From The Studio of … Alexey Adonin

Favorite material to work with? Oil paints. I have never felt more comfortable with any other material. What themes do you pursue? Early in my life my father instilled me love to nature by taking me on the weekend trips. We’ve traveled far away from the city to the rivers and forests, distant lakes. I was amused by the horizon, watching it mystic mirages, and somehow felt attachment to this beautiful scenery. Nature is religion thing to me,  it has nothing to do with the ordinary, always is mysterious and full of secrets, and is a spiritual place. So everything that I have ever come up with has it origins there. But for me it wasn’t enough - simply to copy what you’ve see. Everything should be viewed through the prism of imagination, and it should stay above all other rules of artistic logic. For instance, I was thinking about what the world might look like if I was an alien being. Would I see it as a human or it would be something completely different? In the result turned very experimental series of works called “Extraterrestrial Artifact”. I love to be in the middle of nowhere, lying alone in the field, listening to silence and observing the early morning fog that surround me. And when I’m coming home I’m trying to apply those glimpses of memory on canvas. The series called “Mystic Origin” is a real successor of my early life experiences and logical continuance of my thoughts about nature and how the human integrates in it. It has more mystic atmosphere that everything I’ve created before. “Red Planet” is available for sale at Saatchi Online Original: $2,145.00 Prints Start At: $22.00 Though I don’t consider myself religious in its traditional way, I find everything related to it extremely interesting to me. My recent efforts are a series of works that deals with psychological aspect of a human being: religion and beliefs, love and sex, psychedelic experiences. It has a little bit different approach, more personal touch. I believe dreaming and imagining are very important parts of my life, because the ultimate goal of an artist is transforming his vision to the viewer, making the viewer empathize it with the artist. When I paint, mind is revealing something by creating the worlds that don’t exist. And what could be more interesting than the discovering new worlds. How many years as an artist? I’ve drawn from childhood, but there was a long (10 years) pause. I am glad to be back after such a long period. Since then I haven’t stopped. Sketchbook? Do you use one? What type? Over past years I’ve made (mostly ink on paper) a big amount of drawings, some of them turned out are fully completed graphic works, and others are just very minimalistic and they are good as they are (in its simplicity). They shouldn’t necessarily become a large-scale work. Actually very little from my sketches eventually made its way into the canvas and if it did - only partially. I think painting should walk through a sort of evolution in a real time. It’s a child that born from symbiosis of feeling and spirit. Preconceived idea often simply kills this free transformation. I don’t really know in what direction it will go. The process is largely-intuitive - a voyage of discovery - which is how I like it. Where is your studio? I use a little corner in my room as a workplace… unfortunately. I wish I could have something better. Why do you make art? I like process of constant search, bringing elusive thoughts to the light - experimenting and mixing things. Art school or self-taught? I studied at the art school for children and later at the Arts College (Grafic Arts program). Prefer to work with music or in silence? I listen to music when I can. I wish I could have more heads to listen different records at the same time. iTunes, spotify, records? Records! Only quality music! No mp3!  

Favorite sound? An ambient electronics music, especially from mid 80’s. What’s around the corner from your place? A valley with sounds of birds. It’s often under the heavy fog in the morning. One of my  favorite inspiration places. Who are your favorite writers? Nikolai Berdyaev, Vladimir Solovyov, Alexander Belyayev, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? I probably would be a musician. A multi-instrumentalist.

“In The Quiet Stream” is available for sale at Saatchi Online Original: $2,002.00 Prints: $22.00. Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? It’s quite obvious; I would like to make living as an artist now. Though there is nothing wrong with the second statement too. What do you collect? My favorite music records, running out of place already… Use anything other than paint? I recall I have used degreaser for my work “Randevu”. Very stinky stuff… Onetime experiment. Representational or Surreal Surreal with elements of abstract.

Is painting dead? It’s not. No computer software can compare to this living and breathing handmade product. Painting Inside or Outside? Inside. I love comfortable warm place to work in.  

