April Gee - Containher

Website:​ containher.com                                

What do you do?
I’m a composer/vocalist and an artist

Where can we find your work? You can find my music on containher.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I can’t help but create, even though I often move at the pace of a dreamy turtle. It’s my catharsis from this often alienating life. I feel like I can get in touch with a deep place within myself and share it with others through music. It’s also my main form of play, something I look forward to, and a better challenge than any puzzle or video game.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?I think it’s important to practice getting to that high quality, brilliant, shining diamond in your mind’s eye. So don’t just zen out into a blob, but keep unfogging that view of your piece while you swim forward towards it. As artists, we can all see where we want to be with one work or another...and we should all strive to get there and surprise ourselves with some twists and turns for the better on our way to what feels “finished” on any particular project. Nothing is more gratifying. Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?

I especially relate to women that have squished their way into the music industry with their own style, completely their own. The kinds of women that you can’t say “Oh she’s the next (fill in the blank)” Sade,for example, was rejected by everyone when she came out with her first album. They didn’t know how to categorize it. She got herself an interview at a hip fashion magazine, sold out her first show and then all the same labels that rejected her wanted her signed with them. She allowed it on one condition..that nothing on the album be changed one bit. Her, Bjork, Enya, Beth Gibbons from Portishead who formed a unique sound as a farm girl listening to very old records. As a composer/producer I’m also all over the map. Like Duke Ellington said..there’s only 2 types of music. Good music and bad music. hehe. So I like whatever feels fresh to me from any era or genre. Whatever feels fresh and juicy!

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
It’d have to be right now. I’ve developed myself a lot in the past couple years. I used to only be able to sing and tinker on the guitar. Now, I feel like I can be an architect of sound..building around my voice. I still have a lot to learn and a long ways to grow, but things are more exciting than they are frustrating. I know that I can figure just about anything out. I have the confidence to go for it, and the humility to know where and how to ask for help.

When do you get your best ideas? I get my best ideas in echoey places. I usually find a good tiled bathroom and set up my laptop there and then get all witchy. In any case, the best ideas come when I’m wandering around with my voice and having fun with a beat or pretending I’m some sort of mad genius.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I’m usually sitting somewhere with my laptop and a portable midi keyboard, or I have a monster version of that at home when I need to get serious. I also like to hash things out on piano or try out different approaches on guitar...and plenty of time is spent with the reverb on high just singing into a cheap microphone.

Are you self ­taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I’m mostly self taught. It’s hard to know how that has influenced my work. I’m guessing that it leads to a western pop pallet that I’m working with as opposed to having true classical training. In any case, I’m learning whatever I can about the language and theory of music now. I try to keep a positive outlook on it, and hope that I’ve developed a somehow “unspoiled” style of my own that I can fortify with continuing education.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?I’d love to meet Bjork and sit in some cave in Iceland singing with her and maybe just one beat machine. We could bring lunch and a giant keg of hot tea. I think it would be the greatest jam ever. When you are not creating what do you like to do? These days, I like to sit outside with this orange cat that I know named Little Buddy. He stares out into the sunset, and I can really understand that. I like quiet things like that, and drinking tea all day. I recharge alone. When I feel active, I dance like a crazy person. How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience? I’ve only recently done this public thing. It’s still kind of an experiment. When you put something out there for people to experience..you kind of have to disconnect a little bit so that you can stand back and calibrate where you really are. There are several levels going on: 1) Do you like it, you, yourself personally. If so...then that should be satisfying enough to show it even if you like the rough edges around it and things that people won’t necessarily get. it is authentic if you feel it. 2) Is it good? come on, be honest. Can you stand back and say that it is good quality in the scope of history and your modern peers? If so..yeah..you should definitely share it, even if the people in your immediate circle don’t get it. I guess, all in all, don’t expect anyone to “get it”. But if you’re hitting #1, and at least almost hitting #2, you should get your work out there. Try to think about it from your perspective as an audience member of another artist’s work. Whenever I see something good and fresh, I feel like my soul has been nourished. Remember that you can be that for someone else if you are doing your job right.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? I think that it’s very important to stay positive, and to wiggle around in art til you find your stride in a particular aspect of it. Realize that time pays off. Whatever you spend time on, you are becoming more of. That includes being a positive, healthy person...and being an accomplished artist. Be kind to yourself along the way, and treat it like it is a game. Don’t worry, and don’t wallow. Keep your focus on your goal so that everything that gets in your way feels like a tiny pebble. Sometimes, you’re going to suck and will have to start all over again. You can get a boost in your powers when you seek help, or further your education. Also, make friends among people that do what you do in ways that you admire. You’re going to be growing together, learning from each other, and it makes life better in so many way.

Donald Bruce Wright

Website: www.paintingsbydon.com

What do you do?
I paint modern stylized invented still life compositions based on the classic still life convention of flowers in a vase or other vessel.

