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.

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.

ROMSKI

Name: ROMSKI 

Website: www.facebook.com/romskihiphop

What do you do? 
I’m an MC.  I’m a solo hip hop artist out of the South Bay Area.  Born and raised in Santa Clara on the border of Santa Clara and San Jose near the train station, currently residing in San Jose.

Where can we find your work? 
You can find me work online and in retail stores locally.  You can check me out on facebook, myspace, reverbnation, google + soundcloud.  Also you can check me out on I Tunes and local music shops in the future after the release of the album.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough? 
What inspires me to create is my life and circumstances that I’ve had to deal with so far.  I’ve gone through a lot of personal hardships and disappointing moments in my life.  I lived on the east coast a bit and take a lot of inspiration from that time of my life.  I take inspiration from my Mexican American heritage and reference that either in rhymes or the type of music I sample.  I take inspiration from current rappers in the game.  Those that I think are dope and those that I think aren’t.  I also find a lot of inspiration in old school hip hop. I remember the first time I picked up a paper and pen and began to write rhymes.  I was always a hip hop fan first and fell in love with the culture at an early age.  I would listen to my brother’s tapes and write my own rhymes to the beats by Run DMC, The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow at that time it was just fun and goofing off, just me and my brother.  I took it serious at about 13 years old. I always enjoyed my writing classes and writing stories and being a fan of hip hop during that time, which was about 1991, it seemed natural.  I never told any of my friends because even though a lot of my friends were fans the idea of being a rapper was this crazy idea.  A lot of people though that it was still a New York or Los Angeles thing, but I always took it more serious and thought as long as you’re fresh you can be dope.  To me it didn’t matter where you came from.  In my area we had b boys, DJ’s, and graffiti writers but no one rhymed really that I knew of.  At that time though in other parts of the county there were guys doing it but I didn’t know who they were.  Where I truly came into my own was when I went to college at NYU got involved in that whole creative buzz that lies within the city.  Something just clicked in my brain and I just went on a rhyme writing terror from then on it’s just been non-stop writing rhymes and working with my friend and producer Da Hermit.  More recently I’ve been getting guys from Serbia, Russia, and Mexico City wanting to do work with me.  It can get frustrating at times to come up with new ideas, but it’s the new guys, the young guys that I’ve connected with that keep me motivated.  The overseas love I’ve gotten since I posted music online has really inspired me to keep pushing forward even more.  At the end of the day it just comes down to me doing what I want, working with who I want, and just making the kind of hip hop that I like.  I don’t care if it sells or not.  I give a lot of free music away. I think it’s the best thing you can do to fans.  It’s not a business to me it’s a passion.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
Personally, I like the process.  The process of coming up with a new idea to rhyme about.  I think that’s where it’s fun for me.  Trying to find a fresh new idea is the toughest and most challenging but it’s the most rewarding.  I write a lot of my rhymes without a beat because I have a ton of ideas going through my head so much that I just write whatever whenever.  I had to start carrying a notebook with me or some piece of paper so I can write stuff down when I think it.  Then I go through a ton of beats and spit a couple of bars to see if that beat and rhyme are meshing  Sometimes it takes a few months to find that write match, but when it matches it’s dope.  I’ve written a lot of my songs without the beat first.  I don’t know if it’s better I just know that’s how I’ve done it.  Before I met Da Hermit and bought my own beat making equipment all I had was my pen and pad and no music.  So I would just sit at my desk and just write and write and write and write with no music.  Even freestyling I would do it alone to no music.  But when I hooked up with Da Hermit in 1999 it just opened up the doors to the next phase of my creativity. That goes without saying the creative process also requires content, I think content and process go hand in hand.   I’m currently working on an entire album where the content is more political but the process that is involved is still the same as far as coming up fresh ways to express this content.  I am not trying to be over the top politically.  It’s just some things I want to get off my chest that I think some folks may have forgot. So with this particular project I want to speak to everybody.  I try to make music everyone can get with and understand.  No matter what the content is I always have to remember that this is music and that it always has to be fun.  I still think you can get your point across creatively without being too serious.  I think it’s more effective that way and more memorable.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
That’s a long list and I don’t think I could name everybody.  I mean early rap pioneers like The Cold Crush Brothers, Afrikaa Bambataa and The Soul Sonic Force and The Fantasic Five.  Then you got Run Dmc, The Beastie Boys, The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, Eric B. and Rakim, KRS-One, EPMD, N.W.A, Ice-T, Kool G. Rap, The Alkaholiks, Rass Kass, Cypress Hill, The Beatnuts, Wu Tang Clan, Redman, A Tribe Called Quest, to cats that be coming hard right now like Sick Jacken and The Psycho Realm, Vinnie Paz and Jedi Mind Tricks, Celph Titled, Apathy, 7L and Esoteric, Ugly Duckling, Jurassic 5 etc….  The list goes on and on and on.  I can just sit here and tell you all the people that influenced me from local South Bay crews like Third Sight to crews like Foreign Legion and The B.U.M’s.  Groups like the X-cutioners and the Invisible Skratch Piklz.  I’m influenced by people that aren’t afraid to try new things.  I also dig folks that take old things and reinvent them and make them knew again.  Probably the biggest influence on me musically out of them all has to be Kool G Rap.  I couldn’t get enough of Kool G. Rap growing up.  His style was so different than anyone else’s at that time.  Kool G. Rap was multi syllable rhyming with crazy visuals.  You understood what he was saying and could picture yourself being there.  Currently one of my biggest influences that I enjoy listening to now is Ghostface Killa.  He’s got such dope style it’s just fun to hear him rhyme, Raekwon also.  Also not only are they dope rhymers, but on stage they are dope performers. That’s another thing for me that influences me is how dope they are on stage.  To me a lot of rappers just get on stage and stand there and just rhyme and get off stage.  They aren’t showman at all.  I like MC’s and groups who actually put on a good show and can come fresh with their rhymes.  Of the people I’ve seen live that are dope in my opinion are Cypress Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Dilated Peoples, KRS-One, Psycho Realm, Funkdoobiest, People Under The Stairs, The Fugees, Common, The Pharcyde, and  Foreign Legion.   Those are groups I’ve seen where I left going that show was dope.  Anyone I haven’t mentioned I haven’t had a chance to see yet.  The stage show to me is what got me to go out and by CD’s on people I thought I wouldn’t be interested in.  I’d see them perform and be like they were dope.  So groups that can put it down lyrically and on stage are big influences on me.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I’d be the Flash because he could run extremely fast.  So fast in fact he can go into alternate dimensions and come back before anyone knew he was gone.  Plus he’s friends with Green Lantern and anyone that can be down with Green Lantern I’d want to be.  So I guess I’d want to be two fictional characters.  But yeah,The Flash.  He makes getting struck by lightning seem cool.

