Artist: Gina Kiel

Gina Kiel is an artist from New Zealand. All of her work is amazing and tells a great story.  Her latest work donated to Little Lotus charity is brilliant. It’s for a great cause and is stunning and has a powerful message (pictured below). She is one of my favorite artist’s and if you are not familiar with her work is a must see! She mixes Tattoos, Beautiful, women and Animals what more can you ask for? The first Image I was Power and I completely nerded out. I recently had the pleasure to interview her and here’s the woman herself…

Click on picture to go to her official site!!

Power

Flourish Decay Life/Death

BBM: How’s life treating ya?

Well I can't complain. I have recently had a baby boy named Leo, 8 weeks ago, and it's proving to be a pretty amazing life experience.

BBM: What was your first major experience with art and how did you know it was for you?
I have loved drawing since I can remember. At school, I sold drawings to other kids for 50 cents each so I could buy lollies... maybe that was when I realized I could follow my passion and earn a living from it.

BBM: Tell our readers about the Illustration you created for the Little Lotus Charity?
Inspired by a very creative three headed character drawing from an 11yr old refugee child I created the three headed goddess piece. I donated it to the 'What Do You Dream' Exhibition & Auction to raise funds for refugee kids on the Thai/Burma border who are supported by the charity Spinning Top. She is the Goddess of Dreams, sharing good dreams with all the children and absorbing nightmares, removing them from existence.

Cover Girl

Octopussy

BBM: It’s beautiful! Even your art has art I love her tattoos what was the inspiration behind them and what’s the story they tell?
Her tattoos are representations of the different dreams and wishes that the refugee children drew pictures of. They tell the story of imagination, the basic, fundamental needs of a child and are a subtle reminder of the disturbing experiences they may have encountered and what we need to protect our future generations from.

When creating such beautiful work that easily says a thousand words what’s the creative process prior to execution?
It all starts with a feeling, something I need to get out. I would say I'm generally a happy person and I think this is due to being able to express certain feelings through art. Sketching, doodling & experimenting is a very important part of the process, surprising things happen & the further I get into an artwork the more layers of meaning I discover.

Ride

Three words that describe your art?
Some say...wild imagination with a feminine touch...

BBM: Where do you find inspiration in life?
Life and death inspire me. The beauty in nature, rebellion over convention, controversial social themes, flowing lines, shiny, slimy things and the female form inspire me, to name a few! Wherever I go I can't help visualizing new artworks that I haven't created yet on any blank space I see, it's like I'm following signs or chasing something...

BBM: A fact a fan may not know about you?
I am a closet musician.

BBM: What’s currently in heavy rotation in your IPod?
Nights In White Satin by The Moody Blues, Neil Young, Lightning Hopkins...blues is always on my ipod.

BBM: Besides art what are some of your other passions?
Music, my mother is a drummer & guitarist and my father was a bass player, the rhythm is in my blood.

Films, the smell of popcorn has so much nostalgia. Tattoo, I love the concept of a living, breathing, moving canvas.

And first and foremost, of course, family.

BBM: What are some words of wisdom you would give a youth wanting to be an artist?
Be true to your individuality and no one will be able to do what you do but you.

BBM: Where can fans find the latest news and get some prints?
You can get it all at ginakiel.com

BBM: What’s coming up for you in the future?
A solo exhibition is on my to do list! I'm building up a bit of a series behind the scenes which I'll either release as I go or exhibit as a show.

I would really like to work on some more murals and large scale works and I'm currently working on a little collaboration, which I can't say much more about yet.

BBM: Any last words anything you want to add?

It's all or nothing I suppose...