Where can we find your work?
-Online at www.paintingsbydon.com
-At my studio at 1068 The Alameda, San Jose (by appointment only please email me)
-Through my art dealer: ArtSmart 1261 Lincoln Ave. Suite 106 San Jose, CA

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?Living inspires me to create. I have to spend time creating regularly or I become depressed, unsettled and no fun to live with (so I am told…) When things get tough, I try to suspend thinking about what I am creating and work more quickly in a more intuitive way. I can tend to get too analytical. I try to return to the idea of art as play.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Although I derive great satisfaction from the end product, the process is more important to my well-being. When I was working on paintings that were meticulously planned, the execution became drudgery at times because it was mere rendering. All the creativity was in the conception. Now I work more spontaneously and creatively throughout the entire process and I am much happier. My favorite painting is usually the one I am currently trying to develop.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
There is no end to the number of artists from all eras whose work inspires me. I have a large collection of artist monographs that I refer to often and I am always buying more. I find I can learn something and find something useful from artists of all stripes and styles. I love to riff off whatever work happens to be striking my fancy at the time.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
In my studio: the times when I have achieved what they call “flow” and I feel like creative ideas that emanate from elsewhere are passing through me. It’s thrilling when you do something great on the canvas and you wonder where it came from.
In a museum: when in the Guggenheim Museum in New York, I turned a corner in a gallery space and encountered a large portrait painting by Egon Schiele that seemed in that moment to be as exciting and alive as any person in the building. It gave me chills and was so moving and awe-inspiring that I literally wept with joy. Although the online experience can’t convey what I witnessed, you can see the painting here: http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artwork/3836

When do you get your best ideas?
When I am not actively thinking about them. I find good ideas come unexpectedly when interacting with the world. It’s as though my subconscious is always on the lookout and it pops an idea up into my consciousness when something presents itself.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I do quick preparatory pencil sketches for new pieces in the Still Life Jazz series, just to flesh out the basic layout idea. Then I develop the idea using oil paint and brushes on canvas or linen.

Paintings seldom end up just how I conceive of them and there are always compositional and color issues to resolve. When I get stuck and I have many ideas to consider, I use Photoshop to audition the different alternatives. I photograph the painting at the point where I need help and then try different color or design ideas using a Wacom drawing pad and the Photoshop Layer feature. Sometimes I will try 30 or more different solutions to a single painting. It’s so fast to prototype them in Photoshop.

Recently, I have also been making smaller works in acrylic paint on paper. Instead of using Photoshop to test out various solutions, I draw and paint on transparencies to simulate what the finished product could look like.

Oils and acrylics require differing rhythms of work due to their vastly different drying times. I enjoy both.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I think most good artists are essentially self-taught even if they went to art school. Making art is like writing one’s signature. We are all taught how to write with a pen but no one teaches us how to sign our names. Similarly, in art classes and graduate art school, they taught me about materials and how to analyze and talk about my artwork. But no one taught me how to make it. The way I learn is by studying closely the work of artists I admire, either in person in museums and galleries or via books. Lots of trial and error.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
I’ll confine my list to artists to simplify the question:
Caravaggio – how could he make those magical paintings with limited resources and no help while being on the run from the law and living underground? Did he invent tenebrism in order to be able to create paintings faster?
Rubens – how did he develop his signature color palette for rendering the human form and what were the layered steps he took in each painting? What would he have painted if he didn’t need to rely on wealthy or royal patrons?
Bernini – how did he develop his ability to imagine the finished perfection of those figures within those blocks of marble? Was there any form that he couldn’t capture to his satisfaction in marble?
Picasso – how was he able to be so prolific over so long a period of time while maintaining quality and constant freshness? How did he keep challenging himself? Which of his accomplishments were the most difficult to achieve?

I could go on with lots of questions for many artist heroes and heroines through history.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I have no shortage of things to keep me occupied. I am never bored. I love just being in the natural world (I live in a rural setting); reading fictional books with propulsive plotting; watching and analyzing well-made movies (regrettably few available); watching and analyzing well-written TV comedy (also rare); exploring new places in travel anywhere with my wife and, not least, watching baseball. I work on learning Spanish every day. And I spend time interacting with the two cats that share their lives with my wife and me. They give me endless amounts of pleasure and amusement every day.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It happened later in life for me. In my early 40’s, although I had a very successful and lucrative business career, I was miserable. And I was waking up at night with anxiety attacks. It was awful. So I sought some professional help, and I discovered that I had been repressing an interest in the creative arts. I was encouraged to try a drawing class but was reluctant because I thought that I had no talent. As soon as I started the class, I found out that, in fact, I could draw very well instantly, and the anxiety attacks stopped. It took me years thereafter of taking many classes off and on to get to the point where I could feel justified in calling myself an artist. I set modest goals and when I met them I then aimed a little higher, over and over. Eventually, with the support of my wife this led me to take the leap into graduate art school and make art-making my career.

But it is still hard to me to put my work in front of other people. Self-promotion is excruciatingly difficult for me. I’m still learning how to be confident about my work.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Give yourself permission to make art. Lots of art. Regularly. Not just when you feel inspired. Breakthroughs come unexpectedly. So you have try things and follow where they lead. Don’t let any one piece be too precious. Think of everything you make as merely a stepping-stone to the next thing you’re going to make. You’re learning, exploring and that process never ends. That’s where the joy is. Discovery. And the possibility for more discoveries.

