Art is in the eye of the beholder.
Or the ear. Or the mind.
Artists of ALL mediums and talents are welcome under The Spotlight.
Nick Boddy
Visual Artist
Bio
Hey there, I’m Nick Boddy, a Central Illinois based photographer, craftsman, and jack of all trades, master of none! I was born in Nebraska, but grew up and spent most of my life in rural Illinois. Growing up in the middle of nowhere, you tend to learn to entertain yourself, and fortunately for me I was introduced to the world of woodworking very young by my father.
I also had a few really influential teachers who helped cultivate my passion for creativity at a young age. This continued while I was earning my Digital Media degree at Parkland College with one professor in particular who really helped me develop my creative potential. When I left school, I found myself facing down the realities of rent and utilities though, and put my creative dreams on the back-burner.
As it turns out, that isn’t really healthy for us creative types, and it didn’t take me long to realize that I was going to NEED some creative outlets in my life. So, for a while I would dabble in this and that, until about 2 years ago when I started to really get burnt out on the whole 50 hour work week lifestyle, or lack thereof. I started to focus on health and wellness, another subject I’m passionate about, and ended up building a website and a whole brand really. It flopped, so I moved into the next thing and gradually I found myself giving more and more time to photography.
I turned 27 this year and finally had the realization that it’s time to accept the fact: the corporate lifestyle just isn’t going to cut it for this hippie. So, here we go!
What medium(s) do you work in and why?
Variety is the spice of life, but currently the two that I am most focused on are digital photography and woodturning. I was introduced to both mediums at a young age, somewhere between 8-10, and over the course of my life they are the two I find myself returning to most frequently. I’m starting to break back into digital media as well lately, as I’ve recently expanded my online store front to include some printed goods with my designs on.
In regards to why, I like working with photography because I’m fascinated with capturing a moment or idea in an image. Plus, in my case, most of what I shoot is landscape and nature, so there is always an adventure when the camera is out! As for turning, there is a bit more of a therapeutic effect that comes with working on the lathe (most of the time), and I’d say that’s ultimately why I choose to return to the medium.
Is this how you make your living?
Not yet, but I am working very diligently to bring that to fruition right now. Just this year, in fact, I’ve started marketing my photography services and have also begun offering my travel and landscape shots as prints for wall art. That progressed into opening an Etsy shop where I offer a few of my digital prints as well as a variety of turned gifts, and just this week, I actually began mocking up some digital designs for a few new lines of printable goods!
It’s an ever changing adventure, and I find myself growing rapidly as both an artist and an entrepreneur throughout the process. So, for right now I play the role of the starving artist, but I’m hoping with persistence, practice, and a bit of tenacity to make a successful full-time living out of it real soon!
What message(s) do you try to convey/express through your work, if any?
I like to think that if my artwork were to convey a message collectively, that it would be a combination of two of my favorite expressions or schools of thought. The first being “perspective is everything,” meaning essentially that our view of a subject tends to change tremendously as our perspective of the subject changes. I like to express this by experimenting with scale and different angles in my imagery. Altering color is something else that I experiment with frequently, boosting and muting colors to change the feel of a scene.
The second expression is a bit of a cliche; “Don’t forget to enjoy the little things in life.” I tend to think this is a bit easier to see in my artwork collectively, based on a lot of the subject matter in my photography especially, but then… that’s the beauty of art: every single person who sees it, does so from their own perspective!
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of selling your work?
Truthfully, I don’t have a well-established market yet, so right now the hardest part of selling is getting my work in front of the people who not only appreciate it for what it is and what goes into it, but would be interested in purchasing it for a fair price as well. For me, creating is the reward, and honestly, if I didn’t have bills to pay and dogs to feed, nothing would make me happier than creating for the sake of creating and giving every project away… but, that’s just unfortunately not the society I was born into.
Do you have a studio/upcoming shows where people can find your work?
