Ugly Sweater Party! By Aaron Z. Lee
October 20, 2011
October 4, 2010
FEATURED ARTIST SERIES: CAYETANO VALENZUELA!
- Cayetano Valenzuela
How did you get into art in general?
- Cayetano Valenzuela
I have always been into art. When I was little my mother was pretty much on her own so all of us kids would go everywhere with her. She would give me a stack of paper and a pen to occupy myself when she was at appointments.
What is your art about? What has it been about?
I have been making work that explores the process of memory. I use my experiences and relationships to describe the America I know and remember. The people and underground culture I have met/been a part of in my travels are also being documented in a way as well.
Who are some inspiring figures in art for you?
I really admire people like Faythe Levine(film maker), Mercedes Helnwein(Drawing), Andrew Hem(painter), Laura Taylor and Luciano Noble II (photographers), Gregory Crewdson(photographer) …I mean the list goes on. I am a big fan of photography. I kinda try to get the feel of a photograph in my paintings…
Work by Cayetano Valenzuela
What are your favorite mediums to work in?
I paint with acrylics but I also use ink and pencil. In my sketch book I use acrylic and watercolor. I just really love the transparency and fluidity of it. I also just love to draw so I incorporate it in my paintings.
What would be your ideal workspace?
My ideal workspace? Ha, I think a huge warehouse space would be nice. For now though I have a small studio at my house and a screen printing set up in a basement.
What effect do you want your art to have on the world?
I guess intrigue. I want my images to give people a sense of the grand mystery of our own minds, the strange way it functions and gives us meaning yet is able to overlap memory and resonate with something more poetic.
Do you make money doing art? If so, how did you do it!?
Yes I make money doing art. I sell paintings mostly but more recently I have been doing commissioned freelance designs/illustrations for bands. It is pretty cool to see your art work on a twelve inch sleeve or on a t-shirt.
Work by Cayetano Valenzuela
Do you make mistakes creating art? What mistakes have you made?
Yeah, everyone makes mistakes. That is part of learning how to operate in the art field. The only way to make it is to just go for it even if you don’t know how. In that way you say to your self I am going to make something better than I ever have before. That is how I try to approach each piece I do.
Do you think art can teach people anything?
Yes of course. That is the whole reason art exists. Art wants to say something, to show the view some new way of looking at something or a new something to look at. A view can’t help but learn from art.
Do you listen to music while you work or do you demand total silence?
Oh hell yes. I must have music when working. It gives me a rhythm. It also sets the mood so to speak. If I am working on a large dark painting of the highway lights or pines I need Explosions in the sky or Sigur Ros but if I am working on an illustration for a certain band I will listen to their music. If I am just sketching I will go for the usual punk rock bands, Rvivr, Nothington, Mayflower, The Menzingers…Etc.
Where do you see your art taking you in five years?
Who knows I mean I am going to paint no matter what but I have been getting a lot of band jobs lately. I also really want to try my hand at tattooing.
Where do you see your art taking you in fifty years?
Well I of course will be filthy rich sipping jack-n-coke in my ridiculously sized house boat on the shores of Lake Ontario but only in the summer time. Most other times I will be jetting off to some opening or other. I will merely return for the fabulous sunsets. I will be in galleries internationally and making a healthy income from my paintings, illustrations, and tattoo designs.
Work by Cayetano Valenzuela
The Faint – Dropkick the Punks
September 6, 2010
FEATURED ARTIST: LACEY MCKINNEY
- Lacey McKinney Self Portrait
- Lacey McKinney Self Portrait
Continuing with my Featured Artist Series, I’m interviewing figure painter and graphic designer Lacey McKinney, who TA’d my History of Graphic Design class. Which I got an A in by the way. Her work is an expressive blast of color and fantastic rendering of the human form.
How did you get into art in general?
I started to do art because of my mom. She used to inspire me to be creative as a child by doing things like surprising me with a “Cat in the Hat” drawing on my bedroom chalkboard when I came home from school.
What is your art about? What has it been about?
I think my art is about what it means to alive and be human.
Who are some inspiring figures in art for you?
Right now, I really dig Marilyn Minter. She’s badass in the best way.
What are your favorite mediums to work in?
At the moment, I’m having a passionate love affair with Oil paint because it has a direct impact on the senses. It’s richness evokes sensations of taste, touch and even smell. It’s probably the most alluring media for me right now.