Patrick Hofmeister

Website: www.WADL1.com

What do you do?
I am a multimedia artist working mostly with paint and I enjoy experimenting with different sculpting materials. I work on large scale murals as well as higher detail works on canvas or wood in my studio.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work online or by visiting my studio.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I do a lot of introspective thinking. I’m learning about myself and the way I deal with the world around me. Learned behaviors and conditioned thinking can govern peoples emotions and how they interact with the environment around them. This is my current focus and what is inspiring me to make visual representations. When I’m going through a tough time, creatively or otherwise, I turn my focus to my other passion, dance. It’s a way to get instant gratification. The joy I get from being in the moment and fully letting go is like no other. I try not to force anything creatively but to remain in motion at the same time. If all I feel like doing is squiggle lines and doodling then that’s what I do, without judgment of what I create. I dance the same way, without judgment of how I want to move. Staying open to whatever comes to mind has been the best tool for me. It’s when I start to tell myself that something should be done a certain way that I tend to get stuck.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or  technique/process?
I believe all four of these are very important. They go hand and hand. But to answer your question I would say content and finished product. What is the work about and did I execute the work to the best of my ability? These are the two questions that drive me when creating. Technique and process are variables and are at the mercy of what you are trying to get across and how far you want to push it.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
This list has changed so many times over the years. Right now, my wife Desiree has got to be at the top of this list. She is the most insightful person in my life. M.C. Escher has long been one of my heroes along with Todd Schorr, Mars1, Greg Simkins, H.R. Giger, Mike Giant and Robert Williams just to name a few. There are so many artists that have influenced me over the years. When I see that I’m falling too close to someone’s style (because I’m still a fan and love to geek out on someones work), I will usually cut that visual influence out of my life to help keep myself balanced. Being such a visual person and my love for art I can easily get caught up in someone else’s work, trying to wrap my head around it.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
That’s a big question. But I would have to say my participation in the group show “Spiral” at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara. It had so many firsts for me. I was blessed to have been a part of that show and to have been able to work so closely with the staff at the Triton. Really great people. I put so much work into that show and the concepts behind it. To be able to see the response I received from that was the greatest reward I’ve had.

When do you get your best ideas?
When I’m just coming out of a funk or a dry spell. This is when I run with an idea the hardest and get really ambitious. I’m still not totally sure why but I’ve been noticing the pattern. That and if I’m under a great amount of pressure. I’ve had some gems this way too.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Acrylic and spray paint. Although I’ve recently started using oils in my work and I have fallen deep, deep in love with them.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?I’m a self-taught artist. I think it has allowed me to make a TON of mistakes. I know so much about what NOT to do that it makes it easier to find what to do. I haven’t had anyone tell me how I should paint, what I should paint about and that I could or couldn’t do something. I’m free.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
Im going to have to pick 2. Andre3000 and Mike Patton. My 2 top musicians. If I could only listen to 2 artists for the rest of my life it would be these guys. These guys inspire me EVERY TIME I hear their music. They are not afraid to do anything, be weird and put themselves WAY out there. They are creative geniuses.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like to bother my friends with toilet humor, bad jokes, insults and inappropriate pictures. I’m a dancing fool, ANY chance I get to hit that dance floor I’m on it. Adventures! Did I mention Dancing?

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I was lucky. I had a good friend push me to paint while I was living with him. I started and I started to get pretty good in a short amount of time. I learned to believe in myself and through some pretty tough criticism I learned to let go of what other people thought. I do this for me. But I had to learn that after seeking approval form others for so long. As far as putting myself out there I just thought what have I really got to lose? If not now, when?

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
The sooner you don’t give a shit, the better. The sooner you learn to not judge your work until it’s actually finished the better. Go find people to create with. Be prepared to be let down by the artists you look up to and don’t take it personal. You will be told your work isn’t worth it. You will be told your work is the best someone has seen. Take it all with a grain of salt and work for you. Get weird, freak out, paint in the dark or with your eyes closed. Look up every frickin artist that sparks the slightest interest in you. Try everything at least once. Don’t settle because you don’t think you can do it. And ABOVE ALL have a good time on this long journey as an artist. There is no finish line so stay steady strong.

Oddly Even

What do you do?
We (Calvin Sturges and Ashley Macachor) are in a band called Oddly Even that we started back in 2010 when we met.

Where can we find your work?
Bandcamp, soundcloud..at our shows!
https://oddlyeven.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/oddly-even-1

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough? Ashley: Creativity for creativity’s sake. Remembering that there are no boundaries, even when it seems like there are and remembering that there is always something to learn.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Ashley: I think sometimes if you’re overly focused on an end result you can miss a lot along the way. Ultimately, I think the process is the most important, it’s where the spark is. The finished product is just a representation of that and without the process you have no end result.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Ashley & Cal: Everyday people, friends, family, the stranger at the gas station-- too many to list. We never know where it might come from, that's the most inspiring part.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Gandalf and Charlie Brown

When do you get your best ideas?
Ashley: When I’m not thinking.
Cal: No clue. They just sneak up on me whenever they feel like it.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Cal: The basics: guitar, drums, etc. Right now, we’re gravitating toward earthier sounds like acoustic bass, frame drums etc.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Ashley: Both. Learning the “rules” can be helpful to some degree and it can also be trapping. Both angles have helped me realize that finding the balance is key. Finding the space to find your own voice so you don’t get stuck in someone else’s is important.

Cal: Self-taught, but have more recently gained an interest in formal education...which has helped me translate some of my concepts with more ease.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sauerkraut

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
When we are not playing or listening to music: getting into nature, eating, learning new things, staying healthy.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Ashley & Cal: It seems like that’s not necessarily a place you arrive at once and for all. It’s more of a constant ebb and flow. For us, a big key has been not to be too self-critical and knowing we always have something to learn; you just have to be willing to try things.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Ashley: Learn to trust your gut and intuition. It won’t fail you.
Cal: Do what you love, not what you think will get you love.

Miguel Machuca

Website: Http://m.Facebook.com/CubismArtist1 

What do you do?
I am an A.B.A Therapist (Applied Behavior Analysis). I work in a school and home environment. I help children diagnosed with autism, implementing appropriate behaviors and fading out inappropriate behaviors by applying positive reinforcement. I’ve been in this particular field going on18 years now, and counting.

