Mary-Jane made this year’s graphics and we asked her to write a bit about herself, the art she made for the website, and her relationship to Fun-a-day! Stay tuned for more participant profiles soon!
My name is Mary-Jane or MJ for short (she/they). My family is originally from California, but I was born in Tacoma WA. Being a military brat, I moved around a lot but I mostly grew up here in Pittsburgh. I graduated from Chatham University in 2019 with a BA in Visual Arts and recently completed a certificate in Digital Design at CCAC. I love to draw; colored pencils, graphite, ink, etc as well as graphic art and design.
Like in most of my work, I was inspired by a cute/kawaii aesthetic as well as street art, graffiti, Y2K/90’s, Lisa Frank, Sanrio, Pop Art, old Microsoft Office clip art and doodles for this year’s Fun-A-Day graphics.
I have participated in in Fun-A-Day for a few years now. I think since High School. My mom has participated since 2010 and encourage me to join. In the past I made clay cats and did a photography project as well. This year I am working on a series of leftist political illustrations that speak on the growing struggles in the US, but are juxtaposed with cute characters.
I don’t follow strict rules with FAD, just working on what I can each day without a set goal for the number of pieces I will complete. I think the best way to get unstuck and get your inspiration back is to take a break and maybe work on another project or piece. Working on something else creative pulls my attention away from the piece I am stuck on until I have the inspiration to go back to it.
I love FAD and plan to participate next year, for sure. For new FADers, I would say to try not to put too much pressure on yourself and just do what you can. Remember it is about the FUN!