WonderHill has some amazing artists who put the magic into our games by creating new items day after day. We will be doing a series of interviews with our resident artists, so you all can begin to see the work that puts the ‘wonder’ in WonderHill. First up, we’ve got Kate…

How did you discover your artistic talent?

I remember when I discovered I had an aptitude for art.  My sister used to draw this little man all the time.

She was five years older than me, and as a result, smarter, cooler, funnier, more sophisticated and more popular.  (I think at this time, I was about four and she was nine). Anyway, she showed me step-by-step how to draw him, and I did it right away, and to her horror, decided to give him a side part.  It was the first thing I could do better than her - and I was hooked.  Yes, that means I was motivated by jealousy.

What is your favorite subject to draw?

I like to draw lots of things, but when I’m not ‘concentrating’ I seem to draw uncomfortable looking people and animals.  I find background design more rewarding though - it’s very challenging, and in the end, it feels a little like you’ve created a world.  It’s pretty much my favorite thing on earth.

Besides computer-based imagery, what other mediums do you like to use?

Digital painting is remarkably similar to regular painting, so not surprisingly I like to paint with gouache and watercolor.  I also just love pencil and paper.

What is your favorite WonderHill item you’ve created to date?

BoJamma Flufferborn.  And the yellow chicks.

What is your favorite type of item to create for our WonderHill games?

I usually end up designing the ‘look’ of the games, (Not Enchanted Gardens/Green Spot, but the mini- games) minus the menu items and dialog boxes (something we call “UI” that falls to Bill.) but I love to do that.  I make a quick design of the basic shapes and colors and make sure it all ties in.  It’s very creative and fun.  After that, I paint most of the backgrounds for the games - and I love that too.

What are you inspired by? What do you turn to for inspiration?

That’s a hard question to answer.  I’m a very observant person, who registers the world in a very emotional way.  I can be inspired by breeze, or sunsets, or a tragic story … it really depends.  I think what motivates me underneath it all is that I’m searching for a way to draw a utopia for myself.  I love the world, but I also want to escape it.

If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be?

I didn’t have an answer for this, but my husband assures me that I’m a sturdy and robust sort of tree.  I’ve got it down to cypress or Joshua tree.  I just love the desert, but I am from a woodland sort of place.