Andre Hart

Name: Andre Hart
Website:  Facebook.com/TheAndreHart

What do you do?
I write songs, I sing the songs, I play harmonica, I play the auto harp, I paint, I draw, I’m and Artist.

Where can we find your work?
Facebook and Kalied Gallery for now.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I don’t know what inspires me and things don’t really get tough they get more or less the same, so I tend to change and adapt quickly to new forms.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
 The words.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Bob Dylan, Al Preciado and Dave Thomas

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
The President of The United States.

When do you get your best ideas?
Idk  they come and go as they please, sometimes it comes from reading a newspaper.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Oils for painting, I use brushes knifes, the usual stuff. For music it’s not all too complicated.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Self taught in painting though I was classically trained in figurative and portrait drawing when I was 11. Not very much, I tend to leave the past where it is and think about now. That’s what’s really important to me.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sound.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Read the news paper, listen to music, see the girl, go to shows, a lot of things.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I really have no idea. I’ve been an artist since I can recall at age 3. It didn’t take much to get it out there I just showed up. If people like it or not idk, it really doesn’t matter as long as they can see it really.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
Honestly I have no clue because I don’t know where my creativity comes from I just do as the day comes.

Amanda Mikaelsson

Name: Amanda Mikaelsson       
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/amandamikaelssonart/

What do you do? 
I write/play music and do pencil drawings. I am a music composition major at SJSU.

Where can we find your work?
https://sites.google.com/site/amandamikaelssonart/
My music has been featured at local concerts and performances. Upcoming dates: March 28th 7:30pm at Le Petit Theater downtown SJ, and April 11th 7:30pm at SJSU concert hall

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Creating is my passion. When I create music or art I am excited and happy.  The tough times just fuel my creativity.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I think the technique and process is important. As an artist, the process is the part that gives me joy. The experience of creating is exhilarating. The finished product is also important because it can convey a message to the audience.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My younger brother passed away a few years ago. His memory always inspires me. Different people in my life inspire me everyday: family, friends, and people that come and go. Everyone has a story and I like to use that in my art.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Spongebob because he is carefree, fun, creative, and happy.

When do you get your best ideas?
No specific place or time. If I see or hear something that strikes me I get inspired.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I use a Pencil for art. I use a piano and the computer to write my music.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I was self taught in music and applied to music school at SJSU. After making it in the program I began learning about music theory, music history, and new applications of music. It broadened my expectations for myself in music and music composition.
I am self taught in drawing. I have never taken an art class. I have participated in forums online to get new insight. Being self taught keeps my art very personal. One could argue that not being educated about pencil drawing can keep me from growing.

What would your creative work taste like?
A buffet. There are many different things you can eat and try and experience. There are so many styles in the music I like to create. My art would probably taste like sushi. I draw portraits, and you can expect a clean picture.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like to see my friends and family. I like to cook, swim, play the piano, and watch movies.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
My family was always supportive of my art.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?  
Believe in yourself and your creativity. 

Underneath

Jon Landry

Name: Jon Landry 

Website:  www.facebook.com/JMLART22

What do you do?
In terms of just artwork I like to draw & paint.  In terms of being an artist, I like to imagine that the choices we make in life are like the choices made on the canvas; sometimes we go here, sometimes we go there, sometimes we fuck up - but in the end it's the finished product that's judged.  Being an artist is more than just painting - to paint
is simply a profession. Art is changing your life.

Where can we find your work?
The easiest answer would be www.facebook.com/JMLART22 - but I'm not hard to find. My work has been displayed in a number of places across Chicago, San Diego, & finally back home in San Jose.  Really grateful to a lot of good people I’ve met in the SJ Artisans community for early opportunities.  Keep it in the hood, y'all.

What inspires you to create & how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Being an artist is the ultimate rebellion - it's flipping off society with both kickstands & defying a life centered around consumption. It's choosing a life according to the cry of your heart, regardless of how the chips may fall.  Personally I'm still learning about the
message, but what inspires me to create is the fact that the only time I can really find peace is when I'm drawing.  I need that time to myself in the lab, I need that time for reflection.  It's therapy for me, it's an obsession.  The thought that I don't have to live a life around a commute & a paycheck - that's pretty fuckin' inspiring.

My grandmother had a simple mantra for when things get tough - 'so what?'  Life is a constant struggle; things are always going to get tough, there's always gonna be a monkey wrench thrown into your plans, & shit is always gonna happen.  But so what? How are you gonna handle the inevitable adversity life throws your way?  You can't just crumble underneath it - you've got to roll with the punches, you've got to be able to perform under pressure.  I like to remember that I’ve got all my fingers & toes, I'm not in the hospital or in jail, I can speak English perfectly fine & I’ve really got nothing to complain about.
Keep moving, keep fighting, & keep getting better.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
You could make legitimate arguments either way, but both hold their own intrinsic value.  I don't know that either is more important than the other - honestly I think it's all just one big kickass experience.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My mother was hands-down the strongest person I’ve ever known – my sense of will, determination, tenacity & perseverance all come from her.  My father on the other hand was hands-down the wisest person I’ve ever known - "If you open your mind to the realm of possibilities, that which is impossible - happens."  Without the influence of these two individuals I would never have had a chance. There's really no close second, but I suppose I could round out the top five with Banksy, Harry Chapin, & John Madden.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain
That being said, I'd go with Batman.  Definitely Batman.

