Alexander Becker is the mastermind behind the self-described “art scheme, experimental brand, and design meme in the making” –Lyrois.

• The importance of expressing a clear message.
• The difference between being a fan of an artist or a fan of the work.
• How restrictions create surprises in design.
• Originals and a hint of what’s up next.

He also answered some questions about the entrepreneurial side of being an artist, and taking a project from germination to completion. Those secrets are going out to subscribers of the Katanaville letter, which could include you if you subscribe in the sidebar!

When I tweeted, “Seek the strongest color effect possible… the content is of no importance. –Henri Matisse” you disagreed and pointed out one of your strong black on black works. What is the difference to you and what makes the monochrome so powerful?

Matisse is also quoted with: “It is only after years of preparation that the young artist should touch color — not color used descriptively, that is, but as a means of personal expression.”

I think content is of importance, I recently ranted on Twitter about how much art today is more copying & mirroring than thesis & synthesis, at least conceptually. An effect is cheap, but expressing a clear message is where it gets tricky. This is quite powerful because you can’t stop developing your style and craft before your message isn’t perfectly clear. And it’s a moving target.

Who are your favorite artists? Are you fans of their work? What is the kind of work you’re a fan of?

I adore intelligence, it’s like true excellence: You notice it when you see it. There are many contemporary and classic artists that I like and many more that I don’t know how to appreciate. Being a fan of an artist is not necessarily the same as being a fan of their work. Most often, it correlates inversely. There are great works by artists whom I don’t care for in person and there are artists who are brilliant in theory but whose work just doesn’t show it. It’s the difference between perception and expression.

I like how Seth Godin’s latest book “Linchpin” shakes up some artists and their definitions of art. Seth wrote: “You do art when you make change that matters, and do it via a connection with an individual.”

Exactly.

What about Lyrois infects people, gets them excited about your work?

The most repeated remarks are about powerful compositions and pristine” design. I do not fear empty space and, as a perfectionist, I care deeply about flawless execution and details that nobody notices — except when absent. Also, I’m in this for the long run, I deliberately chose to repeatedly treat the same set of shapes over and over, it is this restrictive environment which evolves almost by itself and always produces surprises, despite and because of, repetition.

What are the current themes of your work — is it design or material, and what are the aspects about it that change?

Wallpaper- Electric Shapes

Current materials are my favorites, vinyl, acrylic, and aluminum which I recycle from the unused areas in industrial signmaking production. I like the irony that comes with using absolutely non-rotting synthetic materials in a twisted recycling effort. Who would have thought that art made from vinyl, plexiglas, & aluminum is in effect reducing waste. What an ECO-trip! But seriously, there is so much material used for nothing and almost nobody that making art from it reduces the pain, at least a bit.
New projects, some exciting stuff is brewing in the shop, I am preparing a series of works on the edge between motion graphics and still-life. I adore graphics, shapes, and shadows in motion, but it bothers me to not being able to see the action at once. Quite naturally this led to the idea of freezing motion and shadows in… I’m not going to reveal this right now, because it is still in progress (and it already rocks).

I want to create originals — for example, a Polaroid is an original while a photographic print is not — so that is an area I’m interested in and that’s what part of my current research focuses on. I don’t like prints, as in giclée or similar reproduction techniques. I might even start painting, one day.

Parts of this interview originated from conversations on Twitter and
relate to the following articles –
The Lyrois Questionary (http://behind.lyrois.com/2009/12/lyrois-questionary.php)
Thoughts and Rants on Seth Godin’s Linchpin: “You do Art when you make
Change” (http://behind.lyrois.com/2010/01/thoughts-and-rants-on-seth-godins.php)
What Art Means to Me: Ignore Everybody
(http://behind.lyrois.com/2010/03/what-art-means-to-me-ignore-everybody.php)

… and the ubiquitous –
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lyrois/135498463735

Jacquelyn Kittredge talks about getting started with Twitter, getting conversations going and keeping them rolling, and rapping about an apartment building.

How did you get into social media? Can you tell a little of your story and background?

I first got into social media when I worked at a healthcare startup. We had absolutely no money for marketing, so I started blogging and tweeting to connect with doctors, physical therapists and office managers.

I really started getting into it, so when I got together with friends I would tell them how social web stuff might be good for their insurance agency or landscape design firm. It prompted me to start helping others use social media to connect with people and grow their business.

As for my background, I have a checkered past. I have been a programmer, an installation rep, customer support rep, a training/documentation specialist, an architect, a marketing director, an art teacher.

What is e-Bakery?

When I worked at the healthcare startup, we were so small that I was not only in marketing but also customer service. When things didn’t work, people would yell at me. Ok, they didn’t actually yell, but sometimes email feels like yelling even if it’s in lowercase.
So, whenever I was having a bad day I would turn to my business partner and say “I want to bake pies.” (Because, you know, the logical career progression for someone who has been a programmer, architect, art teacher is baker) Anyway… the full story is at”How e-Bakery got its sprinkles.”

Twitter seems to be a love/hate thing- those of us that have gotten started love it, while some people seem afraid of it. Why do you think this is, and what’s the best way to get our feet wet in the busy bird bath of Twitter?

I think Twitter can be intimidating at first. It’s like walking into a cocktail party where everyone else knows each other. They’re having cryptic conversations and sometimes talking in this weird dialect with @ signs and shortened links. It’s hard to know who to go up to and start a conversation with. The great thing is, you can hang back and listen/observe for a while and figure some things out just through osmosis. Then it doesn’t feel so scary.

Another way to get your feet wet is to get some guidance. There are dozens of twitter enthusiasts party-goers, like @pistachio or @problogger. They have been at the party for a while, figuring out where the tastiest hors d’oeuvres are, who mixes the juiciest margarita, and have made friends with lots of the invitees.

How can a new user get more @replies and RT@s?

I see @replies as mini conversations and RT@ as a vote of support.
The best way to get @replies is the same way you converse at a party. You go up to someone and start a conversation. Only on Twitter it’s easier because you know a bit about the person from their bio and their tweet history. (I’ve never been to a cocktail party where someone has a sign saying “My name is @ted, I live in Phoenix and I help baby gorillas learn about social media.”)

And, just like at a cocktail party, if you are friendly and helpful then people are more likely to talk to you. Instead of “Can I get you a drink?”, on Twitter people say “You might be interested in this article/post/website” or “I know a Tibetan monk that would be a perfect speaker for your event” or “this video just made me spit coffee on my keyboard.”

How can we tell if what we’re doing is actually working? How do I know I’m saying the right thing?

First, don’t stress about it.
It is like friendship or dating. How do you know when those things are working?

The rules of kindergarten apply: be kind, help each other, create stuff, think about stuff, share it, don’t eat paste.

How does a free service like Twitter translate into a bigger business? What about sales? How does selling integrate with it?

