Art

Right, so I’m part of a pen pal club, the League of Extraordinary Pen Pals. And every month there’s a newsletter with, among other things, a member spsotlight. And a little while ago Julie, one of the fearless leaders of the club, approached me if I wanted to be it for this July’s newsletter. Of course I said yes 🙂

The kicker? It comes with a portrait drawing 😀 In the club we all have a superhero name, and mine is Captain Colour. So after sending in my interview answers, and give some colour choices, here’s my fabulous portrait by the talented Ciara Barsotti.

 

For completeness, the interview.

Why are you called Captain Colour?

I’m a very visual person, I love visual texture and most of all colours and how they work. Like looking at a painting up close and seeing all the brush strokes and the different pigments and the relief of the paint on the canvas and then as you walk further back it smooths out and becomes a recognisable image. Colour is so versatile a colour change can change the mood and atmosphere of something completely. Paint a wall in a room red, and the vibe will be completely different than if you painted it blue, or green or… or… I also love to colour things. Both in doing paintings and drawings but also colouring books. And I love rainbows, too. But Captain Rainbow didn’t quite have the same ring to it 😀

What are your superhero penpal strengths?

I’m always decorating the stationery and envelope, especially with stickers. I like it when the recipients not only have something fun to read, but also to look at. I sometimes try to match the decorating to what I think my pal will like. But I do more often tend to go with just what I like, and hope my pal will like it, too. It’s an addition to the letter, another way to get to know me and who I am and what I like.

What is your superhero kryptonite?

Stickers! And pretty paper in all shapes and sizes and textures. And colouring books. Especially those Dover historic ones like time periods, or period fashions.

Do you use any special weapons while fighting crime?

Pens. A whole belt of pointy pens, ready to throw at any criminal crossing my path. Plus a surplus of ribbon and string to tie them up.

Who is your arch-nemesis and why?

Time. I never have enough time for all the things I want to do. Plus I’m somewhat of a procrastinator, too. Which is so not an ideal combination :S

What does your superhero lair look like?

Big, with lots of nooks and crannies and oodles of built in storage. Shelves, drawers, baskets, all neatly labelled and sorted. Several tables for all different kinds of projects and windows looking out all around over fields and wide landscapes. *dreams on*

In real life, though, my lair is a still fairly large room, with shelves and drawers holding all my crafty stuff. Book shelves for the non-fiction and reference books (fiction lives in the living room), a work table where I write letters and do crafts and where my laptop usually lives so also the place I write other things and play games and so on. There’s another (old) table for projects that are at risk of damaging the furniture like modding water/toy guns into steampunk/scifi things and so on.

How do you relax after a long day of saving the world?

Books mainly, they are my life’s blood. Other than that, cuddling my cats 🙂 Also making/editing things or playing games on the iPad and the computer.

What kind of penpal are you?

A somewhat slow one. Referring back to my arch-nemesis above, I try to reply speedily, but there will often be a few weeks in between receiving a letter and having a reply ready to mail out. I want to stress, though, this does not mean I don’t want to write anymore, or don’t like you, I’m just not that fast 🙂 Once we’re corresponding, though, I am loyal. It might take me a while to reply, but I will reply.

Are you open to new superhero penpals? If so, what types & how can they reach you?

I’m always open to new pals, as long as they keep the above in mind 🙂 I am in the database with my interests (they are legion but include books, cats, scifi/fantasy, geeky stuff, mythology, language, nature/animals, spirituality, sociology, tv/movies and so on) and I also have a postable (www.postable.com/erikmulder)

In your opinion, what is the best thing about being part of the League of Extraordinary Penpals?

I love the inclusiveness. We accept each other’s quirks and oddities and we’re always there for each other in good times and bad. Plus we don’t make fun of our members for what they do and like. specially as a dude, often people look at you funny when you say you like crafting and making pretty things and so on. But here, it is embraced, and I think it shows in the influx of more guys into our ranks. So keep being awesome everyone!