When do you get your best ideas?
3:00-7:00am.  At home, drawin' pictures, of mountaintops.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Pencils, erasers, & a whole helluva lot of sharpies.  Acrylic paints on canvas, detail brushes, & high-gloss varnish.

Are you self taught or formally educated?  How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Self taught - I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid but just started painting about five years ago.  Learning as I go has it's pros & cons just like anything else - it's exciting to find new tools o or techniques as I learn, & then there is of course the whole 'Sinatra'
factor.  But it can be debilitating too; ignorance is crippling, knowledge is power, so it's a constant search for learning, whether you're in school or not.  "There's more than one way to an education, & maybe I prefer the one I got." - Benny Binion

what would your creative work taste like?
Pork chops & whiskey.  And no fancy-schmancy shit either - maybe a little apple sauce but that's it.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like meeting other artists & just stand-up genuine people in San Jose.  I like finding opportunities to help people & thinking about how I can be an asset for my community & how I might be able to make things better (even if just a little).  I like to meet my neighbors & explore the city, find the old spots & check out the new ones.  But there is absolutely nothing - I mean nothing - like tailgating from 5:00am at the Oakland Coliseum on game day.  I love that shit.  Go Raiders!!!

How did you learn to access your creative talents & gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
To be honest, I kinda just backdoored into this.  From the beginning I’ve had trouble taking credit for my work because I never felt that this was something that I did - this wasn't something I aimed to do or studied for or accomplished - this was something that happened to me. Through a set of meaningless circumstances, I made a drawing for
someone, & other people saw it, & it took off from there.  People gave me a lot of positive feedback, but I can't say I really needed the extra confidence - it's still so new to me, & I still just love it so much, I'm gonna do what I do regardless of what people may think."Don't think about making art.  Just get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, if they love it or hate it.  While they're deciding, make even more art." -  Andy Warhol

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
It's about substance, it's about meaning, it's about will.  Be true to yourself.  Follow the cry of your heart.  Stay focused.  Keep getting better.
Commitment.  Sacrifice.  Discipline.

Donna Orme

Name:  Donna Orme

Website:  www.donnaorme.com

What do you do?

Printmaking, Mixed Media Artist

Where can we find your work?

Los GatosMuseums Gallery, 24 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030-5917, Gallery Hours:  Tue-Fri, 10am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.   Additional shows posted on my website.

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

I consider myself an experimental artist and enjoy trying new techniques.  I am inspired by my surroundings and am motivated by the task at hand and my involvement with the environment.  Therefore, I am always motivated.      

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

Technique/process

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

Joe Price—my teacher at the College of San Mateo; Alan May, my teacher at the Pacific Art League; the great masters—Paul Klee, Wassily Kandisky, Joan Miró and current artists at galleries who produce abstract works.

  

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

I would be Mildred Pierce, the character played by Kate Winslet in the HBO production of the movie.  I identify with a mother figure having raised one daughter and two sons.

When do you get your best ideas?

My surroundings are an inspiration to creativity whether it be something in the studio, an idea sparked from a meeting of my fellow artists or the solitude of a walk in the neighborhood.

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

I use acrylic paint, printmaking oil-based inks, BFK Rives paper, Asian papers for collage and a variety of scraping tools.

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

Although I attended the local community college and local art venues, I continue to learn by experimentation and personal desire to try new things.

What would your creative work taste like?

Cherrios—I do a lot of work that has the shape of a circle.

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

I crochet afghans and garments.  I like to swim, take walks and enjoy the company of my husband.

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

My first experience with showing my talent to the public was producing and selling Better Homes and Gardens craft kits to customers via a home party-plan venue.  I learned to talk in front of a large group and how to promote and sell a product.

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

 Social networking is important.  Try joining a local organization and get involved.  

Mike Borja

Name:  Mike Borja    
Website:  facebook.com/theartsocket

                www.Michaelborja.com

What do you do?

Right now, this very moment, I am watching a lot of Dexter and Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. The T.V. shows are connecting for some odd reason because there’s a girl named Kathryn, on The Next Great Artist who creates art that looks like blood splattered organs laying on top of white sheets of plastic. Dexter is a serial killer who kills serial killers and has a creative process doing it. Work of Art is interesting to watch because each artist has a very different art background and style. For example: graffiti, video, pop, installation, performance, and serial killers. Just kidding.

