Brande Barrett

Name: Brande Barrett

Website: www. Onesurreal.com

What do you do?
I work primarily in Photography; alternative process and mixed media. I have recently begun to integrate encaustics and poetry into my pieces. I also create abstract chalk and oil pastel drawings.

Where can we find your work?
Fine Art America has a few of my images available for sale http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/brande+barrett/all. I am currently looking to expand my web presence and find other outlets for my work.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
To me the creative process is what motivates me. I love to play and experiment. Discoveries made serendipitously are exciting. I think because I play so much I don’t get frustrated…

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I used to be anxious about the finished product. I am a bit of a perfectionist and this often put me at odds with making art. As a child I loved making art but since I couldn’t draw well I didn’t pursue art until I got beyond the narrow definition of what an artist is. Art is not about whether or not you can draw or what medium you use but rather art is a way of thinking.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I don’t really have influences in art. I am usually drawn to work I could never create like paintings by Camille Rose Garcia, Broken Toyland, and Herakut. I once stood in front of a Kandinsky painting and wept…I am truly inspired by strong women like artist activist Favianna Rodrigues, writer Maya Angelou, Amanda Palmer, activist Malala Yousafzai to name a few.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
Recently during a gallery opening I overheard a young woman reading my poem to her friend and when she finished they were expressing their feelings about the despondency of the narrative in the poem. I realized I had made a connection that transcended generations and the integration of poetry resulted in the viewer connecting to the photography in a deeper more profound and meaningful way.

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come in the shower! I also tend to think freely as I fall asleep so many ideas come from those quiet moments before a night of dreams. I sometimes dream ideas too!

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I miss the darkroom terribly but these days I am almost exclusively digital. Although there are many processes that are easier to do in Photoshop some things just lack the richness produced in a darkroom especially black and white solarizations.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I went to San Jose State University and earned my Bachelor’s in Fine Art Photography. I cannot imagine my life without the experience and exposure to not only the instructors like Brian Taylor, Robert Dawson and Keay Edwards and but my colleagues as well.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
This is hard to choose only one so ultimately I think I would have to say Adelaide Crapsey. She is the poet who invented the American Cinquain, a class of poetic forms that employs a 5 line pattern. Crapsey was an unfortunate soul who was a sickly woman who died without ever knowing her impact in poetry. I would like to be able to share with her the legacy of her poetry and her innovation’s success inspiring modern poets to create variations.   

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I can’t think of anything I like to do that is not creating. I love to write; poetry and prose mostly but I do have a screenplay I am currently working on. I love movies, music and I never miss the most trusted sources for news the Daily Show and Colbert Report!

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It is still very difficult to “put it out there” I feel like an awkward adolescent girl going to her first dance every time I show my work. Over the years I have developed confidence in my photography however, every time I challenge myself to work in a new medium it is nerve wracking but also exhilarating. It is the push that makes you develop as an artist.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Find what you love and find a way to do it every day!

Eugenio Negro

Name:Eugenio Negro

Website: Google+ : Eugenio Negro Comics

What do you do?

I draw comics and push them into peoples’ hands. Then I steal clutter from human’s yards and decorate the mounds in front of my warren with it.

Where can we find your work?

Isotope SF, Streetlight San Jose and Santa Cruz, 2013 SF Zine Fest in Golden Gate Park, Space Cat in San Jose

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?

Knowing other artists and having our work as a part of a bigger family scene keeps me making art. When I’m not interacting with other artists and art I just stop and wait. Every year for the last few years I’ve started all over with brave introductions, trading and trying to keep contact information. Hopefully in San Jose I’ll be able to sustain a group.

What do you think is more important, content/finished product or technique/process?

Content. Technique is only important because of limited time. The content is important because as an artist you’ve signed up for the huge responsibility of having a greater than normal influence on people’s thoughts and ultimately their behavior. Do you want to cultivate jerks in your audience, or lovers? Do you want to improve community access to the truth, or confuse people with your whining? In terms of process, if you know what you believe in, the necessary means to tell it will reveal themselves.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?

Other “punk” or community-oriented, noncommercial artists. Also Márquez, Rushdie, Quino, Burroughs. My grandparents. Just about everyone influences me because I’m always listening.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?

