about kent

What is your present state of mind?

anxious.  

Art found you and kind of drove you to it in a hugely organic way. Describe this phenomenon.

we found each other.  i was bouncing around between interior design, graphic design and art.  i always came back to or long to be with art.  there is no pretense.  no reason to change something to please others.  art turns me on.

Tell us about your very first day painting.

laughable.  unprepared. intoxicating minus the morning gatorade.

Why is it important to do what you love every day?

have a drink with the guy who hates what he does everyday.  that sounds fun huh.

What about fear? Being an artist can have its ups and downs and unpredictability. Tell us about it.

i’m crawl in a ball and hide under the desk afraid every time i show something new.  i am my work. its called exposure for a reason.

Describe your creative process. How do you start? How do you know it’s done?  how do i start?

i just do.  i wake up.  get off the couch.  show up on time.  work my backside off and i surprise people – then do it all over again.    how do i know it’s done? i feel it’s exhaustion.

Any special details you gravitate towards?

details – no.  details are not my thing.  circles – yes.  i started painting circles about five years ago and they seem to have stuck around.  i’m sure someday they will leave me just like pleated pants. (update – circles became squiggles)

Who did you look up to when you started?  

great question.  no answer.  i had no idea what i was doing or what direction i was headed. not exactly sure when i started to be honest.  i think it was and continues to be a blessing that i fumble around like a new dad in the grocery store and try to to follow someone else’s lead.

Talk about your compulsion to fuse poignant words/thoughts in some of your pieces.

much like peanut butter + chocolate, gin + tonic (or bacon + anything), i’m inclined to believe words and art are better, together.

What other art forms captivate you?

short films. and i’m jealous of rock stars.

Last experience that totally blew your mind/when you’ve felt most alive?

californina.  winter.  surfing.  i felt alive but couldn’t feel much else in the cold water.

(outside of art) What else do you do that really makes you feel alive?

early am work outs. nutmegs. coaching kids.

What is your strongest childhood memory?

chutes and ladders, short shorts, tall tube socks, zips, wiffle ball, chores, baseball cards, the backwards seat in the station wagon, grandma’s jello molds, a terrible hair cut, 588-2300 empire, sesame street and sunday night grilled cheese.

What can’t you live without?

apparently health care.

Everyone has these little quirks or unique characteristics about them that help set them apart? What’s yours?

i’m…opinionated to a fault. quick tempered.  a check list writer.  a u-turn hater.  not a general people person.  a big picture thinker. willing to do just about anything for a friend. self sufficient and believe others should be as well. easily prone to tear up at bad children’s movies. a clean and healthy eater.  a stomach sleeper.  a soccer player.  a whale, crocodile, horse & polo player hater.  always thinking about what to do next.

You seem to have followed your dream. How do you want to be remembered?

comfortable in my own skin.  non-conforming.  inspiring.  leader. example.

They say our lives flash before our eyes before we die. Aside from family memories, what moment or experience would you want to replay?

all the little moments that surprised me.

What’s in the future?

i have no idea – and that’s the way i like it.