From The Studio of Lauren Cohen

How many years as an artist? Probably 6 as an informed artist; although growing up, I was always exposed to art. Your paintings seemingly occupy a space somewhere between the frantic cartoon-nature of Laylah Ali’s paintings and the uncomfortable serenity of Peter Doig; how do you approach humor and mood within your work? My interest has been in the theatrical facades of historical events, be it Revolutionary War reenactments or tours through old plantations in the South. I’ve been wanting to find more contextual information about the individual lives of people during different time periods. My recent works act as stage sets for imagined performances. I’ve been choosing compositions that are more cinematic. Like Ali, the approachable, cartoon-like depictions of my figures draw the viewer in. Once the attention is grabbed, you begin to look closer at other elements. The dark tension in Doig’s and my works, come from the way we create realistic snap shots of places. The viewer questions if what we propose in our paintings really exist. I feel that both of these moods are inherent within people. To take that further, these moods can be found in actors and actresses who emulate these extremes. I’m interested in the human yearning for success and to be seen or recognized. How do you approach your painting practice? Do you work from photos, do any initial research or are you more interested in setting up a framework that evolves through time? I do a lot of activities outside of the studio to get inspiration. I take photographs of friends and family and spend hours gathering images on the internet in order to cut out what I want to use in the painting (using Photoshop). I then paste the fragments onto a digital file of the piece I’m currently working on. I sit in café’s looking at these mock ups, changing the compositions and colors etc. The images trigger me to do extensive historical research or read about current events in various communities. I have hundreds of these files on my computer. I suppose they could be thought of as sketches. When I feel I have a clear understanding of what I’m trying to convey, I paint. I repeat that process about ten times before completing a piece.

“Daze Of Yore” available for sale for $3,000.00

Where can we find you outside the studio?

I am an Emergency First Responder through the San Francisco Fire Department. I dream that there will be big disasters so I can rescue people. I sleep out in the woods on the ground, volunteer for California State Park’s removing invasive plants and building walls etc. I go to improv comedy clubs, amusement parks, plays, musicals and opera and find historical reenactments (the ones in New England are the best; you see guys wearing 18^th century garb, getting a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts before the battle begins). You just got accepted into the Masters program of the Royal College of Art in London. What attracted you to the program and what changes are in store for you as you move away from San Francisco? Initially, I was drawn to RCA after seeing who has come out of the program; Chris Ofili, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, to name a few. I had been feeling overwhelmed by the competition of artists here in the states. You either go to N.Y. or L.A. I wanted to do this differently. I think it’s really important for me, and my work, to have a global perspective. I also knew I wanted an incredibly intense program. The professors in my interview were impressed by my enthusiasm and confidence towards my work and what I planned to do while at RCA but I was told by one of them that my work was “really undergrad.” He went on to say that they wouldn’t let me leave their school making that kind of work. I loved that; it was so hardcore. I’m going to grad school to grow, the work does need to change.

“A New Kind of Treasure” is available for sale for $4,000.00 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? You have to love this (this, being an artist). I listen to the lyrics of Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and Busta Rhymes. Together, they are so confident. They say, “see the way we all in it, we all up in the race… gotta taste it and I gotta grab it and I gotta cut all through this traffic just to be at the top of the throne but I know I gotta have it… look at me now.” Two of my peers from Skowhegan are going to grad school this fall as well, Heidi Hahn to Yale and Tatiana Berg to Columbia. The ferocity and pride in a lot of rappers songs resonate with me, but I should clarify -  we’re not just spotlight hungry, as many music videos display. We seek knowledge and to grow from our Alma Maters.. it’s deeper and less fly by night. No offense to the Lil Mammas or Jim Carey’s out there. Prefer to work with music or in silence? Rap, Hip Hop, Blues, showtunes and Danny Elfman are some of my musical influences. I watch music videos while I work. I love Japanese commercials selling products like yogurt or anything by Kyary Pomyu Pomyu. I make up elaborate dance performances in my mind of strangers walking down the street. On your website, there are samples of your paintings turned either into animations or taking a sequential nature like animations; what drew you to this process? Was it the desire to imply a narrative or do you have an interest in comic books and animation? I felt the need to add movement to my paintings. After doing so much research about the entertainment industry, stages and performances, animating the work was the next obvious step for me. I’m not incredibly interested in giving a clear (spoon fed) narrative in any of my pieces. I want to give the viewer these fragmented elements and have them piece it together. The hope is that they can look at a painting like, Zef Flavour, and go on a similar journey of thought that I went on in order to make the piece.

