Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here:
i’m from Vancouver BC. At present I am lucky enough to be spending most of my time in the studio pursuing art, painting. I would like to think that it is the reward of dedication and time invested and hard work and love. however, luck probably has something to do with it too. And chronic dissatisfaction.

What are your steps for starting a portrait? Talk us through your processes. 

I try to paint everyday. it’s the part I enjoy most, simply being in the studio pushing paint around. it’s usually a big rush between pieces to sort out the image I’m going to work from. that’s why there are a lot of self portraits – I am always available in a pinch. i just quickly snap a photo and get back in the studio. the painting process itself is always under construction. each one is an experiment.

What's your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?

getting out of town for a few days is always good. the coast is beautiful. getting out to the ocean, getting into it, or onto it, or whatever, is always very inspiring. some philosophy, some science and some nice prose are a good source as well. 

What's your personal favorite piece of work you've created?

it changes. there are parts of works that I love and go back to and pat myself on the back for. but it is hard for me to truly love something after it is finished. a finished painting can only be what it is. an unfinished painting can be anything.


What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration.

I’m not much of a blog follower or magazine reader. the pace overwhelms me. I’m more of a book and movie guy.


What's your all-time favorite piece of art or design. (*not created by you)

my 2 year old niece is turning out these pretty amazing scribbles. already she is an accomplished colourist, though her figure ground relationship needs some work. apart from her, I also like old monumental stuff. I was just at the british museum in London. it was fantastic. to look at the art of an extinct culture, from a past so different than the present, yet containing the same animal – it’s very strange. 



What's your current creative obsession.

still painting. I want to break apart the portrait and rebuild it somehow. out of resentment and fascination.


Thanks for your time!
 "Resentment and Facination" I relate to that so much.

Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here:

I grew up drawing. I find that the older I get, the more valuable it becomes that I drew so much in the early years of my life. After a couple of years in the school band, I finally took art classes in high school which led me to study Fine Art at Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. While studying painting and illustration there I learned of an internship opportunity that was actually extended to students of the Visual Communication (Graphic Design) program. A friend in that program told me to check it out because the company, Fundex Games, was asking specifically for drawing skills in the area of character development and illustration. I went for it, got the job and stayed there for over 3 years as a part-timer while I continued my studies. I had the privilege of learning much about product design and development, making prototypes, working with overseas vendors and generally the madness that takes place when bringing a product to the mass market. After that I sought an opportunity to work for Mediasauce, an Indiana company that was doing things I had not yet heard of. I got a job there and eventually learned that they were creating a lot of flash-based content and websites. That job was incredible because I worked not only as an illustrator, but a member of the animation team. By the time if left a few years later, I had done everything from assisting photographers to voice-overs. When the time came to move on again, an unexpected door opened for me; I was offered a job wherein I would become and interactive designer. Being a sucker for on-the-job training, I went for it and have been enjoying The Basement Design + Motion for the past year. All in all, I would say the most important part of my success has been the willingness to learn and the curiosity to create as many things as I can.

What's your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?

Nothing inspires me more than to spend time with my friends; artists whom I respect and admire. The most fulfilling part of being an artist is the ability to fellowship with others through my work. I paint murals with some of my friends, jam on drums with others; and sometimes just sit and draw and converse about our thoughts on art and artists or something completely different. This is the best it gets. Whether it's a job or a side project, I am most at peace when working on something meaningful with artists I hold dear.

What's your personal favorite piece of work you've created?

My personal favorite to date was a small (4" x 16") mixed media piece I did on masonite called "Indianapolis Street". I like it because I think it's a successful combination of markers, pens, pencils and paint as well as an excellent character study. It was quite literally inspired by things I see in my own east side neighborhood. I'm also happy to say a friend owns it and I get to see it every couple of weeks or so.

What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration.

Drawn! blog is great for illustration and animation stimulus.
Motionographer is #1 for animation/motion graphics greatness.