I don’t know... Yoda. He had a peaceful life. I don’t read happy stories so I don’t want their lives.

When do you get your best ideas?

Washing dishes or walking.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?

Pens with various tips, Xacto knife, glue. Sometimes a ruler.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I’m formally educated as a writer, and that shows in my work. I’m a jackoff illustrator from never paying attention or working at it, and that shows too.

What would your creative work taste like?

Dry spit from arguing for hours and laughing.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?

Enjoy life. Art is either a spiritual practice, an act of resistance or an unnecessary aesthetic luxury.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?

I try as hard as I can not to be “creative” in terms of narrative. I’ve learned to listen rather than judge, at least for a little at a time, and just wait for people to say outrageously bizarre or true things. I write that stuff down and then try to explain where that comes from or where it’s going with pictures. When I know I have the truth, then I’m not the center of attention and I can confidently present it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?

Let go of the fact that it’s hard to start. Poets write for four hours in the morning every day before they get something. You’re a lousy novice every morning and a master every night. That’s life. Keep working, forget what if and what do I get and just do it. Having your own business or thing is scary and frustrating, but not having one --just being a stupid consumer --sucks.

Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle

Name: Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle
Website: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What do you do?       

I’m a photographer. I mainly like to shoot candid photos, but I also do events and themed photo shoots.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Life is what inspires me. Everything from meeting new people to scattered rose pedals on the ground. I believe there is beauty in everything if you look close enough. I like to surround myself with positive people and travel as much as possible whether I’m going to the beach or visiting nearby cities. I need to constantly be active otherwise I’d get bored and lose motivation to do anything.  

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I believe both are very important, but I also believe that investing some time with the piece shows how much effort that was put into it and is more effective to its audience.  

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My family, close friends and anyone who is passionate about what they do.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I would be Ofelia from Pan’s Labyrinth because I like to get lost and explore unusual places. Except my Spanish is terrible haha!

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come to me when I am up late at night and when I’m running.  

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I mainly use my Canon 60D, but occasionally I like to use my Holga or Polaroid camera when I’m feeling adventurous.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I started photography at a young age. I got a camera and began taking photos of everything in sight. I carried a camera with me everywhere I went and over the years taught myself that certain angles and colors can make an image unique. It wasn’t until college when I took a film photography class and learned the importance of lighting among other things.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet like key lime pie with glass of moscato on the side.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to dance hip hop, hiking, running, thrifting, going to shows, and spending time with loved ones.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
As I mentioned earlier, I would always carry a camera everywhere I went and try to capture special moments or things that caught my attention. It was my way to make a memory last. I didn’t realize that I had talent until people complimented me on my photos. My grandma was the one who encouraged me to take my photography seriously. Over the years I would always post my work online, but it wasn’t until last year that I had my first solo show at Silicon Valley De-Bug in San Jose where they were kind enough to let me display my photos for the world to see.  

Here’s the link to see my window gallery:

http://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/articles/2012/09/13/de-bug-gallery-presents-mi-vida-sj-photographer-vanessa-sanchez-de-tagle

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Do what makes you happy and don't let anyone or anything hold you back from what you want. Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. Most importantly, always remind yourself why you love what you do.

Sean Boyles

Name: Sean Boyles
Website: seanboyles.com thearsenalsj.com

What do you do?
I paint, draw, make prints, teach others how to do the same, own an art store, drink out of a ninja cup, BBQ, play soccer, play video games, publish books, feed cats, paint murals for tons of cash, paint murals for free, paint custom jobs, paint commissions, paint what I want, illustrate, design, stay up late, wake up early, fall asleep at work, print tshirts, make stickers, make panels...handle business

Where can we find your work?
All over, but mostly around the US. Right now in San Jose, over at Current Tattooing, and on the walls in The Arsenal

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I take on as much work as possible, so if one project starts to become more work than fun, I can just work on something else for a little. 

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Neither, or both. Each piece has two lives. The creation, or process is probably more important to me, than a viewer, but once it leaves my hands it's more important what it means to the viewer, than how I feel about it. Usually by the time the work is out there in the world I'm over it, but for others it's brand new, and hopefully there's something in the piece that the viewer can connect with. 

