Joanna Susskind is an animator and designer working in Glasgow. She is Director at Toad’s Caravan and studied MPhil in 2D/3D Motion Graphics at Glasgow School of Art. She also runs All The Young Nudes… how does she find the time?

A Clockwork Orange Trailer by Joanna Susskind and Up Up Design. Client: The Citizens Theatre. All right reserved © Toad’s Caravan Ltd 2011

I’ve always loved art and design but never knew exactly how I would utilise it in my working career. I studied History of Art at Edinburgh University and focussed my dissertation on the growth of animation, which led me to a masters in 2D/3D Motion Graphics at the Glasgow School of Art.

As a post-graduate student at GSA, I was lucky enough to receive the Dog Digital scholarship. I worked with Dog on a part time basis for 2 years during my studies – I learnt a lot about animation and working with an agency during my time there. It was very good of them to take me under their wing :)

My student film ‘Toggle’ was later screened as part of The Glasgow Film Festival.

After my GSA degree show I was contacted by the BBC where I went to work as lead animator on a childrens’ TV show pitch. The people I met here led me to The Digital Design Studio at The Glasgow School of Art where I was offered the role of Digital Media Specialist. During my 2 years employment there I worked on a wide range of commercial projects, most prominently animation and video editing. I was also project lead on television broadcast work.

Beauty and The Beast Trailer by Joanna Susskind and Up Up design. Client: The Citizens Theatre.  All right reserved © Toad’s Caravan Ltd 2011
As a side project in 2009, I created “All The Young Nudes”, an alternative concept in life drawing/social club which consistently attracts up to 65 people weekly in Glasgow city centre. This has established a great network for artists and designers in Glasgow. The club helps maintain a dialogue between creatives working in Glasgow which I found could be tricky after leaving art school if you weren’t immersed in the industry.

I now work for myself running and managing Toad’s Caravan, a shared studio for digital artists and designers in Glasgow’s west end. I am currently involved in print, motion and film work through the studio. I absolutely love working for myself as it gives me the flexibility and time to look after All The Young Nudes and my other small ventures too.

www.joannasusskind.com
www.toadscaravan.com
www.atyn.co.uk

All photographs courtesy of Up Up Design @ Toad’s Caravan 2011

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‘Where I Make’ invites readers behind the scenes of artists from many disciplines to share photographs and a little insight about where they create their masterpieces. See more from the series here.