Where can we find your work?
I’ve participated in many local art shows and have been involved in countless San Jose art events. I have also been a guest on NBC/Telemundo. You can see my interview for Comunidad del Valle with Damien Trujillo (link to interview is above) alongside fellow artist, Elizabeth Montelongo. You can also see some of my work displayed at the Triton Museum of Art for the show "50 and Looking Forward", featuring artists to look out for in the near future. There are pieces of work that are also finished references for my upcoming 2017 solo exhibition at the museum called “333 The Sacred Connection”. I also have a Facebook artist page (link above) where you can follow me as I produce more work. I also have an Instagram account that you can follow as well.

Interview with Damien Trujillo: Https://youtu.be/Dwz9Ea346uo

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough? Everyday life and human behavior is a big deal to me. I like to analyze and I try to understand the dark side of the human psyche. I am also inspired by the wonders of ancient civilizations and their ways of understanding and exploring enlightenment. Sacred geometry, religious beliefs, religions, alchemy, and the search for progress through an understanding of our universe and its powerful laws of attraction.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I don’t think you can have one thing without the other. Cause and effect equals material. By that, I mean the content is important because you want to deliver a good concept. Something that will make others think or challenge them to acknowledge or try to understand the finished product. Technique is also important, no matter what your techniques are, it’s engaging in a way, to execute your vision flawlessly, either by classical training or self-taught by life experiences. Finished product is a difficult one because some works of art could take years, months, days, and some - just a few hours. If you ever finish a work of art, then you are done. If you don't, it becomes a progress piece where you constantly learn new ways to execute. As you go along, the piece will show you where to go next.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Picasso for me, was a great teacher because he showed me how to follow my intuition, my heart, my rebel mentality but at the same time to be daring and provocative. Frida Kahlo challenged me to express how I feel, to be confident in expressing my most darkest and painful emotions. She taught me to be fearless while searching for new ways to express with images from scars left or made by my life's journey. Pain, darkness, sorrow and suffrage can be beautiful once you lay it down in visual form. I can always see beauty in the ugliest things. Personal experiences I go through everyday are also influential points in my life. Hardship, struggle, resilience, and the deep emotional and conscious thought of my connection to all living things.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
It’s difficult to limit myself to one moment, because every moment has brought a unique experience into my life and career as an artist. One of my proudest moments is when I was able to communicate with a student, whom is diagnosed with autism, with visual images and interaction through art projects. I helped him release tension and use fine motor skills by using his obsession to scribble on paper. I presented him with different colors and taught him how to move/rotate his drawing paper while he scribbled on it. At the end, he developed/improved great fine motor skills, how to request for certain types of materials, and how to challenge himself by thinking of what he needed to begin and finish his ideas.

When do you get your best ideas?
I get my best ideas at night. As I go through my day, I observe life as it comes and goes. When the sun sets and the moon shows itself, my body and mind begin turning all the gears to the point where I feel like an owl hunting in the night. My mind is a conjunction of ideas, poems and thoughts, and quotes which stay collected in the memory frames of my mind.

What materials/tools do you use?
When I paint, I don’t always use my brushes. I know in some cases, it’s important, but what I mean is, I like to use anything I can. Most of the time, I use whatever I can/want, to execute my ideas exactly how I see them in my head. If it is a commissioned piece, then I use the specific tools that are needed to deliver what they want. If it’s a piece of my own, then it’s no holds bar. 

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am a self-taught artist that is formally educated by life itself. Techniques that I have learned have developed as I go along. Also, interactions with friends, teachers and other artists have also improved my skills by sharing ideas and different ways to execute projects.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why? 
Charlie Chaplin. For his wisdom and creativeness in making people laugh without saying one word. I'm a big fan of silent films. Michael Angelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. For their love, obsessive passion, sometimes crazy ways, and without their knowing- helping advance the human race to the next level of artistic progress. Frida Kahlo, for her ways of showing her pain through art and her resilient soul to fight for what she believed in. Lastly, Picasso, for his cause and the way he would think outside the box. He would never settle for one option, he would explore countless possibilities to push the envelope with his wisdom.

When you are not creating what do you like to do? 
When I'm not creating, I like to have fun with friends, attend musical events, dancing, and be with my girlfriend.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience? 
I was always a creative person since I can remember. I learned to access my creative talents by just having the excitement of showing people my art. People always knew I was an artist. The passion to challenge myself to shock or set an impression on the public. What taught me to not be embarrassed, afraid and sometimes nervous was to paint live. Painting live forced and helped me to liberate myself from these emotional elements that could sometimes limit my creative process. Painting live also taught me to interact, answer questions and learn how to network at the same time I was engaged on a piece of art. It helped me be spontaneous, to not be afraid of making mistakes and to challenge myself to finish a piece in certain amount of time. It’s definitely liberating. 

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? Have fun. That's it. Expectations sometimes limit your mind. Be free to express whatever you want in order to develop your ideas first, and as time passes, technique will develop. Be free to make mistakes. Be free to create.

Freya Seeburger

Website: www.cellista.net

What do you do?
I am a cellist,and I am devoted to interdisciplinary, collaborative art projects that connect people in meaningful, life-changing ways. I also have a strong penchant for performing in unusual places, and spaces. I recently started my own business, called CELLISTA, and through it, I am pursuing my love of artistic direction. My curated performing arts series, “Juxtapositions,” just found a regular venue in SF I am hoping to grow it, and bring it to San Jose very soon.