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Close friends who also make art, old timers who are still at it perfecting their craft, generally anyone passionate about their work. 

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Bigfoot, unless he's real, then I would be the next closest thing-Chewbacca, or maybe The Incredible Hulk. 

When do you get your best ideas?
While doing things I hate, or working a shit job. 

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Mostly two dimensional tools: paints, inks, pens, drawing tools

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Some of both. In school I got to be around some amazingly talented professors and peers, but I also put in a ton of work by myself figuring things out, and discovering techniques. 

What would your creative work taste like?
Probably something horrible. 

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Destroy

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Just making the type of work I enjoy, and I think when it comes to showing it's a combination of working hard, being persistent, and getting lucky. 

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Make stuff you like, and become the best at doing it

James Ong

Name: James Ong
Website: ongdesignsart.com

What do you do?
I am a product designer creating art that moves (mobiles, marble rolls/runs) and moves people to play using their senses (OBO, now - sculptural blocks). I also move paint around on canvas.

Where can we find your work?
ongdesignsart.com 

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I have things to say that cannot be said in words. Only through shapes, color, texture, and movement can I express my inner thoughts and feelings. Sometimes when things get tough I cannot create art. If I try the art is dark, reflecting my inner state. By taking a break from creating art and looking at the work of others I get inspired to start creating art.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process? 
Process is more important. Focusing on the process requires our undivided attention and presence. The end product will be revealed in time. This does not mean that I don’t care about the final result. Only by living in the present and paying attention to what we are doing can our intention, imagination flow onto the canvas without the anxiety of how things will turn out.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Isamu Noguchi, Maya Lin, Alexander Calder, Bruno Munari, Paul Klee

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Doc Savage because he is everything I am not.

When do you get your best ideas?
When I’m alone with my imagination. Also, when I’m walking around and before waking up in the morning when I’m still drowsy.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Preliminary work: Sketchbook, pen, pencil - I do a lot of sketches 

Tools: X-acto knife, scissors, cutting mat, ruler, compass, screw-punch, pen, pencil brushes

Materials: Wood, paper, canvas, tape, thread, reed, paint

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Both. I was an ex-engineer who went back to art school (Academy of Art University) to get a MFA in Product Design focusing on Toy Design. I have also taken a number of art workshop/classes like weaving on a loom, printmaking and abstract painting, 

Art school really helped me to open up, to see the world in a new way. It gave me the freedom and the desire to want to create things from my imagination. I am open to new ideas and ways of doing in creating my designs and artwork. I approach art making like a child at play, open to experimenting with the materials and letting my curiosity take over.

Being self-taught (books, magazines, videos, experimentation) and formally educated has increase the scope of my art/design work. I can choose among a number of art/design mediums and methods to create my works.

What would your creative work taste like?
Subtle, sweet, memorable with a wonderful lingering aftertaste.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Read action/mystery books, watch movies, browse in bookstores, visit art/design museums and galleries, dream about playing table tennis again.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I was an unhappy engineer. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. Everything changed when I entered art school and found my calling. I learned to see and feel in colors, shapes, forms, and texture.

In art school there was so much creative vibe and energy that I was motivated to create stuff no one else had done before. I learned by observing, questioning (What if?), experimenting, failing, and just trying different things. 

After art school I showed my work and portfolio to other artists, designers, and educators and received very favorable feedback on my creativity, imagination, and work. This really gave me the confidence to put my work out there. It is still a struggle for me to show my work since I’m an introverted introvert. I would rather create art/design than talk about it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Read, ask questions, stay curious. Be present and maintain a beginner’s mind in whatever you do. Be open to new ideas. Experiment. Believe in what you are doing. If you don’t have the skills either take workshop/classes or learn from a book or from other artists/designers. Join an art/design group. Don’t try to do it by yourself. Support from others is really important. Don’t overthink. Just start doing. Dream Big, Take Action.