When do you get your best ideas?
I get my best ideas at the most random times of day.  I’ve woken up in the middle of the night yelling, “I GOT AN IDEA”, and ran quick to write it down then went back to sleep like nothing happened.  I’ve gotten ideas just driving, or sitting watching TV.  I find it difficult to come up with something when I try too hard.  My mind gets clouded that way.  When I’m in a relaxed state of mind ideas just come out of the blue.  That’s the crazy thing about being creative.  An idea that seems strange to you could be a work of genius to others, and an idea you thought is genius could be strange to someone else.  It’s how it is, and that’s how it should be.  For me though when I’m working on a project I always have a concept in the back of my mind and I’ll just write 4 or 5 versions of a song and piece it together to see how it flows and how it comes off.  But ideas I’m always getting them it really doesn’t matter where I am really.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Pen, paper, books, personality, and crazy things I think of.  For an MC as long as you got a pen and a paper and a clear head that’s all you really need.  I use an observational eye as well.  I just look at society and document life as it is for me and what it means to be living in it at this time.  Sometimes it’s good, other times it’s bad, but it’s what is going on at the time and me being an observer by nature it makes it easy to notice things others might not notice.  From there I use a pen and paper as my canvas and let the story unfold.  You can’t forget the beat as well.  The beat is also going to guide you wherever you want to go.  You can have this idea that might sound fresh and put it to a banging beat and it just doesn’t vibe.  Instead the beat gives you this whole new direction.  It’s always a challenge in that sense, but it’s always fun and writing a song is always different for each song.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I was self taught.  I don’t think when I started rhyming anyone was teaching anyone how to rap.  It was a lot of trial and error.  Lots of failures before anything that I felt was dope could be recorded. For me I think self teaching taught me not to take it for granted and that working on something that you have a deep passion for makes you appreciate your successes more.  It gave me self confidence when I would recite what I had written and got some good feedback and some constructive criticism.  How it affects my work is by always working to outdo what you did before.  I think if you still have that mind set you’ll be successful in whatever you.