I actually get this nostalgic feeling watching the Work of Art, because it reminds me of school and being creative and experimental in a classroom with a bunch of crazy brilliant artist.

I just love being creative no matter what and where the situation is. But my goal right now is to try and push my creativity into new levels.

Where can we find your work?

You can find my work at the Kaleid Gallery in San Jose, CA.

 I’m also currently painting on an electric box on 7th & Santa Clara by City Restaurant in San Jose. Look out for a Dog House & Aquarium if you’re around the area.

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

What inspires me the most is other artist. I love seeing other people’s creativity whether it be art, music, performance, and poetry; and it inspires me to be creative. The best reference for creativity is in life and nature.

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

I think they all go hand in hand, but I do enjoy technique and process.
  

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

Right now I’m extremely inspired by Little Dragon, Case In Theory(SJ), BadBadNotGood, my girlfriend Cha, commondense.tumblr.com, David Icke, Michael Tsarion, Klaus Dona, J-Squared(SJ), Mars-1, cleanwhiteshirt.com, music, the flea market, mom, dad, astronomicalkid, and those are some of the things off the top of my noggin .

Oh, also Jiddu Krishnamurti who is a super far out thinker. I believe the character, Yoda from Star Wars is somewhat based on Krishnamurti. If you listen to his audio lectures they sound very alike. Also, I found out recently that George Lucas created a little documentary on Krishnamurti and put his actual character in, “The Young Indian Jones” series. Look him up.

This is my art inspiration website. Check it out. https://gimmebar.com/user/mikeborja/collection/art-inspiration

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

Spiderman

When do you get your best ideas?

I wait for an AHA! EUREKA! moment from deep in the collective subconscious.  

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

Right now I’ve been collecting a bunch of tools, but I’ve been spending more time on the computer!?

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

I was self taught as a kid. I used to go to libraries and grab all the how to draw books and have drawing sessions with my cousins. Mario paint was the best! And then I went to school at AAU San Francisco and did New Media for a couple years and then decided to get into Fine Arts.

What would your creative work taste like?

More like what it would smell like…Mr. sketch markers, sharpies, scratch and sniff stickers,

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

Eat! There is eating in creating haha.

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

I always loved visually expressing myself be it through the body, on paper, through music, and video. my mom always loved my stuff, which gave me confidence to put it out there.

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

If you have a creative thought or an idea, start creating it right away or else that excitement will make you feel like you already did it and you’ll end up not doing it. If you have had thoughts (like I once did) that say, it’s too hard, you can’t do it, I’m not good enough, there are others way better than me… don’t listen to them and just watch them pass on by.

Those are creative inhibitor thoughts that like to keep you busy and distracted in your mind. Just start creating something with any tools in front of you and keep doing what you’re doing! You can use your imagination to be creative in the craziest ways. Also, do you research on other artist to inspire you. Create and represent your vision!

Forget thinking about what you’re going and have to be in the future. I mean there’s nothing wrong with having a little thought of the future, but now is the time of all possibilities which creates your past and your future at the same time.

Jane Ferguson

Name: Jane Ferguson
Website: www.janewferguson.com

What do you do?
I am a Fine Artist, my primary mediums are watercolor and acrylics but I enjoy experimenting with mixed media.

Where can we find your work?
The Viewpoints Gallery In Los Altos. I take part in Silicon Valley Open Studios every year. I also show my work with various local art club .Currently I have a solo exhibit of my work at the PHO 69 Restaurant in San Jose called “Outside The Lines In Side The Box” This whole exhibit will be moving to Intero Real Estate in Santana Row in February.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I get excited using color and creative designs and look for my inspiration for this in unusual places when I travel and go about my daily life. I enjoy cycling and hiking and these help feed my inspiration. People also fascinate me and what they wear .When my creative juices stop flowing I start to play and take the seriousness out of my work. I reduce the size of the paper or canvas I am working on. Actually some of my best work has been done doing this.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Both are need to help me grow and improve as an Artist.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I am fortunate to belong to an excellent critique group and they have helped to keep me motivated and pushing forward to get better at what I do. Mike Bailey a local art teacher helped me find my own voice by teaching me more about design and less about technique.

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

When do you get your best ideas?
First thing in the morning as I am waking up from a good nights sleep.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I have a huge selection of pens and pencils and all manner of tools to create line in my work. I do use brushes but for my larger abstract canvases I like to use decorating household rollers.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am mainly self taught with classes from local artists and workshops arranged by the Santa Clara Watercolor Society. I feel it has allowed me to have more of my own voice and less following a set out path with lots of rules. Although I certainly will use rules to my work when I feel things are not working.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet , fruity with zesty under tones and some herbal fragrances.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Meet with friends, ride my bicycle, hiking and hang out with my family. I love listening to music and watching a good movie. When I cannot paint creating in the kitchen is also something I enjoy doing.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I feel it has always been there and I have a rather extravert personality . I love meeting people who enjoy my work and will even buy it .It still give me a huge buzz.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Relax and enjoy what you do. If you are not having fun.....STOP!