Real business has always been about relationships. I don’t care if you have the best widget on the planet, if my friend Sue makes a widget that is almost as good, I am buying it from Sue. Because I know Sue, our kids play together, she helps me rearrange my living room when I’m depressed and we laugh at the same SNL skits.

My grandfather was an independent businessman and he always talked about how he made more deals on the golf course than in the office.

Twitter is the modern day golf course.

What’s your favorite social-media related success?

One of the most enjoyable social media projects that I worked on was a Facebook contest for an apartment complex. We had the residents submit one minute rap videos about why they liked living there.

The submissions were amazing! Such heart and soul and creativity. I think people hunger for the opportunity to let their creativity shine and we provided an outlet through a silly contest.

At one point, Tara Reed had the opportunity to get a traditional job. But instead- she created her own, and is now creating her entire life with her art. Not only is she artistically talented, but jobs in sales (selling e-books!) meant that by the time she rolled around to art licensing, she knew how to sell, something most artists don’t have a handle on.

You have a lot of information on the internet! From Tara Reed Designs to Twitter to Art Licensing Info, it’s hard to keep track of all the pots of paint you’ve opened! What’s a good place to start?

That is a fun way to put it – Pots of Paint on the Internet!  I love it!  I basically have two, no three, “families” of sites online so depending on what your interest is, you would start one of three places.  I’ll explain them in the order they were created.
Tara Reed Designs is my own art licensing business. I create art for manufacturers to use on products.  Since 2004 my art has been on a wide variety of products in stores – from quilting fabric lines to rubber stamps, dishes to dish towels, wrapping paper, garden flags, coasters, cards and much more.
So consumers who like my art and manufacturers looking for art to license would start at www.TaraReedDesigns.com.  That is the “hub” and from there (via the “connect” page – I think it makes more sense than a “contact” page these days) they can find my YouTube Channel, my art blog, Facebook Fan Page and where I can personally be found on Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn).
For artists interested in learning more about art licensing, they would start on the site I created in 2008, www.ArtLicensingInfo.com. That is the portal to a variety of free calls and audio, for fee products to learn about Art Licensing as well as working and growing your business.  There is a YouTube Channel and Facebook Fan Page there too.  I even added an app so you can have the blog feed, website basics and YouTube videos on the iPhone! (anyone with an iPhone can get it for free here: http://budurl.com/artiphoneapp)
The third family of sites is a digital product line I created in 2009 for women who play Bunco and the main site for that is www.PrintYourOwnBunco.om. From 1993 to 2000, I was a stay-at-home mom who fully understood the need to get out with the girls from time to time. I believes it was that common need, shared by women across the country, that turned “Bunco!” into the universal cry in neighborhoods, churches and club houses across the country.  No matter how you spell it (BUNCO or BUNKO) the end result is the same: rolling dice, ringing bells, changing seats and the camaraderie that comes along with it.
Understanding that there needs to be a volume of demand for products to make it to a retail store, I realized that there could be “Bunco themed” products in traditional stores, but not “themed Bunco” – the stocking, costs and risk would be too great. But with digital products, it could be done – creating something new and unique that would give even the most uncreatively inspired Bunco player a chance to have cool, themed supplies!

Print-Your-Own Bunco Party Kits™ were born.  They too, have a blog and YouTube channel to go along with the product line.

Can you talk about time management in between your art, business, collaborations, teaching and family?

Time management is something everyone struggles with and I am trying to get a better handle on.  I’m a person who loves to know how everything works and I enjoy tinkering with every piece of my business.  So for years, I did everything – from the art to the marketing to the web design… I mean EVERYTHING!  (Even dusting the studio… everything.)  And that works for a while as you start a business but at some point you have to decide if you want to continue to grow (and still have a life) or stay smaller where you can do it all yourself.
I think time management is an evolutionary process that needs to be looked at and revised as your interests, business and time needs change.  When you feel guilty leaving the office to go to the movies with your family because “you have so much to do” – it’s time to figure out a better way to get the work done!
No large, successful business operates with one person doing everything.  So 2010 is my year to get serious about getting help.  I am beginning to outsource some of the things I really don’t need to have my fingers in.  Web design and maintenance is slowing moving to a new vendor I trust, as well as some of the routine things that need to be done for the ArtLicensingInfo.com boat to run smoothly.
Of course hiring other and releasing control, as well as spending money to do so, is scary at first.  I’ve just decided that I need to take the leap and do it so I can keep that work / family / sleep balance in my life.

What’s the story behind artlicensinginfo.com? Who’s the team you work with, and how do you find the collaboration?

The story: the site began as “the place to learn about art licensing from Tara Reed, an artist in the industry”.  When I started I never in a million years imagined it would become what it has in just 1 1/2 years – it’s thrilling!
ArtLicensingInfo.com has evolved into a great community of artists sharing experiences and learning from each other.  Through the monthly Ask Call Series I have gathered industry experts like Paul Brent, Mary Engelbreit, Jill Seale, Attorney Cheryl Hodgson, Agent Suzanne Cruise and SEO expert Daniel Tardent to add their insights and experiences.  The calls are free if artists listen live then some mp3 replays are free and other for-fee after the calls. It has truly become the go-to site for artists to learn about art licensing from experts in the industry.
The change came because I invested in a class to learn how to teach by phone: Teleseminar Secrets with Alex Mandossian.  I say invested because it was a $2495 class so it was a leap of faith that  this knowledge would really help my business.  (It seems artists are less willing to invest in their education and business than people I talk to in other industries – it is a shame because such creative people can move mountains if they have the tools and know-how!)  The class prompted me to start the monthly Ask Calls and that is how the collaborations began.  Then my persistent follow-up has gotten the amazing talent on board.  (It took 13 months to get a “yes” from Mary Engelbreit – everyone is really excited about her call on March 17, 2010.  So if it is before or after that date, head to www.MaryEngelbreit.com/askME for all the details to listen live or to get your copy of the free mp3 replay)
I feel like my role now is to “steer the ship” and find new passengers.  I’m having a blast doing it and can’t wait to see what new ideas we all come up with next!

As you made the difficult decision to drop a traditional job, how did you feel? How would you counsel others in that position now to make the best choice, and what kind of mindset do they need?

I didn’t actually drop a traditional job because I was a stay at home mom when I started looking at art licensing.  So I didn’t have to walk away from a salary and benefits.  I did, however, get separated and divorced as I was starting so I had to decide which path to follow – the safer job with a boss and benefits route or giving this a shot.  It was scary but what finally helped me decide was the realization that if I didn’t at least try, it would be a big regret for the rest of my life.  I didn’t want to look back at my life and say, “I wish I’d had more courage and tried to see what I could do.”  The thought alone made me sad so I knew I had to give it a shot.
As for mindsets – I think you have to be willing to try and fail.  There is always that possibility and I think it feels more personal (and therefore scary) when you are putting your art on the line than say, if you decided to sell sponges.  If they don’t sell you don’t feel personally rejected – it’s just a sponge.
I gave myself a time frame which made the choice seem a little safer.  If it didn’t look like it would work in 3 years – I would rethink my decision and possibly get a real job then.  I can always change my mind.  Thankfully it is all working – and I work hard to make it work – and I love it.  I wouldn’t have my life any other way!