What would your creative work taste like?
I think it would taste like home made enchiladas.  Full of flavor and loaded with spice and enough heat to where you can’t take no more but it so good you keep getting some more.  That’s what I think my work would taste like.  I’m hungry now!

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I like to spend time with my family.  I didn’t mention before but they are another inspiration to me.  We’re so crazy and comfortable with each other it’s like that dinner scene in the Eddie Murphy version of The Nutty Professor.  I like to relax mostly.  I’m a movie guy so I like watching movies, I enjoy reading interesting books.  I like  finding good places to eat.  I like hanging with cool people and checking out live music.  I listen to blues a lot too.  So either I’m watching a blues show or at a hip hop show.  I like to go record shopping and even when I’m not being creative I’m always writing rhymes.  I got so much busy energy when it comes that I can’t sit still sometimes.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
HMMMMM, that’s a good question.  My boy Da Hermit told me a long time ago you’ll know when you’re ready.  He was right in that sense because I never had a time table frame where I said such and such has to be put out by this day or that day.  I think what happened was that I was finally happy with my own finished product and let enough people listen to a sampling of what I had to say, you know what it’s time to put this out.  I never wanted to put out anything that I thought sounded bad.  That’s just how I feel.  I probably could’ve released some things a lot sooner than I did, but I wouldn’t have been happy doing so.  So in reality just one day it felt like it was the next step.  So far what I’ve leaked some people are feeling especially overseas.  So the next step is to release an album to a much wider audience and see how it goes from there.  All you can really hope for is that enough people like what you’re doing to where you have no choice but put out another album.  Even if that didn’t happen though I wouldn’t stop because it’s what I love to do.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
My advice is you don’t need my advice.  You already know what you want to do so just do it.  Go with your heart and your instinct and you’ll be ok.  At the end of the day if it’s what makes you happy and you’re ok with what you’ve created and  you want to share it with the rest of the world then I encourage you to live that dream.  Don’t let negativity bring you down.  Just focus on yourself and your art. 

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.

Al Preciado

Name: Al Preciado

Website: http://alpreciado.net/

What do you do? 
Artist and teacher

Where can we find your work?
Kalied

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I am inspired by beauty and women. I am inspired by heroic actions and sacrifice

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
Technique and finish. Content is important on particular projects

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Goya, Kiki Smith and Michael Buscemi. I  like his take no  prisoners attitude

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Jerry Maguire. I like his sense of compassion for the athletes

When do you get your best ideas?
Flying in planes, different countries, the beauty of women and nature

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Paints, watercolors and clay

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Formally taught. I think the University prepares for a formal critique of your work

What would your creative work taste like?
Tacos and menudo

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Travel. Movies, magazines, family and friends

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I had the talent early, but was not confident. Teaching others gave me confidence and helped me develop my work

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?  Don’t be afraid to look stupid and fail. Ask others. Get involved in peer critiques. Draw til you bleed. Help the community and not just artists. If you are convinced you are an artist, you are an artist. You determine if you matter or not. 

What would your creative work taste like?

We thought it would be fun to compile the answers to some of your favorite questions. Today it is the question -What would your creative work taste like? Check out some of the interesting answers below.

Hamburger-milkshakes, beer and peyote - The English Language

Lemon poppyseed cake!  Sweet with just a hint of tartness - Megan Eckman

Coffee & Flap Cats (cornbread pancakes)-Troy Joseph Curtis

A strong dark IPA beer on a hot summer day -Max Dehart

Sushi washed down with the best beer you've ever had.-Kori Thompson

I guess it might be like a chocolate cake with a layer of beautiful glazed fruit on top.- Deborah Mills Thackrey

Hot buttered rum…tasteful,  smooth with a bit of a kick- Joan Tesauro

Bittersweet chocolate. Perhaps it took you somewhere else when you ate it, and you wanted to stay there. - Warren Lain

Fresh produce or something earthy like mushroom- Floy Zittin

That’s interesting. Thinking of how my playing has been described as “ dynamic”, “Artistic statement is powerful” and “Deft virtuosity” I would say that my playing would taste like some strong – yet extremely delicious cocktail! Ha Ha! - Ray Furuta

I have utterly no idea. This is the first “gotcha” question I’ve had in a long time!-Ketra Oberlander
SUSHI -Matt Gonzales