Where can we find your work?
Rarely in a concert hall. But if you do find me in the concert hall by chance, I will probably be wearing a “Joy Division” t-shirt, and Doc’s.
You can also check my website to find some of my session work with SF Bay area bands. I also tend to play out as much as I can in downtown San Jose. I’ve been busking outside Anno Domini on First Fridays since I moved here in 2010. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/xcellistax

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Honestly, sometimes I feel like I haven’t worked hard enough to create my own material. I have done so much session work that I recently realized that I’ve never taken the time to create my own music.I feel incredibly fortunate to make music for a living, but at the same time, it means that personal projects tend to come last. I guess the process of creation is ongoing, though, whether I am “actively” creating or not.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or
technique/process?
I find a lot of joy in the process that leads to the finished product. One can’t exist without the other.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I am so in love with the arts scene in San Jose. When I first moved here, I found so much love, and support from both the visual arts scene, and the music scene. I am inspired by San Jose. I love it.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
My collaborative art project with Tulio Flores for SubZERO last year. I have never had a more meaningful moment in my life.Tulio was the first artist to approach me about doing installations involving performing artists. I think he literally changed my life with his artistic vision. We met when I was busking outside Anno Domini in 2011, and he contacted me to ask if I would collaborate with him. This lead to a couple projects, and a deep friendship. I was asked to participate in subZERO,and realized that I wanted to include Tulio in it. During our collaborative process, Tulio brought in Linnae Asiel of Asiel Designs to help him curate the project. The final product, the result of an intense artistic process, was truly transformative. A true merging of music, and art, and the voices of San Jose residents.I’ve been hooked on these interdisciplinary projects ever since.

When do you get your best ideas?
Usually while I’m journaling at Roy’s Coffee, listening to my weird, eclectic music mix on headphones.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My cello bow has sculpted my entire world.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am classically trained, but since 2011 I’ve been branching out considerably. Most of my work involves me coming on to various projects as a session player.I think being classically trained has some benefits. Overall, I’m not sure that it has helped me much in terms of creating. I really think that it has somewhat limited me in terms of confidence. I think a lot of classical players have pretty severe self-esteem issues that stem from the culture of classical music. We are really taught to doubt ourselves. It’s important in classical music to constantly assess what could better in performance, and in practice, but often classical musicians end up in a cloud of self-doubt that severely limits them. Maybe the culture is shifting though. More and more, I see classical musicians playing out the way any band would. I am running into more classical cats with rock bands, or busking, or just being on the scene.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
I really want to play cello for Snoop. I can’t lie. It’s my ultimate goal. I would die happy.I know it’s weird, and maybe a strange goal for a classical cellist, but I have a huge crush on him.I guess while I’m getting confessional here, I also have a thing for Brahms. The young Johannes. He was such a knock-out, and those bedroom eyes. Ah! I think we might have loved each other. I wish I could time travel back to 1853, right when he was just meeting the Schumann’s. A young thing in his twenties, just coming off a mega-tour as an accompanist (the classical version of session work), and wowing everyone with his talent, virtuosity, and gaining recognition as a composer, and soloist.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I feel like I am always actively creating. I guess I am the artistic director of my own life.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I think I realized that I had no interest in being in a concert hall. Or at least my ultimate goal is not the concert hall. I had realize my own limitations as a cellist, and also realize what I bring to the table. I may not be a virtuoso, I may not sight read as well as I’d like, but I love music. My love of playing, and of listening is valuable. I have always been creating, and I think everyone is an active creator. Everyone shapes their own life, makes decisions everyday that have an impact. I’ve made the choice to stop limiting myself because I worry about what other people think. More especially, I am in the process of trying to ignore my own self-doubt. If there are any barriers to my creative output, the barriers are coming from within.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
Enjoy the process.

Dug Stanat

website: www.dugosaurus.com

What do you do?Firstly, thank you San Jose Creatives for the interview!
I am a figurative sculptor. Most of my work is mixed media or ceramic.

Where can we find your work?Home website: www.dugosaurus.com
Social media: http://dugstanat.deviantart.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dug-Stanat-Art/467424890043805
http://instagram.com/dugstanat
Online sales: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DugStanatArt
Brick and mortar gallery:
FM Gallery in Oakland (solo show July and August, 2015)

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?I am inspired to create by the prospect of making something that no one has seen before. The possibility that I might stand back from a finished piece and think, “That is a fun, memorable, unique character”, drives me forward.

When I am having trouble I allow myself a break from artwork. If I am having difficulty exiting vacation mode, I like to imagine someone I respect is watching everything I'm doing...that generally gets me back on track pretty quickly.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
My previous response exposes my answer to this question. While I enjoy the process of creating, and the product cannot exist in its final form without the technique, ultimately my eye is on the finished product.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
With the web, influences are drops in a rainstorm, and I am soaked. However there are those that hit me like golf ball sized hail: John Kenn Mortensen's post-it notes, the artisans of Oaxaca and Bali, Bosch, and Bruegel the Elder come to mind.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
I think it must be the long moment after college when I had no direction and started spending all my free time sculpting. I simply stumbled onto the path of the artist and just kept walking.

When do you get your best ideas?
I often get ideas from a couple words in a book or song, or while walking the dog and daydreaming. But I am at my most creative when I am creating: embracing mistakes and watching for forks in the trail...these lead to a more interesting final product than what my brain can achieve on its own.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
For my ceramic work, there are no surprises: stoneware clay, sculpting tools, brushes, electric kiln, oxide washes, and underglazes.

For my mixed media work, I use whatever gets the job done and leads to a sturdy piece that the vermin won't want to eat. Materials include: wood, rocks, sand, wire, metal foil, sheet metal, fabric saturated with glue, epoxy sculpting putty, acrylic paints and mediums, and varnish. Tools include: saber saw, sander, drill, router, rotary tool, heat gun, glue gun, sculpting tools, brushes, and airbrush.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I've taken a few art classes, and have found them useful, but mostly I am self-taught from books, experimentation, and time. I expect it has led to slower development and gaping holes of ignorance that I am not even aware of. Perhaps it leads to art that is more innocent in self expression.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?Without a doubt I would most like to meet someone who is dead, as I have several questions no living person can answer with authority.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?My most cherished time is that spent with family and nature.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?I don't feel as though I ever learned to access hidden creative talents. Instead I feel as though I have spent time creating skills that are now at my disposal. How I use those skills may be unique to me, due to personal aesthetics, sensibilities, and experiences, but the skills themselves are generic.