How would you describe your values and ethics in relation to marketing and licensing? For example, I noticed that you use full disclosure with your affiliate links.

Honesty and integrity first.  I am very comfortable in this age of full transparency – not just because the FTC is now requiring it!  I like to understand where people are coming from and what their motivation is so I extend the same courtesy to others.  Not everyone will *click* with what I do, how I write, how I teach, etc.  That’s ok because there are always choices.  But I never mislead someone or pretend to know everything – if I’m not sure about a question, I’ll say that and if possible, try and find an answer.
I love the affiliate concept online and the 12th of each month is one of my favorite days.  To be able to share the wealth with artists or business people who are my affiliates and help me spread the word about the website is very rewarding.  Some people think it is a shame to ‘give money away’ but I wouldn’t have earned any without the referrals and I like being able to give artists a way to keep money coming into their businesses as well.  Paint isn’t free you know!
I like to have fun with what I do, I enjoy helping and inspiring others by creating community, sharing information and finding others with experience to share.  You get what you see or hear with me.  I can admit if I’m wrong or made a mistake and have no problem telling you if I’ll make a few dollars on an affiliate sale.  (They help me continue to build the free content so I am always thankful when people feel the products would be of value and click those links!)

There’s no reason for artists to reinvent the wheel, when we’ve got so many other new creations to work on, so becoming an affiliate makes sense. How can we become affiliates for you?

How do you see licensing fitting into a big picture plan and with the contemporary/fine art communities?

Licensing can be 100% of someone’s art business or 10% or none.  It all depends on the art, the desires of the artist and how comfortable they are with their work being used for mass production of products.  Art that does well in licensing needs to appeal to a wide variety of people whereas gallery art needs only 1 buyer.  So more traditional art vs. contemporary is easier to license.  The main thing about art licensing is that your art’s purpose is to sell someone else’s product.  It isn’t about self-expression like fine art can be.
That is a basic decision any fine or comtemporary artist needs to think about before pursuing licensing.  There is so much more – I do offer the first chapter of my eBook, “How to Get Started in Art Licensing” for free and it gives a broader idea of what art licensing looks like and some key questions to ask yourself before diving in.  If your readers are interested in more details, they can go to:  www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/freebie.html

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How do art licensing and marketing collide?

Art licensing and marketing collide just like any art and marketing collide.  An artist creates art.  If it stops there, the art never leaves the studio and they could be the most talented artist no one but their family and friends know about.  Marketing is how you get the word out about the art, to the people that might pay for it.  So in licensing, the marketing is to let manufacturers who license art know that you have art and what your art is all about.  It’s the communication between the artists and the buyer – again, in the case of licensing, the buyer is a manufacturer who pays a royalty, or percentage of sales, for the rights to use the art on their product.
While my main business is art licensing and teaching about art licensing, while building these businesses I have found a wide variety of resources for all kinds of artists wanting to learn and do business online.  I just created a site that give links to products that are mine, that I am involved with or that I use.  The goal is to help artists sift through all the information out there and know that these have been tested.  Anyone interested can go to www.ArtMarketingWithTara.com.
Thank you so much for letting me share my story and business with your readers!  I gave several website links but would also like to share my Twitter link ( www.Twitter.com/ArtistTaraReed ) because that is where I spend most of my social media time and can connect with people in real time.  So feel free to say hello – make sure you put “@ArtistTaraReed” first so I’m sure to see it!
Wishing you much creative success in whatever area you choose to put your pots of paint!
– Tara Reed

Emily Carr University’s studio space is lots of art, and rhyme or reason looks like madness. And the madness of Megan Allard’s painting is awesome: it stands out.   I was walking through the space and passed a nook; I did a double-take. Beer, Friends, and Fishnets in a pastoral setting- a fresh, jarring take on Rococo. So obviously I had to ask for an interview.

1. What’s going on here? What is the connection to your work with Rococo?

Well, in my studies, I noticed that throughout history, high art has catered largely to the wealthy and the privileged. The most obvious example of that being the Rococo period, when the French aristocracy started commissioning paintings to be made of themselves and their friends. These images were usually of them looking fancy and doing fancy things like enjoying garden parties, etc. They would then hang them on their walls and have Salon parties where they’d invite all their friends and people of status to come and see the paintings. The whole thing was just a glorification of aristocratic culture.

So I thought using Rococo’s lavish style would be a great way to glorify low cultures such as white trash and buttrock. In doing this, I’m hopefully drawing attention to the cultural bias that the high art world has held throughout history.

One must know that I grew up in a poor biker family to understand where I’m coming from in this series. My parents both ride motorcycles, as well as myself, and a few other family members (brothers, uncles, grandpas). They taught me to be proud of my “biker trash” heritage (their words, not mine) and to not worry about silly things like luxury and privilege. I think each subculture in our society is as important as the next, and I’d like to give a few overlooked subcultures their time in the sun.

2. Who are these people? What are they doing? There is such a narrative in your work.

The people in my paintings are my friends. Most of the imagery comes from taking photos at “White Trash” parties and “Buttrock” parties. These parties have been going on semi-annually for five and ten tears, respectively. The parties simultaneously celebrate and mock the subcultures that are the theme. People come together to act the part of a “White Trash” or “Buttrock” person. The range of authenticity is amazing – some of the people that come to these parties live a white trash or buttrock lifestyle day to day, while others come from rich families and are highly educated and only dress up once or twice a year for the parties.

3. What’s your process like? You have a lot of work happening in your studio all at once. Do you work from photographs or appropriated Rococo images?

Each painting starts off as either a candid photo I took of my friends at a “White Trash” party or “Buttrock” party or as a staged photo I took of my friend/friends.

The candid images are translated into oil paint and I add Rococo-esque imagery like soft garden-like backgrounds or elaborate interiors with ridiculous flowing fabric or curtains.

The content and compositions of the staged photos are based off Rococo paintings that I particularly enjoy, with a white trash twist. I’m going to be heading more in this direction with future paintings in this series.

I’m currently building large, ridiculously gaudy gold frames for all the paintings in the series to complete the look.

4. Where do you want your art to go? Why do you paint, what makes your art tick?

I would like to get more ornate, more riduculous, with the Rococo White Trash series. I’m looking forward to the next White Trash and Buttrock parties so I can organize staged imagery with more people in their trashy garb for monumentally ridiculous paintings.

The number one reason why I paint is because I love the process. It’s meditative for me. Sometimes I paint to make something pretty, sometimes I paint to send a message…but I never take myself too seriously!

What’s your favorite success?