Currently, I am operating online using the Etsy platform to sell finished products, and my shop is called Hippie’s Galleria. One day I would like to open a studio with an attached workshop and maybe even offer courses and live workshops, but for now the online marketplace will be my home! People can also find my work and connect with me for projects on both Facebook and Instagram at TheHippieShoots.
Anything else to add?
I’d like to add a big thank you to Sue for asking me to participate in this interview! Also, for anyone who is interested in learning more about my work or staying up to date with what I’m doing, feel free to follow along on Facebook and Instagram @thehippieshoots, and be sure to check out Hippie’s Galleria on Etsy!
Links
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/thehippieshoots
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thehippieshoots/
Hippie’s Galleria: www.etsy.com/shop/HippiesGalleria
~~~
Rick Therrio
Visual Artist
Artist Statement
Rick has been a Chicago artist for many years. He exhibited publicly throughout the 80’s and 90’s at galleries such as World Tattoo and Art-o-Rama and was part of the collaborative known as The Colson Truck Group. . In 2012 he moved from Humboldt Park in Chicago to Lansing, IL and joined Paul Henry’s Art Gallery where he has exhibited his drawings, paintings, and work produced on a Wacom tablet. He has also become very involved with helping to manage the South Lake Artist’s Co-op.
His imagery has evolved from a wide variety of sources, music, films, literature, comics, history, and science fiction. He finds an inexhaustible source of humor in the absurdity of existence.
What medium(s) do you work in and why?
Oil, because it has power and versatility,
Watercolor, because it’s fast
Colored pencil (Prismacolor) colored pencil is a lot of work, but nothing else looks like it
Wacom Tablet, endless possibilities
Pencil, Like to go back to basics every once in a while
Painted Lamps, I like to buy lamps from flea markets, clean & rewire them, and paint em. Usually a homage to my favorite artists.
Mixed Media, lately I’ve been buying broken toy robots from Goodwill and inventing new lives for them.
I also recently started doing a serialized comic on FaceBook called ‘THE OLD FAT DETECTIVE’ I was just screwing around when I started it, but it’s reached 36 pages and is not done yet
Is this how you make your living?
HA! I would starve to death with alarming rapidity if I tried that. I’m retired, and I spend my days making stuff. Life is good, except when it isn’t.
What message(s) do you try to convey/express through your work, if any?
My favorite theme is the seemingly endless absurdity of life
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of selling your work?
My work is a little bit too strange for most people’s living rooms. That, coupled with the fact that nobody has any money makes sales challenging indeed.
Do you have a studio/upcoming shows where people can find your work?
The plague has pretty much wiped out my ability to exhibit anywhere. My artist friends and I are working to figure out how work may be shown in our current predicament.
Anything else to add?
Thank you for your interest in my work Sue, and for this opportunity to gabber about it. The closest thing I have to a website is an online gallery that my friend Joseph Crosetto built, in which I have a section that has a bunch of my work. I’m also on Instagram as ricktherrio.
1. ‘Tsar Bomba’ colored pencil 200?
2. ‘YORU(night) Bringer of Darkness’ mixed media 2020
3. ‘Brudek’s Car’ oil on canvas 2020
4. ‘What’s So Funny’ watercolor 2020
~~~
Anthony Rotolo
Podcaster
Why have you chosen to podcast about _______?
When I was casting about for a topic to investigate and share about, I felt there was a niche to be explored in telefilms. The big theatrical movies had been talked to death, or course. Films like Alien and Halloween and the Universal Horror films, etc. But comparatively little about television productions, very little about the small screen. Meanwhile, some great work had been done for TV and so it seemed to me to be a largely undiscovered country. Especially those nearly “lost” Movies-of-the-Week and forgotten genre series.
So, some years back I started researching and writing posts. The interest in this grew to the point that I started a dedicated discussion forum group and began a podcast. 110 episodes and a few years later, I feel I’ve only scratched the surface.
Biggest podcasting challenge to date?