Funfetti Cake with vanilla frosting.-Vida Killz

It would be smooth to the tongue, but spicy when swallowed.- Karen Honaker

Delicious and satisfying, leaving you wanting for more, month after month. -Fernando B. Rodriguez

Beef Bourguignon.  Meaty, rich flavorful, hearty.  At least I hope so. - Jane Peterman

Smoked salmon- Coyote Slim

Sound - Andre Hart

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.-  Amanda Mikaelsson   

Pork chops & whiskey.  And no fancy-schmancy shit either - maybe a little apple sauce but that's it.-Jon Landry

Cheerios—I do a lot of work that has the shape of a circle. - Donna Orme

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

Sweet , fruity with zesty under tones and some herbal fragrances. - Jane Ferguson

Maybe salty like sweat. Kinda gross, sorta sexy. It might also taste Fergi-licious, so delicious.- Eric Belladonna

It would have texture and taste a little salty with some sweet and sour - Deborah Anderson

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. - Donny Foley – Donbon

The most fabulous chocolate brownies ever...and you could enjoy the whole pan and not get sick or fat.- Jen Norton

The buffet at Fresh Choice. - Tim van den Berg

Bittersweet chocolate or beets. Sometimes tart cherries. (But it would smell like fall leaves burning.) - Lacey Bryant

Kale, bread and butter, rice and beans, persimmons and coffee. - Frances Marin

Crisp, sweet and has to have a long after taste - Pete Anderson

Some of my paintings are little and sweet. Those ones would taste like mini cupcakes with pink icing. Some of my artworks are a bit darker, like the one shown at the bottom of this page (Peregrine Falcons Hunted Passenger Pigeons). The darker art would taste like black licorice.- Laura Callin Bennett

If you could eat my work, it would taste like ink and wood pulp.- David Mejia

Duh…Chocolate (vegan of course) - Katrina Marie Loera

Well, it's not a food, but I'll say cigarettes (if they weren't bad for you, anyway). Something you take in, which adds some hard to describe, but pleasant thing to your day, and then you let go of.- Todd Elliot

Really good homemade hummus and pita bread, followed by Greek honey yogurt.- Lisa Mejia

In my dreams, it would be as delicious as crawfish étouffée.- Paul Kimball

Blood orange juice and vodka. A bloody screwdriver? -Kim Christman

Like the perfect Cannoli or cheesecake accompanied with the most amazing espresso in the world. A rich complex taste that fills you and gets you excited.- Michael Foley

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

Our 1 Year Anniversary

Its hard to believe that its already been a year since this humble little blog was started. In that year we have interviewed 44 talented San Jose creatives: artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, Dj’s, interior designers, creative entrepreneurs and more. What is even better is that we already have interviews scheduled out until Jan 2013. There is no shortage of creative talent in the South Bay and we are proud to share it with everyone.

In honor of our 1 year anniversary, instead of posting new interviews this month we will be posting the best of answers to some of our most popular questions. We also asked our featured creatives to answer one additional question: “If you had absolutely no restrictions, not money, time, resources, etc. What would you want to create?” We had some great answers and will be posting them throughout the month as well.

We are also hosting a very special 1 year anniversary exhibit at KALEID gallery this month. We will have 30 artists and 5 bands that have been featured this past year. We really hope you can make it out to see, enjoy and support all of this local talent. 

The English Language

Name: The English Language
Website: www.englishlanguagemusic.com

What do you do?
We are The English Language: a three-piece Rock & Roll Super-Band inspired by our love of the greatest 20th century pop culture and music.  Kyle Langlois plays guitar and sings, Tristan Perotti plays bass and sings and Mark Danley hits the drums.

Where can we find your work?

www.englishlanguagemusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/EnglishLanguageMusic

www.reverbnation.com/theenglishlanguage

www.soundcloud.com/englishlanguagemusic

www.theenglishlanguage.bandcamp.com/

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

Inspiration comes from anything - not excluding nothing.  Rock & Roll is as vital   and universal as speaking English.  We've motivated by the overwhelming influence and cultural impact Rock & Roll has and will continue to have on Western civilization and the world.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
 All are equally important. Technique and process are essential to performance, both live and in the studio.  The finished products (recordings) allow us to demonstrate our musical aesthetic as ideally as possible. Content, both musical and lyrical, is always important in our music.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
There are so many... We are heavily influenced by the 50s/60s/70s so our top three songwriting influences are: Ray Davies, John Lennon, and Brian Wilson though we draw influence from all types of music and culture. Anyone from Brahms, Joplin, and Vera Lynn to Elvis, Zappa, and Sublime.