Eric Belladonna

Name:Eric Belladonna
Website:
www.facebook.com/theworkoutparty
www.facebook.com/adultdnceparty
www.facebook.com/wastelandsj

What do you do? Where can we find your work?
I'm a Downtown San Jose Indie/Electro Dance Party Promoter. I'm also a Photographer and just an overall event coordinator…I love being creative and geeking out with like minds! I Have these super fun and stylish Parties throughout this awesome city… One Party is called theWORKOUT Party (with my Friends @ Agenda Lounge Downtown San Jose; First Fridays! ) and the otherADULT DANCE PARTY (with my local hero DJ BASURA…at The Blank Club; select Saturdays) I'm just the luckiest kid these days, things have gotten pretty neat, I can't even believe it! It's kinda weird actually. I'm probably in homeroom actually dreaming this up back in 2004. haha

www.facebook.com/theworkoutparty
www.facebook.com/adultdnceparty
www.facebook.com/wastelandsj

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
My BIGGEST inspiration is boredom! My whole life I was that kid that was looking out windows, pregnant with wanderlust, fantasizing about being in a better place with more excitement. My problem, much like many others, was I always wanted more and wished for everything, but I never thought to actually commit to do anything about it! As soon as I got the guts to do what I dreamt about secretly, things just kinda started developing! Its such a magical process when inspiration strikes, and I'm always looking for that next ZING! When I feel bored, I know that I'm actually just not pushing myself to do more new things! I have to remind myself a lot to keep growing!

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
When a person puts their heart into something, it always shows! It's beautiful when someone presents to you a small part of their soul. You appreciate it more, it because valuable and important. With parties it's strange to say it's an art, but it is. How do you get people to get out of their home, drive x miles, pay money and stay the whole night, even though they work early in the morning? You have to give them something they can't refuse…and we give them everything we have! There's a moment during every party where everyone is on the dance floor, so in tune with everyone around them and the music, that’s the moment we really work for, we fight for it! Everything must go perfect...

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I'm super duper inspired by my friends! I live for them, they are so fascinating! For someone like myself, I grew up with very little friendships and acceptance for being: gay, too fat, too skinny, too tall, braces, too weird, everything that was "Me" was wrong! So I've really come to appreciate the opportunity to have sincere people who care about me…and my friends are exactly the kinds of companions I wanted: artsy, intelligent, and crazy silly! That's the kind of people I'm attracted to! What makes my events successful, in my opinion, is the people who attend; They are probably the coolest bunch of happy-drunks you will ever meet! And those are the persons I target…people who become my friends, not my clients.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Ziggy Stardust! He's M.A.G.I.C.A.L!

When do you get your best ideas?
I get my best ideas when I'm listening to T-Rex in my room at 2am, folding my clothes and drinking green tea. Like every other old lady in town.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My MacBook is my office…non of this would exist without it! It's super scary when I think about it…my hands just started sweating…

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I started as a nightclub Photographer in San Francisco. 2006 I think, It was a pretty radical time for parties, and I was the Dude capturing them all, but I wanted a party to call my own! San Jose seemed like the best place to start! All though, My friends and I never thought it would actually take off, I was just being dreamy as usual!

What would your creative work taste like?
Maybe salty like sweat. Kinda gross, sorta sexy. It might also taste Fergi-licious, so delicious.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
When I'm not being creative, I'm obsessive… I like to see other people being creative, it motivates me to be EVEN more creative. I'm such a gawker! It's weird! I love looking at creative people and telling myself I need to be on their level. I'm sick, really.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I always do my best, my Mom would be so disappointed in me if I didn't, she's a hard working monster! My Dad to! He lives in Mexico and when I visit him and my overachieving Family members, they literally sit me down and ask me to list what I've achieved… and I'd die if I had nothing to share! They all do such cool stuff, they own Hotels, Nightclubs, Stores; they're Dancers, Politicians, Musicians, Pageant winners, Singers, Actors, and other cool stuff that makes me feel incompetent and lame. haha It's a lot of pressure…but one day, I'll show them! That's my life goal! I'm gonna buy Mexico!

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Just do it! It's scary as hell putting yourself out for everyone to judge, but hey, at least you're doin it! I'm sure they're so many people just kicking themselves that are saying "I totally had the idea of creating electro parties in San Jose! I came up with that in 2002!" but they never did it, and then this weirdo came in and took that title right before their lazy eyes! Don't make that mistake…pretty sure it sucks.

Deborah Anderson

Name: Deborah Anderson
Website: athousandcanes.wordpress.com

What do you do?
I would say I am a mixed media artisan but I specialize in polymer clay jewelry.

