MEET THE COLLECTIVE

Here's where we introduce you to our brilliant team, the TEN OF CLUBS COLLECTIVE.

Next to be lightly grilled for your pleasure is Jess, our skull-obsessed artist and undisputed queen of spreadsheets. For festival tinnies, 17th century art, fairground vomit, and pricks in BMWs, read on!

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Please introduce yourself. 

Hey, I'm Jess. I create artwork for TEN OF CLUBS. I'm a graphic designer by trade. When I’m not at my desk for work, I love drawing. It’s like therapy for my busy mind. 

What do you like doing when not creating top-tier artwork for TEN OF CLUBS? 

I’m quite a social butterfly, so you'll likely find me down the pub with my mates. Either that or I’ll be playing guitar, or playing ‘Stardew Valley’ on my Nintendo Switch.

Now, to really get to know you, some random, quick fire questions. What would you rate 10 out of 10? 

The first day at a festival. You know, when you've trekked for miles carrying all your stuff, you’ve got the tent up, and you’ve finally sat down to crack open a tinnie. That first sip! That’s 10 out of 10. 

What songs have you completely memorised? 

I have a knack for memorising lyrics. I can’t tell you what I did yesterday, but I never forget lyrics.

'Without Me' by Eminem. 'Break Stuff' by Limp Bizkit. I could give you pretty much any song by Foo Fighters or Red Hot Chili Peppers. So many.  

Who are your go-to bands and artists? 

I could talk about music and my favourite bands all day long! I’ll try to keep this brief. My top 5 are Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Ghost, Avenged Sevenfold, and Mastodon. 

To be honest, I tend to obsess over new bands every couple of months. Back in January and February, it was Megadeth. March and April was Destroy Boys. Currently it’s Crosses. Chino Moreno is a beautiful man. 

Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been to? 

I'm very grateful that I've been able to travel to lots of different countries. The most interesting place has to be New Zealand. It’s gorgeous to look at and rich in culture. 

What city would you most like to live in? 

I’m not a big city person. If I had to choose, it would be Manchester. It's so cool, the people are friendly, and the nightlife is awesome. 

What skill would you like to master? 

Guitar. I’ve played since I was 12, but have never really applied myself. I used to be in a band. I'm proud of myself for performing in front of a crowd without running off stage and crying.

I’ve been meaning to delve back into writing and recording my own music. I used to a lot when I was younger. 

What’s the best way to start the day? 

An early morning walk, listening to music or podcasts. Then a big mug of coffee. 

We recently added your new Skull Quad, Pastel Skull, and Skull Cat art prints to our store. What inspired them? 

I love skulls; human or animal. I like looking at them and I like drawing them. I'm also really drawn to pastel colours. I just wanted to create something that I would put on my wall at home. 

Your new prints are very detailed. How did you create them?

I used a stippling technique with fine liners. They took bloody ages to finish! But the dotting motion is very relaxing. I then took them into Photoshop to add some colour as a backdrop.

Time well spent. Please describe your perfect weekend.

My ideal Saturday would be a walk in the countryside, ending with a pint, some pub grub, and a night out playing pool or darts with friends. Live music would be the cherry on top. 

Then a relaxing, slightly hungover Sunday watching Formula 1 and eating a fat roast dinner.

What kind of art do you like? Any favourite artists? 

All sorts. I really like the visually detailed story-telling of 17th Century painting. Look up ‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’ by Artemisia Gentileschi. It’s a masterpiece.  

But I also like messy splashes and unruly paintbrush strokes that have been chucked onto a canvas, where you get to interpret your own story.

Sounds like a load of Pollocks. What irrational fears or phobias do you have? 

Spiders. I can’t even go into detail as I'll get shivers just thinking about them.  

Also heights. And flying. And being stuck in small spaces.

What gets you riled up or is guaranteed to annoy you? 

Oh, that's easy: middle lane drivers on motorways, and pricks in BMWs, and getting stuck behind a tractor when I'm late for work.

What’s your favourite drink? 

It depends on the vibe. If I'm in a pub, it’s a crisp pint of cider. If I'm on a night out on the town, it’s the classic vodka and Diet Coke. 

What's your favourite smell? 

Garlic and onions cooking in butter.

Very specific. What's something you will NEVER do again? 

Visit a theme park or go on fairground rides. The last time I did, I spewed everywhere, and I mean everywhere! It turns out I get very motion sick. 

Which of your scars has the best story? 

I skied over my own arm when I was 12. I bombed it down the mountain, hit a mogul – a bump in the snow – and tumbled. My ski sliced my arm badly. I also took out a snowboarder in the process. 

Nicely done. Give us three surprising facts about yourself. 

One: I like maths. When I was younger, I wanted to work for GCHQ as a codebreaker, but it would have involved a lot of work and I like partying too much. 

Two: I've taught myself how to do hand-poke tattoos. I've got quite a few that I've done on myself. Here’s a little farfalle pasta shape. This one’s a croissant. 

Three: I'm really good at flipping beer coasters. My current record is 30; 15 in each hand.

Thanks, Jess. Your ordeal is over. Anything you'd like to add?

Nah, I think that’s probably enough. But if anyone has any ideas for skulls I can draw next, hit me up! 

June 2024

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