Ken Matsumoto

Name: Ken Matsumoto

Website: www.artobjectgallery.com/kenspage.html

What do you do?
I do several things. As an artist/sculptor I make objects that reference nature and man or that reference nothing at all except things that appeal to me visually. These objects generally have no specific message.

I also operate an art gallery. This involves curating/installing exhibits and promoting the shows, maintaining the space, talking with artists and looking at their work, and talking with visitors about the work.

Where can we find your work?
Locally, you will find work at the ArtObjectGallery, Iwasawa Gallery, Los Gatos. Robert Allen Fine Arts, San Francisco. I also have public work placed at various locations in Santa Clara Valley (CPA @ Park and Almaden Aves, Japantown on Fifth street and numerous other site), Sacramento, CA (two locations), ASU Tempe, Arizona, UNC Pembroke, NC.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Making things is what I do whether it be an object, a space, or an exhibit. In each case I am driven by my curiosity and vision. There are a couple of reasons I have chosen to do these things. 1. I have always been able to draw attention to myself and gain some amount of respect for what I do. 2. In the case of the gallery operation there is a sense of giving of oneself, of doing good for others that I find is good for the spirit. 

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process? 
I have for some time considered the phrase “what you do and how you do it” as describing my philosophy on what makes a work “work.”  

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Jimi Yamaichi has been involved in laying the groundwork for the continuation of Japantown San Jose’s cultural and historical education for the next generation. He has fought discrimination and racism both as an individual and as a member of the Japanese American community.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
The main character in the movie “Brazil” but I’m afraid that I am more like Don Quixote.

When do you get your best ideas?
Usually when I’m awake but I have found ideas in my dreams.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Mostly stone and tools associated with cutting stone. I have devised machinery dedicated to the purpose of making/cutting stone in a particular fashion. I am also interested in flat glass, bronze, concrete,

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have a mfa in sculpture from sjsu (1983). It took years for me to leave school. It was there that I learned the importance of showing one’s work. Not for the need of selling or self-aggrandizement (altho that’s important as well) but for the information and response that may be available from the audience. This will either encourage or discourage; give courage for you to continue or not. At school there is an audience built in and people see your work and you feel like an artist but that's not really true because you are instead a student of the arts. Being an artist carries with it responsibilities that a student should be free of.

What would your creative work taste like?
Beets

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Movies, hiking, bird watching, petting dogs, reading.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?

The nuns in the catholic schools I attended took the work I did seriously. I gained confidence.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Look at stuff, build a stable base of classic technique in drawing, focus, be fearless.

Zoya Scholis

Name:  Zoya Scholis
Website: zoyart.com & artforpersonalgrowth.com

What do you do?
I paint mostly. I also like to dabble in ceramics and assemblage, even some writing. I lead workshops.

Where can we find your work?
I participate in solo and group shows in California and enter national and international shows four to five times a year.  A group I started, abstract7 will be showing at the El Marie Dyke gallery in Pacific Grove in January of next year (2013), and probably at Presentation Center in Los Gatos in the spring or summer. We hope to get a gig at the Toll House in Los Gatos for their Art walks this summer. 
I'll be doing Open Studios at Fort Mason (San Francisco) this year. I've also given interested parties private tours of my studio from time to time. Otherwise, I usually have one large piece displayed at Kaleid gallery, 88 4th St, downtown San Jose. I had a window spot but that may change. Then of course there is my website: zoyart.com. 

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
hmmm motivation. Seeing other art I like is inspiring. I make a point of going to see art in galleries and museums. Lately I really like the Oakland art Murmur. Looking in books, magazines or websites can get me excited too.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Content and process are inseparable and equally important. One without the other might not even be art. 

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
All the great painters from Velasquez to Cassatt to DiebenKorn, Joan Mitchell, Klee I could go on and on. Lately I'm interested in Jessica Dickinson, Maya Kabat and Howard Ikemoto.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Fictional character? I don't read much fiction anymore except the short stories int he New Yorker. I don't think I can answer that question.

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come as I'm painting. I can start with an idea but it always changes in the process. I welcome that.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I love oil paint with plenty of stand oil mixed in. It makes a delicious texture!