The biggest challenge lately is simply time management. So many movies, so little time. I also podcast professionally. I host and produce several as part of my paid day job, and I’ve had to slow down some of my output on the hobby side of my podcasting efforts with TV TERROR. This means it’s taking me longer to traverse the landscape that I want to cover.
Other challenges have had to do with worrying about being entertaining enough when it’s only me — my shows are a solo flight, usually. But I do have guests. Friends and serious authors who have contributed much to the scholarly bookshelves of broadcast history. It’s been an honor and a challenge to do their books (and documentaries) justice, researching and prepping in order to extract the most out of an hour of their time. I really want the audience to walk away feeling it was worthwhile — if I can’t inform richly, I at least try to entertain with the frothier subjects. Either way, I want people to feel good about their time investment. To think that people would take time out of their lives to listen to little-old-me — that’s an honor that I don’t take for granted.
What are your favorite podcasts and why?
I love many shows. In the genre space, I first must pay tribute to two sadly defunct programs: Terror Transmission and Horror, Etc., both of which remain the best examples of their kind and the standard by which I measure my own efforts. Both brought a depth of research and refinement and respect for their audience’s intelligence that inspired my own work.
A few other random examples include Mysterious Legends Podcast (for their unparalleled research and preparation), Sleep With Me Podcast (for being so massively quirky and entertaining to sometimes-insomniacs like myself), and the efforts of my friends Mark Cain with Kingology, The Good The Bad and The Odd, and Anthologic podcasts, and also Vic Sage with his Saturday Frights show and other efforts. These two gentlemen are machines!
Who would enjoy listening to your podcast and why?
My show is pretty targeted but it’s also accessible. That’s to say that anyone who loves horror/thriller stuff, especially of the obscure variety, will like it. But there’s something pretty special there, I think, for the kids, like me, who came up in the 70s and 80s. And that’s because I pepper the program with old commercials and bumpers and trailers — elements that give it the feeling of that particular period in television history.
Have you done/will you be doing LIVE shows anywhere?
I haven’t done it. I think it’s one of the coolest evolutions and extensions of the podcasting phenomenon. And while I don’t know if I’ve got the following to pull it off now — I’m probably pretty small-fry compared to the people who do this — I wouldn’t rule it out.
Where/How can people find you?
I’m at tvterrorshow.com. You can also simply search TV TERROR in your podcatcher app. And you can join our Facebook group, TV TERROR, which has a smart, vibrant community. I consider it the hive mind – collectively, so much smarter than I will ever be on this subject.
Anything else to add?
I think podcasting is simply the magic of human conversation. It is endlessly fascinating, entertaining, informative. The irony is that we’re using technology to bring us back to the primal campfire — the place where knowledge was passed on and the great stories were told and human beings bonded via words and imagination. I hope I’m contributing to that tradition.
~~~
Diana Barwald
Visual Artist
What medium(s) do you work in and why?
Mostly acrylic paint and oil-based colored pencil on paper, illustration board and gesso board. I like working with colored pencil because it’s a fairly tidy way to make art, but I find I get a better depth of color with acrylic paint and now work mostly with acrylic paint on flat surfaces.
Is this how you make your living?
Not even close.
What message(s) do you try to convey/express through your work, if any?
Mostly I’m just trying to entertain myself and make something pretty or interesting to look at. Sometimes I try to express a personal opinion.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of selling your work?
Time. I have worked full time to support myself since I was 18. It’s hard to have enough time to make the art and market it in the time I have left. But now that I’m on the verge of retirement, I am making a greater effort to get my artwork noticed.
Do you have a studio/upcoming shows where people can find your work?
People can find my work for sale on the internet at dbarwald.artspan.com.
Anything else to add?
I find making art deeply satisfying. Even if I never make very much money from it, just making it is the main point for me. And I encourage everyone reading this interview to explore their own creative abilities.
