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Where are you from?
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I grew up in a rural part of Wisconsin. It's a small German community called Kiel. A lot of people assume I was born in Japan, but I'm actually only half Asian.
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What do you like doing for leisure?
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I like making music. My wife and I pick up our guitars when we have a few minutes and work on songs. I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of creative friends that enjoy that sort of thing, so it makes for a good environment. My friends tease me though, for being so accomplishment driven. There are some tracks we've recorded where you can still hear me stapling canvases in the background while I wait for someone to lay down their vocals or whatever. It's a disease.
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What are your other interests aside from art?
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My wife and I are Jehovah's Witnesses, so we spend a sizable amount of time in theological studies and Bible education efforts. I'd love to stay home and paint everyday, but when I get out into the community and see the sad state of things, I'm motivated to action. A lot of times it inspires me creatively to be able to identify what could be better about the world.
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Do you play any musical instruments?
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I play some guitar, accordion, glockenspiel, banjo and keys in our songs. Our band Akai, just finished an EP I was pretty happy with. I'm not a very technically skilled player of any of my instruments, but it doesn't seem to stop me.
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Does being a designer by trade help you in your artwork?
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Being a designer has definitely affected the way that I create. I used to sit down with a blank canvas and just start painting. It's a far more premeditated process now. The composition is gets a lot more thought.
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Have you met any difficult clients while doing your job?
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It might be easier to answer a question like "have you ever met any 'easy' clients..."
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Did you dream of being a designer since young?
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No. When I was really young I thought designers were cool. But by my teens I thought they were all a bunch of sell-outs without any soul. I've swallowed my pride and broadened my viewpoint more as an adult, but I still don't have a huge respect for the trade. It's interesting from a technical standpoint, but it's largely morally deficient.
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How did you get your current job? What were you working as before this?
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In the late 90's I took on web design like everyone else in the world. But I ended up taking on some certifications that, coupled with my passion and my art portfolio, landed me a job with an Agency. I think a lot of kids mistake education for motivation and it's just not true.
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Does having mixed parentage make a difference in your artwork or designs?
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I was the only non-German kid for hundreds of miles growing up. Some kids were nice, and others threatened me and glued my locker shut. I gave up on fitting in a long time ago and I think that nourished my creativity on a lot of levels.
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Define Art.
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Any deliberate effort to express a thought or emotion.
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What influences your Art?
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People. I'm seldom creatively motivated by nature. I keep seeing things that I've taken for granted about humanity, or things that I'd like to change, or things that I'm ashamed of. Those are the things I most enjoy expressing.
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What's your style in Art?
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I haven't found the words. I've really been inspired lately by artists like James Jean, Esao Andrews, Mark Ryden, Lori Early... There's an almost comic subject matter but a photo realistic application. Any ideas?
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What was your first piece like?
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I don't remember which was my 'first'. I did a lot of self-portraits, mostly because I didn't have anyone else to paint. That's why I got married.
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On your site, you don't state the price of your work. Instead, you ask for a price. How much do buyers usually offer you?
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That's a flaw of my site that I haven't gotten around to fixing. A few people have seen paintings on my site and just written to ask about a price, and I'm very flexible about that sort of thing. But most of my sales happen at shows where that price is often determined by how much commission the gallery takes. It ranges from 0% to over 60%. More than the money, I'm happy when people like my work enough to make any financial sacrifice. I've sold work for $100, and I've sold work for $1000. I keep the prices low because I want more people to be able to afford them.
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Is there anything worth giving art up for?
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I can't imagine giving art up permanently. But there's a time for everything, and there are a few circumstances that would put art on an extended hiatus. My volunteer work is very important to me. I don't believe in war, so in a draft I could be sent to prison. I could get ill or I could die. But none of those things would stop me from creating art again someday in the future.
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Snow or the sun?
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Sun. There aren't any mountains in Minnesota.
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Chocolate or vanilla?
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Vanilla. My sweet tooth isn't that sweet.
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What would you do if you only had a day to live?
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Work harder, and regret things.
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What are your future plans?
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I want to keep traveling and learning more about other cultures. I love experiencing new things.
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Any advice for aspiring designers?
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Anyone who has a passion for good design is probably only going to be frustrated if his/her only outlet is at the office. Clients will always screw your design up. If you want to retain your passion, you need to have your own projects. Design for fun. Designing for money is unfulfilling because money has bad taste.
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