When I paint with watercolors I like to use atomizers and stencils, and Mop brushes. I wrote a book about it, Tape and Spray Watercolor, available on my website.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have a BA in Studio Art from Cal State East Bay. It was a great time but only so much can be taught and I hate being told what to do, especially when it comes to art. This is ironic because I teach art. I think maybe 20% can be taught mostly by demonstration. 60% is practice and learning from ones own mistakes which can be supported by a good teacher, and 20 % is Divine inspiration.

What would your creative work taste like?
Oils, like salted ice cream, watercolors, like water mellon. It occurs to me, in winter I might have a different answer.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It takes faith. Art is my religion.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Take workshops with artists you admire and remember, copying may be challenging and fun but it is not art.

Murphy Adams

Name:  Murphy Adams
Website:   www.murphyadams.net 

What do you do? 
Primarily I make small, quirky paintings, but I also work in clay, mosaic and make art dolls.

Where can we find your work? 

Kaleid Gallery in San Jose, Studio Gallery in San Francisco, and a number of smaller shops, as well as my Etsy store Murphy Adams Studio http://www.etsy.com/shop/MurphyAdamsStudio .

I've also done several murals and public art projects throughout the South Bay and am currently starting a slab clay and mosaic project at Ace Charter School in East San Jose.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I tend to be a bit of a hermit, hiding out in my studio at home, so when I hit a creative slump I just need to get out.  My work is about relationships, emotion, the stuff that makes us human, all squishy and pathetic and ding dang lovely at the same time, but if I don't get out and live it I've got nothing to paint.

I also get inspired when people tell me how they connect with my work, or how a specific piece seemed to be painted just for them. Again, it's tapping into emotion, and you can't do that alone, it would be boring.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
Well I can't believe I'm saying  this, but the finished product. As someone who sells art, the end product is ultimately more important. Of course  experimentation and process has played a big part in developing who I am and who I continue to be as an artist. I still spend hours testing new techniques and combinations of materials.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I love that SJ has this cool little, tight knit art community, it's very inspiring. So many artists here work really hard at surviving making art, and consistently create...friends like Christine Benjamin, Lacey Bryant and Katy Kindig  to name a few.

I'm also really into reading the Etsy Blog "Quit Your Day Job," where artists and craftspeople tell their own personal stories about how they've grown their art businesses and been able to stop working a day job...someday.

As far as influential art figures currently and through history, people like Alison Saar, Squeak Carnwath, Linda Barry, Maira Kalman, Reverend Howard Finster, Margaret Kilgallen, Joe Sorren, Jean Michel Basquiat, Mark Rothko, Frida Kahlo, Henry Darger, Jacob Lawrence... their creative expression always blows me over, makes me cry or just hits me hard across the face, in a good way.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be? Ha! Somebody kickass like Game of Thrones Khaleesi, the one with the dragon babies, Zena Warrior Princess or a Bond Girl.  If you watch Adventure Time, I'd like to be Marceline, but I'm the Lumpy Space Princess.  In other words, somebody completely opposite of my marshmallowy, goofy self.

When do you get your best ideas? Laying in bed in the morning , kind of lucid dreaming, I think about things that I've witnessed the day before, what's been said to me and what was meant by it, sometimes about the underlying meanings of things.

I  also keep a sketchbook in my bag at all times and I'll often sketch a situation that I've seen, or write down a phrase or title that gets stuck in my head. I like to listen to people, things they say when emotions run high are most interesting. I'm especially drawn to awkward and embarrassing situations, the immense power of love and hope and the sad but sometimes funny side of misfortune. Laughing inappropriately has gotten me in trouble more times than not, but it's those situations that provide substance for my paintings.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I like to start with good thick cold press watercolor paper, then I use a combination of acrylic and colored ink, sometimes some colored pencil and I love Tombow art pens.  I layer multiple jewel tone colors over colors with matte medium. I know, it looks deceivingly simple.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I started out as a fine arts major in college, but it was the 80's (I'm aging myself here) and abstract, minimal & light and space paintings were what was popular, so I wasn't taken seriously. My art wasn't art with a capitol A; I suppose it still isn't. In any case I got a degree in art history and worked as a gallery director and curator for much of my adult life. I took a few studio classes but I consider myself largely self taught. Overall I think it's influenced me in a positive way. No one got to tell me what to do or how to do it. Of course I missed out on the how to do things part and I admit that would have been helpful. However, I was able to draw my inspiration from the art that was important to me, form my own opinions and discover things outside mainstream trends. Outsider, visionary, and folk art is a big wow for me as is the bravery that children's work possesses, I would have never found that during a  traditional arts education. 