Plus, I have also written a sci-fi trilogy of stories (short stories, heavily illustrated) about an android named Soo. I have attached the cover and first page of book one of the trilogy. I think I will try to self-publish this through Amazon.
I’m currently working on my first graphic novel, also a sci-fi story.
I plan on working one more year before retiring. It will be so fun to devote much more time to my art!


a scan of a recent painting of my cat (acrylic on gesso board)

a recent mandala (acrylic on illustration board)
~~~
Cam Chaney
Voice Over Actor
Bio:
I was born in Knoxville, TN. My hometown is Loudon, TN.
Currently live in Chattanooga, TN with my wife Andrea and our two cats Strider and Rascal. Graduated Middle Tennessee State University with a BS in electronic media communication. My adventures in the voice over world have been very fortunate.
Started part time in 2005 and haven’t looked back.
Here is to 2020!
Give us an overview of what you are working on (or have worked on/written/produced):
First, I would like to tell about the first voiceover I ever did as a kid. I was probably 9 or 10 years old. I did my first ever radio spot for my local radio station in Loudon, TN. It was fun to do.
In 2014, I voiced a museum character for a World War II project called Soldiers’ Stories for Northern Light Productions, a Boston, MA production company.
In 2017, August Aguilar of Strange Films asked me to voice the role of the newscaster in his short film “Passenger” a supernatural / horror film short back in 2017.
Most recently, I had the opportunity in 2019 to be the book trailer narrator for author Rose Marie Machario’s
“The Amulet of Elements” a fantasy book. I had a blast recording the book trailer. One of my favorite voiceover highlights.
What is your method – or – how do you go about preparing to do a Voice Over (V.O)?
First, lots of breathing exercises to loosen your vocal cords and muscles. Then practice reading the script aloud. Then you have to think about what audience you are sending the message to. For example, let’s say I am voicing a commercial spot for a food product like ice cream. I would want to pretend that a good friend or relative is standing right in front of me while I am reading. Just thinking about their reaction to the product and reading the copy like your in conversation with someone makes all the difference. Also enunciation and pronunciation is key to voiceover.
How does one become a V.O. actor / actress?
That is a very interesting question. First, meeting other people who have the same passion whether new or experienced. My suggestion is to enroll in an intro to voiceover workshop. You will either like it or it might not be for you. If it is for you, then you can try other workshops such as commercial, audiobook narration, etc. Going to VO conferences is a big advantage. My first conference was VO Atlanta back in 2016. It opened my eyes up to so many possibilities. My commercial demo was produced by Joe Loesch.
What is your biggest frustration with the current film industry?
My biggest gripe is I think more theaters should show more films in 35 or 70 mm format. The true director’s vision. Also there is good CGI and bad CGI.
Do you believe that someone has to live in NY or LA to be successful in the business? Why or why not?
Not at all. Nowadays with the proper equipment and studio one can work out of the comforts of their own home.
What are your 3 top films that you enjoy and why?
The Empire Strikes Back: One of the best sequels ever. Great story, special effects, character driven. Kudos to Frank Oz for his wonderful performance of Yoda.
Ghostbusters: I can watch it over and over again. Great special effects for the time plus Bill freaking Murray!
Lost in Translation: I remember going to the theater to see this masterpiece. Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and director Sofia Coppola made this come alive. To me its amazing to see Bill Murray go from comedy to drama.
~~~
Anthony D.P. Mann
Actor/Film Maker
Bio:
ANTHONY D.P. MANN is a Canadian-based actor and film-maker with 5 feature films under his belt, and a wealth of credits on stage / TV / etc.
Over the course of his career, Anthony has portrayed such diverse characters as Sherlock Holmes, Count Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, and Ebenezer Scrooge – among others. His musical film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (featuring Doctor Who’s Colin Baker) was screened on PBS in 2015, and will be available from retailers every in November 2016. Visit Anthony on IMDB for information on his film career. Aside from film-making, Anthony is also in demand as a freelance voice artist, recently recording a series of vinyl releases for Cadabra Records featuring original scores by Fabio Frizzo (The Beyond), Maurizio Guarini (of Goblin fame) and others.