The thing that makes me the happiest about making art is how happy I make people by painting them. Pretty much all the people in my paintings are my friends and family. It’s a really nice feeling showing people how important they are to me by painting them. A lot of them don’t realize how beautiful they are until you paint them.

Your watercolours are going in a different direction- what inspired the portrait ‘Erin’?

I started the watercolour portraits about a year ago as birthday gifts. So for the last year, I painted a portrait for as many friends and family as I could manage for their birthday. Erin is just the most recent birthday recipient

How can one get an invitation to these parties?

It’s all word of mouth. These parties aren’t thrown for profit, they’re free and are always at someone’s house or acreage. Everyone that ends up at the parties are somehow connected to the people throwing the party. Think six degrees of separation.

What kind of bike do you have?

I ride a 1982 Suzuki GS300L. It’s my first bike – I bought it for myself as a 20th birthday present. It’s no Harley like my parents’, but it’s the same style. My Dad told me he’d disown me if I ever bought a crotch-rocket hahaha!

Becci is one of those people that takes action with things that she feels strongly about- everything from animal rights protests to educational colouring books. These are the kinds of things that most of us (sometimes me) think, “I’m glad someone’s doing something,” before brushing it off. Becci takes that action.

You really know how to get involved in “stuff”- you’re quite passionate about animals, fair treatment, and the like. Can you talk a little bit about what moves you to do this stuff, what kind of work you’re involved in?

As some background I’d like to say that I’m on the board of directors with Liberation BC, which is a Vancouver-based, volunteer-run animal rights group.  We started up in 2004 (which is before I became involved) and achieved non-profit status last year, in 2008.  One of my main jobs with Liberation BC is the website, http://liberationbc.org.  Another board member, Glenn Gaetz, designed the site, but I researched and wrote most of the information.

Anyway, most of what we do is outreach to the public–letting them know what’s going on, what the industry isn’t telling them.  We do a lot of tabling at various events, and a lot of simply standing outside with a television, showing footage from factory farms, and handing out leaflets.  Just last month we organized the Vancouver Walk for Farm Animals for the third year in a row. All the donations that folks pull together go to Farm Sanctuary. This year we had 70-plus participants and raised over $5000.  It was very exciting.

It’s a little hard to pinpoint one particular thing that caused me to be drawn to the animal rights movement; there are a lot of injustices in the world today and animal agriculture is certainly one of the most overlooked ones in relation to the amount of damage it does.  For example, animal agriculture is the number one cause of global warming and environmental destruction , local or organic or not.  That doesn’t mean that everybody needs to go vegan, necessarily, though that would be great, of course–because even a small reduction in the amount of animal products people consume would make a huge difference in reducing environmental damage and animal suffering.  Over 50 billion animals are killed every year for food alone (not counting sealife), and the great majority of them are raised in such agony that slaughter is probably one of the better parts of their existence.  And like I said, it’s not necessarily an all-or-nothing thing: when you choose a veggie burger over your usual turkey sandwich once or twice a week, or try chickpeas or eggplant or lentils in your curry instead of lamb, or pick up some coconut milk ice cream for dessert, you’ve made a positive change.

I know that I basically just want people to make informed choices about what they eat.  I’d rather that they look at industrialized animal agriculture in the face (including organic and free-range stuff, which is better than conventional farming but not nearly as good as we’d like to think, learn why there’s a growing movement against it, and then decide whether or not they, personally, are opposed to what goes on.  I think that too many folks are under the impression that animal rights is a movement for overly sentimental people who never got over the death of Bambi, when in reality it’s an important issue that affects all of us.  For example, a lot of the grains fed to farm animals could be eaten by the hungry–in some third world countries, people are literally starving next to fields of corn and soy and wheat that are reserved as feed for farm animals in wealthier places.  And that’s just the beginning of
it.

One of the cool things about animal rights is also something that you, personally, can have a very direct effect upon.  We all donate money to UNICEF or Amnesty International or whatever, or we try to buy fair trade and sweatshop-free–all of which are important–but we can’t always walk into a war-torn region or a poverty-stricken village, even one in our own country, and save people.  But you leave meat off your plate, or buy make-up that wasn’t tested on animals–that’s one less being that’s been born, and killed, for you.

But I’ll tell you the truth–the world basically drives me crazy because it’s full of human and animal suffering and there’s only so much each of us can do to stop it.  That’s insane to me and I can’t always handle it.

How did you get involved? Did you know a lot of people anyways? Your husband Roger is also a part of this; do you do a lot of collaboration?

I did not know any people initially–I joined up with the university animal rights group at my old school after I went vegan, after a few years of trying to ignore them, haha.  There I did some small time tabling stuff, and then when we moved to Vancouver, we met people through the Vancouver Humane Society and the (then very new) Liberation BC.  Roger will tell you that I kind of recruited him and now he is one of the best animal activists I know.  We don’t really collaborate on specific projects, but he is another board member with LBC.

Can you talk a little bit about your drawing practice?

I’ll tell you the truth, and it sounds pretty lame–I like to draw things that look like things.  I tend to like my drawings to look realistic–or at least my version of realistic.  I’ve done very little in the way of abstract art.  It’s not that I’m opposed to it; I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.  I’ve been drawing for as long as I can possibly remember and it’s always been one of my favourite things in the world.  It’s probably not a surprise that I spend a lot of time drawing animals.  Lots of birds, particularly the ones we see around here, like gulls and pigeons and crows.  I am a birder so I also do anatomy sketches.  I also like to draw people–specific people or imagined ones–mostly vintage-looking stuff if I can pull it off.  I find women far more interesting to draw than men, so I need to practice on that.  Right now all my men come out looking very feminine, which works some of the time but not always.

I have acrylic and oil paints and pastels, but I haven’t really had enough practice with them and I’m not nuts about how some of the resulting art has turned out.  For years I drew almost exclusively with ballpoint pen, seriously–I did all my work during boring classes at high school and university–but now I have a real set of pencils and I use those most of the time.  I like coloured pencils too, and ink pens.

I also do a ton of work with polymer clay–lots of miniature sculptures.  I like to make things as small as I can; not sure why.  Maybe because clay is pricey…?  I’m actually getting ready to start up an etsy store at http://canaduck.etsy.com, where I plan to sell earrings and other jewelery, everything made of clay.  Again, because I don’t have a knack for random designs, everything thus far has resembled something specific.  I’ve got some birds, some slices of cake, other small things.

You’ve done some illustration work as well. You illustrated a colouring book called “My Animal Friends” which was about all the things animals do and don’t like to do. What was the process of putting this together like? How long did it take you, and what was the project for?

“My Animal Friends” was a project for Liberation BC; there was also a second version of it that focused on animals killed for fur. It was called “My Furry Friends”. We have them available at our outreach events and they are pretty popular with kids.  It’s very exciting.  They’re really just simple line drawings of ten or so common animals–pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys–sketched with pencil and then drawn over with ink.  “My Furry Friends” was drawn in the same manner and it focused on chinchillas, cats and dogs, rabbits, that kind of thing.  They were put together by some of the other folks at Liberation BC, including Glenn, who did the text.  I just did the pictures.

