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Artist Survey # 10: Ben Deutsch

I have known Ben for the majority of my life. We attended the same elementary and high schools and his brother and I were good friends growing up. He is a multi-talented kid who had tried his hand at many different art forms including music, screen printing and now photography.

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Name: Ben Deutsch

Location: Sonora, CA

Medium(s): photography

What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? artist

Where can we see your work (place/publications/url)? Hopefully, if I play my cards right in a local gallery.

When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? Oh, about four or five years ago when I started venturing out more and more.

Who/What inspired your interest? My surroundings. sometimes you see things that just have to be photographed.

Where do you first remember being exposed to art? As a young child. color crayons, finger paints… you know

What is your day job? Right now… trying to find a day job.

Why do you create? I have no idea.

Is there any recurring theme in your work? Not intentionally.

What do you want from your work? Satisfaction.

What do you want viewers to take from your work? I want them to see what I saw, and feel what I felt when I took the shot. The idea behind it is to show people something that they haven’t seen before, or a new perspective of a common object.

How often do you work on personal projects? Most of the time.

How often do you work on commissions or commercial work? I haven’t yet.

Does your art support you financially? Not at all. Quite the opposite actually.

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. Taking the shot, developing the film, printing the picture, and mounting it can take a couple weeks. It’s hard not to think about it when you’re not working on it.

What do you do in your spare time besides your art? I’ve been known to spend hours sitting around playing music. I also have this inherent fascination with fishing.

Which musicians are you currently interested in? At the Drive-In, Chuck Ragan, Austin Lucas, Minus the Bear. Ask me again tomorrow.

Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? Dentist appointment?

How long do you generally take on a piece? On average from start to finish… 3 weeks. Although I have film that I shot almost a year ago that I am just now making prints of.

Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? No

Do you work on multiple projects at once? All the time.

Do you have trouble parting with your finished work? No, because it usually goes somewhere where it is appreciated.

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Artist Survey #9: Corey West

Corey is a local artist who’s work has exploded in our county. She is a really hard worker, attending all of the festivals and craft fairs in the county. She also beautifully frames and mattes work. I go to her for all of my presentation needs. Even Jesus was prepared by her!

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Name: Corey West

Location: Sonora, CA

Medium(s): mixed : watercolor, acrylic, ink, collage and found objects

What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? well- good art has good design – so shouldn’t artists be designers as well?

Where can we see your work (place/publications/url)? Ventana Gallery (Sonora), San Francisco Design Center (Hinc Showroom) www.coreywest.artspan.com

When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? I don’t remember not having interest in artistic forms of expression.

Who/What inspired your interest? It has always been there, but my dad helped me grow my interest by encouraging it.

Where do you first remember being exposed to art? It has always been around me.

What is your day job? I work in my studio full time – painting and custom framing

Why do you create? That is hard to answer. Creating art is such a part of me… it is who I am. I can’t imagine not creating…

Is there any recurring theme in your work? Not necessarily.

What do you want from your work? I want my work to inspire me to keep learning and growing.

What do you want viewers to take from your work? There is a lot, but basically if I can make people smile, give them inspiration – I am happy. My work is happy – there is so much doom and gloom out there and if I can portray a happier life then I am doing my job.

How often do you work on personal projects? As much as possible.

How often do you work on commissions or commercial work? Often, but even the commercial work and commissions I have a way of turning them into personal projects (makes it much more fun to do).

Does your art support you financially? Pays the studio bills, but that is all for now.

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? If I am not in the studio painting I am thinking about what I am going to work on next.

What do you do in your spare time besides your art? I don’t have spare time. I take care of my baby and run a business where I do framing, painting, make purses from repurposed fabric, jewelry…so there is no free time.

Which musicians are you currently interested in? I listen to my baby’s musical toys more than anything so the only thing stuck in my brain is the abc’s!

Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? A friend of mine is working on opening a gallery in the Oakland area and showing my work…I am very excited about that.