Where can we find your work?
Kaleid Gallery, Quilt Museum gift shop, Nikkei Traditions in San Jose and Triton Museum in Santa Clara.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I have been working with polymer clay since 1993 and am a member of the Southbay polymer Clay Guild here in San Jose. I get inspired from books, seeing other people's work and nature.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I think both are just as important. You keep learning as you go through a process or a technique. As I go through the steps to create a finished project, the next time I make it, I may try something different.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Pier Voulkos, Steven Ford & David Forlano & Gwen Gibson are some of the people I have taken workshops from who have greatly inspired me.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Anne of Green Gables

When do you get your best ideas?
I get ideas when I attend a show. Whether it be a quilt show, craft faire, trade show or when I am just working and have time to play around and experiment.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Polymer clay, pasta machine, clay blade real leaves, texture stamps

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Polymer clay has so many techniques you can try and apply to your work. I have taken classes by some instructors to learn some of them and I have taught techniques I have come up with as well.

What would your creative work taste like?
It would have texture and taste a little salty with some sweet and sour

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Travel and visit with friends, go to yard sales

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I get so much satisfaction in creating and it has always been rewarding to me. People have been very supportive and encouraging.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Follow your heart & enjoy

Shoe Heaven

Donny Foley - Donbon

Name: Donny Foley - Donbon
Website: www.DonbonsUniverse.com

What do you do?
I'm the creator of Donbon and all his silly adventures and friends. I mainly work in digital art, it's much more forgiving. I do a lot of things like clocks, calendars, stationary, but I'm mostly known for my comics.

Where can we find your work?
I'm featured all over the place currently, for instance: Kaleid Gallery and... actually that's about it. My website is full of goodies though www.DonbonsUniverse.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I've met a ton of people in my life who do what I do, just hella better. But, they're content just throwing it all away for some crap job that makes them unhappy. I don't want to be like them so that usually gets me motivated.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Personally I think the content is the most important part. If you're content sucks than your technique and finished products will do nothing but just look good.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Mike Patton, Jhonen Vasquez, my girlfriend's cat Spot, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Winsor McCay (Little Nemo), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Shigeru Miyamoto & Takashi Tezuka (Legend of Zelda), a lot of my old bosses (because they're something I strive not to be), and a bunch of my friends who I wont name because if they read this, i'm sure it will go to their heads and they're heads are just fine the way they are.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Little Nemo, that kid had some sweet adventures.

When do you get your best ideas?
Ha ha randomly my most genius ideas come to me while I'm in the shower. Then I get exited (not too excited) about this new idea and can't wait to work on it. I think it's because I have nothing to do in there but think. Oh and clean.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My good old reliably unreliable computer, mouse, and wacom tablet (all of which are falling apart.).

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
For the most part I'm self taught. I'd be lying if I said I never had anyone give me a bunch of pointers. I even took a photoshop class once to sharpen my skills. But the teacher was never there so I didn't really learn a whole lot. I think not having formal training it nice, I'm able to form my own style that wasn't some teacher's that cost me a lot of money and time to mimic.

If your creative work was edible what would it taste like?
I would like it to taste like rocky road cereal from the 80's followed up with an amazing hi-5. But in reality, it would most likely taste like snail urine.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I usually go to hospitals and punch babies in the face, maybe drop an atomic elbow or two.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I use to make all these over the top and stupid comic strips in high school that everyone loved. The more positive reactions I got, the more confident I'd get. Negative reactions are great too, sometimes they're even better. They show you what you didn't see and can help you improve.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Go to a nice a quiet graveyard all by yourself, find a peaceful shady spot and make yourself comfy. Look around and tell yourself, “I can draw better than everyone here.”.

Jen Norton

Name: Jen Norton
Website: http://www.jennortonartstudio.com

What do you do?
I paint. My subject matter is the everyday moments that reflect our commonality. These days, I feature food, family recipes and food-related occasions in order to explore food as a means of fostering communication and to honor family traditions.

Where can we find your work?
a. Start with my website: http://www.jennortonartstudio.com
b. I also have an Etsy store, which you can also get to thru the shopping tab on my site:http://www.etsy.com/shop/JenNortonArtStudio?ref=si_shop
c. FB fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jen-Norton-Art-Studio/43248608987
d. twitter account: @nortonstudio
e. If you want to see my work life, it’s best to check the “show schedule” tab on my site. I hang work in local venues and do outdoor fairs and I post it all there. Right now I have work in Sherman Cellars tasting room in downtown San Jose, Wisteria Antiques & Gardens in Soquel and at the Presentation Retreat Center gift shop in the mountains above Los Gatos. I’m not in a permanent gallery right now...still looking for the “perfect marriage” on that one!