Regarding gaining confidence to show my work, again I think that just comes with time. I like strange characters. If you like strange characters, you might like my work. If you don't like strange characters, there is very little chance that you will like my work, and I'm O.K. with that.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
My previous response tips my hand here. Growing is, for the most part, about time well spent. A lot of time well spent. So time is your most valuable asset. For most of us, making time requires sacrificing sleep and/or standard of living. This can be difficult and painful, but the rewards can be great.

Dune Tran

Website: www.dunetran.com

What do you do?
I'm an acoustic indie pop singer songwriter. I play piano, guitar, sing and write songs.

Where can we find your work?
My website: www.dunetran.com, Bandcamp, or iTunes

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?Music inspires me. Emotions. Life experience. Hearing other life stories. Observations of human behavior. When things get tough and I need inspiration, I like to learn or relearn how to play favorite songs by other artists that I love. I enjoy playing classical music too. That usually gets me out of my element and in the zone. Discovering new music inspires me too, so listening to Pandora really helps with that. Going to open mics. Seeing and hearing other musicians and songwriters achieving goals and producing new work is also inspirational.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Both! Technique and process bring your content to a finished product. ;)

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?I like to focus on other female singer songwriters and the list has definitely changed over the years, but off the top of my head: Regina Spektor, Lykke Li, Tori Amos, Aimee Mann, Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Amy Winehouse, Santigold, Ingrid Michaelson, Sia. Lana Del Ray, Fiona Apple, Adele, Birdy, Holly Conlan, Joni Mitchell, Sarah Mclachlan

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
Having my songs being placed for use on TV

When do you get your best ideas?
When I'm alone playing my piano or guitar and singing. Sounds and melodies inspire a theme. In those melodies, there's an emotion and a story to uncover. It's kind of like a puzzle. A crafty poetic way of expressing thought and emotions in few words to connect and be relate-able to others. I like listening to songs that make me feel something or make me feel like "yeah I've been there too. I know how that feels."

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Piano, guitar and voice

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Partly self taught and partly through education and teachers. Teachers helped provide foundation and technique. Education helped me learn about how to use software for recording. Self taught writing has given me the freedom to be creative.

I've also done a lot of research online and I've been to several workshops. This past year I went on a camping rafting songwriting retreat in British Columbia which was led by a couple amazing teachers (Jason Blume and Mary Gauthier). They were both so different but so influential, moving, reassuring and supportive. Hearing stories from them and others was so inspirational. I didn't feel so alone about being a songwriter. Not very many people I know personally are songwriters and it was comforting and energizing to be surrounded by a passionate group of songwriters.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
I would love to meet Amy Winehouse. I find her lyrics so raw and truthful. I also love her voice and songs. I love her ability to express herself. I find as an artist that it is important yet is hard to bare your soul completely. It's a challenge, but it's what I admire most about artistic expression. It's therapeutic and healing to write.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to hike, do yoga, listen to music, and play volleyball

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Writing and listening, rewriting and re-listening, taking time away from it and then repeat until I think it's good enough. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of my producer Joshua Rumer.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Start small. Start simple. Don't be judgmental and hard on yourself.

Put together a concise, complete, coherent thought and purpose in your song.

Don't be so rigid in process. Some songs can start with just lyrics, just melody or just chord progression or just a drum beat. Try anything. Whatever brings out your inspiration to create. Whatever moves your soul and moves emotion.

Use the voice recorder on your phone. Save your work. Put it away and listen later. Make notes. Write down ideas for lyrics where ever and whenever inspiration hits you. Collaborate. Try playing a new instrument.

I've taken a whole bunch of classes around the Bay Area. The first songwriting class I took was through Carol McComb at Gryphon Guitars. Late on, I took a songwriting class at Foothill College because

I was stuck in a rut and it helped force me to write. I took a jazz piano class at De Anza. I also took plenty of music production classes at Foothill College. Try everything and anything. Craigslist is a great resource for meeting other musicians to play with, buy instruments, find teachers, etc.

Stephanie Metz

Website: www.stephaniemetz.com

What do you do?
I am a sculptor, a wife, and a mom to two young boys. For the past twelve years I have been experimenting with the medium of felted wool, creating forms that embody ideas about the physical body and push the limits previously assigned to wool and felting.I came to fiber from a background in sculpture, and I address wool in a way similar to the way I would build up mass in clay and remove it in stone. At the University of Oregon I focused on the human form and the traditional materials of sculpture; I only discovered wool felting several years after college and a production art job that left me frustrated. I became involved with running Works/San Jose, our local nonprofit art and performance space, and along the way learned the business of being a professional artist even as I was experimenting with the wool felting that would become my main focus. Over the years I’ve been invited to show my work across the United States and Europe, I’ve taught my technique, presented lectures, sold artwork, and received awards and grants. I have a very full life with kids and a sculpture career, and I owe a lot of my sanity to my very loving and supportive husband. My work and life continue to evolve; as my kids get older I have longer stretches of time to work while they are at school and increasingly interesting experiences with them that feed into my practice. In the studio I seem to always set new challenges and enjoy meeting them. Despite my relatively unique material I find I have a whole community network of artists from a variety of disciplines with whom I can trade ideas, techniques, and professional practices.

