Diana Mayo's YAWNING YOGA

YAWNING YOGA
Interview with Diana Mayo

e: What is your medium?
Diana: I work mostly with acrylic paints, sometimes with a lot of water, so they act more like watercolour paints, but building up with a number of layers. I also add pencil colours, some cutout collage, graphite pencil and finally I scan the image and tidy it all up using Photoshop!

e: What do you think makes an illustration magical, what I call "Heart Art” - the sort that makes a reader want to come back to look again and again?
Diana: Gosh! That’s tricky to answer! However, art that I consider “Heart Art” would have me transfixed into a moment, wanting to be within the image, soaking up the textures, colours, lines of the image. The magic comes from an artist’s ability to be true to themselves when drawing and making, not being too conscious of what they think other people may want, and trusting their instinct to know when something is ‘finished’. So, listening and believing in their own voice, whether that be “fashionable” or not, being original, whilst still retaining good draughtsmanship, material technique and answering the brief as requested. It’s hard to be “magical”!

e: What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
Diana: I enjoy expressing myself through colour and pattern, trying to think of an original way to show an idea that’s still understood by an audience. I find lack of time is sometimes challenging, and having to come with a good idea when a deadline is too restrictive.

e: Is there something in particular about this story you hope readers will take away with them, perhaps something that isn’t immediately obvious?
Diana: I hope that readers will take enjoyment from both learning about yoga through the text and diagrams, but also will enjoy relaxing with the book and soaking up the pictures’ atmospheres for their own sakes.

e: What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?
Diana: I think my dream project would be to write and illustrate a book based on some small part of my own children’s ongoing childhood.

e: Thanks Diana! Check out her groovy studio...