Introducing...The curious world of illustrator Rand Renfrow

Rand Renfrow’s illustration is dreamy — squiggles, plants, computers, vases and Pokemon characters make up his wonderful brain-spillings. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his work process out of sheer curiosity. Turns out Rand is almost exactly how you’d image he’d be — happy, enthusiastic and just the right amount of weird.

Where do you work?

I work out of the dining room in my duplex in San Marcos, Texas. If I’m not drawing there, I’m screen printing at the local university.

How does your working day start?

Every morning I leap out of bed like a wounded jackrabbit, put the kettle on for either tea or coffee, cook up something for breakfast (I love breakfast), and then I read a book until I feel I have read enough. Some days this feeling never comes.

How do you work and how has that changed?

Well, hmmm, this is kind of difficult. I draw. With pencils. Screen print sometimes. That’s the easy answer. The convoluted answer: I do just as much non-drawing as I do drawing, which I find essential. I am constantly reading and absorbing information and images, constantly maxing out my phone with snapshots of arrangements of things during my journeys and everyday practices. I sit around or walk around and think often. Take one look at my work and you can see I’m pretty obsessed with the arrangement of things. I’m just always noticing. Then producing a drawing of a mishmash of my daily found tableaus. I think my experiences, living life, what, honestly, most of my daily time is devoted to, is wholly intertwined with my work. Or it could just be an excuse to be lazy and look at things.

The major change is I used to only draw as a means to screen print. I just never considered my drawings stand alone pieces. Probably rightfully so. Now I’m over that. Now, right now, I sketch more than I ever have before. Also, I used to use micron pens. And draw sillier things.

Where would we find you when you’re not at work?

Oh, there are many different places I enjoy taking a respite from nosing the grindstone, but most likely: reading anywhere, hiking outside, swimming in the river, sitting by the river, having a heated discussion by the river, finding a different spot at the river, the dollar movie theatre, the bowling alley, a second hand book store, playing board games, Goodwill, organising things, playing the banjo, eating with friends, having heated discussions with friends, or totally alone. That is, having heated discussions totally alone. Also, I live by a really nice river.

Would you intern for yourself?

Sometimes I love talking a lot, so if Rand was interning for Rand, woah man, that would be one whirlwind of wonderful discussions! Of course, I already know everything about me, so it may get boring…But seriously, I’m a nice guy, I love teaching people new trades, especially screen printing, so I think I would. I’d have to get way more work though, or intern me would go stir crazy.