inspiration interview with nicholas wilton (and an artful giveaway)

I started the Inspiration Interview Series because I wanted to know more about the people who share their work with the world and inspire me to practice courage, be creative, and dream big. Nicholas Wilton is one of those people! Nicholas is the person behind the art on my book jackets and the illustrations I use for my website (see that amazing banner above this post and those incredible illustrations on the books and curriculum to your right)!

When I found Nick's work several years ago, I called Gotham (an imprint of Penguin) and said, "We have to put Nick's image on the front of I Thought It Was Just Me!" We did and his art has graced the covers of my books ever since!

I love that Nick is the first man featured in this interview series! I can't imagine my work without his.

About Nicholas

[image error]Rich in color, texture and symbols, Nicholas Wilton's paintings reference a personal vocabulary of botanical forms, patterns and abstract designs. In addition to gallery exhibitions and the inclusion in numerous private collections, Nicholas Wilton's paintings have been featured internationally in editorial and corporate print media.

His work has been the centerpiece of many successful branding campaigns, magazines, and bestselling book covers. He recently designed a stamp for the US Postal Service entitled, Celebrate. 

Nicholas also is the founder of the Artplane Method, a system of fundamental painting and intuition principles that help enable the creative process. Nicholas and his wife and design partner, Jennie Oppenheimer teach painting /creativity workshops and seminars for corporate clients and arts organizations. The courses explore the principles of art making both from a traditional and intuitive approach. 

Nicholas is represented nationally by six galleries and is currently working on a new body of work for a show in October 2011 at the Costello Childs Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition he is completing a book project titled the "Artful Life" which details the metaphorical comparisons of art making and life.

Nicholas Lives in West Marin with his wife and two daughters.

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To celebrate this interview, I'm giving away two beautiful 2011 Collectors Editions art books full of paintings by Nicholas. Just leave your name in the comment section and I'll draw winners on Monday. 

I absolutely loved reading about Nick's process and his approach to life and art. I hope you enjoy the interview! 

Questions on Vulnerability, Authenticity, and Courage from The Gifts of Imperfection

1. Vulnerability is ___________________.  

Vulnerability is about setting out alone on your own particular journey without having a clear sense of your destination.

2. What role does vulnerability play in your work?

I notice that there always is a slight degree of hesitation, procrastination perhaps, right before I am about to begin a new painting. I will make a cup of tea or walk to the window and peer out looking for something that might offer some distraction from the difficulty that I always feel when beginning.

There is usually a small feeling of vulnerability, a tiny amount of fear that is involved in making something that I haven't seen before. Each painting, I believe, is like a little journey that always begins with fear, which in time, thankfully leads to familiarity but at some point along the way takes a turn into some new territory, some aspect or darker place that is unfamiliar. 

However, it is in these lesser-known areas of artmaking, where the feelings of vulnerability and insecurity really begin to creep in that oddly hold the most potential for the work. The definition I use of strong artwork, strong personal expression is one that allows the viewer to most clearly feel the presence, the essential essence of the artist.

Connected to this line of thinking is the fact that much more of an artist is revealed in their work by the evidence of their difficulty, their mistakes and struggle than their easily repeated successes. The feelings of vulnerability and unsure ness are not particularly pleasant but I have come to accept the fact that they are always present in authentic artistic efforts. They are, for me, indications or small reminders, that alert me to the possibility that I could maybe make something significant, something more meaningful on that particular day.

3. What does authenticity mean to you and how do you practice it in your work?

When I am making marks on a painting weather it be an abstract shape or something representational or recognizable I often just make it without trying too hard to decide if it is good or not beforehand. It is only after I make it that I back up and take a good look at it and decide if it fits or not.

This decision of it being either in or out is made solely by asking myself the question of whether it feels right or not. Which is a rather mushy way to decide something but in actuality what I am asking myself is whether or not it feels truthful. Truthful to myself. Is this as authentic and honest as I have the nerve to be?

What is so interesting about this line of reasoning is that it is based so much on intuition, so much on whether or not something we have made feels like us. I try hard to be as honest, less gimmicky and more heartfelt as possible when I am painting but this is not easy and often I feel I fall short. The hallmark of really great enduring work is authenticity.

Is perfectionism an issue for you?

I always felt that someone, a long time ago, organized the affairs of the world into areas that made sense—categories of stuff that is perfectible—things that fit neatly in perfect bundles. The world of business for example is this way—line items, spreadsheets, things that add up that can be perfected.

The legal system—not always perfect but nonetheless there is a mind numbing effort to actually write down all kinds of laws and instructions that covers all aspects of being human, a kind of umbrella code of conduct we should all follow.

These laws are far from perfect but the hope is that they will be and that justice will prevail in the end. Perfection is crucial in building an aircraft, a bridge or a high-speed train. The code and mathematics residing just below the surface of the internet is also this way. Things are either perfectly right or they will not work. So much of the world we work and live in is based upon being correct, being perfect.

But after this someone got through organizing everything just perfectly, he or she was left with a bunch of stuff that didn't fit anywhere. Things still in the shoebox that had to go somewhere. So in desperation this person threw up their arms and said, "Ok! Fine. All the rest of this stuff that isn't perfectible, that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else will just have to be piled into this last, rather large tattered box that we can sort of push behind the couch. Maybe later we can come back and figure where it all is supposed to fit in. Let's label the box ART."

