The email interview

Every so often I am contacted by an art student doing a report or review on my work. They usually have a set of questions that they are required to have answered for their end of semester report. To be honest I usually answer these questions pretty straight forward and reply quickly but today I'm in a somewhat reflective state of mind and thought I would answer these questions with a little bit more depth.

These questions come from a student attending Curtin University in Perth, Australia.

What is it about the artists you use for inspiration that intrigues you?
The artists that intrigue me are usually traditional artists that "get it". What I mean by this is that their work speaks to me with such emotion that I feel I am actually interacting with them. As an artist it is easy to appreciate another artist's talent but to truly be moved by their obvious dedication to that single idea or painting inspires me to have more dedication in my own work. If they can put that much of themselves into a single painting or sculpture than why can't I? The other aspect of their work that I love is the shear mastery of technique (not to be confused with an ability to produce realism). Looking through an artists eyes I can see the level of skill needed to reach that. I have studied these artist's work so much and have dug deep into every fold, corner, and shadow that their works have become a part of my own style and voice.

A brief rundown of your most favoured piece, in terms of where you began with the concept to the point of completion?
My favorite pieces are almost always the latest ones that I've completed. The two I just finished are certainly favorites of mine - "Time with the Sacrifice of Youth" and "Protecting Hope from the Nature of Man". I used a different technique with these two that I am very excited about! I am about to start a third painting utilizing this technique and am hoping to refine it over the next few pieces. Both concepts sprung into my head while viewing the works of artists I love. Since I am a self taught painter their work acts as almost a class room for learning. So much so that I try to avoid looking at work by contemporary artists of today. I do not want my style to be effected by the latest trends in painting or illustration. I feel this has helped me to develop my own style which these two pieces show. After that spark is there I begin working on very small sketches to help flush out the composition. No piece is successful unless it is based on a sound composition. It's like building a house on a poorly design frame - the house will fall. From these small sketches (which are usually around 2 inches) I start to collect reference material that I use to design a more refined composition. These reference materials can be existing images or photographs of live models that I have taken specifically for the idea. Then I produce a final line sketch which is transferred to the canvas and used as a kind of road map for laying down the paint. It is important that the composition and original idea stay with the painting until the end and this technique allows me to do this.

Where you see yourself heading in the near future in regards to your art?

I wish to focus much more on gallery work. I want people to see my work in person so that they can have the experience I want them to have. I have never been satisfied with the printing industry and it's lack of ability to truly portray the subtle colors of an original piece. And this is true with any artist's work. To see the original is to see what was truly intended. I'm hopeful that I become successful enough in my work to focus solely on gallery work. I also hope that my work will inspire other young artists to return to traditional materials and techniques. There is nothing quite like moving a pigment or medium around on a surface. It is exhilarating!