Download Free Copies of “My Animal Friends” and “My Furry Friends”
You also illustrated a book with CJ Leon, which had some troubles with reproduction. What happened there?

Yes!  The book with CJ Leon was one of my more exciting projects.  It is a really fantastic short story called “The Ogre and the Fairy” and I drew something like nine or ten pictures for it.  It was really a challenge because fantasy creatures are not in my usual repertoire; it worked out well and I was pleased with how the drawings came out.  HOWEVER, yes, we had some problems with reproduction that was caused in part by a lack of technology.  Initially I tried to scan the drawings at the copy shop down the street so we could transfer them to CJ’s book; they came out looking like crap.  Very blurry, weird smudges, etc.  And then–seriously–I tried to take photos of the drawings and send those to him.  Some of those came out tolerably (but not well) and othes didn’t.  We tried to take the pictures again but to no avail–even when they looked good on the screen they didn’t transfer well to paper. If I could do it again I honestly just think I’d try to find a place that could make better scans, haha.  Seriously.

Then, I think, when copies were made, the quality just got reduced.  I’m seriously not entirely sure of everything that happened and you’d have to ask the mastermind of this for details; CJ is really the one who put everything together.

More by Becci Gindin-Clarke

Check Your Coats: Not all ‘Faux’ Fur is Fake

Foie Gras is A Cruel Dish Better Left Unserved

The Cruel Truth about Organic and Freerange Meat & Dairy Products

Liberation BC Blog

I was talking about art with a friend. He told me that out of the many creative people he knew there were only a few who stuck out as being truly excellent. Indigo was one of those and after seeing photos, I had to agree.

So far, I’ve only been introduced to you through your work. Your work has a very graphic quality and brings to mind high profile stencil artists such as The Dark. What is your practice like and how do you create?

I guess the best way I can describe my creative practice is intensive and ongoing.  I work every day and every night, and I always have multiple projects overlapping.  I’m in my studio for at least 4 hours a day.  Sometimes if I’m on a tight deadline I end up living here for a few days to get things done on time.  Making stencils is a really time consuming and tedious process, and the way I do them, because I don’t use a computer to do any of the design work – it just makes that process even longer.  If I am making a large-scale piece I spend an average of 15 hours tracing and about 20 hours cutting before I ever touch a can of paint.

What kind of subject matter do you choose and why are you drawn to it?

I mostly work with pictures of people, usually women or children.  The images that I am drawn to most are those that have some element of sadness or melancholy….a mixture of strength and vulnerability.  I like pictures that have a quiet intensity…that hint at a deeper history behind the captured moment.

I rarely make happy art.  It just doesn’t resonate with me as deeply.  At the risk of sounding emo – I’ve lived too much of my life in dark places to feel inspired to paint shiny happy things.  I have spent the last five years sorting through so much baggage I may as well be working at the airport.

Dandelion

What kind of a response are you looking for?

I don’t really make work to elicit a particular response out of the viewer.  Of course it is always nice to know that my work is appreciated, but I do what I do more for me than for anyone else.  This is where I put all of the things that I need to get out of my head.  The act of creating keeps me sane, and the work is always coming from a personal place, even if it that isn’t immediately apparent in the content of a particular piece.  If what I do evokes a response in the viewer, whether that response is a thought or a feeling or some combination of the two – then so much the better.

What kinds of materials do you use and why?

I cut my stencils out of duralar, a clear plastic film.  Because all of my layers are traced by hand, I need to be able to see the lines of previous layers to know where to put the next one.  I also find that I can get cleaner edges with plastic than with card, and it’s more durable.  I cut everything with a #11 exacto blade.  My paint of choice is Montana Gold, because it’s nice and thick and opaque and dries really quickly, and has an extensive selection of greys.

I like to paint on pretty much anything that I can get my hands on…walls are preferable, of course, but I also really love putting up posters…seeing the image degrade and change with time and weather and human intervention is really interesting to me.  Most of my work off the street is on canvas.  And I am always on the lookout for found objects to paint.  I am a bit of a scavenger in that regard…I like taking something that would otherwise be trash and giving it a new purpose.

When you begin creating, do you know where the image is heading?

I am always working directly from a photographic reference, so I usually have an idea in my head of what it will take to go from photo to finished stencil.  It inevitably takes more time and more layers than I expect.  Sometimes I decide things like color and background at the beginning, sometimes after I’m done making the stencil.

What are some milestones or moments in your artistic practice that stand out to you?

In April of 2008 I met Take5 at his studio to buy a poster.  I had just started making stencils about a month prior, little simple things that weren’t any good.  Had gone out and painted them on walls a few times.  That day I ended up hanging out for about four hours helping him make more posters and soaking up inspiration.  After that I switched from painting walls to making stenciled posters and spent the summer getting up as much as possible.  Seems like ages ago.

Ahh, what else…in October of 2008 I moved my art space out of my living space for the first time ever, into a shared studio space in a super sketchy building in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side that was (before we moved in) a squat and a meth lab.  I’d spent quite a bit of time passing through the DTES putting up posters and whatnot, but hadn’t ever occupied a space here before.  It takes some getting used to.  The place was covered in used rigs and junkie trash…luckily most of the rigs were cleaned up by the time I moved in.  The electricity didn’t really work and we had no heat and it was a really fucking cold winter.  Cue 6 months of me taking a break from stencils, getting very little art made and seeing some really intense and disturbing things in the back alley.  I’m still working out of the DTES, on the same block but in a less creepy space.

In June of this year I traveled overseas for the first time, to Bristol for Upfest (www.upfest.co.uk).  It was my first time going anywhere to paint and was super inspiring…met so many rad artists, many of whom have become friends since then.  Shortly after that I ended up quitting my full-time office job and traveling around for a couple months, painting and whatnot…New York, Paris, Berlin, London and Amsterdam.  The trip was so very epic and inspiring, moreso than I ever could have expected.  So much love to everyone I spent time with along the way…the whole adventure was an exercise in going with the flow, in believing that the universe would work itself out, and in trusting in the kindness of strangers.  Quitting my job was one of the best (and scariest) decisions I’ve ever made but I don’t regret it for an instant.  Even when I’ve been eating noodles for days and spending my last $20 on paint and xacto blades.  Being able to spend all of my time and energy doing something that I love is worth it.

Who are five artists you would consider either influential to your practice or ones that you think are important?

There are a few people who I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in dialogue about art and life…Abandonview (http://wetscraps.blogspot.com/) is one, and Finbarr DAC (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonarmourycreative/) is another.  I think that surrounding yourself with people who have something positive and honest and constructive to offer is really important.  These kinds of connections are often the most influential to my practice, moreso than just seeing someone’s work and being inspired by it.

