About Me
- Who are you? I'm Jen Philpot, and my online alias is typically Jocarra. Previous and/or alternative aliases include LightningJen (1996-2000), Roja (1997-2003), and JenJenJocarra (2002-present).
- What should I call you? Jen, Jocarra or Jo is fine.
- Can I contact you? Note me via deviantART, or email me at jocarra@gmail.com, but I no longer use any IMs.
- How old are you? I was born on April 22, 1985.
- What do you do? I'm an animal biology graduate at the University of British Columbia. I'm also a freelance illustrator that regularly accepts commissions from various clients around the world, from character portraits and tattoos to book covers and t-shirt designs. I also intend to start teaching piano.
- Where are you from? I'm Korean, but I was adopted by a Canadian family when I was a baby, so I'm unfamiliar with the language/culture.
- What sort of hobbies are you in to? Mostly quiet, on-your-own activities, like art, writing, and music, but I also enjoy gaming a fair bit as well.
- Are you a furry? A therian? No, although I'll understand if mistaken for one.
- What things do you like/value? Love, balance, truth/realism, understanding/empathy, responsibility, discipline, humour/wit, science/intelligence/knowledge, honour/duty, spirit/spirituality, fantasy/mythology, the pursuit of perfection/appreciation of the imperfect, sensuality/all creative arts, animals/nature, philosophy/metaphysics, symbolism...
About My Art
- Can I repost your work? It depends. Please ask.
- Can I edit your work or use it in a collage? Yes, but for nonprofit purposes only. Please give credit and link back to me.
- Can I trace/copy/reference your work? Yes, but for nonprofit purposes only. Please give credit and link back to me.
- Can I draw or write about your characters? Yes, but for nonprofit purposes only, and please show me! and include credit and a link back.
- Do you do requests? No.
- Will you do an art trade with me? Maybe. Please ask.
- Will you do an art collaboration with me? Maybe. Please ask.
- Will you help me with my art? Yes. I am happy to give comments/criticism, but serious inquiries only.
- How long have you been an artist? I've always drawn for fun, but I started practicing more seriously around 1998 or so.
- How did you learn to draw? I'm mostly self-taught, learning through observation. However, I have taken one child's class (a 3-day painting class when I was 8), two moderately helpful classes (drawing/painting and graphic art in highschool), one very helpful class (life drawing in university), and two awful classes (also university, traditional/digital contemporary art).
- What tools do you use? I state that in the description 99% of the time. Generally, I use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or graphite.
- What helps you with art? Real-life referencing combined with freehand sketching practice makes a very good combination. I also listen to music when doing art, as motive and inspiration, and to help establish and maintain mood.
- How much time do you spend on art? A single finished image is likely to take me anywhere from a single day to a month or so to finish, with anywhere from 2-40 hours of work put into it.
- Do you have any inspirations for your art? Yes. Sometimes I will "see" things in music that inspire me to draw, or I will have dreams or feel certain things that will produce art. Often, it's a desire to work on my story and "free" the characters and events within that results in artwork. Other times it's just me wanting to draw something pretty, or something cool, or whatever the present inclination. Sometimes other artists' work will inspire me. Almost always it's the desire to give something immaterial real form.
- What do you enjoy drawing most? Usually something involving animals or fantasy or something to do with my story The Tripartitus.
About The Tripartitus
- What kind of story is it? It's a fantasy/science fiction story written as a novel, or a trilogy of novels, with a lot of symbolism and thematic use, and a lot of attempted research.
- What's it about? Where does it take place? It takes place in a universe not unlike our own, in war, about war. However, the real substance of the story is in the human element: the humanity of humanity, the influence of individual perspective, and the human relationship.
- Who are the main characters? The main characters are Jayli (Jocarra/Ash/Raydl) and Luke Damon. The story's primary antagonist is Hunter.
- And who are they? What happens? The story is basically about Jayli, but told through Luke's persective, taking place in a war-ridden world. The relationship between Jayli and Luke is the true focus of the story through which I say all the important things.
- Aren't Luke and Jayli lovers? Eventually, but they go through all forms of good and bad relationships on the way there beforehand.
- Which one is Jayli, and which one is Jocarra? They are the same person, just under different names. Jocarra, however, tends to specifically refer to Jayli's human form.
- Ash and Raydl are males, right? No. They're different physical forms of Jayli/Jocarra.
- Who are they? Ash and Raydl are two different physical forms for Jayli/Jocarra. Ash is the cat, and Raydl is the gryphon, and Jocarra is the human. The name Jayli can refer to any of them (although usually her human form is assumed).
- Does the story have other shapeshifters? No, just Jayli.
- Does it have magic? Yes, with a twist.
- Does it have mythical fantasy beasts? Other than Ash and Raydl? Not really.
- What about other fantasy races? Not really, although there is a primitive "race" of theropod dinosaurs.
- How long have you been working on your story? Since 1997.
- Are you ready to publish? Heck no. There's a lot more planning to do, and beyond that, infinitely more writing.
- What's with you and Luke? I love him :3 Speaking seriously, though, he means a lot to me, both within and without the context of the story.
- Jen, are you crazy? Just a little... but Luke likes me better this way.
