Interview with Regina of Mae I Design & Photography

Eyes. The windows of the soul. That is what I think of when I look at this picture.

With the way Regina Wamba of Mae I Design & Photography emphasizes the eyes in her photographs, I could sit for hours just to study her artwork. I like how she plays with color and brings out the beautiful facial features of her subjects. You can check out her art for yourself at DeviantArt or on her Facebook page.

So enraptured, I asked her for an interview and to share some of her work.

Rita: Do you have a different way of looking at the world since you started creating your artwork?
Regina: Oh absolutely! I see, and hear everything differently. Every word, song, thought, person, picture can spark some sort of imagery for me.. then I write them all down and get to them when I can. It's funny, I'll be driving in the car and I'll see something and have to text myself or email myself just to save the idea.. inspiration can come in a flash.



Rita: What kind of YA books do you want to do the covers for?
Regina: Oh well any really. I love paranormal, romance, teen love, anything that is different, passionate and magical. A fresh breath from reality.. THAT is what I want to portray in a cover.. something that will spark your interest in the book... and in the story behind the cover.



Rita: Who are your favorite authors?
Regina: Well there are so many!! I love Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling, Charlainne Harris, Jessica Verday, Heather DiRocco, Lauren Kate, Krystal McLaughlin, Amanda Hocking, Libba Bray.. and the list goes on..and on...



Rita: Which picture of yours is your favorite?
Regina: Oh goodness.. well I love the one I haven't titled yet (I am terrible with titles) It's of a girl kind of coming out of the shadows with red/orange eyes, it's suspicious and I feel a little intriguing. I also love the dreamy one with the girl in the clouds.. I named it "A touch of color in life" for me I wanted to portray life simply... happy.. that moment when you feel elated and blissful, that's what came to me when I had the idea for this. It came to me actually when I was putting my youngest daughter to sleep.. and thinking how beautiful she is and how life is really so beautiful that we should just appreciate it and look around and see the beauty in the little things.


Rita: Here's the picture A Touch of Color:

 

Rita: And here's the other picture. I think this one is my favorite.

Rita: Do you use any common themes in your artwork?
Regina: Not really, I am very sporadic.. I have always been that way though.. I guess the only real theme is kind of mystical or fantasy.. just adding a bit of magic to it.



Rita: Where do you get your backgrounds and models?
Regina: Well various places.. with permission of some models, I use DeviantArt.. it's a great community of artists sharing resources and art. Then there is istockphoto.com, sxc.hu a free stock site, and of course my own photography of models and backgrounds that I have taken in the past.



Rita: Do you ever model for your own art?
Regina: Sure! I have referenced a few artworks with my own photo.. it's fun and challenging at the same time!



Rita: How long does it take you to manipulate a photograph to turn it into one of your artworks?
Regina: It depends on how complex, but I have spent 1 hour to 6, 8, 10 hours on some before..I don't notice the time until everyone is in bed and it's 3am and I just look at the clock and say "Wow.. I just had to finish it..."



Rita: Some of your pictures look more like paintings. Did you do that from a photograph or a drawing? It's absolutely beautiful.
Regina: THANK YOU!! Yes, the images started off as photographs, and then I manipulate them to look like a painting. That style typically takes longer because of the details involved with making it look like a painting and not a photo. :)



Rita: What inspires your color palettes? I loved how you had one picture in green and then the same picture again with purple.
Regina: Well, I love color, so I see color in everything I do.. I think of the meanings behind the color, or how that color makes me feel.. so for blue its a more cold, quiet feeling. With oranges and pinks I feel excited and energized, when I add color it's to add a feeling. How do my pictures make you feel (based on the color or feel of the overall photo)?


Rita: Thank you so much for the interview, Regina, and for letting me share your work with everyone.