The Fall/Winter Edition 2020

LESLIE COBER-GENTRY with C.F. PAYNE

AMERICA'S "BEST"

Chris Fox Payne, most commonly known as C.F. Payne, is an American caricaturist and illustrator. He graduated with BFA from Miami University in Ohio in 1976 and began a freelance career in 1980.

His illustrations may be found on covers of Time, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Mad, Esquire, National Geographic, Spy; his series Our America exclusively at back covers of Reader's Digest, and many others. He also provided the original illustrations for the first three "Molly" books in the American Girl series.

Payne did a series of postage stamps of famous singers for the United States Postal Service. He is a recipient of numerous awards for his works, including the National Cartoonist Society Magazine Illustration Award for 2002 and their Book Illustration Award for 2003.

He is among the founders of The Illustrators' Partnership of America. He is currently an instructor at Columbus College of Art and Design, as well as a visiting instructor at the Illustration Academy.

PLEASE ELABORATE ON HOW YOU DEVELOPED YOUR RECOGNIZABLE STYLE? WHO WERE YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCES IN ARRIVING TO YOUR CREATIVE GENIUS?

I think the illustrators who have influenced me most are Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Norman Rockwell, Mark English, Alan Cober and Jack Unruh. Others who had a huge influence on me are my parents. They taught me, my brother and two sisters a work ethic that has carried us through life. They also allowed me to pursue art. I am not sure I always gave them confidence in me with my grades in school, but still, they always supported me. I also had some very good teachers along the way. Not all teachers are good, but when you get a good one, you take advantage as best you can.

I think my style was a product of my liking to draw from an early age and never stopping or having that joy of drawing interrupted by some other interest. I do have many other interests, but they have never interfered with my love of drawing and studying art. So in part, I think it is just the way I draw and I have learned to have confidence in that.

YOUR PAINTINGS CAPTURE CHARACTER, HUMOR, AND PERSONALITY. YOU HAVE PAINTED COUNTLESS POLITICIANS, AUTHORS, AND ENTERTAINERS. WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS YOU CREATE IN YOUR ART?

I would say it’s the people with the most interesting faces or unique stories to tell with their lives. I do love drawing baseball too. I guess growing up in Cincinnati is to blame for that. ...to be continued

SARAH SUPLINA with Lon Levin/Publisher

"SARAH SNIPPETS"

When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?

I can remember vividly the moment I knew I wanted to be an artist…I was in my first grade class (six years old) and we were all asked to draw a bee. After we completed our drawings, all the students gathered around mine and claimed “Sarah is going to be an artist”. I knew at that moment I had a calling. Along the way, I have had full support of teachers, families and friends.

What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?

I am the fourth daughter out of five, so I grew up learning how to find myself in a pack! I grew up in Massachusetts and enjoyed hours of unstructured time with my sisters and close neighbors. We would explore the woods around our neighborhood and enjoy creative play for hours.

How has the background you got at Pace University played a part in your career?

Pace was my second graduate degree I received. I went to Pace to earn my Teaching Degree when I decided to change careers to be an Art Teacher. People told me it wouldn’t be easy, but I love teaching and I am so glad I pursued that degree. I also have my Masters in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute, which I earned much earlier in my career. That degree has been equally significant in my career for its influence, connections and education.