How long do you generally take on a piece? It varies. Anywhere from a day to a week sometimes more.

Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? I have never been in a situation where it would be an issue.

Do you work on multiple projects at once? Yes.

Do you have trouble parting with your finished work? No. My work is very personal, but once it is done I move on. And besides, if I am ever going to make a living at this I have to be willing to part with it.

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Artist Survey #8: Tim Musso

Tim was my instructor in Computer Graphics at CSULB. He is well versed in the letterform, printmaking and design. His work is saturated with nuances and details, personality and nature. Under his guidance I learned to experiment through method and to look for the art in everyday experience. If you ever get a chance to attend his classes I suggest you do. It is priceless.

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(UNTITLED : wood engraving : 8″x10″ : 2007)

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(UNTITLED : silkscreen : 22″x30″ : 2007)

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(UNTITLED : woodcut : 4’x8′ : 2007)

Name: Tim Musso

Location: Riverside, CA

Medium(s): Printmaking & Typography

What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? Artist

Where can we see your work (place/publications/url)? I’ll have some of my typographic work as well as some prints on display at the Brandstater Gallery, La Sierra University, Riverside. Nov 10-23 and Nov 30-Dec 11

When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? I’ve always enjoyed making things and working on creative projects, so after high school it only made sense to study art in college. There is something fundamental to the human experience of working with your hands to express yourself.

Who/What inspired your interest? Natural forms are my primary source of inspiration.

Where do you first remember being exposed to art? I remember being entranced by the work of the graphic artist/printmaker M.C. Escher when I was very young. The strong contrast of the woodcut line with the interesting compositions and optical illusions really set me down the artistic path.

What is your day job? Professor of Art & Design

Why do you create? I would rather create than destroy.

Is there any recurring theme in your work? Natural forms and the written mark in its many various forms are elements that have been a focal point of my work for many years.

What do you want from your work? A means of working through ideas and the satisfaction of expressing and sharing these ideas through the creative process of mark making.

What do you want viewers to take from your work? Any chance to view the art/design of someone who has dedicated their life to visual expression is always a worthwhile experience. Art expresses the human condition in a way that nothing else can and therefore it has great value. I believe that anything that can open a person’s mind or engage their imagination ultimately has a positive role in our lives whether that be music, film, literature, art, or design.

How often do you work on personal projects? Since this semester has begun, about one day a week, usually Saturdays.

How often do you work on commissions or commercial work? Rarely.

Does your art support you financially? Teaching art and design supports my more personal creative explorations.

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? I look forward to sitting down and carving on my woodblock most often when I am busy doing something that I don’t want to be doing. Most people rot their minds with television to unwind from the day, but I usually find peace and restoration from carving on a block either engraving or cutting a block for a woodcut print.

What do you do in your spare time besides your art? Watch films, listen to music, read about economics and history, hike and take photographs.

Which musicians are you currently interested in? Black Diamond Heavies, Michael Franti, Aggrolites, Black Francis, Pressure Drop Soundcast (podcast), Mobtown Ska Sounds (podcast).

Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? I hope I can make it to the Southern Graphics Council (a big gathering of printmakers) this spring.

How long do you generally take on a piece? At least 50 hours.

Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? No.

Do you work on multiple projects at once? I usually try to limit myself to one or two projects at a time.

Do you have trouble parting with your finished work? The great thing about printmaking is that you can make multiples, so I never have to part with my only copy of something that I have done.

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Artis Survey #7: Paris Raupach

(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!

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Artist Survey #6: Joey Fumar

Joey grew up in Sonora, CA just like me. We got to know each other in an advanced placement biology class we probably should not have been in. We were the only kids in our graduating class to attend Long Beach State, where we became good friends. I even lived at his grandma’s house down there for a summer. He now lives in Hawaii and will be moving to Australia shortly. His paintings marry the psychedelic surf scene of the 70s with traditional Japanese tattoo imagery. He is also dabbling in cinema, hopefully we will get a chance to see some films in the future.

