50 Words With…Mab Graves

How did you feel about winning Art vs. Art?

I was super-crazy exited and surprised! I really didn’t think I was going to win. I don’t really have any friends in the Art Community, so the only people I had there with me were my fiancée, Mom, Dad, little sister, and my Fed-ex guy! I guess they’re all real loud-mouths.

It seemed like an easy decision for you to put the winning painting up for auction and face the Wheel of Death. Why?

I painted the Bride of Frankenstein, and I really kinda wanted to see her die. I adore poetic irony in art. I mean, I didn’t want her to get beaten by another painting, but if I had taken her home with me that night, I probably would have had to cut her to pieces. It was irresistibly perfect.

So, you met your fiancée at a previous Art vs. Art?

Ya. One year ago. There was a lot of celebrating for us that night. Prize money = us eloping.

What’s your day job?

I work for Kids Ink, a local independent bookstore, in their school and library division. I mostly work on bringing authors and illustrators into the state and getting them into schools to encourage creative writing and drawing.