At Artifact Graphics, we are always looking for people whose skills round out our company. We'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Fabulosaurus Lex. Her deft drawings accompany this interview.
A.G: Tell us a bit about your name, Fabulosaurus Lex?
F.L: The name comes from a couple of different inspirations. It hints at my personal status of a nerd to a fabulous degree, and also as a clue to my illustration and writing background. “Fabulo” in latin means “to tell stories”, and “saurus”… because, well, dinosaurs are sort of a big deal to me.
“Fashion: Lady Crow” by Fabulosaurus Lex
A.G: What do you do for a living, Lex?
F.L: I work from Surf City in sunny Southern California. Between my day job as an infant clothing fashion designer and my side work drawing commissions, usually of comic book characters, you can usually find me in the studio, working away on the next project, while my husband works on the next chapter of his sci-fi novel.
F.L: In my off time, I enjoy settling down and watching a good film or documentary.
“Inktober: Plague Fairy” by Fabulosaurus Lex
If it’s a slow day, my husband and I enjoy ourselves at a local museum, like the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, or a theme park, such as Disneyland!
A.G: What inspired you to earn your bachelors' degree in Studio Art and Illustration?
F.L: Like most children, I was encouraged to draw. But I guess I just never stopped! One of my major early inspirations was ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic artwork. They were the first real step in discovering my drive to create. I moved on to drawing my pets, characters in shows, and then, eventually, a great deal of Japanese animation for a number of years. Acting, singing, anatomy, history and dance were sprinkled here and there in my experiences, rounding out my very eclectic early educational career.
“Loki Shears the Golden Locks of Sif" by Fabulosaurus Lex
A.G: What currently inspires you?
F.L: The amount of things I have a passion about can honestly go on forever. But here’s a pretty condensed list of things that make me giddy with nerdy joy:
-Sherlock Holmes
-Dinosaurs
-Skeletons, Bones, Anatomical Art
-Comic books
“Museum Sketches 3 27 16” by Fabulosaurus Lex
-Fantasy Stories (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Labyrinth …)
-Legends (Greek, Egyptian, Knights of the Round Table, Norse gods, etc…)
-SciFi (Star Wars, Star Trek…)
-Film and Television
-Singing and performing in stage musicals whenever I get the chance
-Renaissance Faire (where I get to play on the washing well as one of the performers!)
“Oops” by Fabulosaurus Lex
A.G: Tell us how you came to Artifact Graphics, Fabulosaurus Lex?
F.L: When I heard about Dinofest happening at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, I knew I absolutely had to be there. Dinosaurs have been a major passion of mine since I was a kid, and I’ve made a habit of going to the museum to sketch the fossils and artifacts as many times as I could.
“Skeleton Gesture” by Fabulosaurus Lex
Upon visiting the artist gallery set up for the event, I was immediately drawn to the artwork of Michelle Leveille at Artifact Graphics. The incredible marriage of ancient dinosaurs and the portraits of nobility were such an intensely unique aesthetic that I had to know more. I was compelled to show her my amateur sketches of dinosaur bones.
“The Arcana: Modern Fashion Apprentice Charm” by Fabulosaurus Lex
We hit it off right away! Over the course of a few months, we’ve gotten to know one another, and the similarities in our interests, experiences and passions are a testament to our newfound comradery!
I’m so happy to be joining this illustrious team, to be living my dream working as an artist and supporting another incredible master of illustration and natural science artistry!
A.G: We are thrilled to have you as part of the team! Thank you for joining us, Fabulosaurus Lex.