What would your creative work taste like?
Pigs in a blanket and a beer, and maybe some Hot Tamales candy for dessert. Something so bad, but really so good.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I sew, I'm a compulsive baker, my extraordinary husband Patrick & I raise chickens and keep bees. I like homestead-ish type stuff, we've been looking for a little farm down in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area where we can do more of that kind of stuff, and my man has promised me goats! I like taking my dogs to the beach, I love music and going to shows, I'm a word game junkie and I like TV, way more than I should. I also love hanging out with my kids Ivy & Kasten who are now 20 and 17; they're amazing, hilarious and creative beyond belief. Ivy is starting her 3rd year of a BFA program in illustration at PNCA in Portland, and I'm sure my son will follow his creative vision. Seriously, they're my greatest creation. Everything considered, I'm living the good life.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Putting your art out there at first is tough. I had tons of support and encouragement from friends and family. The first time I showed my work I made 40 small paintings and nearly all of them sold. It suddenly hit me, after years of working in galleries, teaching art to kids and a multitude of odd jobs in between, I can do what I love doing most of all. It took me a really long time to come to that realization and to feel comfortable enough to call myself an artist. I wish that I made it happen sooner, but I had to get to the "why the heck not," phase of my life where I stopped worrying about failure. I also just think creative people are naturally more fearful & sensitive, and I needed time to get over that.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
It's not easy, but if you're the kind of person who puts creating above all else for all means go for it. Eat it, sleep it roll around in it. Your work should be completely your own, don't  try and be somebody else. Think about content, not just style. Most of all treat it like a business, put some serious hours into it, market yourself,  get yourself out there. Oh and don't be a flake, don't perpetuate the artist stereotype, it makes us all look bad.

Oscar ”OscarLars” Knutsson

Name: Oscar ”OscarLars” Knutsson

Website: oscarknutsson.moonfruit.com

What do you do?
 Artist working with acrylic/watercolor painting and graphite/charcoal drawings. I also do a lot of mixed media artworks example: Communication with tongue cut out (Watercolor and Graphite).

Where can we find your work?
 A lot of my work are entering competitions right now. I also do a lot of commission works and installing them in different places. I recently did one for Hugo Kalm from Sweden, an upcoming DJ and producer.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Everything and everyone inspires me. Music is one example of inspiration sources. I almost always listen to music when ideas pop into my head. When things get tough I mix myself a good drink, get a buz and just keep on working.  Eye of the tiger and never give up. I like when times are tough, that makes me feel alive and gives me more motivation to keep on pushing myself.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
 That is a hard question, I think both are very important. Technique makes people see your stuff because I think most people are drawn to things that are beautifully made. But there are millions of people out in the world that can do beautiful things and have better technique than you have. It is then you have to ask yourself, what makes you different  and unique - Your ideas.

Who are some people who inspire you and/or influence you?
 Hellenistic Greek sculptures inspire me a lot. I love the statue of Laocoon and sons. These statues also inspired Michelangelo’s David which is probably in my opinion the greatest statue ever made. I also enjoy Salvador Dalí’s work. All from paintings, sketches, sculptures to photography and clothing.
Inspiration comes more often though from people around me. Four artists that have inspired me a lot since I moved to California are Miha Sarani, JoJo Piera, Patrick “Wädl” Hoffmeister and Erals. R DelaO. These guys’ works are unique and keep pushing the limits every time I see their work. They are amazing artists and also guys I’m proud to call friends.

If you could be a fictional character who would it be?
Batman

When do you get your best ideas?
 Often times when watching movies, listening to music, hanging out with amazing artists or in my sleep.

