Artist Interview: Wren McDonald

On this last day of celebrating the Message in the Bottle Show, we present illustrator and comic artist Wren McDonald! Wren's whimsically humorous creations are gems to the illustration world and definitely worth looking up.

What did you research to create your piece for Message In A Bottle, or where did you draw inspiration from? 

I've seen National Treasure a few times.


Do you ever hide things in your work in general? (references to people you know, homages to your favorite songs, etc.?) 

I've hidden friends' initials, inside jokes and stuff like that in pieces before. Especially if there's graffiti in a piece that I'm working on. I like there to be small stories in the details.


Our shows are often based off of things we are briefly obsessed with (like symbols and secret societies). Are you obsessed with anything right now? 

Drawing small men, using the World Wide Web, Don't Worry, Be Happy, and collecting printed matter.


Do you have a trick to get motivated when you don't feel like making anything?

Well, I never feel like not working for that long of a time. But when I really don't want to work, but I have to anyways because of a deadline, I just sit down and make myself do it, and it kind of sucks, but at least it gets done.

Can you keep a secret?

It depends on whose secret it is.


For more about Wren, check out his site or follow his blog!