In 2016, Anthony founded Bleak December Inc., a multi-media company whose main focus is the creation of new, full-cast audio dramas. Their releases have included Dracula (starring Tony Todd), The Houd of the Baskervilles (featuring Sir Derek Jacobi), Casting the Runes (with David Warner), The Canterville Ghost (with Colin Baker), The Dunwich Horror (featuring Robert Powell) The Signal Man and A Christmas Carol (both starring Sylvester McCoy), with many new titles in the pipeline.
Bleak December’s current release is Return to Frightenstein, an audio continuation of the cult TV favourite The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, and features Anthony is several roles (including The Count, The Librarian, The Oracle and Dr. Pet Vet) alongside Malcolm McDowell as Host, and a full cast of talented voice actors. In May 2020, Bleak December will unleash it’s audio adaptation of The Wicker Man, featuring Anthony as protagonist Sgt. Howie, alongside Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) as Lord Summerisle, and a full cast of voice talent including Laurence R. Harvey (of the Human Centipede film series).
Make sure to visit www.bleakdecember.com / Facebook for all the latest updates from Anthony and Bleak December.
Give us an overview of what you are working on (or have worked on/written/produced):
I’ve been quite fortunate to dabble in various mediums over the course of my career. I stopped trying to identify myself years ago, as I’ve had the pleasure of working as an actor on stage / in film / on audio, as a director of films (five of them), a singer, and as a writer (I reckon I’ve written over 100 scripts over the past 25 years!)… so now, I prefer to simply identify as a storyteller, because everything I do is centered around the various ways I can tell stories and entertain people.
These days, I find great joy in the audio medium – writing, producing and appearing in some wonderful full-cast audio plays (alongside some of my heroes like Sylvester McCoy, Malcom McDowell, Colin Baker, Sir Derek Jacobi and others), and also serving as a narrator for some deliciously sinister tales published on vinyl by Cadabra Records. The next “biggie” in the pipeline is a licensed audio adaptation of one of my favorite films, The Wicker Man, which I get to co-star in alongside the great Brian Blessed… what an honor!
What is your method – or – how do you go about producing your screenplays/where do you find actors/talent?
I learned years ago that opportunity doesn’t necessarily show up knocking on one’s door, and that it was important to create my own opportunities if I wanted to enjoy a fulfilling career as an actor. Much of my work is self-produced, which allows me control over how our stories are told. Although people may not always agree with the direction I take a production, there’s no denying that my work is always true to my vision… for better or for worse, LOL (mostly better, I hope)! I only produce material that I enjoy, because you become married to each project for such a long time, it would be miserable to commit that amount of time and energy to something that my heart wasn’t completely invested in.
I’ve learned to write within our means, budgetary and otherwise, which allows us to maximize the resources that we do have, and realize a project to fruition… so many writers set out with grand ideas and unrealistic expectations – kudos to them, but that often makes getting a project MADE very difficult. Maybe I just set the bar low? I don’t think so… I’m very proud of everything that we have accomplished.
Another key is to engage the right talent. I’m surrounded by some wonderful, talented people in Bleak December (actors Terry Wade, Anne-Marie Bergman, Amie Bello, Nik Yuen, Steve Spencer, Dave Hudson, Melissa Radford – to name only a few… and of course our brilliant house composer, Brent Holland, whose original scores elevate our work), as well as my co-producer and spiritual brother Bill Bossert, who has helped make so much of my work a reality. I’m blessed to be surrounded by these wonderful people, and our work is all the better for it.
What is your biggest frustration with the current film industry?
