Hello Ramen, it’s great to be able to have your contributionto 20Q. As an admirer of your work, I’ve been following your journey on Instagram for some time now and I have to say, I’ve always been in awe of the way you paint emotional states so beautifully and compositionally in your pieces. Your work truly captures what i feel the dark essence is of the human experience and I’m honored to have the opportunity to chat and read your journey and responsesto the questions i sent over. Thank you for taking the time to join us. So onto the meat and gravy!
What inspired you to start painting and how did you first get into it?
I grew up drawing and painting. My brother was very creative and inspired me to look for art in all places. My parents always got me art supplies, but never encouraged me to go into art school because it wasn’t financially viable.
How has your artistic style developed over time and what influences it?
I’ve always been more interested in drawing dark things. There was a period of time I wasn’t creating, but from that break came a lot of pent up frustration. I started with creating surreal cartoon characters. This continued on in my earlier oil paintings and eventually my work with watercolors. It was only after quitting drinking that I came to this particular style. Since then I’ve begun drinking again and I feel a lot of this style comes with my struggles with addiction and mental health. It is the most effective way I’ve found in expressing myself, so until I find some other form of artistic expression, I’ll continue with this style.
What role does social media play in your art practice and how has it impacted your work?
It is a necessity in our world, I can’t stand spending much time consuming content on these platforms. I find myself wallowing in doubts after spending any amount of time there. If I didn’t post on social media I definitely would not have garnered the audience that I have. If I can get at least one person to see my art, it’s worth it in my eyes. I hate the prevalence of short form video, but I go with the flow in hopes of putting my art in front of new eyes.
Can you walk us through your creative process when painting a new piece?
I start with multiple canvases, I apply large amounts of paint for texture / underpainting. I then choose some of those to continue on immediately, while others wait to dry. From these I jump back and forth until something comes out that I am happy with. I really am not thinking about the process whilst working, it’s more feeling everything out until I get to the place I want to be. I definitely feel as though I am channeling subconscious things through this quick and loose process.
What is your favorite medium to work with and why?
Acrylic, they dry fast and can create a good texture when layering. It’s also versatile when it comes to different materials, I don’t like to put thought into the adhesion of paint to the medium.
How do you approach incorporating color into your work?
I used to work exclusively with ROYGBIV for an effect using 3D glasses. This limitation carried over into my current work by usually adding warm tones to the subjects while letting the cool colors recede into the background. I went through a very dark/fleshy period as the pandemic hit. After this long dark period I decided to try and incorporate more color, kind of channeling the oversaturation of the world when under the influence of psychedelics. Lately I’ve been working on balancing the vibrant colors with some more muted colors.
How do you handle artistic block and how do you overcome it?
I have several books with simple exercises that usually help me break through the initial wall. Honestly if I hit a hard rut to pass I just take a break and focus on music or do some sketchbook work. I made my mind up years ago that I will make art for the remainder of my life, so these times will come and go, my goal will remain the same.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a painter operating on Instagram?
There are so many challenges, it’s a very saturated market with so many talented artists. Instagram doesn’t share any information on marketing outside of paying for their advertising, which in my experience is very ineffective. So many people claim to have figured out how to break through, but these claims are all over the place. I will follow the tips and tricks only to end up right where I started. Lately I put less focus on anything there besides making posts semi-regularly. Getting caught up in the numbers will always put me into a funk. This is where my largest following is, but even then Follower engagement is terrible. All in all the chance of getting any sort of virality keeps me stuck to social media.
Can you tell us about a particularly memorable project you’ve worked on?
My first series, Trauma Fossils. This solidified my current process and was the first collection of art that really touched on a certain time. I haven’t had a proper gallery showing since then, so the deadline, setup, and opening were really an experience. The driving force behind my output has been the art fairs / oddity events I’ve been vending at.
How do you approach promoting your work and building a following on social media?
Repetition and persistence, I experience the best website traffic when I’m actively promoting an event on social media. I went through periods of regular posting and with that comes an increase in sales. When I ignore social media the traffic kind of stagnates.
How do you stay inspired and continue to grow as an artist?
Use my imagination every day, play games like ‘pretend i’m a giant robot’ or ‘pretend i’m being followed’ Sometimes I look at the clouds and pretend I’m looking down on another planet. I don’t really take a break from creative endeavors, if I’m not expressing myself through painting, I am through many other avenues.
What role does feedback from your followers play in your creative process?
Support always goes a long way. When it comes to making work, I don’t even think about my followers. I found that there’s a home for any painting, so regardless of what they may think, it doesn’t change the course I follow.
Can you tell us about a painting either your own or by another artist that holds a special meaning to you?
I can’t afford to own any of the pieces I appreciate by current artists, so I really don’t own much art. Usually it’s a body of work instead of individual paintings I find special. I can’t put my finger on a single piece by any of my favorite artists that stand out to me, more so the entirety of the work they make.
How do you approach pricing your work and determining its value?
This is a hard one. The main point behind my pricing is accessibility. I want my art to be in as many places as possible, in a sense like tagging for a graffiti artist. These artist also spend large amounts of time creating their pieces only to have them painted over. With that in mind I can let go of original pieces for these low prices because most graffiti artists don’t even profit from their work. My pieces take days to come together, though there are a rare few that come together in a day, but I don’t think about this time as something I need to be paid for. I LOVE to paint and to create, these paintings are a byproduct of my tireless pursuit of painting. I want people to enjoy these pieces, I want them to have a piece of ORIGINAL art in their house, I want their friends to see it and buy one for their own place. I’ve had so many people tell me that they saw one of my pieces at a friends place. Even more importantly I’ve had people tell me that buying my art began their journey in collecting art. The more high-priced pieces are merely priced at that point because I don’t want to let go of them, but if someone wants to pay that price they deserve it more than I do.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in painting?
Have another job or be ready to do commissions. I was not traditionally trained and was self taught, so I’m sure it’s different for someone trained to make art commercially, but I hate commissions. I like to keep things interesting so I have a lot of odd jobs and time for other pursuits. Overall persistence is key and with that there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
How do you handle criticism and negative feedback in regards to your work?
Ignore it, I really could care less about what negative things people have to say about my work. I am making this journey on my own and I don’t need anyone’s opinion on where I should go or how I should do it. Constructive criticism is important, but not when it comes to my art, this is for me, by me.
Can you tell us about a project that pushed you out of your comfort zone creatively?
Murals, I want to do more traditional murals, but I have no examples of what I can do and when given the opportunity to make a mural most people require things that are well out of my comfort zone. It’s challenges like these that help us grow, so I’m always open to new types of projects.
How do you think the art industry is changing in recent years and how have you adapted to these changes?
I’m so far removed from the industry, I have no idea what’s going on there. I’ve found personally that proper art showings do not work for me and I exist better in a vendor environment where I can interact with those buying my art. As with any sort of industry nowadays, success is usually hinged on a social media presence.
Can you tell us about an artist that has had a significant impact on your life?
Francis Bacon, HR Giger, Fransisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, Van Gogh
What do you hope people take away from viewing your work and what message do you hope to convey through your paintings?
You can do this, we all go through hard times, and you aren’t alone.
I want people to express themselves and exercise their demons through art.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today, Ramen. It’s been an absolute pleasure to learn about your creative process and your passion for art. As I said I’ve been following your work on Instagram for a while now and I am consistently amazed by the way you are able to paint emotions in your compositions. Your ability to capture and convey complex emotions in your art is truly inspiring. I hope to continue following your journey as an artist and learn from your work and use in my own journey. Thank you again for your time and your talent.
