The Writer's Block Interviews: Daniela Frongia

1)     Tell us how you became an artist/illustrator?

Since I was 4, I already showing a passion and talent for drawing, inspired by the colorful style of the Disney classics and later Manga. I studied and obtained a degree from the Art School.  Next I dedicated myself to mastering airbrush technique on Bikers and then focused on digital graphics. After a first art exhibitions on canvas occurred in the diverse galleries of London, I took the decision to dedicate myself to illustrating children’s books and now I collaborate with authors and publishers from all around the world.                       


2)     Do you specialize in any particular medium?Describe your style.
My Illustrations are hand-made and then colored by software


3)     Who or what inspires you?

Studio Ghibli is definitely my main point of inspiration.


4)     What was your first illustration job?


"Halloween doggy" was my first job, in e-book version is sold on iTunes. It is the story of a dog, created by me, very funny and scary.


5)     Describe your body of work. Thus far, which project has been the most fulfilling? Why?

It's hard  to explain which project was more rewarding, because every time a is a new challenge for me, let's say I am excited to create every time something more detailed and full of emotions.

6)     Where can your works of art be found?

You can find some of my works on my website  http://www.caisairbrush.com , where there are also some of my canvasses painted by airbrush


7)     What is your definition of success as an artist?

I think an artist can feel satisfied when obtain to be able to transmit your own emotions to others through your artwork, this is a big success.

8)     What do you plan to accomplish in 2012?

I have already started to apply myself to the drawings of the skirting boards (www.lilytrim.com) already on sale in the U.S., many other books and now I just started with the illustrations on greeting cards for the UK area.


Biography :

Daniela Frongia (aka, Cais) currently lives in London, UK where she works as a freelance illustrator.  She was born in Cagliari, Italy in 1979.  By the age of 4 she was already showing a passion and talent for drawing, inspired by the colorful style of the Disney classics and later Manga.  She studied and obtained a degree from the Art School.  Next she dedicated herself to mastering airbrush technique on Bikers and then focused on digital graphics. Her first art exhibitions on canvas occurred in the diverse galleries of London when she moved there in 2009. In 2010 she made the decision to dedicate herself to illustrating children’s books and she now collaborates with authors and publishers from all around the world.  

 Website:  http://www.caisairbrush.com/  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cais-Arts-book-illustrator-and-airbrush-artist-freelance-/197946496908175?sk=wall 

       

25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic by Robert Lee Brewer, Plus This Week's Line-Up on The Writer's Block

Robert Lee Brewer ("My Name Is Not Bob" blog) offers 25 tips for increasing traffic to your blog. I found these to be especially helpful, so I am passing them along to you. Enjoy!


"I won't bore you with numbers, but I now consistently have as much traffic in one day on this blog as I used to receive in two months! It didn't all happen at once, and there were some ups and downs along the way, but I've found that the 25 steps below can help any blog increase traffic, whether it's brand new or been around a while.

Here are my 25 ways to increase blog traffic:

1. Post consistently. When I first started blogging, I'd have months of 6 posts here and months of 2 posts there--with no rhyme or reason. The smart blogger will at least post once a week--usually on the same day of the week. The benefit to a consistent schedule is that readers know when to "tune in" to your blog.
2. Encourage comments. Some bloggers recommend turning the comments off when the traffic is low, because conditions are favorable for zero comments. However, I think it's a smarter strategy to expect zero comments, but encourage them from the very beginning. The best blogs will get a conversation going, and that helps build traffic. I know it can feel lonely waiting for that conversation to start, but just keep plugging away.
3. Tag content. Most blogging interfaces (like Blogger and WordPress) have ways to tag posts with keywords that you may use multiple times. For instance, I know this post will have a "blogging" tag at the very least, though there will probably be some others as well. And this enables readers to click on the tag to see all the content on your blog that is related to that topic. Plus, it helps with SEO (more on that below)."

To read the entire post, visit this link.

This Week on The Writer's Block:

Monday, February 13, 2012~ Freelance Illustrator, Daniela Frongia

Tuesday, February 14, 2012~ Founder of Storiad, Ramzi Hajj

Wednesday, February 15, 2012~ Meet The Alphabet Kids

Thursday, February 16, 2012~ Author of Hope Road, John Barlow

Friday, February 17, 2012~ Author of Natasha Lands Down Under, Katherine McCaughan






Stop by my health and fitness blog Journeys Fitness starting Monday, February 13, 2012, and check out my nutrition series, "What's Eating You?"

Keep the pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...