“Ongoing Exhibition” available for sale at Saatchi Online.

What can you tell us about your “Ongoing Exhibition” series? Ongoing Exhibition is one canvas that gets painted over and over, showing different exhibitions. A middle-aged man stands on a pedestal in a gallery and I create various pieces that surround him. I’ve made this series into an animation that captures the first day and night of the show opening (hence the light to dark effect). One of the six rotations called, “Redeemer Above Morrinho,” was inspired by a piece I saw at the 2007 Venice Biennale called, “Project Morrinho.” It was created back in 1998 by a group of youth living in Rio de Janeiro as a way to escape and challenge the negative perceptions of the Favelas. The giant female sculpture is Beyonce on tour in Rio. I’ve positioned her to look like Christ the Redeemer above the people of Brazil. Greatest achievement? Being able to work with amazing artists and thinkers at Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture and getting into Graduate school (where I will have the opportunity to continue that level of dialogue and intellectual growth/stimulation). Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? I’m still single. You know, Marina Abravomic said it the best; why there are so few female artists who succeed: “it’s because women are not ready to sacrifice as much as men. Women want a man, they want a family, they want to have children, they want to be loved, and to be an artist. And they can’t; it’s impossible.” Now, I’m no feminist, but here I am eating Hormel chili from a can, sitting in my closet making another painting that may or may not entice the writing of an Art Forum critic. Either way, I hope to make work that is interesting enough to be seen at some point in time.. Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? Neither. I want my work showing up behind Yolandi Vi$$a in a Die Antwoord music video. Favorite contemporary artists? There are so many. Several favorites are, Kirstine Roepstorff, Nigel Cooke, Yuko Nasu  and Yinka Shonibare. If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be? I want Ron Mueck to make me his interpretation of the Devil and God. Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Emily Wardill. I saw her work, Fulll Firearms at the Serpentine Gallery earlier this year and was completely blown away. Is painting dead? I’ve found the discussion around this topic to be lively diarrhea.        

From The Studio of Mark Posey

What is your medium? For many years I was working exclusively with oil paint. I come from a very traditional school that focused on traditional oil paintings. Recently however, I have switched to Acrylics. I feel that acrylic paint is more suited for capturing my energy and emotion because it forces me to be much more impulsive with my color and composition.

Tattoos? Yup. I have always had a natural affinity for design of all sorts. This includes, clothes, walls, canvases, skin, etc… Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that tattoos are right for everyone, but I think tattoos make sense for me.

Why do you make art? I’m a pretty passive person ordinarily, and art allows me to let go and be myself in a way that I normally can’t. What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Make genuine art. I think if something comes naturally to you, people are naturally going to be interested in what your doing. People want to see art (in all its forms) because art allows us to step into this minds of others and tap into emotions and experiences that we wouldn’t ordinarily get the opportunity to have. I personally would much rather look at someone’s painting than have a conversation with them. I think that your art says more about you than your words ever can, even if you make disingenuous art. Everyone has a vice. Care to call yourself out? Sure, I’ve have gotten really good at self-sabotage, and drinking diet mountain dew. Favorite cuss word? Jeez Louise Most important tools you use? Mistakes, for sure. Where is your studio? My studio is in North Beach, San Francisco Prefer to work with music or in silence? Both are actually really important for me.  A lot of the time it depends on what stage my painting is in. The initial stages I like to listen to really aggressive music, which helps me stay loose. As the painting progresses, I begin to like calmer music or silence at times to help me focus on the final color choices or compositional elements that need to be added. iTunes or records? Spotify What’s around the corner from your place? Crackheads, needles, shit, and a pretty descent bar. A piece of art you love? Matisse’s Red Studio is definitely up there. Favorite contemporary artist? Oh jeez, um, Chuck Close? Art School or Self-taught? Academy of Art University, San Francisco. I learned more there then I ever thought possible. What do you collect? I keep almost all of my paintings that I consider to be failures in hopes that one day I will finally see some beauty in them. That hasn’t happened yet. Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Vincent Van Gogh, hands down. Food or Sleep? Food is a burden, I wish I never had to eat.

