What sort of items
do you make?
I consider myself a surreal and abstract fine art photographer that also does
portraits and weddings. All of the pieces you see in my booth are based on a
photograph (or photographs) I’ve taken. Some
of these photographs are places I’ve gone and some
are scenes I’ve setup on my kitchen table. I
use random items from thrift stores, water, corn syrup, food coloring, spray
paint, melted crayons, fire and anything else necessary to get the right look
for the photograph. I have a huge
catalog of photographs to pull from. My inspiration
leads me to the catalog. My pieces are
created from one or more (sometimes 20 or more) photographs from my catalog. Sometimes,
I blend photos. Sometimes, I just
alter them. I break all the rules in the digital
realm. I use Photoshop much like a carpenter uses a hammer, as an important
tool that can do many things.
In general, I
do not discuss the exact contents of the original photographs I use for my
pieces because that disturbs what people can see in my work. I
say "let it be in your mind and that's what it is." If
you come to my booth and talk to me, you’re likely to hear me say this at
least once.
When and how did you learn your craft? Originally, I considered myself a
musician, the type that gravitated towards more
progressive and experimental music. I always had a love for the abstract and “different”.
I began playing guitar when I was 15. My interest in photography began in my
early 20s. I was in an experimental music band called SnagLoopDog. From 1999-2002, we wrote and recorded 10
albums. Much of the artwork for the
album covers and inserts was based on my photography at the time.
Over the years,
the creative outlet that was music became photography. The
vision and love for the abstract remained the same. That same vision became the
artwork that you see in my booth.
The learning
and growing never stops-I’ve a huge and
wonderful network of people that both inspire and encourage me. It’s
an amazing journey.
Where do you get
your inspiration from? My inspiration comes from various places. I take quite a
few pictures. Sometimes, inspiration hits as I’m browsing through
my catalog of photos. Many times, the photos that I combine to create my pieces
were taken in vastly different places at different times. The end product often takes on the feel of
those individual photos. Many of my customers feel this too.
One
of my biggest sources of inspiration recently was watching the Brooke
Shaden:Fine Art Portraits 3 day workshop. Even if you’re not a
photographer, Brooke teaches inspiration exercises that are incredible. I recommend that workshop to anyone seeking
inspiration.
How did you get
started doing this as a business? I decided to start selling my
creations when I realized that I had 15-20 images that were really unique and
told interesting stories. I wanted to share them. Tate Street Festival 2012 was
my first event. All day long, I talked to people that saw even more amazing
stories in my work than even I had imagined.
I was fueled and knew I was on the right track. I love what I do!!!
Do you have any
advice for other crafters/artisans just starting out? My advice to any crafters/artisans out there
would be to get out there and go for it.
You’re going to make mistakes but people
are going to help you. You’re
going to learn and people are going to help you with that, too. Get out there and make those mistakes, learn
and make those great friends. All successful vendors had to have their first
event at some point and it’s almost certain
that the first one (or even the first few) didn’t go perfect.
Before every finish line, there’s a starting point.
If you love what you do, people will see that, your passion will be seen and
felt and the ball will be rolling before you know it. You’ll
be surprised at how many vendors are out there that are ready to help.
Want to see more of Creative Perspective Studios? Check out Chad's website: http://www.creative-perspective-studios.com/
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