Where can we find your work?
I don’t currently have gallery representation; I show my work out of my San Jose studio at the School of Visual Philosophy during Open Studios and by appointment; my work can be seen online through my website www.stephaniemetz.com and some is offered for sale through my Square Market page at www.square.com/market/stephanie-metz. I currently have work in two shows touring the U.K., and I’m finishing work for the Rijswijk Textile Biennial in the Netherlands.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I am a curious person; I stumbled across my strange medium of felted wool and wanted to learn about it and explore its possibilities. I find the experimental process itself engaging, and my material ends up influencing and steering my subject matter. I don’t have much trouble with staying motivated in the studio since I always have several different projects going at once and extremely limited time available to work on them (I have two young sons). I do struggle with a lack of motivation to do some of the other tasks associated with the business side of being an artist. I make to-do lists and love being able to check things off, and I’ll reward myself with studio-work-only time when I get administrative tasks done.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Both are important to me-- the finished product is somewhat of a map of the creator’s journey up to that point. I know that when I look at art I often try to put myself in the artist’s shoes and consider what went into the making even as I consider the finished art in front of me. Every piece is also part of the larger arc of an artist’s creative output, and can give perspective on the past as well as potential future work.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Artists Lana Wilson, George Rivera and Alan May have been some of my instructors and mentors; they are models of a healthy, productive, and sustaining blend of personal and creative lives.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
That’s a tough question-- I feel like I get a lot of incredible moments when I’m working alone in the studio and in that state described as ‘flow’: wrestling with a challenge but feeling mostly confident that I can resolve it in a pleasing way. I think that is what keeps me going; I may later re-assess my success with a particular piece, but the highs I experience fairly regularly in the process of creating are extremely rewarding to me.

When do you get your best ideas?
There’s no specific best time or place-- being an artist is woven throughout my life, so I sketch or jot things down when they occur. Sometimes it’s when I’m specifically working on ideas, sometimes it happens organically. I tend to have a sketchbook and pens with me much of the time.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Wool, and sharp, notched felting needles in a variety of multi-needle holders.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Both. I am formally educated to the tune of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from the University of Oregon, where I focused on the classical figure and worked in nearly every area offered (bronze, clay, stone, metalsmithing, ceramics, printmaking) except fiber. I am largely self-taught in the use of fiber as a sculpting medium. I was introduced to needle felting through the book ‘The Felting Needle: From Factory to Fantasy’ by Ayala Talpai. From that starting point I have been teaching myself through trial and error, and my exploration continues.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
I’m tickled by the comedian Betty White-- she seems to have a great outlook on life, which she approaches with grace and sharp wit. I think I could learn a few things by spending a day with her.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like to goof off with my kids, play roller hockey, read, and eat food other people cook for me.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I knew I was an artist even as a child simply because drawing and paying attention to how things looked was hardwired into me. I knew going into college that I wanted a career related to my ability to make things, but I was not interested in being a fine artist who would sell work through galleries because I didn’t think I had anything to say to the world-- I wanted to do production work, or applied art, albeit at a very high professional level. A frustrating year of production artmaking changed my mind. I started teaching myself the business of being an artist and discovered needle felting at about the same time, even though I didn’t consider needle felted wool sculpture to be my ‘real’ artwork for quite a long time. My confidence in my technical abilities thanks to my classical art education combined with my enthusiasm for my material lets me put my work out there and not feel overly swayed by responses, good or bad. I’m ultimately doing this for my own pleasure. Okay, I’ll admit I do like it that others generally reply pretty positively, but it’s an uphill battle to convince some that what I do actually is sculpture, despite it not being made of metal, stone, or wood.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
I think some education in art techniques and art history can help, provided that it doesn’t replace your own voice-- you have to learn and process things and then you can set aside some and focus on others. I think a lot of art-making (and life) is about making decisions on how to use the time, materials, and energy you have currently available. Have faith in your own quirky vision-- your unique outlook on the world is the filter that creates your artwork. Don’t try to be or make art like somebody else. There’s a great quote by Georgia O’Keeffe: “I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me - shapes and ideas so near to me - so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn’t occurred to me to put them down.” Put them down, own them, do the work. Art doesn’t get made unless you make it.

Joyce McEwen Crawford

Website: www.joycemcewencrawfordartist.com

What do you do?
I’m a visual Artist. I create figurative drawings and paintings. My style is either representational or expressive and sometimes a little of both that I call narrative. I also do mono and linoleum relief prints. I’m also a contract Teacher with the Art of Yoga, a nonprofit that provides art and yoga to girls in juvenile detention. I’m a retired social worker and an advocate for the use of art for healing.

Where can we find your work?
I have an exhibit, Metamorphosis, opening at the Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, Ca. The reception is February 20th and the exhibit will continue until March 29th. Also on my website, www.joycemcewencrawfordartist.com and on Zazzle at www.zazzle.com/mcewencj

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?I view art as a form of communication that allows us to express thoughts and feelings that are buried in our subconscious, therefore my inspiration comes from within. When things get tough I motivate myself by reading, writing, dancing, visiting with friends, having a good conversation and scribbling. Yep, I said scribbling. lol