“Nothing To Lose” available for sale at Saatchi Online| Original:$2,000.00 Prints Starting At: $40.00

Photo references? Sometimes. One thing that my paintings depend on are shifts in my process. When I use photo references for too long, my paintings lose spontaneity because I get too comfortable. When that happens I switch my process to purely imaginative paintings, and when my creativity burns out, I switch back, applying the new techniques I have learned. It allows me to constantly be upping my game by stepping out of my comfort zone. How cleanly do you work? I strive for a high degree of professionalism within my work. This starts with a clean workspace, everything I need has to be in its proper place before I begin painting. Having respect for my process allows me to have a greater overall respect for my work. Mottos or catchphrases? Balls to the wall.

Traditional or Conceptual? I have always taken interest in approaching familiar ideas in new and unfamiliar ways. A majority of my poses and compositions are very traditional, but they are executed in a very contemporary way. I think it’s important to borrow and expand on traditional concepts, but to continue with strict adherence to them is not something I am interested in right now. Religion or Pop Culture? I couldn’t care less about either. Is painting dead? …What?

“reflection 1” is available for sale at Saatchi Online| Original:  500.00

From The Studio of Nada Velickovic, Abstract Showdown Runner-Up

From the Studio of Showdown Winner, Joshua Welker

How do you interpret abstraction in your art? I’m with the Nabi painters on this one: I view Abstraction as an isolation and intensification of nature. Favorite material to work with? Anything that can be pulled straight out of the earth. What themes do you pursue? A few are the relationship of a fixed point to an object in motion, the debris of habit, the usefulness of entropy. Also, Color is very important, and, to quote Kristina Van Dyke, “space, as pea soup.” Most important tool you use? My hands. After those, chisels of all sorts. Where is your studio? For now it’s in my back yard…what would otherwise be a two-car garage.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Advice from my father: Plant your corn early. Also, this: Don’t smoke in bed. I’ve found those two little nuggets cover just about every kind of job. Process> Concept or Process<Concept? Process=Concept and Concept=Process, I’m a fan of marriage. Why do you make art? It’s a compulsion, away from which I don’t function very well. Art school or self-taught? School. University of Texas at Austin. Prefer to work with music or in silence? It really depends on the day. Winning piece in Showdown, “It Wasn’t Me, I wasn’t There” available for sale at Saatchi Online for $20,000  iTunes, spotify, records? iTunes in the studio. Vinyl anywhere else. What’s around the corner from your place? Oh man, two gas stations and a whole lot of corn. Favorite sound? Wind through the wings of Canadian geese flying 6 feet off the ground. Favorite smell? Peonies Where can we find you outside the studio? In the Garden with my family, or running miles from nowhere with a friend. Sketchbook? Do you use one? What type? Yeah, I try to make mine. Moleskin works as well. Anything smallish that I can fit or fold into my pocket is nice.

Who are your favorite writers? Wendell Berry, Annie Dillard, William Faulkner, Edward Abbey and Thomas Merton What could you not do without? I’m a sucker for things that grow. If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? Work road crew. Day job? I teach University Food or sleep? I guess it depends on what I’m potentially eating. Finish the sentence: “I would never be caught dead….” in Disney Land. Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? Barring the loss of my soul, count me in for now. Were you popular in high school? I’m not sure, but I don’t really think so. Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? Billboard, for sure. Those things are so offensive, aren’t they? Traditional or conceptual? Both, I’m an advocate of craft in order to sustain the viewers present-moment-romance of the concept and visa-versa. Favorite contemporary artist? It’s a toss up between Peter Buggenhout, Didier Vermeiren and Harald Klingelholler A piece of art you love? Bonnard’s The Studio with Mimosa If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be? Probably Donald Judd’s 100 untitled works in mill aluminum. Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Bernini Every get hurt ‘on the job’? Does my ego count?