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
The joy of painting and putting all my thoughts down in tangible form is the beginning of the inspiration. Over time, the message behind what I paint has gotten more focused and personal, so I am now more open to various form factors and design options beyond painting. The possibilities of that add a whole new dimension of creativity. When things get tough creatively, I remind myself (perfectionist that I am) that I do not have to have all the answers up front to start...I only need to start. I switched from watercolor to acrylic years ago just because of this reason. I needed to know I could change my mind mid-stream. I will also go back through journals and sketchbooks to regain my focus. Usually whatever I put down there meant something to me at one time, and I may find meaning again when I’m unfocused.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
The most important thing to remember is that all art, including visual, is a form of communication. Therefore, your message, the content, is top priority. What are you all about? What do you need to say to the world? Your technique should fit the message, not the other way around. For example, the guys who draw “Life is Good” use very simple line and show simple, everyday imagery. Their simple message and simple technique match. You simply get it right away. I paint food, which could be a simple subject. But I want to show deeper meanings behind what we put on our plates and who we share it with. I love to make large, delicious, complex paintings of this simple subject so the viewer will look at it and say, “Wow...I never knew swiss chard was so beautiful!” I want to elevate something you may take for granted to eye-stopping Fine Art (with a capital “F”).

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Gosh, where do I start...way to many to name. I love the post-impressionist painters because I think that’s where things started to get interesting. Cezanne, Van Gogh, Mary Cassatt for their use of color and texture to depict the everyday, ordinary; Milton avery for his use of simple shape (I wish I could be that simple), American illustrators like Gary Kelley or the Balbusso twins because their work is simply beautiful, writers Barbara Kingsolver and Laura Esquivel because I can feel their stories, singer/songwriter Amy Grant for expressing connection and common emotion so eloquently,Ketra Oberlander and Dorothy Varacel for leading inspiring lives after tragedy struck, my daughter Emma for being more amazingly awesome than I ever was at her age. Pour me a glass of wine, and I’ll come up with more!

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Hmmm. Off the top of my head, the time-traveling heroine Claire from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series because she’s like a medical McGiver who was drawn through time to find what clearly is the most awesome manly man who ever lived. :-) Although she’s had to survive some experiences I’d rather leave out of my life, given the choice.

When do you get your best ideas?
Waking up in the morning, while driving, falling asleep at night. The trick is to remember them long enough to write them down. I wish I could clear my mind enough during a normal day to get the same level of inspiration, but life is just too darn busy. Maybe when I retire...

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Acrylic paint on canvas or paper, lots of texture-creating stuff like tissue paper, bubble wrap, rollers, old credit cards (they’re my #1 tool, and new ones come to me in the mail for free all the time!)

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have a Fine Art degree from Santa Clara University, but honestly, my life since has really been what’s crafted my work. I was just too young and socially immature to take real advantage of what was offered to me in college at that age.

If your creative work was edible what would it taste like?
The most fabulous chocolate brownies ever...and you could enjoy the whole pan and not get sick or fat.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Read, take my dog to the dog park, travel (when we can afford it), eat whatever fabulous cuisine my husband cooks up with a glass of wine.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I was painfully, debilitatingly shy as a kid. My poor mother...they told her I was “retarded”, whatever that means. Thankfully, she didn’t believe it. I loved to sit and draw all day (safe form of expressions), so I was always encouraged to do it. I really don’t know how to NOT think like an artist. I spent the bulk of my earlier career as a graphic designer, which meant I had to learn to defend my work to clients who were paying lots of money. That experience really taught me a lot about having solid thinking behind your work and helped me develop a tough skin.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
First of all, create, create, create. Even if you have another job, don’t let laziness or fear keep you from making art because it’s the only way to break through your own ego-driven desires and get to the heart of what you’re meant to do. Art is not a get-rich-quick endeavor. You have to be called to it. As you create, in the back of your mind always be thinking, “why am I drawn to do this?” “what am I meant to express?”. We are content providers, and the world never has enough good content. Take that job seriously.

Tim van den Berg / Session Kat Photography

Name: Tim van den Berg / Session Kat Photography
Website: www.sessionkat.com, http://www.facebook.com/SessionKatPhotography

What do you do?
I am a semi-professional photographer, concentrating in humanity and juxtapostioning
human-situations, youth sports, and natural subjects.

Where can we find your work?
Various coffee shops, nightclubs, and my website: www.sessionkat.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
My creativity energy is typically spontaneous. With camera nearby, moments can be captured. I always look with the eye of a camera and many times log ideas and locales for a return visit. When I struggle for inspiration, I have learned to relax and not worry over output. There is always potential to create. Patience and foresight may be the only vehicle sometimes. When the time is right, it will be apparent to capture and complete.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Content is 90%. Technique chiefly important, but it is the subject that speaks. Technical proficiency is judged. A human expression, and cloud’s pattern is viewed.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Edward Hopper. Jim Brandenburg. Clark Little.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
A time-traveler.

When do you get your best ideas?
When I see them.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Nikon 18-200mm lens. Aperture v3 software.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I’ve taught myself fundamental rules of photography. Trial and error my forte’, which I find forces me to work harder at capturing an effective subject and content. Composition driving the finished product. Know enough to know what to do, and what to not do.