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?Of all those listed, I think process is most important. The creative process is the part that makes the art unique and becomes a signature for an artist. Technique will change according to the media the artist decides to use and content will change according to what we choose to express, but the process, how we express ourselves through the media, will only change as we grow and mature in our craft. In fact we grow and mature through the process of creating. Of course the finished product is important, it’s the culmination of all the effort. If I were to put it in an equation it would be, process + technique+ content = finished product.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
When I arrived in San Jose in 1984, I was one of three African Americans in the graduate program at San Jose State University. At that time the director of the San Jose Museum of Art School was Ruth Tunstall Grant. Ruth became a mentor, advocate and friend, as she remains to this day. Another influence is my spiritual teacher, Luisah Teish, writer, artist, social advocate, educator and Ifa priestess. My early inspiration is my mom, who bought me my first set of drawing supplies when I was 8 years old, supported and encouraged me during times I didn’t believe in myself. My children were/are a huge influence and inspiration, I have a lot of drawings and prints of them. I have a lot of drawings and prints of my children. I’m also influenced by many female artists, Bettye Saar, Elizabeth Catlett, Faith Ringgold to name some, who paved the way for artists as myself.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?Each first is incredible, getting into art school, getting into graduate school, getting accepted into art shows and competitions. Learning that the piece I submitted won a prize or took a place in a competition is always incredible. The most current moment, being offered the opportunity to have a solo exhibit at the Triton and doing it after taking so many years off, is beyond incredible. I’m extremely excited, and nervous, about it.

When do you get your best ideas?
During the night, usually from 12am to 3am. Other times are during meditation and sleep. When my mind is at rest.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
For drawing I use a variety of graphite pencils, and color pencils, on Stonehenge paper. Painting, I prefer oils on pre stretched canvas. Printmaking, Mono prints on plexi glass with oil based printers ink. Relief Printing I prefer unblocked linoleum, some good sharp tools and oil based ink. I have a small block printing roll press and I also use banana hand rolls. I enjoy working on rice paper.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Since I began drawing so young, I began as a self-taught. My art education began when in elementary school through high school on to commercial art school, followed by earning my BA in studio art at Indiana University, Northwest and two out of three years of the MFA program at San Jose State. I also have a Masters in Social Work from San Jose State. How did all this education influence my work? I developed fantastic skills, worked under great teachers and was able to use some of the best printing equipment. I also learned that I wanted to be an instructor and that art was going to be my second language. Through my social work education and practice as a social worker I learned the importance of being observant and learning from the process which I incorporated into my art making.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
When I was 18 years old, I was diagnosed with clinical depression. As a result there were a few times when I decided that I was no longer able to live in this world. Art continued to save me. Out of that pain I was attracted to artists who lived and created through their pain. Therefore I would like to meet and talk to Frida Kahlo and Vincent Van Gogh, we could paint together and share war stories. And Carl Jung, I’d like to do some therapy sessions with him.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
When I’m not making art, I like to spend time talking and sharing time with family and friends. Dancing to Reggae or African beats. I started practicing Yoga after breast cancer and continue to practice yoga. I have a consistent spiritual practice, study, meditation and contemplation. I also enjoy writing and journaling.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I struggle with self-confidence, but I do have confidence in what I do, so I have no problem getting my art out to be seen. I learned to access my creative talents by finding out who I really am, finding my own voice, being able to discard the techniques and skills, all that I learned and allow the process to possess me and just create.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
I would tell beginning artists to take the time to learn their craft and work it. Not be concerned about the outcome, the good or the bad of it but enjoy and take note of your process and learn from it. Also have someone you talk to, share your ideas and art with, and get feedback. Entering art competitions are great for getting feedback from judges rather you get in or not, keep putting your art out there. Something I did that helped me a lot was to take a Business of Art course. We have a lot of resources for social marketing available to us in the Silicon Valley as well as galleries that offer critiques and support artists with studio and gallery spaces, seek out and utilize the resources around that are available to you.

Avery Palmer

Website: www.averypalmerart.com

What do you do?
Painting, drawing, ceramic sculpture

Where can we find your work?John Natsoulas Gallery (Davis, CA), Kaleid Gallery (San Jose, CA)

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I'm inspired mostly by looking at other peoples' art that I like and by being around friends with
creative drive. Working in different media and in different sizes helps to keep me from losing motivation too much. For example: if working on a painting is feeling like a daunting task I can always just do some sketching or do a quick, small painting where I can be more playful because it's not as big of an investment. This can help to get me more excited about creating when my level of inspiration is low.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I lean toward technique and process as being more important. My philosophy is that if you learn the
techniques that allow you to successfully make things work visually without a lot of struggling, concepts will automatically materialize—provided that you can find things that inspire you. For me, art is essentially about the process of growth. The continuous improvement of my ability to explore and express my imagination is infinitely more valuable to me than any finished product, no matter how well it turns out.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Remedios Varo, Salvador Dali, Odd Nerdrum, Mark Ryden, Dr. Suess, Heather Nevay, and many more.

When do you get your best ideas?
My ideas come to me most strongly when I am looking at art that inspires me. When I see a painting that really has an impact on me I try to bring myself into the world of that painting and let my imagination play.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Lately oil paints.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have a BA and MFA. My school experiences have been very valuable in exposing me to certain ideas and providing a stimulating and supportive environment, but I think that most of my development as an artist has come from my independent efforts to teach myself the skills I knew I wanted to have.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
When not making art I enjoy dabbling in music-making and BMX bicycling.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I've always had a strong creative drive since as long as I can remember. I would draw a lot of cars and airplanes and things as a young boy and liked to try to make toys for myself. Getting older and having to think about having a career, I knew that it was important for me to do something where I would be able to keep that creative part of myself happy, so I started working hard to develop my drawing skills. Also I have had very supportive parents and teachers.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Make your creativity a high priority—if not your highest priority. Discipline yourself to learn skills that will help you (drawing is a good one if you are in the visual arts). Look for art that inspires you and think about the choices the artist has made that gives the work the power that it has. Use your imagination. Be persistent.