Drink beer while you build? After. If you were a tool, what would you be? I would like to think that I would be an adjustable right angle, but I think a U-Gouge Chisel is more on the mark. Outsourcing or handmade? I’m a firm believer in both. A lot of my work comes from working. After a problem/group of problems have been resolved through working I have no qualms with future iterations being outsourced. Is bigger better? No, not in the least. Koons or Hirst? Both of those guys know just what they’re doing…Koons though, if I had to choose. Feelings on taxidermy? I prefer the living. “CAOH” drawing is available for sale for $700.00 on Saatchi Online   For more updates about Showdown- stay up to date at http://www.saatchionline.com/showdown      

From The Studio of Ad van Riel

Favorite material to work with? Paint. The substance itself, the colors, the speed of drying, the dripping, the flowing, the transparency, the thickness, the sound of brushes. I just love it. What themes do you pursue? The theme I follow now is my “Paradises of paint”, the landscapes of my imagination. In the paint itself all kind of figures and forms reveal themselves. I wipe them out or let them stay. I started it in 2005 as a sidetrack with another theme: “Images of ordination and survey”.The way of working is practically the same. In all the years of being an artist there has always been that need of creating a world of my own. How many years as an artist? 28 Years now. Sketchbook? Do you use one? What type? I make little notes and drawings, ideas are written down, collect photos and images, have a large stock of “typical” images. I use these images as memories during work. I find them in magazines, newspapers, leaflets. Earlier I had a photo collection skies and clouds. I still use it sometimes for my painted skies. Most important tool you use? My imagination. Where is your studio? My painting studio is at my home, a small apartment in the suburbs of The Hague (Leidschendam), where I use one bedroom and the walls of the living room. My other studio where I keep my stock and make the larger paintings is in The Hague. What was the best advice given to you as an artist? The best advice was from an art academy where I was told to stop painting because it was all worthless. That was 4 months before my graduation. It gave me an enormous power to go on and to feel prepared for the separation from the institute. Perhaps it was told on purpose? Never asked. Process> Concept or Process<Concept I really do not care about that. Why do you make art? I know no other way to express what is in my head, in my thoughts, in my views, in my imagination. Writing a book is not an option to me on this. I cannot stop that it has become a part of who I am. It is the way how I look at myself and the world in general.

Glorious Morning, Oil Painting is available for sale at Saatchi Online for $540.00

Art school or self-taught? Both, when I was about 20 I thought I did not need any school to be an artist. I was one already. Later on I discovered that art academy is a necessity to become an artist with skills, knowledge, vision and a drive that is close to yourself. There is a big difference between feeling like an artist and being one. An art academy is an institute, an environment you need to explore your talents to the ultimate depths and heights. Real art begins after that period, after the degree. Many paintings and drawings of my amateur period I have burnt ritually. No regrets on that, it was all about creativity and decoration. But some are still worth to look at. Favorite font? The Arial Black, I have all my work titled with it on the backside. Tattoos? There are so many other nice ways to express your love or identity. In a sense it is very introvert. Prefer to work with music or in silence? In silence. Sometimes soft piano music or Indian violin music. The last one is hard to find, by the way. The silence of the night I like very much, close to dawn. But not very practical for the social interactions and the work and living I have to make. Everyone has a vice. Care to call yourself out? My emotions and feelings are very intense.  Hard to deal with sometimes. For myself and others. What’s around the corner from your place? A large park with trees and birds. Favorite sound? Birds of any kind. There are ,any seagulls here, but also parakeets and thousands of crows, who settle down every evening in the big trees in front of my studio window. Their sound is electrical, like an old radio or a synthesizer.

Favorite smell? Sweet smelling flowers like roses, hyacinths and lilies. But also the scent of pipe-tobacco and cannabis. Herbs. Tomato leafs (!!!!). Rotting wood, the smell of soil and mushrooms. Where can we find you outside the studio? Riding my bike to work and do my shopping, visit the city-terraces in summer, swimming, visiting friends and family. If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? The idea of being a vagabond always attracted me. Day job? Teaching design at a school for interior stylists. Food or sleep? Food (especially with tomato in it). Greatest achievement? My open mind and creativity. Finish the sentence: “I would never be caught dead….” without a smile on my face. Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? Rather make a living of it now. After my death I can no longer enjoy painting. Were you popular in high school? Yes, I was the class clown, a  jester for popular people. Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? My art is meant for everyone. Every finished painting can find its way into the world. No matter on what it is printed. Would you ever figure model naked? Sure, why not.

