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

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.

Rene Lorraine

Name: Rene Lorraine
Website: www.renelorraine.com

What do you do?
The easy answer is simply that I create. The more interesting answer is that I make all sorts of art in different mediums. My work strongly focuses on the human figure, however each series severely varies in theme. I am currently embarking on a new body of work focusing entirely on vision loss associated with migraines and abnormal brain functions.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my online portfolio at www.renelorraine.com. I also have an online storefront at http://www.etsy.com/shop/renelorraine, and currently show at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose. You can follow me on Twitter @renelorraine or "Like" me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ReneLorraineArt for pictures of works in progress, updates about where I'll be showing, and things of that nature.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Inspiration comes in all forms and to pinpoint what it is for me is nearly impossible. I will say however, seeing another artist becoming successful and "making it" can be greatly inspiring, so I try to go to as many art openings as possible when things get tough.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process? 
Learning about the technique and process of an artist is very interesting not to mention extremely crucial for the artist and some viewers, however I find them equally important as content and the finished product. Creating the work is about my soul, you having a connection with the finished product is about your soul.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
As far as artists go I absolutely love Jenny Seville, Lucian Freud, Willen De Kooning, Jasper Johns... But I get more inspiration from regular people who are overcoming hardships of any kind.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Questions like these make my brain go blank.

When do you get your best ideas?
I take the stance of the ancient Romans.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love spoke at a TED Talk about nurturing creativity. If you have twenty minutes to become inspired you can find it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Anyway, she talks about how in ancient Rome and Greece people did not believe that creativity came from humans. They believed that it came from some sort of divine spirit that came to you from an unknown place, for some odd reason that you would never know. In Rome, each person's creative spirit was called your "Genius."

I have found that my creative genius comes to me at the worst times. It joins me as I am sleeping, about to sleep, driving a car, helping someone move, in class listening to a lecture that will surely be on the final, in an airplane for nine hours with nothing more than a cocktail napkin and a pen, etc. My creative genius rules my schedule. She is like that amazing friend who you love like family but who only wants to play and hang out when you are busy doing something else.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Right now I am really into watercolor and microns. I go through phases where I become obsessed with a particular set of tools, use them until I get sick of looking at them, and move on. I find it very important for any artist to experiment with as many materials as they can. I feel if you get stuck with one set you hinder your creativity.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Formally educated. If I had not gone to art school I would have never found that I was in love with watercolor portraits. I would not be as skilled as I am. And I would not have learned about all the artists I now find to be most inspirational.

What would your creative work taste like?
Once again another question that makes my brain clock out for the day.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I don't really like to do much else, actually.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
People find confidence in so many different ways. For me it was the encouragement from my friends and family. And if you don't try, you'll never succeed. So wherever, however, your confidence comes, take it and run with it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Talk to other artists. Research other artists, past and present. Travel. Take pictures. Always carry a sketchbook with you. Try new materials. Take classes. Don't get lazy. Listen calmly and openly when someone gives criticism, and then take TIME to decide if you are taking it to heart. There is nothing worse than taking advice about your work, and then regretting it when it is too late. Be true to your art, it is your life's work.

Kori Thompson

Name: Kori Thompson
Website: www.korithompson.net

What do you do?
Paint on things mostly on wood and canvas.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work at Psycho Donuts and always at Kaleid Gallery, where I am currently in a group show called "Exquisite Corpse" and just wrapped up my solo show there last month. I also have group shows at The Usuals in San Jose on July 27th, The Uptown in Oakland on August 3rd and Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco on August 11th. For more details and to see more of my work you can check out  www.korithompson.net

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I try to do something everyday. If I'm not painting, I'm doing some kind of research, sketch, or outline. I'm always thinking about the next thing or project. I feel like I can punch, or work my way out of any situation with my art. Hopefully that work ethic resonates and comes through in my paintings. 

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
I feel they go hand in hand. The process is all mine. It's why I do what I do. I feel like I'm almost addicted to it. The finished product is exactly that, what everyone see. 

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I'm inspired by my kids Francesca and Logan. My Grandfather, Grandmother, myMom, my Great Grandparents, and my wife Andrea who is always pushing me to get out in the garage and finish painting while she is wrangling the kids up. 

