When did you start making art?
Growing up I was always drawing and copying Mad Magazine. Sometime in college I started experimenting with oils, and after I finished a few pieces, one of my friends asked “how much?”. Before I knew it I had people interested, cash in hand and a painting sold—Bingo—I can make money doing something that I love. When I graduated from Washington State University (GO COUGS!), I continued painting and started exploring different mediums. And then I worked at building up a body of work and defining my style.
Who are your favorite artists?
Pollock. Picasso. Basquiat. I dig Michael Sieben’s work coming out of Austin, and I kind of have a man crush on Jeremy Fish. You probably shouldn’t put that, I don’t want him to think I am stalking him.
What does your art work mean to you?
It’s a form of expression. I want to show people the humorous and intellectual side of my personality. I am always splashing a story, sometimes it is comical, sometimes it is depressing, and other times it is uplifting.
How would you describe your work?
I’d say my style fits under the Urban Contemporary Art genre. It’s always very colorful. I like to use contrasting color palettes so the painting really pops into life. I believe the colors pull people in. I often juxtapose bright color with depressing emotions to give you the best of both worlds, to provide balance.
Tell me about your process…
I throw, drip, block and layer paint. I never know what I’m going to get, until I get there. I start painting and wonder what I will find. It’s like, oh there it is. There is always something else around the corner waiting to come out. Once I see where it is going, then I focus on the technical details, and on emphasizing the emotion.
When did you start the Cut It Out style?
I was working on a piece last year called Waiting and after I was finished I wasn’t happy with the background, so like Joey Gladstone on Full House I “Cut It Out”. I really liked how the piece turned out and I created another piece called The Meet and Greet with the design of a cut out as well. I found that cutting the paintings out of wood in nontraditional shapes allows me to play with the light and shadows on the wall. My next goal is to start creating 3-dimensional pieces and dioramas.
How do you feel when you finish a painting?
I am always thinking about the next step. I have so many paintings always turning I just jump to the next one. Plus who knows when it is really done. Even though I haven’t painted on it for over a year, it might not be done. Unless it is framed, then it is done.
Why do you make art?
It’s one of those fidgety things I am always doing, when I am on the phone, sometimes even when I am driving. It’s a habit. If I’m out of town and I have been away from my studio the need to create suddenly becomes urgent.
Cut It Out opens on August 6th. Join us for the opening celebration with the artist at First Thursday Art Walk from 6–10pm at 619 Western Avenue, 2nd floor North.