Expectations. There’s a difference between how a $10k indie film is made, and how a multi-million dollar studio picture is produced. Indie filmmakers should be celebrated for what they have been able to accomplish DESPITE their limitations… there are too many armchair critics out there, and it can be demoralizing and exhausting. I don’t think the average viewer has any understanding of how much effort goes into crafting an independent film – it’s a Hellish existence, and I think all we independent filmmakers are self-masochists to some degree, haha.
Do you believe that someone has to live in NY or LA to be successful in the business? Why or why not?
I think a proximity to opportunity / the centers of the industry is important, if you want to make a lot of money or sustain a regular income at it. I’m very happy creating work I enjoy (I get to pick and choose my projects) on my own terms, in Kingston Ontario. I’ll never be a rich Mann off my efforts, but I’m certainly fulfilled by them… most days 😉
What are your 3 top films that you enjoy and why?
1) The Changeling (1980) – My favorite film of all-time! Not only is Peter Medak’s film the greatest haunted house movie ever made, it’s central performance by the late, great George C. Scott is a masterclass in acting.
2) A Christmas Carol (1984) –Second favorite film, and another masterful performance by George C. Scott – Clive Donner’s adaptation is the definitive telling of Dickens’ story… it might even be better than my own humble contribution to the Carol canon!
3) This slot has a rotating selection, depending on my mood: El Conde Dracula (1970, Jess Franco’s version of the Stoker novel, starring a moustachioed Christopher Lee), The Devil Rides Out (1968 – another Lee film from Hammer), Night of the Demons (the 1957 adaptation of M.R. James’ Casting the Runes), and the original Wicker Man (1973)… all honorable mentions.
Add anything else you would like to share with us.
I am a HUGE Doctor Who fan, and have a collection of original screen-used props from both the classic and new series on display in my studio – which you enter from a professionally-made mock-up of the TARDIS! My dream role (and this has remained unchanged since I was four years old!) would be to play The Doctor in some official context. I had the chance to do it in a Montreal Fringe Festival show in the 1990’s, and relished every minute of it. Someone needs to start a petition 😉
~~~
August Aguilar
Film Director
Bio:
I am the Director of Strange Films, a multi-media production company that produces films, comic books, music, and art. I have built a shared universe of stories, following something similar to the Marvel formula of storytelling.
Give us an overview of what you are working on (or have worked on/written/produced):
Most recently, I finished my short film “Pandora” that actually was a competition film where we had two weeks to write, shoot, and edit a film. The film won three awards including Best Director. Up next we will be in Philadelphia working on our final film in our “CENTER CITY” series: “CENTER CITY 2”.
Pandora (Short Film)
What is your method – or – how do you go about producing your screenplays/where do you find actors/talent?
My methods are pretty consistent as far as producing a film. It usually starts with an idea, bounce it around and then write it out. Once the story is clear and the inspiration is set, I seek actors mostly through Facebook groups for filmmakers and acting talents. I’ll usually communicate through email and check on reels/resumes, and then make my decision to cast.
Then its on to location scouting and then finally production! Overall, the anticipation of it all is the most stressful, but when on set with people I tend to have a very relaxed directing approach. I let my talent run with the script and characters as seem fit to the vision, and we really just have a lot of fun making it.
What is your biggest frustration with the current film industry?
The biggest frustration in the film industry is most people tend to set standards of what a “good” film is. I believe mostly from my experience in film festivals and other screenings, that most people who watch these films are more inclined to give recognition to the films who have very high budgets but often lack a personality or core value to the story, versus a film that may be on a lower or no budget situation and may not look the prettiest, but has a really in depth story behind it. I believe we should give more props to the underdogs out there.
Do you believe that someone has to live in NY or LA to be successful in the business? Why or why not?
In today’s day and age, I think it’s absolutely not necessary to live somewhere like LA or NY to be successful. First, success is what you make it. You can literally be successful in any way you seem fit if you put the work into it and are happy with the accomplishments that you’ve made.
