Q: Originally from France, what are some of your favorite things about living and working in Montreal ?

A : [Art directors] in my country are sometimes very reluctant to hire young illustrators. And I didn't have the patience to wait my turn; I wanted to move forward. That’s why I decided to move to Montreal after receiving my degree in fine arts. Here I found a more dynamic and encouraging environment than in France, and this was very useful for me. Creatively, too. Montreal unconsciously influenced me to be bolder with colors, and the architecture of this historic city has deeply influenced my work.

Q: Do you keep a sketchbook? What is the balance between the art you create on paper versus in the computer?

A: I do! It’s the first step of my creativity process, the invisible part of the iceberg. I always use it for coming up with ideas and compositions before I start painting.

I usually have three different sketchbooks going at the same time. One in which I develop my ideas for assignments, with a lot of drawings and annotations. I keep another sketchbook for my future personal projects, with fragments of stories, composition ideas or subject that I want to work on. The third one is the most chaotic, it’s like a diary where I record, every day, some references like names of artists that I discovered, things that I heard on the radio or I saw on internet, like ”35 000 walruses take refuge on the shore," color palettes and pattern research. Anything that catches my interest.

I draw and paint by hand. It’s really important for me to keep a special connection with paper and to mix my own colors. I only use my computer at the end, for editing final images like cleanup and adjusting color levels.

Fauvism, for SIR magazine

Q: What do you like best about your workspace?

A: The sunlight and my fake bird, a red cardinal.

Q: Do you think it needs improvement? if so, what would you change?

A : Funny, I’m rearranging my workshop right now! Painting walls, more files to store my work and a larger desk to draw bigger. But I love colors and patterns so much that I have to restrain myself a little in my decor. It is very important for me to feel good about where I work and be visually stimulated by objects or pictures that inspire me. I definitely hate the white cube.

Q: What is the most important item in your studio?

A: My inks and my brushes.

Q: What is your favorite part of the creative process?

A: The part where I feel excited about starting a new project. I like projects that take me beyond my comfort zone, and that allow me to challenge my creativity.

Q: What was your favorite book as a child? 

A: The Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry, I can’t count the number of times I've read it and I used to dream about the banana car. I liked Tintin too. But only the drawings, because I couldn’t read at that time.

Moonlight Fiesta

Q: What is the best book you’ve recently read?

A: I buy a lot of books (Illustration books, Art books, literature, an encyclopedia). But unfortunately I don’t have time to read them all at once. So I put everything new in a special part of my library for ”future reading.” For several months I was waiting to read a book by the French illustrator Marion Fayolle, The Tenderness of Stone, which I finally read last night. She tells the story of her father’s long-term disease and the search for love from a father. Her work is brillant, elegant and delicate. With a bit of surrealism about her drawing that I like. I’m interested in new illustrators who develop a new relationship between narrative and drawing to alter the classic ways of telling stories. Like the Nobrow’s illustrators, the duo of French illustrators, Icinori, or like BlexBolex.

Also, I’m reading Conversation with Picasso, by Brassaï. The dialogue between two giant figure in art, on subjects like the creative process, reflections on painting, representation and other topics like politics and science. I love this book because it’s like to being closer to the mind of Picasso and the art of his time, which I admire.

Q: If you had to choose one medium to work in for an entire year, eliminating all others, what medium would you choose?

A: My brushes and my inks of course! If I have no paper, I can always draw on my dishes or on a fountain, like Niki de Saint Phalle has done.

New Year's Eve, detail.

Q: What are some of your favorite places/books/blogs/websites for inspiration?

I’ve always been fascinated by New York, by the city, its culture, its history, its architecture and, by the people. I try to go there whenever I can. When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the streets, with Rapsody in Blue playing in my head and feel this thing, like a wave, that is sweeping across my mind and feeding my inspiration.

Q: What advice would you give a young artist about applying to an art school or college?

A: Art school is just the first step, but my advice for all young artists is the same as what was given to me when I was a student: Be different. Be serious and work hard. Keep your eyes open and record everything you see. Be universal without being generic. Never, never give up. Dream a lot and don’t think you can’t do it, because you can.

Q: If you could be anywhere but where you are now, where would that be?

A: In a jazz cabaret in New York during the 1930’s.

Q: What would be your last supper?

A: My mother’s Fleischnaka.

Left: The Mean Streets of New York, New York Times Sunday Review. Right: Cover, The Parisianer. 

Mügluck is a Montreal based illustrator whose work has been recognized by American Illustration 33 and the 3×3 Magazine Pro show. After years and several miles of drawings at the Fine Art School in France she began collaborating with XXI Magazine, The Parisianer, The New York Times, McDonald’s and many other magazines and advertising agencies. She exhibits her work in Montreal galleries as well as galleries in Germany and France. Her style is characterized by and her kaleidoscope compositions and her use of layered colors, with a bit of surrealism. She is represented in France by La Suite.twitter: @mugluck Instagram: @mugluckillustration

On December 6th and 7th, the new edition of The Parisianer will be launched, with a launch party at Café A, 148 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010 Paris. Information.