As far as stencil artists go, C215 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/c215) and Logan Hicks (http://workhorsevisuals.com/newsite/news.html) are two people whose work I really look up to….technical ability, creative vision, work ethic, artistic evolution, it’s all super inspiring…plus they are both really kind and generous people, and that means a lot.  Meeting up with Logan in New York and with Christian in Vitry this past fall was great.  I am a huge process person so getting to meet artists in person, see their work in progress, watch them paint, talk to them about how and why they do what they do…it’s so important.

Even though the majority of my recent work is with stencils, a lot of the artists that I follow are working in other mediums.  I am most drawn to artwork that is very different from what comes out of my own head and hands.  One of those artists is Ben Tour (http://thetourshow.com/).  The balance that he is able to find between line, strokes of color and drips is really amazing.  And as someone who finds it difficult to leave out any little details, I really appreciate the places where the lines of his figures are merely sketched in and the eye is left to fill in the blanks.  Ben is also a super rad person.  Honestly, someone could be a really brilliant artist but if they’re also a huge asshole then it’s much less likely that I’m going to care as much about what they do

How did you end up getting a stretcher as a present?

Ahh. the stretcher was super random.  This guy Tommy comes by my studio a lot to collect out empty bottles, and he usually has something to sell.  I help him out when I can afford to…he’s an artist and an addict, more addict than artist at this point I think.  Anyways a couple days ago he came by and was super stoked and had a surprise behind his back…pulls it out and it’s an orange medical stretcher, the kind you use in medivac helicopters.  And he’s going on about how I can use it for a bed if I’m working late and end up sleeping here…and that he washed the whole thing down with pine-sol…and so I take the stretcher and he leaves and I’m sitting there looking at it wondering how many people have died on it…

I dunno what the hell I’m gonna do with it but it will most definitely not involve sleeping.  Maybe I’ll paint something onto it.

How can we follow your work?

I have a Facebook fan page, also a blog and a flickr page.  And I’m on twitter as well. My flickr account is updated with new work more frequently than anything else.

Alena 1

Wendy Marquis of MuralQuest talks about the emotional payoff of being an artist, how to make it work on and offline, and the process of collaboration and constructing one of her timeless images. She is a great example of an artistic multitasker- she does everything from faux finishes to huge murals! This chessboard table top was created for the New Hampshire Music Festival Showhouse. Wendy used colors to blend with fabrics in the room.

What’s your practice like?

At present, my practice consists of several different elements.

1. My most favorite is part is creating acrylic paintings on canvas of vintage trucks set in the Montana landscape. I have started a new chapter in my business with this in mind, called “Vintage Art Montana”. I also print giclees and greeting cards from these images. After painting big murals for years, I have really been relishing creating smaller pieces where I can really get into more detail and realism.
2. My newest creative endeavor consists of building and painting hand painted serving trays using some of these images as well.
3. Another element of my practice consists of cutting and painting rustic metal hearts out of corrugated metal.
4. I have also been doing faux finishing and murals which was the bread and butter of my business for the last 10 years until 2006, when I moved to Montana and the economy took a nosedive.

Your website, MuralQuest, has a really clear layout and is easy to navigate and view all the pictures, as well as see all the different ways that you present your work. How did you put the website together? Where is it hosted? What would you tell other artists who would like to follow your example?

Muralquest is hosted through a local company. I would tell artists to do as much as they can by themselves because it is much less expensive.  My website has been a fantastic tool to showcase my work. Especially when I was faux finishing a lot. It serves as a great introduction to me and my work and saves me time running to peoples homes right away.

Are you new to Twitter? How have you found the experience so far?

I am only into a couple months of using Twitter. I think it’s a blast. I love how you can only type a limited number of characters. It’s wonderfully fast moving and people have to just “cut to the chase”. I love the fact that I am interacting with other artists and business people and getting connected with local businesses as well!I also enjoy how it gets me out of the scope of my local area and into the  great big world! This is very healthy and inspiring for me because I spend a lot of time in my little studio in Churchill, Montana, which is a tiny little town 20 minutes outside of Bozeman, so I feel quite isolated. It helps me socialize! I have trouble thinking of enough to say, though…

Your work is very consistent, even the commissions. How do you keep your artistic vision while collaborating with clients and interior designers?

I keep my artistic vision by staying centered on my ethics and my vision of good taste. It’s kind of like doing yoga. You have to stay centered and balanced while moving all of your body parts without falling over. I work hard at listening to what my client wants. I believe strongly in striving to create what they see as their vision  in combination with my artistic view and sense of timeless beautiful art that people will love for a long time. I go into a job knowing that the client is trusting in me to be the expert, and I have a responsibility to live up to that.

How do you price your work?

I am trying to come up with a $ per inch formula for my paintings and prints… It doesn’t always work and I have to tweak things constantly.  With my murals and faux, I look at time and materials and come up with a job fee.

How do you make most of your sales? Word-of-mouth, collaborations with others, online?

My sales of my paintings have been through the Coop Gallery that I am in,called The Artists’ Gallery, LivAspenArt Gallery in Aspen,local farmers markets, Art Festivals and word of mouth.  Oh, and I also displayed some work in 2 Parade of Homes…

I am working to strengthen my online presence through “Facebook” and “Twitter” as well. I have also been using “I Contact” for e mail marketing. I work really hard on these emails but it seems like such a large percentage of them never get read.  I am not sure how well it really is working for me. I am thinking of perhaps doing it through my own email program and bagging the service.

You have a very thorough process when working with clients- from developing a sketch to the final product. Could you talk a little about how your process goes and how it makes collaboration run more smoothly?

I start with listening very thoroughly to what my client wants. My favorite and most satisfying moment in my life happens when I hear my client say they love what I have created for them. It seems like I work with all my heart and soul in suspense for that precious moment to arrive. When it happens my heart just sings! And I am inspired to create even more…To start the process, I make sure that everything is up front and written out in a contract so there are no gray areas.  Preliminary sketches accompany a deposit and a signed contract. Sometimes I allow the client to see the work as it progresses…When the  final is delivered I receive the final payment.

How have you integrated your artwork with your home life?

Integrating my work into my home life is tough. Before I moved to Bozeman, my studio was in a separate space from my home. Then it was easier because when I was home, I was all about home. I tend to get obsessed with a project and get tunnel vision. My husband is very patient! Now my studio is at home and I have a harder time getting away from it. But I like that I can work at 11:00pm if I want! And there is no additional rent to pay.

You’ve accomplished quite a bit in your career. What are your favorite successes?

My most favorite success was large mural I did at Church Landing, a hotel in New Hampshire. That was a dream come true job. It was an historical mural so I had to do a lot of research and it was like a big puzzle to put together. It was a great piece to put my name on the map in that part of the world. It was integrated into and absolutely beautiful space that gets a great deal of traffic.  I also got to work with a lot of fun creative people which made it fun socially.

