(Domestic Spying)
(Gay Marriage)
(Capital Punishment)
Name: Paris Raupach
Location: San Francisco, CA
Medium(s): Watercolor, Digital
What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? Artist/Illustrator/reluctant designer
Where can we see your work (place/publications/url)? www.parisraupach.com
When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? I’ve been drawing and creating art for as long as I can remember.
Who/What inspired your interest? I don’t know if I had a specific inspirational figure, but my parents always encouraged my artistic tendencies.
Where do you first remember being exposed to art? I remember having a baby sitter who always had us doing crafts… paper bag puppets and things like that. I always liked making things with my hands.
What is your day job? Custom picture framing
Why do you create? I have to… I’m driven to it. I’m naturally lazy so if it weren’t something that nagged at me all the time I probably wouldn’t bother.
Is there any recurring theme in your work? Yes. Politics almost always finds it’s way into my work.
What do you want from your work? Essh… what a question. Practically… employment, spiritually… I’d like to shock my audience into questioning their preconceived notions about a given subject.
What do you want viewers to take from your work? I would like people to ask themselves why they accept a particular belief as true. They may change their mind or reinforce what they already believed, but what I’m looking for is the act of questioning.
How often do you work on personal projects? These days… not so much. In a bit of a rut.
How often do you work on commissions or commercial work? These days…not so much. 😉 Not enough to quit the day job anyway. I’ll usually get a design job every couple months or so.
Does your art support you financially? Nope.
Do you feel preoccupied with your art, do you think about it often during the day and night and do you anticipate your next session? Yes. I constantly have new ideas. The difficulty is finding the time and motivation to work. Making art is not easy and can be heart breaking. Right now I’m having trouble getting started, but the ideas are always there.
What do you do in your spare time besides your art? Spare time? I guess walk the dog, or watch a good movie. I definitely spend too much time watching T.V. I am a news junky. I’m always reading political blogs or listening to talk radio.
Which musicians are you currently interested in? I’ve been rediscovering hip hop in my older years. Right now I’m really into Lupe Fiasco.
Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? I’m looking forward to going to the San Francisco Symphony. I’ve never been. It seems like something really classy to do.
How long do you generally take on a piece? I can put something together from concept to sketch to final painting within a day or two, but I usually spend a week or so on a painting.
Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? Yep. Ended a six year relationship in part to pursue an art career. I also quit a pretty well paying job to go back to art school.
Do you work on multiple projects at once? Sometimes.
Do you have trouble parting with your finished work? Eh… not so much. I always photograph and often make prints of my work so I have a record. Plus my goal is to sell it, so it’s a good thing when a painting goes out the door and I have a check in my hand!