What would be your ideal workspace?
Dark by Lacey McKinney
Dark by Lacey McKinney
My ideal workspace would be a giant barn studio in the country that I build myself.
What effect do you want your art to have on the world?
I hope my art would affect the world by making people feel immediate and strong emotions, just as
any other important event in their lives would.
Do you make money doing art? If so, how did you do it!?
I make little money on paintings, right now, and I hope to change that. I make more money doing
freelance graphic design work, which I enjoy thoroughly as well for slightly different reasons.
Do you make mistakes creating art? What mistakes have you made?
Every artwork that I make is a mistake in the sense that I move on quickly from each painting with plans to make the next one better than the last. My best yesterday is not good enough for today.
Going by Lacey McKinney
Going by Lacey McKinney
Do you think art can teach people anything?
Art can teach people how to be human, how to understand others, and how to cope with life.
Do you listen to music while you work or do you demand total silence?
I listen to music every time I create art. My favorite song for a long time has been “Konstantine” by
Something Corporate.
Where do you see your art taking you in five years?
Within fve years, I hope to see my art taking me around the world, to places where I can teach
others, and to places where I can show people my work.
Where do you see your art taking you in fifty years?
In fifty years, I hope to find that my art always takes me back to my studio.
Void by Lacey McKinney
September 3, 2010
FEATURED ARTIST: KELLY CHILTON!
I’ve always wanted to do an interview series with artists that I’ve met and admire, so here I am finally doing it! Kelly Chilton is an artist from Plattsburg, NY whose colorful and lively work captured my eye when I had a class with him and shortly thereafter he was featured in Adobe’s Graduate Showcase in 2009.
Kelly Chilton Self Portrait
Kelly Chilton Self Portrait
How did you get into art in general?
I don’t remember how I got into art really. Actually I think it’s because I used to go all over the internet and get jealous of these people who were making digital images. I wanted to do what they did so I could make some young kid jealous some day.
What is your art about? What has it been about?
My art is about other places. I want to make a place that couldn’t happen but I also want it to be satisfyingly held back by reality.
Who are some inspiring figures in art for you?
Andy Gilmore and Paul Lee inspire me a lot.
What would be your ideal workspace?
A big desk with a 32″ monitor and room to place all my sketches and stuff overlooking some city.
What effect do you want your art to have on the world?
I want people to simply enjoy my work and get a feeling to travel.
Do you make money doing art? If so, how did you do it!?
I sell prints online every now and then but the biggest thing is self advertising my freelance capabilities. I get paid mostly for design, but every now and then I’ll get a big illustration job.
Do you make mistakes creating art? What mistakes have you made?
The mistakes I make are usually saving over files or losing a work through transfer. It’s devastating when I remember I did that.
Do you think art can teach people anything?
Art can make people want to buy something immediately, or go somewhere, or strike up a conversation.
Do you listen to music while you work or do you demand total silence?
I need constant music playing when I’m working. I have to click next a lot till I find the perfect song as well.
Where do you see your art taking you in five years?
I just made a five year plan actually. I’m moving to Scotland for my Masters so it’s taking me there. I’m going to try and make concert posters for venues there and hopefully get in with them so I can see a show or two.
Where do you see your art taking you in fifty years?
I want to work with music more closely doing album covers, band posters. I like how the cover of an album can be associated with someone’s favourite music and I’d like to be a part of that.
Artwork by Kelly Chilton
Artwork by Kelly Chilton
Artwork by Kelly Chilton
September 1, 2010
The 8th Evil Ex: Leonard the Livid
Scott Pilgrim 8th Evil Ex Contest Submission: Leonard the Livid
I created an original work for the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Good movie by the way…)8th Evil Ex Contest over at Deviant art. I tried to infuse some manga style into my work. Here’s a profile of the character I created:
Leonard the Livid: Ramona dated Leonard just to learn about new bands. When she found out that he was very confrontational and aggressive when his favorite bands got popular, Ramona left him. He still hasn’t gotten over it, or been quite right since.
He can turn any musical object into a deadly shuriken and when he runs out of things to throw he can crank up his music snobbery to 11 and tell you why your favorite bands are derivative of Appalachian saw music.
For more detail click here.
