Dangerdust Interview – 50 States (North Carolina)

Dangerdust – “I try to embody the words I am illustrating in a unique and personal way”

This week Creative Chair is in Charlotte, North Carolina where we’re talking chalk, lettering, and illustration with Dangerdust.

Dangerdust creates elaborate and inspired typographic illustrations. We find out more for the 26^th instalment of our 50 States series.

You can see more from Dangerdust on their website.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself and what you do

I am a chalk inhaler, lettering artist, and illustrator based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I work by hand, mainly in chalk, but also enjoy other traditional materials like watercolor, pencil, and ink. With each piece, I try to embody the words I am illustrating in a unique and personal way, which keeps it challenging and fun.

How has your state influenced the work that you do?

I just took a road trip across the USA, and it’s really fascinating to compare and contrast states. Driving through the USA, you realize how big the country is and how the shape of the land and vegetation change so drastically. It’s given me a greater appreciation for the nature in NC.

North Carolina hasn’t had a huge influence on my work, but the nature has crept into a few pieces. The most obvious North Carolina influenced work would have to be the John Muir Chalkboard, a piece I created after travelling from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Of your own work, what is your favourite project and why?

I usually erase all my chalk work, but I haven’t had the guts to erase the Claude Monet board, and it’s been 3 years now, so I guess I like it.

It was a piece where the concept came naturally, but the process was a challenge. I wanted to mimic Monet’s impressionistic painterly style in chalk. Originally, I had drawn the whole thing out, but realized all my mistakes and erased it to start fresh. It was a great piece to learn from.

And finally, if you died and got reincarnated as a song, what would that song be?

Hah. Everyone should get asked this every year and turn it into a lifetime playlist. If you ask me in a different moment, I’ll probably give you a completely different answer. But right now let’s go with “Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root.