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(Beast from the East : Acrylic & Paint Pen)
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(Wicked Warrior : Acrylic & Paint Pen)
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(Better Together : Acrylic & Paint Pen)

Name: Joey Fumar

Location: Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii

Medium(s): Acrylic Paints, Paint Pens

What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? Artist

Where can we see your work (place/publications/url)? I’m trying to get my work into a gallery to be publicly viewed but for now on Facebook and on Myspace.

When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? I really started painting when I moved to Hawaii. But I always loved to be creative and make art.

Who/What inspired your interest? Tattoo art primarily inspired my painting style. I study tons of Japanese tattoo books and that helps me be creative. The ocean and its creatures also inspire me. I have always liked to include waves in my paintings.

Where do you first remember being exposed to art? Probably kindergarten or first grade…I remember I didn’t like being told what to draw or paint.

What is your day job? Waiter at Kona Brewing Company…Hooray Beer!

Why do you create? To release emotion whether it be anger, sadness or happiness. Most of the time it’s anger and sadness though. I find it hard to paint when I am feeling good about things.

Is there any recurring theme in your work? Bright colors and tattoo styling.

What do you want from your work? I want people to look at my work and feel emotion (hopefully rage) or be inspired to get it tattooed on their body. I don’t want to be an artist who creates boring shit like stuff you see in hotel lobbies or restaurants. I want my art to stand out and brighten up a room.

What do you want viewers to take from your work? I want the colors and images I use to make them feel the art rather than just have them view the art.

How often do you work on personal projects? Every 2-3 months I’d say…whenever I feel like I need to paint.

How often do you work on commissions or commercial work? Never yet but I would love to.

Does your art support you financially? No

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? When I have started a painting yes…I think about it all day and its weird I get really pissed off when I am in the middle of a painting because I get so frustrated trying to come up with color schemes and the layout and flow of the painting…I am not a nice person to be around when I’m in the middle of a project.

What do you do in your spare time besides your art? Surf and videography…some photography

Which musicians are you currently interested in? Nowadays…The Faint, The Black Angels, Marylin Manson, Groundation, Damian Marley, The Roots, Lil’ Wayne, Static X, Slayer, MGMT, Prodigy, Gorillaz

Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? None I can think of…Oahu has a really good art scene in downtown Honolulu there is a lot of young up and comers making really cool and funky shit.

How long do you generally take on a piece? 2 to 3 weeks

Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? No I haven’t put myself out on the line yet to push my art. I often think about trying it though but it doesn’t pay my bills.

Do you work on multiple projects at once? Nope one at a time

Do you have trouble parting with your finished work? Yeah when selling paintings it hurts a bit but I am glad knowing someone is enjoying my art. But there are some paintings that would hurt more than others to let go of.

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Support or Die

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This is my latest line of shirts. Over the summer I volunteered a lot of time to my local Arts Council and our Foothill Farmlands Arts Festival and I designed these shirts with our struggling arts community in mind. I designed and printed them all myself right here in ol’ Tuolumne County. They are a very limited run (especially the yellow ones) and are going fast. If you want to snatch one while they’re still available email me at tuo_cou@yahoo.com with the size and color you want along with your address and I will let you know what’s available. They are $20 a piece.

Here is an image created by friend & satisfied customer April:

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Devilish Prints

Here are some prints I made back at CSULB that I felt fit the spirit of the season.

(Self Portrait : Screen Print : 2006

(Pagan : Linocut : 2006)

(The Creature : Drypoint : 2006)

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Under the Bridge

There is not a whole lot of graffiti around my town and even less worth mentioning. Being up in the foothills of California we don’t see a lot of graffiti. Most urban influence on the local culture dissipates soon after you pass the Central Valley. We don’t have the vast spans of concrete or dark allies that act as a breeding ground for street art, but if you look hard enough you will find some.