Religion or pop culture? Is this a choice? Religion and ideology are for anxious people and the culture of pop is too much something of nothing, empty shells without content. And religion is too….. Traditional or conceptual? Conceptual without losing the roots of tradition. What do you collect? I collect Living Stones, small succulent plants. I grow them from seed and succeed to get them to flower with me. They are so beautiful in colors. They need ample water or food, so that is easy to take care of. For me it is a way of gardening on the two square meters of the sunny balcony of my home. Favorite contemporary artist? Raquel Maulwurf, Levi van Veluw, Zang Xiaogang, Andreas Schön. A piece of art you love? Jean Fouquet: The Holy Virgin and the Jesus child (Melun dyptich), 13th Century Pop-Art with Post-Modern colors. Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Francis Bacon or Jeroen Bosch. I feel connected to both

The Search, Oil Painting is available for sale at Saatchi Online for $990.00

Is painting dead? No, painting as an art form is not dead, it is perhaps fallen asleep. Painting images is not the goal. That road is truly a dead end, because producing images has become a skill for everyone and that is a very good thing. The image is democratized. Painting should reinvent itself again and again. It is one of the oldest crafts there is and all possibilities and variations are known to us. But there is always a way out: Your own. That truly personal system of making new images with that old, sticky, amorphous and dirty material called paint. Figurative or not, does not matter. It has to come close to skin. Favorite brush? The DA VINCI - GRIGIO Synthetics, nr. 12 Painting Inside or Outside? Always inside, in my home studio or in my studio in the City.

From the Studio of Claire Brewster

 

Favorite material to work with? Paper. What is your medium? Found ephemera and old paper. How many years as an artist? Since I was born.Most important tool you use? My knife.

“Well its not looking good from up here” is available for sale for $2,000.00 and prints starting at $60.00  Where is your studio? At my home in Islington, London What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Never give up. Why do you make art? Because I have to. Art school or self-taught? Art school.

Prefer to work with music or in silence? Music iTunes, spotify, records? 6 music, or iTunes Everyone has a vice. Care to call yourself out? Cheap chocolate and cheesy rom coms (oh that’s 2) Favorite sound? silence Cumbrian Bugs is available for sale for $4,500.00 Where can we find you outside the studio? I don’t get out much! Who are your favorite writers? Murakami, Auster, Lessing. What could you not do without? Time alone. If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? I don’t know, being an artist isn’t really a choice

Day job? uggh. Food or sleep? Right now sleep, but mostly food. Greatest achievement? Getting this far. Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? NOW, nothing matters but the now. Were you popular in high school? No, I was a geeky introvert.

What do you collect? Stuff. Favorite contemporary artist? Robert Rauschenberg. Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Louise Bourgeouis. Every get hurt ‘on the job’? I stab my fingers on a daily basis. Outsourcing or handmade? Always handmade. Feelings on taxidermy? Love love love it.    

From The Studio of Luisa Mesa

What is your medium? I work in varied media, including, but not limited to, ink on paper, oil markers on wood panel, spray paint and digital images.  I utilize whatever material will allow me to express what I am feeling at the moment. What themes do you pursue? All my work is intuitive.  It is meditative and the process has a calming effect on me.  I allow the work to unfold and when it’s finished it “speaks” out.  Others often interpret my abstract work as what you see under a microscope, such as bacteria and marine life.  In my image-based pieces, I often use old family photographs, as well as shots of places that I feel attracted to.  These works are personal and through them I explore past relationships.  The memories that these photographs bring forth, and the imagined realities that I create digitally by removing them from their original context, all serve to process their meaning.  Although these pieces are emotionally charged, I consider them intuitive as well, because I allow my subconscious to dictate the order and placement of the images that compose them, and the final piece is always a surprise to me.  Moreover, even in these image-based pieces there is a first and last layer of repetitive drawing.  I frequently create large-scale installations; the theme of which is that “everything is connected to everything else.” Emerging is a mixed media on wood piece 60 x 24 x 4 in available for sale at Saatchi Online for $7,500.00 How many years as an artist? As a child I was always creating things and drawing, so I can honestly say that I have always been an artist.  While life took me in a different direction, I studied art independently for years, by taking workshops in photography, painting and drawing.  Then, thirteen years ago, I returned to school and earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts.  Ever since, I have been a fulltime artist. Sketchbook? Do you use one? What type? I rarely use a sketchbook, although there is always one lying around at home and in my studio.  I mainly use them to write down ideas before I forget them.  Also, when I come across an image that seems interesting to me I cut it out and keep it in my sketchbook.  These books are spiral-bound. Most important tool you use? Oil markers and/or ink pens because every one of my pieces begins with a layer of repetitive drawing.

