Tell me a bit about yourself. Where are you from? How did you decide to become an artist?

I grew up in Northern Quebec with a family of artists. My parents always made sure to have lots of art and craft supplies readily available and were very encouraging. The dramatic snowy landscapes around me and the abundance of wildlife fueled my creativity and my love for both nature and art.

How do you start your day?

I try to give myself a quiet hour to wake up. Coffee, cat on my lap, and a book next to our picture window with the fire going (if it’s a cold morning).

What does your workspace/studio look like? What aspects of it are most important to you?

I have an office that I share with my partner. On my side I have a window that looks out onto a pond with a spot for one of our cats to lay in the sun. I have 4 different “stations”: my easel for oil painting, a small table for my laptop, a large drafting table where I draw and make comics, and a large desk for miscellaneous “other” art. Plus lots of shelves for supplies. And lots of art hanging all over the walls. Everything is always pretty messy, but I also know where everything is.

What’s your favorite medium, and why do you love it?

I go back and forth between a lot of different mediums, and I love that I have the availability to do so. At the moment I love oil paint for vibrant colours…

… but I love making comics for being able to express my thoughts through storytelling.

What tool has improved your workflow or creative process recently?

Inheriting my dad’s drafting table has been a real help to my work and my mindset. Since I work from home, I love having a place that motivates me to be productive.

When you’re feeling “artist’s block,” what do you do to get “unblocked”?

Being outside helps me the most. Either for a hike or even just stepping into my backyard. I like the quiet and being away from screens. The fresh air reinvigorates my mind.

What websites, social media accounts, podcasts, or books are particularly inspiring to you right now? Where do you go when you need a dose of creative inspiration?

One of my all-time favourite series is Octopus Pie by Meredith Gran. I love her storytelling and art style. I have all the books and I can read those over and over again.

What’s a favorite project that you’ve worked on so far in your career? What did you love about it?

My favourite project has been my ongoing comic, The Touring Test. It’s the first project I’ve worked on in years that has been completely and totally for myself.

What is your dream project in the future?

I’d love to have some published books of comics.

What advice do you wish you could give your younger self?

Don’t worry.

How do you balance work and art with personal life?

I try to be very purposeful about scheduling personal time. If I don’t schedule it, it would be easy for me to overwork myself. It’s something I’m still learning to do.

What’s an example of a past rejection or “failure” that ended up helping you? How did it help?

I can’t think of one major rejection or failure, but I do try to keep a balance between optimism and caution.

How do you maintain your art career? Either in terms of marketing yourself, or developing multiple income streams?

My partner and I are constantly trying to think of new ways to push ourselves creatively. We spend about half our time touring in our band Pocket Vinyl, and trying to connect with people face-to-face at shows. To keep our fans engaged when we can’t see them in person, we have a Patreon account that we keep updated with news about songwriting and art. We’ve also started holding regular livestream shows from our home.

I take on quite a few freelance art jobs as well, ranging from personal paintings and portraits, to album covers and shirt designs for other bands, artwork and logos for local businesses, and illustration jobs for educational and historical publications.

I also have an art shop online, where I sell prints and original art.

What are you working on now?

I’ve got a handful of commissions going at the moment: I’m working on a few final illustrations for a tabletop board game that will be released soon, I’ve got a t-shirt logo to make for a local book shop, I’ve got a handful of comic portraits to complete, and I just finished a set of illustrations for a book of historical stories for a First Nations community in Ontario.

And I’m writing and illustrating an autobiographical graphic novel about a big, crazy tour that my band did recently.

Connect with Elizabeth Jancewicz:

www.instagram.com/thetouringtest
www.twitter.com/thetouringtest
www.facebook.com/TheTouringTest

See more art by Elizabeth Jancewicz!