I'm influenced or really enjoy the work of Hunter S. Thompson, Carmine Infantino, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jim and Jimbo Phillips, Akira Kurosawa, George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vincent vanGogh, Lucian Freud, Erik Larsen and James Robinson.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I love this question! Such a hard decision. I could go with Indiana Jones, Snake Plissken, Green Lantern, Han Solo or Spider-Man. Maybe a mix of them all! Ha! I think I'd lean more towards Spidey because of my love comicbooks and the character.

When do you get your best ideas?
When I least suspect it. So I always sketch or write them down. 

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Ticonderoga #2's, canvas or wood, acrylic paint and brushes. 

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I took some classes from Henry Asencio and Sagi Erez which really helped me out and showed me a lot and set me in the right direction.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sushi washed down with the best beer you've ever had.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Spend time with my family, read comicbooks, watch movies and listen to music. Maybe a round of golf if I can fit it in!? 

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Always doing something drawing, painting. Staying productive and positive.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
Don't stop! Don't make excuses that you're too tired or don't have the time. If you want to truly do something, you will no matter what. 

Jane Peterman

Name: Jane Peterman

Website: www.janepeterman.com

What do you do?
I paint large nonobjective abstract paintings.  My favorite format is 52 x 54 inches which is how wide my hands can reach.

Where can we find your work?
At the moment in the Statewide Exhibition of Painting at the Triton Museum, online on my website, www.janepeterman.com, and by visiting my studio, 4030 Transport, Palo Alto, CA 94303.  I'm also represented by BayVAN Artist Registry for 2012, www.bayvan.com. 

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
One of the things I did to combat a severe depression was a nurturing arts class one weekend a month for two years.  We did simple exercises that emphasized the process of making art such as drawing a piece of fruit after touching but not seeing it or drawing the creation story on 6x6 inch pieces of paper after hearing Genesis verses read one at a time.  We always sang.  These experiences were deeply fulfilling and I try in my art practice to recreate that glorious soul nurturing feeling.
      

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I'm a process painter.  It's all about the touching of the pigment to the surface and what happens after.  Bringing a painting to a finish is actually pretty difficult after the fun of exploring at the beginning.  The last 5 percent takes great discipline for me.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you? 
Being self taught I have had the freedom to explore art history in a rather random and disorganized way.  I have a long list of artists I've admired and studied but I think the ones that are most important are those working from a spiritual place.  The book, The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985 Maurice Tuchman (Editor)   affected me strongly.  A few names of artists important to me are Rothko, Kandinsky, Gabrielle Munter, Alice Neel, Agnes Martin and Richard Diebenkorn.  Local  rtists I admire include Squeak Canrwath, Ines Storer,  Ruth Asawa, Tim Craighead and Patrick Dougherty.  I could go on and on...

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Jack of all Trades but master of at least a few?

When do you get your best ideas?
Sometimes ideas come to me outside the studio, but mostly they from  standing there in my studio, looking and trying to figure out what's next.   Last spring I was painting a canvas while the earth was bursting forth with rich growth. After I finished the painting (my studio has no windows)  I realized that the painting reflected what was happening in nature.  I named it “Spring Refreshment”. 

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I love to use plastic sheets as printmaking plates, slathering on paint and making marks in the wet paint, then applying the plate to a canvas in process.  I use a lot of palette knives, scrapers and pointy tools.  Everything is an art material in some way.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am self-taught in art.  I did a lot of painting in the beginning supplemented by reading books about composition and design and then plowing through a bibliography of about 30 books recommended to me by workshop teachers and trying to apply what I learned to my painting.  There is a freedom in pursuing a course of interest outside a university class but you can fail to learn things you should know.  I'm weak on art history before 1880.

What would your creative work taste like?
Beef Bourguignon.  Meaty, rich flavorful, hearty.  At least I hope so.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like to cook and ride dirt bikes.  I get to cook more than I get to ride dirt bikes.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I think artistic talent is within everyone and we who get to tap into art making daily are very lucky.   Because I came to art making by experiencing the process when the product was not important I didn't judge my early results and just kept making more stuff.  The reward was in the doing.  I think that a good way to work.  I'm quite distressed that schools sacrifice art first in their attempt balance budgets.  Art feeds the soul and every child needs it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?  
Just do the next thing, whatever it is.  Make another piece of art, get a business card, make another piece of art, take pictures of your art, make another piece of art, do the next thing.  Just keep going.