Meditations on the Light is a mixed media drawing on wood available for sale at Saatchi Online for $3,000.00.

Where is your studio? My studio is in an industrial warehouse district known as the Bird Road Art District.  It is a 1200 square foot warehouse space with 20-foot ceilings, concrete floors and a bay door big enough to fit a truck.  I just moved there about six months ago… It’s the studio I always dreamed of, and it sort of found me. What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Just do it… It will reveal itself. Process> Concept or Process<Concept Definitely, Process > Concept. Why do you make art? I make art because I HAVE to make it… It is a tremendously strong impulse that is ever-present.  When I make art all is good in my life. Art school or self-taught? Art school

Favorite font? Helvetica Tattoos? Don’t have any. Prefer to work with music or in silence? I usually work in silence because my work is meditative. iTunes, spotify, records? iTunes Everyone has a vice. Care to call yourself out? I can’t say I really have a vice, but I do love red wine. What’s around the corner from your place? A Cuban restaurant, a bunch of warehouses, other artists’ studios, auto body shops. Favorite sound? Ocean waves hitting the shore. Favorite smell? Coffee in the morning.

Meditations Series is a pen & ink drawing available for sale at Saatchi Online. Original: $700.00 |Prints: $60.00  Where can we find you outside the studio? At home with my husband, my African Grey parrot and my two dogs.  I frequently attend art exhibitions, and I love the movies and dining out. If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? I would probably be a writer or a psychologist. Food or sleep? Sleep Greatest achievement? Going back to school and earning my degree in art. Finish the sentence: “I would never be caught dead …” without my iPhone… Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? I would rather be able to make a living as an artist now! Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? Billboard. Astrology or astronomy? Astronomy. Would you ever figure model naked? No… I don’t think so. Religion or pop culture? Neither. What do you collect? I collect tools, spray paints, nuts and bolts, lenses… Favorite contemporary artist? I love Tom Brydelsky because his work has an otherworldly feel to it… It transcends our every day reality.   Favorite paper type? Arches watercolor paper. Use anything other than paint? Oil markers and ink. Oil or acrylic? Both Figurative or abstract? Both Photo references? I use my own and old family photographs Is painting dead? I don’t think painting will ever die. Favorite brush? Palette knifes? What do you wear while you paint? Jeans and a T-shirt Painting Inside or Outside? Inside Monet or Manet? Manet  

From The Studio of Juan de la Rica

Where is your studio? I work in an old industrial building in Bilbao (Spain), with about a dozen other artists. We are all different, but we get along well with each other.  Each year we organize an Open Studio event and people are invited to come and see our studios and most recent works. What is your medium? Mainly acrylic paint. It dries fast and, at this moment, I like that. I use oil paint just when I don’t want it to dry fast. I make collages with my computer. “Tank top boogaloo” 78.7 x 78.7 in Oil Painting available for sale at Saatchi Online| Original: $6,000.00 Prints: Starting at $89.00 Sketchbook? Do you use one? I use sketchbooks, not only for sketching, but for doing math operations, writing ideas, drawing useless and automatic doodles (like the classical ‘telephonic drawings’).  It’s a bit chaotic, but I feel comfortable there. Traditional or conceptual? Traditional, since I use one of the oldest artistic technique. Maybe my digital collages are more avant-garde, more innovative and conceptual, but I’m not sure…probably not. Process> Concept or Process<Concept? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Favorite contemporary artist? David Hockney, Dexter Dalwood, Peter Doig, Matthias Weischer among many others, I can’t say just one. If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be? Any painting by Peter Brueghel the Elder. Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? I wouldn’t like to meet any dead artist, I think it’s a bit creepy… So, I’d choose David Hockney. Monet or Manet? Manet.