What would your creative work taste like?
The buffet at Fresh Choice.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Play with my kids, volunteer at schools, and express sarcasm towards pop culture and contemporary news media.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I’m still learning. Accessing my talents is up to me. It is a choice. It is work. Sometimes easy and impulsive, other times a drudgery. My Facebook fans have built my confidence tremendously as I’m now inspiring people from around the world, between ages of 10 – 100.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Just do it, and do it some more. Study art from the past. Never throw ANY works away. Give your art to others. Believe in yourself. Love your mistakes.

Safe and Sound

Lacey Bryant

Name: Lacey Bryant
Website: www.laceybryant.com

What do you do?
I'm mainly an oil painter. I've experimented in a variety of media such as polymer clay sculpture, knitting, installation, watercolors, block printing, chalk on sidewalks, etc. I always come back to oils, though!

Where can we find your work?
I show at a few galleries on a regular basis. I'm a part of group shows at Cactus Gallery in L.A., Studio Gallery and Modern Eden Gallery in SF, Tasty Gallery in Seattle, Psycho Donuts in Campbell as well as a few shows at other venues here and there. I also have an ongoing display at KALEID Gallery in Downtown San Jose, where I also keep my studio. I will be having a solo show at Modern Eden Gallery opening on January 21st in 2012 as well. I also try to put pictures online from time to time, my website has links to the places I post as well as information about current shows.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get
tough?
I'm inspired by a lot of things. Often something I read will bring pictures to my mind, other times just watching or talking to people or going for a hike in the woods will inspire me. I develop a lot of my ideas in my sketchbook, when I don't know what to do I will just start with a face and the rest will usually come from there. My work is mostly about giving form to intangible things like emotions so I often think about how I might give form to a particular thought or feeling that I'm interested in when I'm doing other tasks. My mind is constantly wandering. I love to look at art books, seeing work that really amazes me makes me itch to try to make something of my own. I don't feel so much like I need to be motivated most of the time, the desire to paint is sort of a compulsion for me. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. If I'm feeling a bit blocked, sometimes I will play with a different medium for a bit. When I'm feeling stressed or tired I try to keep in touch with the excitement I feel for all of the fun things I get to do!

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I don't think I can separate the two, they are equally important in my eyes. I think you have to love every moment of the process in order for that love to come out in the finished product. There has the be a willingness to do what it takes to make the best picture you can make even if it takes lots of time and patience. Technique is important as it is the tool that you use to convey the meaning of your work. On the other hand, what is form without substance? The content of the work is the ultimate point, isn't it!

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
There are so many! I love the work of Henri Magritte, Jenny Saville, Henri Matisse, Dorthea Tanning, Alice Neel, Gustav Klimpt, Egon Schiele, Zak Smith, Henrich Klay, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Henry Darger, Arther Rackham, Jim Henson, Kurt Vonnegut, Vladamir Nabokov, Niel Gaiman, Shel Silverstein, I could go on. I subscribe to Hi-Fructose Magazine, so it seems like every time it comes in the mail I have several new favorite artists of the moment, too. I love Victorian death photography, children's picture books, science fiction books & b-movies and the passionate artists that show at the gallery where I work.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Perhaps Door from Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere or Alice in Wonderland.

When do you get your best ideas?
I think about things I want to paint while I'm stuck in traffic or working at other jobs or while I'm laying in bed trying to sleep, so pretty much all of the time. A lot of my ideas occur while I'm messing about in my sketchbook.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I use oil paints on my handmade cradled panels a lot. I also love painting on found wood, especially cabinet doors and cigar boxes. I like flat brushes and a glass palette. When I work with clay, I'm especially fond of Puppen Fimo polymer clay. I also like to build installations with cardboard and found objects. I love to play with different mediums so I've got a pretty eclectic collection of art supplies!

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have an Associates Degree in Fine Art with an emphasis on painting but I didn't get really serious about making art until a year or two after I'd graduated. I think it took a little life experience for me to develop my voice through my art. I spent a long time developing techniques and learning about color and such before I really figured out what I wanted to say with my art. Much of my learning has always been on my own, if I'm
interested in something I read about it and experiment.

What would your creative work taste like?
Bittersweet chocolate or beets. Sometimes tart cherries. (But it would smell like fall leaves burning.)