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

Jesus.

When do you get your best ideas?
The night time is the right time.

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

Anything that makes an interesting and, most importantly, appropriate sound. Everything from guitars, tambourines and microphones to jew harps, crotales, and even household objects.

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

The English Language is comprised of both self-taught and formally educated musicians. Having such varied musical backgrounds makes our band and our music more versatile and interesting. Our ears are open to all styles and sounds.

What would your creative work taste like?
Hamburger-milkshakes,beer and peyote.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Eat, sleep, drink and think.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Talent is a fairy tale. Talent is when you work your ass off and someone notices.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?    
Find out what you want to do and do it.  It's simple but challenging.

Megan Eckman

Name: Megan Eckman             
Website: http://www.studiomme.com
 

What do you do?
I’m a pen and ink illustrator who rekindles wonder by reminding people of the magic they felt as a child.  In my artwork, anything is possible and the unusual is the norm.  The magic exists in the everyday and it’s my job to help others see it again.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my website at http://www.studiomme.com and several galleries and boutiques across the country.  A full list of shops is available on my site.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I’m constantly inspired by young adult books and the classic fairy tales.  I always get my best ideas when I go for a walk, however.  My mind begins to play with the possibilities of what could be.

     

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Content!  I’m a narrative artist and if the content doesn’t let me tell a story, it’s not going to grab my attention.   

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My father used to read me the dark Grimms’ fairy tales before bed along with the work of Edward Gorey, especially his Gashlycrumb Tinies, an unfortunate alphabet book where 26 children meet untimely ends.  Max Ernst’s crazy engraving mishmashes really influenced me in art school as well.  

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Sophie Hatter from Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle.

When do you get your best ideas?
When I’m on a long, afternoon walk by myself.  It never fails!

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Rapidograph pens and smooth Bristol paper.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Both!  I attended art school and received degrees in art with an emphasis in drawing and English with an emphasis in creative writing.  However, I taught myself most of my technique since pen and ink is only taught in the most basic forms nowadays in college.  The formal education was the best thing I ever received because it allowed me to learn the history of art and that really helped me put my work into the larger context of art history, art theory, and also English lit theory.

What would your creative work taste like?
Lemon poppyseed cake!  Sweet with just a hint of tartness.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Bike!  My boyfriend got me addicted to cycling a few months ago and now I love putting on those padded shorts and riding into the mountains.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I grew up with a very supportive family who always pushed me to show off my work.  It took years to gain the confidence I have now but I still get nervous when I call gallery owners.  However, if I don’t share the work I make, then what’s the point of making it?  If I want it to have an effect on people, if I want to rekindle wonder in the magic that exists around us, I have to show everyone I meet!

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
I actually just wrote an article on this for DesignSponge! http://www.designsponge.com/2012/02/biz-ladies-how-to-be-part-of-the-10-percent.html

But to sum it up, it takes professionalism and ambition to be a self-supporting artist.  You have to present yourself as a real artist if you want to be taken seriously and you need to have the ambition to contact hundreds of shops and galleries so that a handful can say yes!

Deep Sea Dreamer

Troy Joseph Curtis

Name: Troy Joseph Curtis
Website: NuRoutesRecords.com

What do you do?
I play a handful of overlapping roles in the Downtown San Jose community and facilitate culture where I can be of some help. I am a poet, actor, journalist, songwriter, multi instrumentalist, producer, instructor and curator on the creative side. I am a small business owner entrepreneur and innovator on the business side and I am a community organizer, volunteer and provocateur on the local culture side. I am a working musician and currently run a music production, performance venue and gallery space called Nu Routes Studios located within The Citadel Artist Community in Downtown San Jose. I am about to launch Nu Routes Record, a San Jose focused DIY record label, sometime this fall. I also teach and create youth arts curriculum in schools, nonprofits and art studios.