What materials/tools do you use to create your work?
 My brain, hands, eyes and whatever tools they need to make my ideas into reality.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am self taught up until this year 2012 when I started studying art at Mission College under George Rivera and Mark Engel. I have always been hard on myself developing a better technique since that is what gives you the most approval from the common eye. I think what affected me most when I started studying was how important the ideas and “reason for everything” actually were.  I then started to work more with creating mind-maps and brainstorming ideas to make into artworks.

What would your creative things taste like?
The world

When you’re not creating what do you like to do?
 I work out a lot and enjoy playing board games with friends. I love going out to bars and have drink or two but also being behind the bar working and mixing drinks.

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 been a bit weak for attention I guess. I love to make sure people around me are having a good time, because that makes me smile. My artwork might not make people smile in some cases but hopefully makes them think. As long as I can give to people what people give to me, I’m happy.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?

Create so many works that you feel the burning in your hands, the itching in your eyes and you’ll see results. Be humble and invite people into your life. Some will dislike you and some will like you, accept that people will talk trash behind you back and that people will put you on display. This is the way of life as we know it, but as an artist. Often times you will notice it even more.

Leeonna Colter

Name: Leeonna Colter
Website: leeonnista.weebly.com

What do you do?
I am a Multi-media artist, who mainly works with acrylic paint.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my website; Leeonnista.weebly.com or on facebook profile name acryliclove.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I think what inspires me is what inspires everyone; I want to have an affect on the environment that affects me. It’s the human urge to express one self and have that expression acknowledged. 

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
I don’t think you can judge an artist by their process or technique. The finished product is the most important element in most areas of art; each piece must be able to stand on its own. The artist will not be able to explain to every viewer their intent or intended content.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I am more inspired by ideas than I am individual people.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
If I could be any fictional character, I think I would be the character Lireal from the Abhorsen series.

When do you get your best ideas?
Most of my best ideas are just highly developed concepts of ideas that weren’t so great. I think with work any idea can potentially be your best idea.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I mostly work with acrylic paint and molding gel on Canvas.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I began painting on my own and later in life I became formally educated. I think formal education doesn’t make an artist better or worse. What it does do is push those who are serious about art and exposes them to concepts and ideas they may have not been exposed to otherwise. You also get the rare opportunity to do projects with other artist and form bonds and connections.

What would your creative work taste like?
If my creative work had a flavor it would be deep fried banana with chocolate Ice cream on the side, sweet and filling.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
When I’m not painting I like having adventures.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
When I am creating, it’s a process, almost like an evolution. While working on a piece, how I feel about that piece changes gradually as I get closer and closer to finishing. But like anything when you put your all into your work you feel confident in your abilities.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
Be brave and just start creating, go to art events and talk to people.

Bonus Question

Part of our 1 year anniversary  month celebration we asked our past creatives to answer a bonus question. If you had absolutely no restrictions, not money, time, resources, etc. What would you want to create?

Read their answers below, there are some interesting ideas. How would you answer the same question? _________________________
I’d create Temples of Unconditional Love strategically positioned across the globe in tragically misunderstood and under loved areas like San Jose, Detroit, Baltimore, Beijing, DC, Congo, etc. I’d staff them with Vegan Monks who make Belgian craft beer and teach Knit Bombing as a way to overcome the relentless supply of hater-ade this world has in store. - Troy Joseph Curtis

I would create images in my mind and engage the public in conceptual art events by using found objects to alter the environment. - Donna Orme

Teleportation.  It would transform human life & disrupt global commerce/dependence on fossil fuels. Definitely teleportation. -  Ketra Oberlander

I think I would like to create a giant diorama, a minutely detailed world with live actors & plants, painted sets, miniature and full scale components.  An experience for all the senses that would transport a person to a land of fantasy that mirrors our own world in a distorted way.  I'd also like to build a tree house to live in. - Lacey Bryant

I would love to create a very large some what 3D wall image of Red Poppies, like on the side of a building or inside an airport. - Jane Ferguson

I would create something that wouldn't be judged, kicked, or questioned. Something that holds no boundaries or would allow no one to limit me and have an expectation. I'd like to say I do this already, but anytime you create something, you will always be questioned. This question goes further than any artistic piece. If I could, I'd create freedom. - Andre HART

