Interview
Jay Stansfield
Jay Stansfield is a self-employed children's illustrator and author from Colne, Lancashire. He is 41-years old with a wife, two kids, and a rescue Shih Tzu called Gizmo.
Jay’s coloring journal Squibbles was recently picked up by IndyBest Top 10 as 'the coolest coloring book ever', which has given The Squibbles® brand a huge boost.
The Squibbles® is now a registered trademark, and is fast building a reputation as a fantastic children's brand incorporating inclusivity, diversity, community, and love, already with a growing fan base across the world thanks to the print-on-demand services of Amazon KDP.
Jay’s artwork output is growing daily, and between March and September 2021, he created over 20 character NFTs called Tyger Pawz. They were primarily released via the Yuser Opensea collection. Yuser is an emerging new social media platform and NFT Marketplace. Tyger Pawz is Jay’s new children’s book incorporating artwork and scannable QR codes, linking directly to their home on the blockchain - an innovative and immersive new experience.
Jay is currently working on a project called Chickinz, and there will be a similar book for this project too. Chickinz is a collaboration with a children's illustrator and plush toy manufacturer in the USA called Beluga Bay, who has provided the code to generate 500 chickinz, based on various illustrated layers created by Jay. Each one is unique. The collections of coloring books Squibbles, Squibbles 2, Meet The Squibbles and Tyger Pawz are all currently available on Amazon.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“It all started for me in my school books. I was about 6 or 7 when my mum showed me how to animate in the corner of a dictionary and from that point, I was fascinated with cartoons and art. I spent most of my youth playing music in a fairly successful band called EleMenT (later tRANSELEMENt) and made much of the artwork for posters, cassette inlays, interactive flash websites, and flash animations for us during that time. I focused on music for so long, that I didn't realize I was also slowly becoming a better visual artist because it just felt so natural for me.
Roll on to 2020 and a global pandemic, I had a conversation with my wife about my illustration being something I could use to earn a living. I'd become a bit jaded with the whole music industry and trying to push a solo music career, for so many years after my other bands dissolved, was taking its toll on my mental and emotional health, so I threw in the towel.
I now play in a band called All Hail Hyena and it's a breath of fresh air because we're going against the grain, and it gave me a huge opportunity to produce about six issues of Hyenazines to sell at our gigs. They are full of crazy puzzles, drawings and collage art. This was probably my first foray into making books, so come lockdown and being stuck at home with two kids and a wife on shifts, the conversation about illustration turned into a genuine opportunity to start drawing. I set to work on a series of characters called The Squibbles®, which I intended to turn into a coloring book for kids to help them during the lockdown, and to give parents a breather. I did it. I self-published it via Amazon KDP and since then I've published Squibbles 2, Meet The Squibbles, ALL HAIL HYENA: 3 Organs Down, Bazza Squibbles (in collaboration with a local primary school) and Tyger Pawz which is one of the world's first children's books linking the art to their NFTs on the blockchain.”
“My work comments on social issues in a very non-direct and inclusive way. I aim to promote equality, feminism, human rights, diversity and inclusivity without it being overt and dramatic. We have enough drama in society.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues??
“I always aim to make people smile. I want people to laugh, smile and feel the love. We have a variety of serious art and it has its place, but that's not the kind of art I like to create.”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“I'm currently very much embroiled in the NFT art world, namely many of the generative projects. It's a revolution. I've been working with a few people in this space, collaborating with some and it's a thriving community. I want to be one of the first to aim NFTs at children and their parents, and my Tyger Pawz Collection was one of the first to do that.
Thanks to a new social platform called Yuser, I was able to really get a foot in the door. My current generative project Chickinz was launched on Polygon and it's designed to be a fun, collectible, silly project for kids and parents. I collaborated with Beluga Bay on this, who are a children's plush toy manufacturer, along with an artist from the USA, and we're on a real mission to bring more fun and excitement to the NFT art world. Beluga Bay is becoming a foundation for emerging artists in the NFT space and I'm proud to be a part of that.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“It depends what I'm working on. Some art I'll splurge and other pieces, like the Chickinz, I'll take time and plan, because there's an end game for it. When I first started illustrating The Squibbles®, I didn’t have a plan. I enjoy the nature of organic art and natural progression, allowing art to take on a life of its own. I'm not one for trying to control this process, so I prefer to run with how its evolving and act as a facilitator. The Squibbles® has evolved so much over the last year, and with Tyger Pawz and Chickinz being part of that world, it's really exciting to see what is coming next.”
What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?
“If I'm just diving in to make something because I want to draw, I usually just start with a squiggle and build on it. If it's digital, it usually turns into a cartoon but sometimes I'll churn out something more abstract. If I'm using natural media, I favor pencil and fine black ink. If I don't have a goal or intention for my artwork, it ends up looking weird. I like weird though.”
What does art mean to you?
“It is the deepest form of expression second to music. You can hide emotion in the lines and spaces of artwork and nobody knows what it is, but they can just feel it. There are no words to describe the emotion I capture in my artwork - it just has to be felt. I want it to be a legacy for my children to cherish and share with their grandchildren. To show them that if you work hard, put your soul into your art and show humility, you can change a person's day. Even if it brings a few moments of joy, it matters.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“I'm a huge fan of Lurk Loves You and Robert Steven Connett. Lurk because he creates some wonderfully detailed, vibrantly colorful weirdness that I've never seen anywhere else. It has those classic 80's movie poster and gamebox design vibes about it, with some real comic book cover vibes like something from 2000AD.
Robert Steven Connett has an extra-special place in my heart because my dad (who has passed away) introduced me to his work. He bought me two prints for my birthday one year and I loved them so much; I went on an adventure through R.S. Connetts’ work. Stunning! Each one feels like a masterpiece. I eventually approached him to see if I could use his Night Trawlers 2 artwork for my album Birth and Death and he agreed. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made, because his artwork completed that album as nothing else could and it's now a solid reminder of the gratitude I have for my dad.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I've had my work featured in a couple of VR exhibitions held by NFT Oasis in the Metaverse, which was a wonderful honor. You can view them here: www.nftoasis.co ”