The problem was thankfully never fixed and in time the box overflowed as more and more art piled up. I think the dilemma exists because art, among all the other tidy categories most closely resembles what it is like to be human. To be alive. It is our nature to be imperfect.

To have uncategorized feelings and emotions. To make or do things that don't sometimes necessarily make sense. "Art"is all just perfectly imperfect. Once the word "Art" enters the description of what your up to it is almost like getting a hall pass from perfection. It thankfully releases us from any expectation of perfection. In relation to my own work not being perfect, I just always point to the tattered box behind the couch and mention the word  "Art" and people seem to understand and let you off the hook about being perfect and go back to their business.

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5. What inspires you?

The closest thing to out of the blue inspiration for me are things I have experienced in nature. The seemingly random complexity of branches on a tree, the perfect spiral in a sea shell or the small miracle of an osprey plummeting from the sky to catch a silver fish with it's talons all can take my breath away.

There are countless others of course. However, none make me want to paint these actual things but they do make me want to taste again some small miniscule aspect of what I had seen or more importantly what I felt.

Can I make a painting feel, and that is the operable word, like the spiral of a perfect white shell? Can these black marks on this canvas even begin to be as sophisticatedly composed or as stark as those dark winter branches against the pale white sky on that winter day?

There just seems to be so much dizzying beauty and stupendous design that exists in nature that it just makes me want to, in a small way, try my hand in making something too.

6. What's something that gets in the way of your creativity and how do you move through it?

I notice that the less I do creatively the less I do. It is a problem that worsens by it's own absence. The problem becomes the problem. Thankfully it works the other way around. In other words, the solution is to begin again. To just show up and make something.

I tell my students all the time that the answer, the solution does not come from thinking about what you're going to do but rather from actually doing it. You don't even have to be on the right track but as long as you're working, making decisions etc. then soon enough the possibility for creative expression becomes available again.

7. Describe a snapshot of a joyful moment in your life.

The most recent joyful moment I had was just after I had run up a very steep mountain. On the summit I was above the clouds staring out upon this amazing blanket of fog that had crept in around the entire bay area while I had been running up.

The fog reminded me of a beautiful silk comforter pulled over a bed at the end of a very long tiring day. It just covered so much of the world and for a moment as I sat upon the top of this mountain with the morning sun on my back I just remembered again for the umpteenth time in my life, that actually everything is fine the way it is and that I don't need to worry or strive too hard for anything. It's all going to be ok. The sense of happiness, lightness and ease I felt wash over me that morning stayed with me for a long time.

8. Do you have a mantra or manifesto for living and loving with your whole heart?

Both of my parents are English and came from fairly conservative, at least emotionally, families and as a result I didn't grow up in a particularly openhearted home environment. It was plenty loving but probably shown more in the dizzying number of presents I received at Christmas or the amazing desserts baked by my mother rather than openhearted talks between us.

So the bar for my open heartedness was never very high. I just figured that if I could get to the point of openly hugging my friends and learning how to articulate what I was feeling that I was doing pretty well. I have learned over time to recognize the feeling of being openhearted and try, especially in my art to reside there as much as possible.

From James Lipton's Inside the Actor's Studio

What is your favorite word?   Mellifluous

What is your least favorite word? Cack

What sound or noise do you love? The sound of a stream

What sound or noise do you hate? The scream of the fighter jet engines when they are doing air shows over San Francisco It makes me think of how terrifying it would be to be invaded by them in a war.

What is your favorite curse word? dagnabbit

Fun questions from JL's Uncle Jessie Meme

A song/band/type of music you'd risk wreck & injury to turn off when it comes on the radio?   Super head-bangy music doesn't seem to help when I am trying to work and think.

Best show on television? I haven't come across anything on TV lately that I would proclaim this is the best! I got sucked into "Project Runway" first because of my two teenage daughters and then secondly because of its candid look into the creative process of designing clothes and fashion. The other night I found myself laughing out loud to "Modern Family" and "Parenthood" is quite good. I also love wildlife shows.

Favorite movie? My Dinner with Andre

Best concert? Fleetwood Mac in the rain when I was 15.

If you could have anything put on a t-shirt what would it be?  I was just in Yosemite National Park and saw a sign that said "Speeding Kills Bears" I would put that on my T Shirt. I think this is as good as it gets and seems to relate to many aspects of life. I just am not entirely sure how it does but there is something about it that resonates.

Nightmare job? I have seen people working in factories in Asia and their lives of repetitive tasks would truly be my nightmare.

A talent you wish you had? Playing the saxophone.

Dream vacation? I don't have a dream vacation because those two words seem to say that the destination will forever be out of reach. More optimistically I like to think of the next place I will go to and right now that would be the Himalayas.

What's on your nightstand? A broken lamp that never got fixed because I bought an ipad and no longer need a reading lamp.  I recently downloaded "Moon walking with Einstein" by Joshua Foer. I also just read "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall and enjoyed it.

What's something about you that would surprise us? I think I would have been a better musician than an artist. I have zero ability in this area but I always get very strong images when I listen to music that I love. I would like to try creating music utilizing visual thinking.

Music is also an art form that can be duplicated and therefore is able to touch many more people than a singular painting on a wall in a gallery somewhere. I envy that reach. Music also has the remarkable ability to be heard and then if it resonates with people can actually melds into their lives and can become part of their history.

Your six-word memoir: My dog sleeps while I think. 

Connecting with Nick! 

Website | Twitter | Blog | Studio Zocolo

The paintings featured above are pieces from his latest collection, now being shown at the Costello Childs Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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