If I had no restrictions on time/money/resources etc., I would want to create a performance piece which would showcase the local world dance and music community (including all the various forms of bellydance, East Indian dance, Polynesian dance, Flamenco, Azteca, Native American etc). I think it would be a great thing for these dance communities to share their talents, and to be acknowledged for it. - Lisa Mejia

I suppose you're supposed to answer this question more grandly ("I'd compose world peace" or something), but…. I've long had this idea of creating small boxes that create slowly varying drones; little handheld objects that produce music for as long as there is power to them-- there are apps that do similar things that I occasionally use to produce music, but the idea of rolling my own, programming it from scratch, and having them custom made really appeals to me. I work on code for it from time to time, and things like the Raspberry Pi and Arduino might be an option to convert my idea into reality, but really, it's a matter of only having so many hours in the day, so much ability (I am a terrible coder), and a variety of other obstacles make it a task which I'll likely not finish anytime soon. Someday. - Todd Elliot

I would want to create a large abstract mural along the side of a building. - David Mejia

If I had no restrictions, time or money, the first thing I would do is get a big quality canvas and a lot paint supply and spend a year or more on one abstract painting. - Jonathan Demers

Since the early nineties I've dreamed about building a giant (maybe 12" tall) seated black Madonna to look over the ocean on the dunes between Seaside and Marina CA. I imagine her made from metal and climbable, I can see children and whole-family photo ops in her lap. Here is a link to a photo of the black madonna that I would use a general template for her design. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9739200@N08/5228240337/ She is a descendant of Isis and one of the oldest deity forms known. - Zoya Scholis

Ohmygosh, with absolutely nothing2hold me back I would have already have on the comic book arket the following titles and stories  1) Aztec of the City---issues 2-6 N beyond)...2) Adelita, the soldadera supreme from the Mexican Revolution of 1920...2) the Super Chicano, and Super Latina..3) Cruz, the Christian Hero...4) Tales of Aztlan: The Jim Plunkett Story, Cesar Chavez story...N I guess of course, Aztec of the City, SuperChicano/Chicana and Adelita action figures.. - Fernando Rodriguez

I'd like to create a better life of domesticity.- Kim Christman

An all analogue Rock & Roll laboratory stocked with all manner of instruments and equipment.  Fully-staffed with engineers, producers, instrument technicians, scientists, doctors, dentists, druggists, chefs, maids, butlers, pilots, personal trainers, midgets, clowns, and a life coach.  Living space for artists, bands, and all other types of productive and creative people.     
With this facility we will produce any and all forms of audio and visual and audio/visual productions imaginable. - Tristan Perotti of The English Language

one answer: Love - Oscar Knutsson

"I would want to create change.  Given unlimited resources, I would want my artwork to legitimately affect positive change in someone's life.  Over the years I've learned that selling a painting is cool, but it's really not that notable an accomplishment in & of itself.  Might make a few hundred bucks, & there's nothing inherently wrong with that, but if I wanted to be in sales, there are a helluva lot of things easier to sell than art.  To me, if I can sit in my room & create what amounts to just a stupid picture, that might look pretty but has no real utility, & auction it off for charity or raise funds for someone truly in need, then that is a supreme accomplishment. That is something I can look in the mirror about & find peace.  To take pencil & paper & as a result a family gets to eat, a sick person can get well, or even something as small as putting a smile on a child's face - that is what art is to me.  Creating an impossible
magic." - Jon Landry

Having been a painter for over 50 years, I would love to change mediums and try making glass.  Glass objects have been my painting subject material for years and it would be full circle for me to make the objects that are my inspirations for the paintings.  Look out Dale Chihuly, here I come! - Karen Honaker

One project I've always wanted to do was create my own comic book. Just a story completely painted and written by me. A long sweeping story something along the lines of Bone, Mage or Cerebus. I've always been a huge fan of comics. I believe they are a very special way of storytelling - Kori Thompson

If I had unlimited time and unlimited money for art supplies, I would paint a mural. I would use colors that would match the other buildings in the neighborhood. That way, the mural would fit in harmoniously with its surroundings. - Laura Bennett