Where can we find your work?
Music:
Nu Routes Records
www.nuroutesrecords.com

Nu Routes Studios
www.facebook.com/NuRoutes

Youth and Community Service:

I am the art instructor for a fantastic non profit that creates family resource fairs at Downtown San Jose elementary schools named Sunday Friends. Volunteer and you can make some really fun art projects with great kids.
http://www.sundayfriends.org/

volunteers/index.html

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I am truly inspired by the wealth of talented artists and artisans of all kinds that surround me here in Downtown San Jose. From musicians to urban farmers, makers to visual artists there are so many gifted people sharing inspiring art and culture. Personally mentoring and educating youth is the best cure for when things get challenging. No matter what's happening in my world, I can set it aside and focus on exploring another world with these young artists and it usually gives me new perspective on what ever I’m stuck on.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I go around and around with this one. My content follows my technique and my process chases my finished product. I tend to get more hung up on content/finished product but I am a deconstructionist at heart so no matter how much technique I learn or what process I apply I am always secretly or not so secretly taking things apart so the whole thing is a set up. I write a piece of music, play the snatch of music relentlessly until the overtones ring in my head. Create a vocal melody from that, let the melody stir up what ever is lurking in my sub conscience...formulate that into a coherent rough draft of a song, take it all apart and rebuild it with stronger more technical parts and less personal neurosis.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
There are a lot of well known artists and humanitarians I have been inspired and influenced by but it’s the people around me that are trying to live their dreams and overcome the adversities of everyday life that truly influences, motivates and inspires me. Three such examples of people that have an influence impact on me and inspire my work.
-Brian Eder & Cherri Lakey- Owners of Two Fish designs as well as Gallery AD, Kaleid and the Phantom Galleries downtown, Hosts of the annual DIY art & Culture festival SubZERO held in the SOFA district downtown.
www.galleryad.com  www.kaleidgallery.com  www.subzerofestival.com
These two gallery owners have mentored me for years. I couldn’t say enough about the culture, community, creativity and balance they have inspired in me. I learn from them on a weekly basis. We share a vision of San Jose as an Art Metropolis and it is their passion and fearlessness that fuels my own creative desire.

-Eric Lichter
www.facebook.com/
dirtfloorstudio ericlichter.blogspot.com/
Eric and I began talking about music and recording online a few years ago. He is musician and owner of Dirt Floor Studio in my home state of CT. We both have a passion for old school analog recording and American music. The work he’s doing and the bands he’s working with are a big part of my inspiration for starting a local record label. I feel if Eric can Start a thriving music community in a barn in the backwoods of New England than I have a shot at getting something started in the 10th largest city in the country.

-Erin Salazar
www.salazarcustoms.tumblr.com/

Erin and I are friends and neighbors at The Citadel Artist Community. Erin is a visual artist and recent graduate of SJSU. I am most inspired by her undying passion to create in the face of school debt, family illness and the overall lack of opportunity for artists in San Jose. It has been a big motivation to watch Erin set up her studio, start a small business and create unique, dynamic work from her large pin-striping inspired paintings to the murals she paints for local businesses throughout the downtown.

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

When do you get your best ideas?
In bed, usually early in the morning, when I’m just about to wake up or go to sleep.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Guitar, Bass, keyboards, Vox, records, Sp 404, pen & paper, Kazoo, smartphone, craft beer, Coffee

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
My uncle gave me my first guitar when I was five. It was an old Harmony with three strings that he had pulled out of a dumpster. I beat on that thing for years before I grasped the concept of tuning it or having all six strings. Growing up we didn’t have a lot so we made the most out of what we had. I think that informs my style and approach. We never had money for lessons but my mother got me a wurlitzer piano when I was ten and my father got me my first electric guitar when I was twelve both on the condition I would continue to teach myself. As I grow technically as a musician I see elements of my untrained style still come through. It gives me a feeling of uniqueness.

What would your creative work taste like?
Coffee & Flap Cats (cornbread pancakes)

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I’ve always been into movies, documentaries, cult and foreign films mostly. I enjoy woodworking and refinishing furniture as well as building and riding bikes.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I was a really painfully shy child who rarely spoke. I started writing music and poetry in middle school but only as a creative or emotional outlet. I slowly began reading poetry at bookstores and coffee shops around New England and started getting into slam poetry. In high school I had a Theater teacher named Maggie Kline. She was a passionate renegade English Teacher who grew up right here in San Jose. She was one of the first Americorps volunteers in the country back in the late 60’s and she became my high school mentor. I quit the football team and become Romeo in the school play. By the end of High School I had the opportunity to develop as a person and an artist as well as perform poetry, theater and music in front of thousands of people.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
I have worked with young artists at the beginning of their creative adventures for almost a decade now. As an Instructor I believe I’m there to inspire and inform. In my classes I tell my youth not to limit yourself, or let other people put limits on them. Experiment, explore and gain experience. Don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do or how to do it. Find your passion and answer your own questions.