GVN Talking Comics: Aron Wiesenfeld On Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings (Now on Kickstarter)

Back in April of this year, we were fortunate enough to share an exclusive preview of artist Aron Wiesenfeld’s upcoming collection of ‘Playtime: The Post-it-Note Collection.’ Now, the Kickstarter campaign that celebrates all this unique goodness has begun. Offering this great collection and some other desirable works from the talented artist.

In advance of the campaign’s launch, we were able to connect with Aron to discuss his creative beginnings in comics and his transition back to fine art. Not to mention this outstanding and unusual collection of work. So, let’s welcome Aron Weisnenfeld to GVN Talking Comics.

GVN: Thank you for sharing a part of your day, Aron. Since this is our first opportunity to chat, let’s start with some of your creative beginnings. When did you first take an interest in art, and where did comics fit into that equation?

ARON: My Grandmother was an accomplished watercolor artist. And my Mom had hung some art prints from Rembrandt and Sorolla that made a big impression on me, but the art that really inspired me was in comics. Artists like John Byrne and Barry Windsor Smith were magical to me. I wanted to be able to do what they did. To my 12 year old self it seemed like the greatest skill one could have.

GVN: Your first job in comics was doing pencil work for the late, great Neal Adams at Continuity Comics in 1992. How did that come about, and did you have any apprehension working for Mr. Adams?

ARON: I showed Neal my work at a convention. I almost didn’t. I was too nervous to get into the line to talk with him, but the friend I was with literally pushed me into it. My stuff was crude, but Neal, somehow, saw potential in it and gave me a job on the spot! That was quite a feeling, I can tell you.

What can I say about Neal? He was maybe the best comic book artist ever. He taught me a lot. Working with him was way better than going to art school.

GVN: After that, you worked for Marvel before moving to the fledgling Image Comics with Jim Lee. What do you remember about your time at Image during those early years?

ARON: Image was triple the pay, and a lot of freedom. After the tight deadlines of Marvel I took my time with the drawings. So much so that the Image editor had to sit me down and tell me it’s not okay to spend weeks working on a single page.

Jim is a great artist obviously, and was at the top of his game. I came in with a few other young artists, and we were competitive. I would go into the studio every day and see what new thing the other artists had brought in. Everyone was like, “Dude, did you see what Travis did!” It really pushed me to try to improve.

GVN: You pretty much left the comic industry in 1998 and concentrated on your oil painting. What was it about traditional oil painting that inspired you to transition away from comic art, or was it always your first love?

ARON: Oil painting was something that I loved but had never learned how to do. I took some classes, and got swept up in it. I was also feeling quite disheartened with comics. I felt bored with the material, the production felt like an assembly line grind, and the finished product was not something I felt proud of.

GVN: You have a collection of very original pieces coming to a Kickstarter campaign that focus on the ink drawings you have done on Post-It notes. The examples I’ve seen are very detailed and beautiful. When did you first start doing these types of sketches, and what was their original purpose?

ARON: Thank you. A fellow artist had bought a painting from me, and asked if I could do a drawing on a Post-It note for him, since he had a collection. Right away I felt it was an interesting challenge -in a 3×3 inch ink drawing, to see if you could capture the key elements of a finished oil painting: mood, atmosphere, time of day, weather conditions, character, story, etc. It’s like writing a Haiku versus a novel. Every line has to be suggestive and get right to the point.

GVN: Did someone approach you with the idea about compiling “Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings” into a collection, or was it your idea? If it were someone else’s suggestion, were you fully on board with the idea from the start?

I made the drawings just for fun, for myself, but they were well received. Several people mentioned they would like to see a collected book of them.

GVN: As far as your Kickstarter campaign goes, what might those who visit your campaign find along with this unique collection of drawings?

ARON: There will also be a signed limited edition versionn of the book, a Kickstarter-only print edition, and numerous add-ons, such as original sketches and some rare prints from my own collection. The top tier will include framed original drawings on Post-it notes.

GVN: Thank you again for your time, Aron. Before we conclude, I would like to allow you to inform our readers where they can find your campaign and follow you online.

ARON: Thank you for doing this.

Here is the page for the campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1207513824/playtime-by-aron-wiesenfeld?ref=ehomrs

You can find me on social media:
Instagram- @aronwiesenfeld
X- @aronwiesenfeld
Facebook- www.facebook.com/aron.wiesenfeld and my website, www.aronwiesenfeld.com