PSDtuts, Vectortuts, FudgeGraphics, ILoveTypography, DesignShard are common sources of inspiration for my design work.

FWA is the place I start when I want to come up with a truly contemporary design.

WoosterCollective is my absolute favorite art blog. Not because I necessarily love all the work as much of it shares a common aesthetic, but because I think application is the last frontier for modern artists (as well as the backbone of good design) and Wooster is all about application.

I also have several books filled with great art, typography or just good cultural commentary. Plus, I know other people with many more books and I am always being introduced to something. My current favorite book in my library is Mural Art: Murals On Huge Public Spaces Around The World. This book, to me, showcases exaclty the sort of work I find to be the most meaningful.

What 's your all-time favorite piece of art or design. (*not created by you)

This question is totally unfair. Some things are great art and great design without ever being promoted as either. My go-to answer for this one is the St. Louis World's Fair poster by Alphons Mucha.



His draftsmanship is gorgeous and flawless and the respect for the messaging is clear. Typography is stylized but tasteful and easy to understand. The ornamentation elevates the design to something more precious than a poster and the drama between the figures is as symbolic as the images themselves. I don't think his designs were matched until the digital age. And, by that measure, they have never been matched because his work was not only designed and illustrated by hand, but also had to be printed by hand by a master Lithographer. When you see these things in person there is no comparison.

What's your current creative obsession.

Drawing. In the last few months I have spent as much time as possible drawing. I'm not really into highly developed renderings right now; just exploring shapes and filling page after page with markings. I feel like a kid again and I'm really excited to see what comes of it.

Thanks for your time and talents Dan. Keep on skillin' with those handz!

Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here:

Born Portland Oregon, Raised South Africa, Live New York City. Studied a lot of art history, and painted a lot.

What's your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?

Science fiction, Philip K. Dick, Valis, Kurt Vonnegut, medical pictures of skin, eye, mouth diseases, medical pictures of human parasites, Flow My Tears The Policeman Said, Blade Runner, Alien, 2001 a Space Odyessy, Cyborgs.

What's your personal favorite piece of work you've created?

A recent painting called "Leviathan"

What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration.

Art Forum, Art in America, Art News, Parkett, The Journal,

What 's your all-time favorite piece of art or design. (*not created by you)

"The Destruction of Leviathan" by Gustave Dore

What's your current creative obsession.

Leviathans

Thanks Eric.

Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here:

I've always liked drawing, anything necessary to keep that passion in my life I've done. It sounds trite, but one step I've taken to get where I am is to never stop working. I just try to remain in a place where I can learn whatever is applicable and useful to my work. Work ethic is very important to me in that way. I've also received a lot of support in my life, and I am really grateful for my parents, friends and professors encouragement. So I would say it wasn't a matter of just making the right decisions in my art as much as being extremely blessed with the right circumstances to keep doing what I'm doing!

What's your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?

I like to look at other trades, other jobs, and the mundane to try to get some inspiration. Over all, I am impressed with efficiency, logical function and usefulness. Usually I look for color, texture and patterns from familiar sources. Which in turn, can help me create a base layer for drawings and paintings. Basically I try to find inspiration in the everyday matters of life.

What's your personal favorite piece of work you've created?

I'm not sure if I can pick a favorite, but I have a few drawings and paintings that would be hard for me to sell!

What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration.

I'd like to say I am up on the art curve and I know what's hip and what's going on, but I'm not as well versed as I should be. Usually the blogs I read are about other hobbies or sports (gasp!) I enjoy. Two art blogs I have been reading for a long time are the Wooster Collective and Derek Hess' blog on his site.

What 's your all-time favorite piece of art or design. (*not created by you)

I'd say a poster Derek Hess did for Stretch Arm Strong is probably my favorite. It hit me at the right time in my life, and I have always liked the look of sculpture.

What's your current creative obsession.

Since college I have been obsessed with tangents. I'm not sure what that means about me, but I like to create them in my work.

Thanks for your time Jeff. Lovin' watching your work progress!