Now I am building a body of work here in Montana. The best success that I have gotten so far is when people react to my paintings emotionally. One woman said she thought my work was joyous! That felt so good because it is all about what I see here in this amazing place that I live and it all comes back out of my heart and my hands into my paintings. The work that I am doing now evokes memories and sentiments for people that is very fascinating to me. My paintings tend to inspire people to tell me their stories about their past….their trucks, their families…

I’m really pleased to be posting this interview- Jennifer Romita has recently made the shift from Graphic Design to full-time artist, and doing whatever it takes to be awesome at it. I really admire her process and her work, and I think you will, too.
You have a number of interesting projects on the go right now. What are they? What are you working on right now?

My most recently completed project is a 2-part painting series of close up details of a cat. The idea started with some macro photographs I shot of my cat, all the tiny little details I picked up with the camera and a play on words connected to the internet phenomenon of Cat Macros. When I started painting, I considered calling the series Cat Macros. I suppose that is an accurate description, but having these large paintings of a cat in macro view around my work and living area has changed the whole sense of the space I operate in. The contrast between the large paintings and my small feline muse is really quite striking, especially when she decides to hang out while I’m painting. Given the way this series has altered my personal environment, I’ve decided that they describe the domestic landscape with a domestic cat, and so I call them Cat Macro Landscapes.

My next series of work will involve a lot of bodies and faces, and I haven’t had a lot of practice using people as subject matter over the last few years. To remedy this, I started an ongoing drawing project called the West Coast Drawing Marathon. I decided that this would be a great way to get myself into shape while having the opportunity to visit a number of cities on the west coast for drawing opportunities. I’m excited about it because it’s the perfect in-between step that prepares me for my next major body of work, while creating a body of work on it’s own.

Who is Powder Romita?

Powder is my 13 year old mixed breed cat, and she’s the subject of the 2 paintings I recently completed. I’ve lived with many felines over the last 10 years or so, but Powder has been the one constant in my life for at least the last decade, and she’s been present for the most significant changes I’ve experienced in my adult life so far.

What is your process like?

My process … that’s a good question. I’m not sure that I have one just yet. My way of generating ideas is a bit abstract. I seem to have a knack for the stream of consciousness, so I guess that combines with my love of language and wordplay, and my general observations of life and human behaviour.

I end up with a long list of ideas to work from, and I record all my ideas in a book so I can focus on one at a time. I can’t recommend this enough for anyone who feels overwhelmed by too many ideas or projects. I used to be more impulsive and want to start everything I came up with, but committing the idea to writing helps get it out of my head, make it tangible somehow, and unblocks me from getting real work done on projects I’ve already started. It also allows me to go back to old ideas and consider whether or not they’re really as “brilliant” as I thought they were when they first occurred to me.

Where my painting process is concerned, sometimes I’ll start by drawing out a quick thumbnail sketch on paper before I commit to marking up a canvas. It’s usually for figuring out composition, but I usually have a strong visual in my mind so I’ll typically start with that.  I don’t spend a lot of time (hardly any) with preliminary sketches on paper, but I often start with pencil sketches directly on the canvas. It’s hard to say how much of this is necessary. I think it’s probably different for each piece. Once I’m finished with the sketching, I push it a bit further by plotting out colour patches using acrylic washes. I guess that, in a way, this is a way of adding to the sketch because the pencil is still visible, it disappears as heavier paint is added.

I always take a break from a painting before I start working on the fine details and blending. Sometimes it’s a couple of days, sometimes it’s a couple of weeks. Usually I’ll work on another piece during this time or do some writing. The purpose of the break is to give my eyes a break from what I’m looking at. It’s so much easier to see areas that need improvement after some time away from an image in process.

What are your favorite materials and combination of?

I’m really enjoying acrylic paint and gel mediums. These are my first acrylic works, and I’ve never taken a painting class, so there has been a significant learning curve, but I’m feeling much more confident with them as time passes and I get more work done. When I feel that I can make them do what I need them to, I’ll probably put aside acrylics to start working in oils and see which one I prefer. I’ve tried oils once before, and it was a long time ago when I had a lot less patience for drying time than I do now.

What influences you?

So many people, places and things. I’m not sure I know how to answer this question. I think it goes back to the earlier part of how I described my process for generating ideas. If I had to distill it a bit though, I’d say that human behaviour, beliefs and psychology as well as popular culture – all these systems play a big part in what influences me.

What are five artists you think everyone should check out?

1. Chuck Close has been one of my favourite artists for many years. He worked in a hyper-realist style up until a spinal artery collapse in 1988 caused him to be almost completely paralyzed from neck down. In spite of this challenge, he developed a new method of painting his work continues to amaze me.

2. Damien Hirst is a British artist who has developed a strong body of work as a conceptual artist, and has a reputation for being a bit of a prankster. I’ve often found that I enjoy most of his work because I enjoy the attitude with which it was conceived. I’ve seen photographs of his recent work (as of late 2009) — paintings he did with his own hand, without the aid of any of his assistants. In my opinion, it’s absolute shite. In spite of it’s poor quality, I think it’s still important work given the context of how his previous work added to our cultural understanding of what art is, isn’t or could be. But only within that context.

3. Audrey Kawasaki: Her work is excellent, and it’s become very popular with a young audience in the last few years — especially online. I’ve seen a lot of younger artists trying to replicate her style and subject matter. I think that everyone should check out Audrey’s work, enjoy it, and be inspired by it, but focus on developing their own style and creative voice.

4. Feng Zhengjie: I love his enormous paintings of women. The colours he uses are electric and his work has such a strong and persistent presence. I’ll leave it at that and let your readers seek him out on their own so they can have their own reaction.

5. Patrick Nagel: Everyone knows his work, even if they don’t know his name. His images defined the 1980s, and his minimal reductive style was a primary influence of mine. I’d go so far as to say that looking at his work taught me how to draw faces at a very young age. Nagel died before his time, and I often wonder how his work would have evolved if he were still with us.

What are some of your favorite successes? Even small moments!

Recently, I figured out when to stop working on a painting and take a break, and for me, that point is just before I feel like I’m going to wreck it beyond recovery. I used to think that pushing through a mistake or a creative block was the best thing to do, and sometimes it is, but sometimes it’s better to take a break and work on something else. I think that was an important lesson to learn.

I feel I’ve been successful every time someone expresses their reaction to my work. Whether they love it or hate it doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it moved them somehow.

I should also add that I recently launched my online print store, and I hope this will help extend the reach of my work and put it in the hands of people who feel a connection to it.

How long were you in Graphic Design for and why did you leave?

My background is in graphic design. I studied design for 4 years at NSCAD University in Halifax, and worked in the field from the time I was in school until mid-2007. There are so many reasons why I left the industry. The short version of that story is that I left graphic design because I was tired of lying to myself about job satisfaction and tired of pandering to values I didn’t agree with.

