13 Questions
I thought it might be about time to play a little "Getting to Know You". As an artist, I thought it would be a good idea to ask these 13 questions, using 13 unique ornate question marks, including the master image above.
So, here it is... 13 questions, accompanied by 13 original, hand-made question marks.
Question 1
Who/what are your biggest creative influences?
Answer
I take inspiration from several places. Life experiences, awesome views, the beautiful State of Colorado, and the AWESOME city of Denver, to start... but there's always influence that comes from other artists I like. For example, Monet, Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Banksy... music plays a role, too... and then, of course, there's always pot; which is always a blast of creative energy...
Question 2
Some of your writing and art incorporates themes that might be considered... um... perhaps a little angry, or maybe controversial... where does this come from?
Answer
I think most people carry certain elements of their adolescent years with them for the rest of their lives, whether they realize it or not. In my case, this is the music I listened to in High School; which included a lot of punk and other things with "anti-establishment" messaging. I listened to (and still listen to) a lot of bands like Dead Kennedys, NOFX, Black Flag, Propagandhi, Ministry... and then, of course, in the 90's, we had popular stuff like Rage Against the Machine, Rollins Band, and stuff like that...
It all kind of congealed into this person here; still fairly "extreme"... still hate the rich... still hate monopolies and "Corporate America" in general... and, of course, the "religious Right"... I see a lot of these things as genuine threats to society and civilization as a whole. Often, great art is done in protest of social norms and the "status quo". However, I don't want this kind of negativity and vitriol, as ever-present as it is in my own mind, to overshadow my greater message.
Question 3
On that note, what IS your greater message?
Answer
My greater message is somewhat simple. I want people to focus more on the simple beauty in the world; like sunsets, and hiking, and great music and food... but also, to find the beauty in their more painful emotions, like anger, and sadness, and hate, and things like that...
The good stuff in life wouldn't be as good, if the shitty parts of life weren't there. You need the pain to make the pleasure ACTUALLY pleasurable. You have to have that counter-balance; and in that regard, it's a beautiful thing; despite how painful it is to go through it.
Question 4
Expanding on your answer there, what painful experiences have contributed to your happiness now?
Answer
That's a tough question... starting in First Grade, life was really hard for me. My First Grade teacher was very abusive. She used to beat me up in front of the class; and she ONLY picked on me... nobody else. After that, I was bullied the entire rest of the way through school... Middle School was the worst... I'd get jumped at least once a week... the teachers would WATCH, and wouldn't do anything. But when I fought back, for some reason, they suspended ME for doing so.
Other painful experiences include a very abusive marriage, in which I was treated like a slave (literally) for 6 1/2 years... there were shitty bosses that have added to the equation, too...
Of course, the untimely death of my younger brother in 2007 has been hard to deal with, as well.
Question 5
How has your brother been an influence in your life?
Answer
My brother was one of the smartest, most creative people I've ever been privileged to know. My brother was instrumental in a lot of ways. He got me to be more open-minded about the music I listen to. His art was AMAZING... kind of similar to Rob Zombie's style, originally, and evolved from there.
He lost a bet, and wound up with a miniscule tattoo of a question mark; a symbol that he had kind of kicked around as a personal logo. That was the only tattoo he had. I've always liked tattoos, and a few years after he died, I got a question mark of my own tattooed on my right shoulder. Now, I feel like he's always with me, in a way... it helps.
My brother was also one of the best guitarists I've ever known. To be honest, I haven't picked up my guitar much lately, without him to jam with. He pushed me to be a better guitarist. Lately, I guess I've substituted singing for guitar.
Question 6
Let's lighten the mood a little bit, and change directions... we don't want to depress people, here... what music do you listen to while you work?
Answer
My playlist is somewhat diverse... it IS kind of heavy on the punk/ska side, but some of the bands that get the most play are Black Flag, Eels, Streetlight Manifesto, Richard Cheese... also lots of local music, like MF Ruckus, The Windermeres, -ITIS, Black Dots, Flobots, City Mouse, Warlock Pinchers, and a few others... Denver's always had an AWESOME music scene!
Question 7
Does your music affect your art? If so, how?
Answer
Really, it depends on what I'm working on... for most things, I just run a massive playlist called "Shit I Like" and throw the thing on 'random'... the biggest difference comes if I'm feeling angry, or working on a piece that's aggressive or angry... if I'm doing something like that, I throw on Slayer, or Mushroomhead, or something heavier, like that... but for the most part, it's just the playlist.
Question 8
Why do you make art?
Answer
Wow, a somewhat basic one... there are lots of reasons; but mainly, it's an escape and an output from the more painful things in my life, and in my past. I have somewhat severe PTSD, and my art gives me a way to focus on the things I love, while channeling my pain into my more aggressive or angry pieces. At the risk of making this a 'political' thing, I would also like to advocate the use of marijuana in treatment of PTSD. That's something that I don't think a lot of people understand about pot, and about me, and my relationship to pot. It helps. A lot. Without pot, there are days I don't want to leave the house.
Question 9
What are your favorite things to make?
Answer
I really enjoy making the things that have a Colorado theme, or a Colorado flag theme... they make me look forward to my Spring and Summer hiking escapes, and snowboarding in the winter... I like making those, but I don't necessarily want to be KNOWN for those; I want to be known, more, for making things that people want to put on their walls, and things that make people think. I also want to make things that highlight the life of someone that doesn't fit into any kind of societal 'box'.
Question 10
Could you expand on that, please?
Answer
I've never really been the kind of person who completely "fits in" with any certain group. There are a lot of different sides to me, and I 'get along' with a lot of people, and I can relate to a lot of people, but I've never been able to say, definitively, "I'm a punk," or "I'm a goth," or "I'm a hippy," or "I'm a (fill in the blank)"... I think, in a way, I've always been looking for the right group of people or sub-culture to 'fit in' with... but my tastes are so diverse, and my thought process is so different from everybody else's, I think, that there's always that 'one thing' that sets me aside as 'not an official part' of any group... something different in every 'scene', and for different reasons, and it usually boils down to something like, "If you like (fill in the blank), or if you don't like (fill in the blank), then you're not
really 'one of us'." That 'absolutist' line of thinking irritates the shit out of me.
Question 11
Let's go back to the 'pot' thing... aside from art, what do you like to do stoned?
Answer
My favorite thing is to watch horror movies... I've always had an affinity for horror, and it's always scarier when you're stoned. I also like hiking, and museums, and live music... of course, eating a gourmet hamburger, with a fried egg, and maybe some green chili... a GOOD burger... eating is always great when you're stoned!
Question 12
Where can I buy prints of your work?
Answer
I do not yet have a web store, but if there's something you want to buy, shoot me an email and I'll price it out for you... I'll get you what you want.
Question 13
In the master piece, with all the question marks, where is the 13th question mark?
Answer
I sign every piece with a hidden question mark. In part, this is homage to my brother; but also, I don't want people to like my art because they like my art... not because I'm the person who made it. A lot of people... art snobs, mostly... look at the signature before they look at the painting... they'll love or hate the work purely based on who made it, rather than whether they ACTUALLY like it. With hiding my signature, I'm able to sign my piece in a way that works with the aesthetics of the piece, without distracting the part of the audience that's more concerned about who made it than what it is.
To answer your question, the thirteenth question mark is my hidden signature. If you look for it, you might find it.
Closing
Thank you for taking time to get to know your artist! I hope that you learned some things about me as an artist, and that you are intrigued to continue enjoying my work!
Have a great day, all!
