Tell ALL Tuesdays :: Jessica Bradley

GOOD MORNING!!!!
Every week as some of you know on Tuesdays we introduce to you another one of our *Fabulous Readers* who I have gotten to know through Blog Land.
We have Jessica Bradley with us here today for our Tell ALL Tuesdays spot.

Sooo...grab a cup of Tea and enjoy the read...she's an amazing artist...and I was fortunate to win a wonderful prize pack from her last month...which I'll show you sometime this week...
ENJOY....
Tell us a little about the Town you live in... & have you always lived there?
I live in Bristol in the South-West of England. I moved here about 10 years ago to attend university and stayed as it's a very cool city if you're an artist. There's a big media base in Bristol and compared to where I was born and raised (Swindon) it's a lot more exciting! Like all cities though, it can get a bit overwhelming at times; I'm a cyclist and Bristol is not a very friendly city to ride your bike in!

If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?Japan in a second! I'd love to live just outside of Tokyo. I visited Japan about 3 years ago and it was incredible; beautiful scenery, amazing food and awesome books and toys; my baggage was about £50 over the limit when I got to the airport because of all the stuff I bought! I think Japan is the closest place to how the inside of my head looks.

How structured is your day usually? I work part-time 4 days a week so usually it's: Up at 6.30am, breakfast and some drawing, off to work at 8.15am, home at 2.30pm and pretty much drawing for the rest of the day! If I have my day off (like today), it's up at 8.15am and I'm usually drawing by about 10am. Of course, you can intersperse bimbling on the internet, making tea/coffee, reading, playing video games and watching films between all of that...!


What did you do today?
Today I coloured some drawings, drew some stuff for the collaborative blog I run with Katie Green, picked up my bike from the repair shop, ate too many Swizzle lollies and felt a bit sick and read Craig Thompson's Blankets while I ate lunch.

Are you a cat or dog person?
Oh dog person, definitely! My family have had two pet dogs; our last dog, Robbie, died suddenly last year which was a shock and it hasn't been the same since. A home isn't a home without a dog! I love drawing dogs too; they're just awesome.


Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?
I'm a big fan of food in general but I think I like dinner best; all the good things come at dinner! I've gotten into a bad habit of reading cookbooks while I eat my dinner and it just makes me even more hungry!

If you had 6 friends over for Dinner what would you make for them?
Probably the food I'm most obsessed about now: Melanzane, green curry, Tom Yum soup, corn on the cob, tofu and some kind of fruit based desert. Bit of a mish-mash but I'm sure people would enjoy it!


How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?
I've always drawn but went through a phase of wanting to be a special effects artist, author, teacher and a marine biologist(?!) I started my Art Foundation course in 1999 and got to do a module on illustration; that was pretty much when I decided what I wanted to do and haven't looked back. I've had a lot of ups and downs since then but I've always drawn!

Who /what drove & inspired your love to create?
I've always been an imaginative person; as a kid I was constantly drawing and making things. I'm still obsessed with a lot of cartoons from my childhood which were a huge influence on my work: The Raccoons, Dungeons & Dragons, Ulysses 31, Galaxy High, Rocko's Modern life, Ren & Stimpy, I could go on! I've always been a big reader too so books have always been a huge influence on my work. I think just generally being creative and having a very supportive family and a great network of friends have helped over the years!


Tell us something not too many people know about you.
I once jumped out of plane for charity and I can speak Japanese.

Shoe choice:: flats or heels?
Flats; I live in my trainers! Any kind of shoe that has even a remote heel gives me a blister within minutes.


What was the last book you read?
I'm re-reading anything by H.P Lovecraft at the minute; I love horror books and to me, his stories are just so creepy and atmospheric! I also read The Mosquito Coast for the umpteenth time before that. I go through phases of reading lots of my favourite books over again.

What advice would you give others just starting out?
Don't give up! Keep going no matter how hard it becomes; if you have enthusiasm and passion for your work people with notice.

Name 5 blogs you love visiting, and tell us why.
 http://justinrampage.tumblr.com/
- awesome film and video game art from around the web. There's some really awesome stuff out there and if you're a total geek like me, this collects a lot of the best work. I've been featured a couple of times which is always good! :P
http://drawn.ca/
 - In my opinion, the best illustration blog on the web. Every visit is a visual delight!
http://pinktentacle.com/
- Showcasing some of the odder aspects of Japanese art and life in general! Great for a dose of oddness in the morning!
http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/
- Fantastic eclectic artwork from old books. Pure brilliance!
http://pikaland.com/
- Another awesome illustration blog. I always use this as a pick-me-up if I'm feeling a bit down about my own work!

You HAVE to go and visit Jess  and say hi...
Her Website :: http://www.jessbradley.com/
Her Blog:: http://squid-bits.blogspot.com/
Her WORLD ...this is such a fun place to browse around... http://www.milk-town.com/

THANKS Jess for participating in our Tell ALL Tuesdays...it was SUCH a pleasure having you here for the day.
Can't wait to see what you get up to next!!!

EVERYONE...thanks for passing by...remember to leave Jess a little note in the comments box below, I'm sure she'll be stopping by sometime today...

HUGS and OH... check back tomorrow as it's AUGUST GIVEAWAY day!!! Yup, I have been thinking long and hard about this one...and I think it's time.
Have a great day!

Char.x.
P.S. I have started organising our Blog...yeah, I know...about time!!! So at the top you'll fine a little Tab for all our TELL ALL TUESDAYS interviews...please go for a browse...you may have missed a couple along the way!