Artborne Magazine April 2017 | Page 29

Merle Haggard, pen and ink Michael Jackson, (for Hard Rock) colored pencil on blackboard If so, do you find it limiting or frustrating? A little. I don’t know, I think’s it’s interesting to bring up the question of the commercial artist and the galley artist. I went down the gallery route when I first started, and there was so much pressure to deliver, and I felt I was giving up work that wasn’t hitting the mark, and giving a gallery 40% of what you make of the sales, IF you make sales. I have enough outlets that always keep me busy and working, Live Nation, Hard Rock, making t-shirt designs. Not a lot of guarantee. No, not a lot of guarantee. It’s a gamble. Whereas commercial work, yeah, you’re doing something more restrictive, but if you can still get your sense of pleasure out of what you’re doing, then it’s great, it’s a match made in Poland. I feel in this day and age with the computer, you can make your own entity- I’d like to be in bigger galleries, sure— bigger “art” is seen by bigger eyes. If you can do it on your own, and not have deal with that world too much, then I think it’s better for an artist. Notoriety is good. Know it well, it’s beautiful and vivid. Certainly doesn’t look like colored pencils. Where do you go from there? That was the only time I had to make one piece last year, then all the commercial stuff fell into place—Hard Rock and stuff took over. I’ve had some time this year to go back to more personal work. Blackboard and wood and colored pencil. Have you made a masterpiece yet? I’ve made one. Last year, the colored pencil piece with the woman with the deer behind her. Let’s bring that up, colored pencil. There aren’t too many art- ists who specialize in that. It’s not considered a serious enough medium. If the work is good, it will always find its audience. Have you had your ideal outlet or exhibit yet? Have you done your best It becomes one in your hands. That kind of proves my point. What I’m doing now is that I’m not work yet? Katy Perry, (for Hard Rock) mixed media Orlando Arts & Culture, v. 2.4 And Then, pen and ink 30