Secondly, I believe though those cities are glamorous, they are a bit overrated and way too expensive. A lot of this stuff is about who you know and how you get your vision out there. I believe everyone has the capability of finding that kind of success in their hometown or place of residency if they are talented and push far enough.
What are your 3 top films that you enjoy and why?
My top 3 films would have to be:
“It’s A Wonderful Life” Directed by Frank Capra
“Taxi Driver” Directed by Martin Scorsese
“The Dark Knight” Directed by Christopher Nolan
Nolan and Scorsese are in my top 5 list of Directors. “Taxi Driver” is such a gritty and personal story behind Robert De Niro’s character, it’s a really powerful and fun film. “The Dark Knight” really humanizes such a fictional world that any fan of Batman is used to, there’s a lot of symbolism at play and it keeps things very grounded. Plus the amazing performances by Heath Ledger and Christian Bale. Finally, “It’s A Wonderful Life” is just a beautiful story that I watch every year on Christmas Eve to remind myself of my blessings, family, and friends in my life. That film makes me feel very humble.
Add anything else you would like to share with us.
Strange Films is all about connecting and finding our audiences. I encourage anybody to check out our work, reach out to us, listen to our podcasts, or even read one of our comic books. Supporting independent cinema is one of the best things we can do for creators so we are just always looking to invite new friends to our films and help others while we can.
Lastly as a side note, we do have a Kickstarter campaign going on that is making our second comic book come to life. If you would be interested in being a part of creating a comic and scoring some Strange Films goodies, here is the link!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598461524/passenger-horror-comic-book
https://www.strangefilmsstudios.com/
![august25[2304]](https://suerovenscom.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/august252304.jpg?w=274&h=410)
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Kevin Conlin
Visual Artist – Wood Worker
Bio:
I’ve lived in the Bloomington area my entire life, born and raised in McLean. In fact, I do all my woodworking at the family farm just south of McLean. I was a broadcaster (radio & TV) for 25+ years, and while sometimes I miss it, I don’t miss the political & ego BS involved with it. I currently live in Bloomington with my wife and our three crazy dogs.
1.What medium do you work in, and why?
I’m a woodworker. But not big cabinets and furniture – I prefer making puzzles, toys, and small decorative items. I started doing woodworking as an offshoot of my participation in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a medieval historical organization. My father Ken (the first “K” of K&K Woodworks) and I made some simple period camp furniture, and it started branching out from there. I’m primarily self-taught, between on-line videos, books, woodworking magazines, and playing around in the shop.
2. Is this how you make your living?
Not so much. I have a “regular” full-time job, but the woodworking business has been growing.
3. What message(s) do you try to convey/express through your work, if any?
Ummm….please buy my stuff so I can eat today? (JUST KIDDING – DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THIS ONE!!!)
4. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of selling your work?
As a small, newer business, it is always difficult to find good venues to display and merchant my work. Selling within the SCA is good, but means a very limited audience. I’ve been trying to branch out to local farmer’s markets and other art/craft shows, but it is often a slow progress, getting the right contacts and information in time. Facebook and other social media can be useful, but can’t really compare with a customer being able to see and feel the woodwork in person.
5. Do you have a studio/upcoming shows where people can find your work?
While I don’t have a studio to display my work, I am setting up a basic webpage, http://www.kkwoodworks.com, where people can see and purchase some of my items. I also have a limited Etsy page – K&K Woodworks. I will be participating in the Thanksgiving and Christmas Farmer’s Markets (Nov 23 & Dec 21, at Grossinger Motors Arena). Beyond that, I’m still in the planning stages for what fairs/markets I will be at next year.
6. Anything else to add?
I’ve never really considered myself an “artist” – I’m just a guy who likes to make toys and such with wood. I can have the most stressful week at work, but as soon as I get to the shop with dad, and the scroll saw starts going, the rest of the world fades away. Having that kind of artistic outlet is very important to staying sane in this increasingly insane world.
~~~
Angel Rosa
Screenwriter/Director
Bio :
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