Friday internet jogging features an artist, series or something special Chelsee finds while scouring the white, pink and blue treasure trove. We call this the Friday Flickr Feature.