Last year, my friend Eduardo shared with me a t-shirt with an illustration created by his friend, Victor... The illustration was so dramatic and striking that I knew I wanted to work with him in some way. I figured the best way to start would be to collaborate with him on bringing his art to my audience.

In the process I got to know him better and I want to share with you his thought process behind his work and creating this piece of art that we're offering you now. I'm going to let him tell you about his work in his words:

Photo © Eduardo Heredia Cabuto. All Rights Reserved.

"My name is Victor Lebowski, a.k.a. Tijuanauta. I am a Tijuana based graphic designer and illustrator.

"As most people who are inclined to drawing, I started at a very young age, pretty much as soon as I could hold a crayon. What I lacked in social skills growing up I made up with a keen sense of curiosity, imagination and creativity. Always looking for something to create, a story to tell, a feeling to express or simply the wish to draw something because it's fun. It is difficult for me to pinpoint where inspiration comes from, because it could come from anywhere and anything; from the brightest moments to the darkest feelings. I never had any kind of formal training, so I always did things my way, without preconceptions of how things should be like. That is until I got to college, where I studied Digital Graphic Design. That gave me a lot of the tools I needed to do what I love: translating ideas, thoughts and feelings into graphic form in a more elaborate way, always keeping a balance between what I want to express and the functionality of it.

"I mostly like to work with ink and paper, and when I mean paper, I don't mean only the traditional paper formats, but ANY KIND of paper I can get my hands on: napkins, purchase receipts, paper placements, bus tickets, boxes, envelops, etc. I love the idea of transcendence and spontaneity; grabbing something that is meant to be disposable and give it new life, making it more than it was. A lot of my work is done on the go, not being limited by a sketchbook when inspiration hits. I also enjoy digital illustration because it's a great way to adapt my works, making it more accessible to the public, taking advantage of new technologies and platforms.

"The theme behind this design is the Passion for Photography. It is inspired by a quote I read by Arnold Newman that says “A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything in your head or in your heart.” I know this quote talks about being a good photographer or not, but honestly I think that what it comes down to it, deep down is all about how much you love being a photographer. Photography is more than the camera or the finished result, it is experiencing the process of using your head, your heart and the camera, a device that works as an extension of your body in order to freeze a moment in time, making it last forever. Anybody could take a photograph, but not everybody will take one that will have life of it's own. The camera is just fancy device, what is truly important is who is holding it. And that is what it's all about.