What was the tipping point to make the transition?

The last freelance job I completed for an in-house client required 2 all-nighters over a single weekend to meet a deadline imposed by an inexperienced junior account manager. It was difficult and exhausting, but I got the job done. When I was faced with a sudden family emergency a week later and needed a bit of time off as “next of kin”, the director was unsympathetic. Rather than allowing some time off between projects, he decided that the company no longer required my services, and that they wouldn’t be paying me the full balance of my final invoice for the work I completed.

Even though I recognized that I hadn’t been happy with what I was doing for a couple of years, I always got the job done regardless of challenges or obstacles because that’s what a professional does. Somehow though,  it also seems that professional behaviour doesn’t allow for these types of stories to be told, but that’s bulllshit. I think it’s vital to speak up about such things because no one should be treated in such a horrible manner. It’s simply not worth it.

What would you say to other Graphic Designers ( or your past self) looking to follow your example?

In a nutshell, I think that life is too short to spend so much time doing something (anything) you’re not truly happy with, and that it’s important to make contentment and personal fulfillment a priority.

If you’re like me, you’ll find it difficult or even impossible to do client design and personally driven art at the same time because they’re very different beasts. Don’t expect the switch to be automatic or fast — it can take a while, and in my case it took over a year to make a complete transition from on to the other.

What things came together to make this possible?

I’m not sure if anything came together, because at the time, it seemed more like everything was falling apart! But I think there’s a lot of good that can come from that sort of chaos if a person has the right sort of attitude about finding positivity when it seems most scarce. Sometimes it’s just best to let the pieces fall where they may.

On a more practical note, I have an incredibly supportive spouse who offered to back me in the first few years of this adventure. That’s an enormous help, and I doubt I’d be making much progress without his generous support.

Do you attend any arts events? If so, what ones? Do you participate?

I haven’t attended many events because I’ve been mostly focusing on my own work, but I love visiting galleries and public installations. I’ve participated in a number of photography projects, and will continue to help out wherever I can so long as I have the time.

Where would you like to see your artistic practice go in the future?

I’d like to see my practice become self sustaining. Beyond that, I’d love to show more of my work at home but especially in galleries abroad. I love traveling and experiencing other cultures, and I think it would be great to show my work in the different contexts that international exposure makes available.

For more Jennifer Romita:
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Carol Carter is a watercolour artist who shares her process and upcoming paintings with us on the internet, all the while maintaining a practice full of lush, bright colours and Italian landscapes.

You have a great web presence- you have Facebook, a blog, and a website, as well as quite a few hits on your name. What are your thoughts about publicizing your work on the internet, and what do you feel is most effective?

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I have enjoyed a presence on the web for the last 10 years.  It has captured a broader audience for my work – and allowed my career to grow in ways it wouldn’t have locally.  I love the interaction of the web now — the tools that make it easy to correspond and connect.  I feel that my website is a 24/7 business card — available whenever you want to take a look.   Right now, I think my blog and Facebook are most effective.

How do you most often exhibit your work? You have an upcoming show, “Little Italy”- we blog readers have seen sneak previews of what work you’re going to show already. When and where is it? How did it all come together- finding the space, publicizing, etc. Which came first- the plan to have the show or the realization that you have this great series of Italy-themed work?

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I exhibit my work in small spaces — or my studio.  I have a studio that can be switched into a gallery-setting with a little help.  It’s a ground floor business space — and looks very professional.  I will probably hold the LITTLE ITALY show there — unless another venue comes along.  I show in all sorts of spaces– retail, gallery, non for profit, coffee shops, etc.

The LITTLE ITALY show will be in the late spring — in my studio in St Louis.

I went to Italy last summer — with the desire to capture images to paint.  I went to Florence and Lucca.  I photographed a lot, and started to develop the show in the fall.  It didn’t start to come together until the middle of October when I began to see relationships between all of the paintings.  Soon it gathered momentum — and now I have 17 finished paintings and 20 more to come.  When the rest are completed — I will post invitations -both email and regular mail to my clients.  There will be an opening and a few days of exhibit.

Do you do a lot of traveling? How does it figure into your work?

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I am beginning to travel more and more — now that my son has grown and moved to LA.  I travel to gain inspiration — return to the studio and paint.  It’s been a lifelong dream to be flexible — travel the world, visualize shows…. and document my inspiration.  My next dream-travel is the Silk Road in China.

What’s your studio space like?

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My studio is a street level corner space — in residential neighborhood.  I will send a digital.

Do you have an open studio that people can drop in and see your work, or a gallery space in your studio?

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People drop by and see my work all the time.  I paint in the windows of my studio — allowing anyone to observe the creative process.

What’s your process like?

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My paintings are done on a movable easel, or on the wall.
My watercolors are painted on the floor.

You specialize in watercolours- what’s the thing you love most about the medium?

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I love the organic quality of the paint.  It’s a paint that “moves” around and has a mind of it’s own!  I love to allow watercolor to behave as watercolor and not try to control it too much.

You sometimes post about your pieces as they leave you and join the collections of others- and always seem delighted to see your work find a great home. How do you maintain relationships with your collectors?

I email my clients and also send postal updates 4 times a year.  This keeps me in touch with them on a regular basis.  My best customers are my repeat customers. I also have studio openings at least once a year — inviting everyone.

What’s your favorite success- any kind- (it could be a magazine article or one of those moments when someone falls in love with a piece)?

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I think I like it best when someone responds positively to my work — and relates to it in a meaningful way.  I try to make work that resonates with others on a really human, genuine, authentic level.
I love the openings I’ve had– when I can see/hear the responses to my work.

Today I get to post an interview with Daniel Edlen!

You have a really great niche and branding- out of many of the artists on Twitter, I find your art really sticks out because of the limiters you’ve placed on it: vinyl & music. When that was happening, did you realize what was going on?

I’ve been involved with art since I was very young, learning tools and practicing skills. When I came up with the idea of painting musicians on records in high school, it was for the challenge of trying it out and it seemed a natural combination of my love for both music and art. It was the concept that stuck.

Authenticity, or staying true to your gut, is one of my main motivators, so when I started selling them, after many years, it never was a question of what more I would do. The concept stayed the same, so the projects would have to as well. I’ve been really lucky in that I was able to preserve the concept and my sovereignty over it.

From the beginning of turning Vinyl Art into a business with a license and logo, I knew it needed to stay that way. My whole life I’d always confused people because I could do so many things, learn and excel at a wide variety of disciplines. With Vinyl Art I was determined to make it clear and easily communicable.
The first gallery that picked up my work, Wild About Music, liked work that was “affordable and portable”. That phrase applies to the concept of my work. It doesn’t require much time or thought to get what it’s about, and it’s easy to share. I knew that would help spread knowledge of what I do and have a wide audience.