Figurative or abstract? I like depiction itself, no matter if it’s figurative or abstract. But, as a painter, I think I need a real reference, a small connection to reality, to start working with. I don’t rule out making abstract painting in a future, but at this moment I need something physically real to hold on to. Representational or Surreal? Both interest me. I like how everyday elements become surreal in some scenes. And how surreal images, or even ridiculous thoughts, can suddenly come true in our everyday life. I like it when irony and the absurd come into play. Who are your favorite writers? I love Latin American literature: Vargas Llosa, García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Ernesto Sábato…

“Untitled - Inertias series”47.2 x 47.2 in, Oil Painting available for sale at Saatchi Online| Original: $2,200 Prints Starting at: $89.00 What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Al niño que no dibuja, se lo lleva la bruja (the child who doesn’t draw, the witch takes him away). Why do you make art? Why not? If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? I think I’d be an accountant. What do you collect? Photographs from newspapers and magazines, images from the internet, from art history. I try to keep any image than shocks me in any way. Tumblr is a great tool for that. Photo references? Sure, lots. Prefer to work with music or in silence? I like music, but I don’t mind to work in silence. Food or sleep? Both, separately. And water too. Is painting dead? I don’t know, that’s been questioned and said for more than thirty years, the same as for rock & roll… I don’t even know what does the question mean, but I really don’t care. Palette knifes? No, not any more. I gave it up. Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? On a beach ball would be a way better.

From The Studio of Larry Vigon

Favorite material to work with? Acrylic on paper What themes do you pursue? I work from my imagination most of the time. I never paint exactly what is in front of me. The subject I paint can be influenced by news events or just the way I’m feeling on a particular day. Even if a piece starts off as a drawing from a life drawing session as in the series of nudes I did a couple of years ago, the final painting will be much different from what I was seeing. “Artist 2” 22 x 16 x 1 in Acrylic Painting is Available for Sale at Saatchi Online| Original: $5,000.00 Prints Starting At:$129.00 How many years as an artist? I knew what I wanted to be from the age of seven. I have been a professional designer/painter/illustrator for over 40 years. Sketchbook? Do you use one? What type? Yes, I have been using a sketch book or journal from the first day I start art school. Six years ago W.W. Norton & Co., a New York & London based publisher published a coffee table book of my journals.

Most important tool you use? My brain, I hope. Where is your studio? Battersea, near Battersea Park. What was the best advice given to you as an artist? From myself on a regular basis, “Keep your ego out of your work”.

Why do you make art? I need to make art. It’s something in my DNA. I don’t feel right unless I’m creating something. Art school or self-taught? Art school. I graduated from the Art Center College of Design Los Angeles. ( Now in Pasadena ). Favorite font? Favorite serif font is Requiem, favorite san serif is Gotham.

Tattoos? No. Prefer to work with music or in silence? Must have music while I’m working. iTunes, spotify, records? itunes, extensive, eclectic library. Succulents or cigarettes? I gave up cigarettes 25 years ago.

“Untitled” 22 x 16 x 1 in Acrylic Painting is available for sale at Saatchi Online| Original: $5000.00 

What’s around the corner from your place? Battersae Dog & Cat home. Where can we find you outside the studio? Cinema, museum, gallery, restaurant the usual places. If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? Musician. Day job? Graphic designer / artist. Food or sleep? Love food.

Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? Make a living as an artist. Were you popular in high school? Yes, I got along with everyone because I could draw. From the tough guys to the goodie, goodie students wanted me to draw something on their notebook covers. Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? Billboard. Would you ever figure model naked? No. Traditional or conceptual? A bit of both. A piece of art you love? Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse.

Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Francis Bacon.

Use anything other than paint? Sometimes found objects, ink, pencil, crayon, gold leaf. Oil or acrylic? Acrylic. Figurative or abstract? Both. Representational or Surreal? Both. Photo references?No. Is painting dead? Never. What do you wear while you paint? Jeans and t-shirt. Painting Inside or Outside? Inside. Monet or Manet? Monet