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like hiking, gardening, baking, reading, watching old movies, playing video games, spending time with my friends and family and snuggling with my black cat Hecubus.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
My mother was great about giving us access to all kinds of art supplies when I was a kid (not to mention some things which I saw as art supplies that maybe weren't). I loved to decorate our house for Halloween and volunteer to paint sets for the children's theatres I was involved with. My little brother, Jeff was my partner in crime, always egging me on. His delight in my silly creations made it so much fun to try and come up with things to
entertain him. I was very shy about showing my work publicly at first until my friend Lara Sophia and I started showing together and even making art together. We were able to give each other the moral support that it took for us to start putting our work out there. The work we're each making now is very different from each others, but it has all been built upon those early experiences and I don't think our work would have developed quite the same without that collaboration.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
You have to be willing to work very hard to accomplish things you never thought possible! Make a lot of work and make it good work, don't slack off (and you know when you're slacking). Be willing to experiment, you never know when you might find your new favorite medium. Come out of your cave once in awhile and talk to other artists. Your community is one of your greatest assets-it is a source of inspiration and encouragement. Set goals for yourself and stick to them. It really helps to have a project. Don't quit! If you're serious about making art, then stick with it past the ugly duckling phase and give yourself a chance to grow. Don't compare yourself to other artists and think that you will never measure up. You are the only you there is, find your own voice and don't try to fit in or be anyone else.

Night Taste By Lacey Bryant

Frances Marin

Name: Frances Marin
Website: www.francesmarin.com

What do you do?
I mostly paint and draw, but also sew and print.

Where can we find your work?
You can see my art on my website www.francesmarin.com. I show at libraries, bars, galleries, shops, wherever. I’ll have work in an upcoming group show at Empire Seven Studios (http://empiresevenstudios.blogspot.com/). The opening reception will be Friday, January 13, 2012 at 7pm. Also, I’m in a group show at On the Corner on January 27th.

I recently did an illustration for a magazine called Made in San Jose
http://www.madeinsanjose.com/ and I designed a t-shirt
http://www.kfjc.org/fundraiser/store/girlieshirt_2006.html some years back for the best college radio station, KFJC. It’s available still. I think?! I also just finished a zine with my boyfriend called Ladies and Gentleman Quarterly. You can buy it at The Arsenal for $2. We are hoping to make another issue around February or March of this year. I want to do a silkscreened cover and sew the pages together this time.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Both manmade and natural things inspire me: stacks of records and books, animals and their symbolism, buildings, plants, patterns, structures, history. I like aged colors and using scraps of wood to paint on. I am a very nostalgic person and I think that shows in my work with the colors being diffused and unsaturated, like a faded photograph.

It feels easy to stay motivated in my small and crowded studio. There’s so much to look at and think about.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I love the feeling of being done with a painting, but the process is when I’m zoning out, doing a lot of thinking and figuring out. I love that part.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Tania Aebi. I read her book when I was 15. She dropped out of high school like me, but unlike me, sailed a boat by herself around the world with her cat. I hope to get a boat and learn to sail someday.

I love artwork that is loose, carefree or kind of slanted like the illustrations of Miroslav Sasek or drawings of Mingering Mike and Ben Shahn. These artists put a lot of feeling into their work and it shows. A lot of the art I like looks effortless or like it was really fun to make, like Karin Mamma Andersson, Peter Doig or Egon Schiele. I also like art that tells a story like the work of Pieter Bruegel, Raymond Pettibon, or Los Carpinteros.

I also have incredible friends with incredible talent and they’re pretty influential.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Brian Sweeney "Fitzcarraldo" Fitzgerald. I admire his determination. Plus, I can relate to his questionable decision-making. He’s the main character, played by Klaus Kinski, in the Werner Herzog movie.

When do you get your best ideas?
When I’m left alone. Also, on road trips.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Ink, paint, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil, paper, thread, wood. Lately, it’s mostly scraps of redwood or pine and acrylic paint.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Educated. I have degrees in art and library science. Words and images are fascinating to me, so it was perfect for me to study those two things. My education was kind of spotty, I dropped out in my freshman year of high school and was on and off again for years with college, mostly because I was more into music. It’s funny, the reason why I went back to school for art was because I was sick of my job at a record store and when I started looking for other work, I didn’t want any of the jobs I saw…so, school it was!

Art school was confusing for me. Sometimes it makes you think too much because you start to contextualize everything. I’m now about 5 years away from it and it feels good. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot about sculpture, photography, printmaking, drawing and painting, it’s just that it’s more pure when you aren’t getting graded for it. Still, it was good because it made my work more dimensional and layered.

What would your creative work taste like?
Kale, bread and butter, rice and beans, persimmons and coffee.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Read, listen to records, camp, walk, bike, and take photos. I love coffee. I love drinking it alone or with people close to me.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I was really creative when I was young and never outgrew it. When I could I would fake being sick to stay home from school to draw in bed all day. I would draw anything and everything:Garfield, horses, fashion, lizards, cars. I also made my own books, embroidered, crocheted, knitted.

When I was in college early on, I had a professor, Erin Goodwin-Guerrero, tell me I should pursue painting. That definitely got me going. I’ve done shows since I was in school, but am working a lot harder at it in the last year.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Learn about everything you can, not just about “art”. Be disciplined and selfish with your time. Stop making excuses. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR IT! Don’t be too attached to the work you make. I recently gave away a ton of old paintings and canvases for friends to paint over. That felt great. I know they’ll improve whatever I had on there.

Portrait by Bryan Lopez