Not just a painter, but also an Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker, David Skillicorn has dazzled clients with his textured and colorful abstract work for years. Within his ever-evolving style remains a common theme: nature. Skillicorn paintings are not simply based off the nature that he sees, but rather the experiences of the natural world that are a part of him.

“There is no question, Nature, with a capital N, is by far the best art of all. Infinite in variety, detail and interest, never ending, always changing.”

Tell us about your background. When did you start creating art?

I had a long and extraordinary career making documentaries for television, traveling all over the world and having more amazing adventures than I can even remember at this point. But like many things, after twenty-five years I sort of felt like I’d “been there, done that”, and just wasn’t feeling the “juice” anymore.

Then one day I was filming a documentary about artists on Cape Cod and met up with a master painter out on the dunes of Wellfleet at dawn. Having literally no inkling, knowledge or interest really in painting myself up until that moment, I literally had an epiphany looking over this artist’s shoulder as he created “magic” on canvas right before my eyes. It was amazing! I knew in that instant that I had to become a painter, even though I had no clue where to even begin! And so I did, one step in front of the other, day after day, year after year, and I’ve never looked back.

Now after more than twenty years painting, I can also say, there is no end in sight, and the challenge and interest for me is as fresh as the first canvas I ever attempted.

Describe your creative process.

I would say that I “channel” intuition and “discover” painting along the way more than I “make” it.

Having said that, there are certainly parameters and techniques I’ve established through trial and error and often years of exploration in any given series I do, but all of those “techniques” are just baked into the DNA now. I don’t think about them literally while I’m working, they are just there to use, like breathing in a way. The literal mechanics of taking a breath just happens automatically, we don’t think about it as we go along. So when I’m painting, far far and away intuition and feeling are the driving forces in the creation of the work. I want to be surprised and delighted with the result.

What is your studio space like, and how does it affect your process?

I am fortunate enough to live in a large 1840’s Victorian house in a small New England village, which often seems more aligned with the pace and sensibility of the 19th century than anything else.

My studio is on the second floor of an old three story barn attached to the house. It’s all old wood, has a soaring ceiling and a wall of windows facing out to our gardens, meadows and the pond beyond. Needless to say, it is a soulful and peaceful space to clear the mind and open up to creating new work.

Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the Botanica and Nel Bosco series?

There is no question, Nature, with a capital N, is by far the best art of all. Infinite in variety, detail and interest, never ending, always changing. What all artists attempt to do, pales in comparison. While my work is abstract and intuition driven, how could I not be deeply influenced by the natural world? The view from my studio itself is full of nuance and ever evolving interest, all of the time.

The Nel Bosco and Botánica paintings are clearly nature based works referencing trees and flowers, etc. While I do not literally look at a tree or flower, and try to render them abstractly, ALL of those images and my experiences of the natural world are within me. They come out as they do, entirely intuitively.

What do you hope viewers see in your work?

For me, the paintings I make are not “about” something, or art “objects” per se, as much as they are an opportunity to set in motion the imagination of the viewer and perhaps trigger an emotional response. I hope that the paintings have a sense of presence about them which can bring a bit of feeling or soul into the space they end up in. Something intangible that is felt viscerally, even in a small way, each and every time one looks at it.

That is the hope, and it’s a prospect worth shooting for each and every time I start a painting.

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Rock Therrien’s work integrates neon with collage, stenciling, and writing, always with vibrant color and a touch of humor. Focusing on beloved cartoon characters like Snoopy and Garfield, Therrien encourages the viewer to think back on their own childhood memories and explore each piece with a feeling of nostalgia.

Describe your creative process.

To start, I think of a title for the neon. Then I do a search among all the cartoon icons that marked my youth to correspond with it.

When did you start creating art?

I am self-taught. I have always been attracted to drawing, and I won drawing competitions when I was very young . The arts have always been part of my life—I have been exhibiting my work in art galleries for over twenty years.

What do you hope viewers see in your work?

The first thing I want them to see in my works is the graphic aspect. I draw their attention with the subject as well as with a neon. It works quite well!

I want to plunge the spectator back into their childhood memories and help them rediscover their youth for a moment.

How would you describe your studio?

My workshop is at home. It allows me to work on my pieces at any time. It’s a very big room, so I can have space while I work and listen to music.

 

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What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

8 to 5, have fun!

How has your work evolved over the years?

My work is always evolving; I always want to surpass myself.

What inspires you?

The day to day, the people, the world.

Do you plan your process or do you let chance take a role?

Everything is planned and well thought out.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not creating?

I like to cook, play sports, listen to music, watch movies, read comics, and travel.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

The most important thing for me in my work is really to put a little happiness in this world.

Gavin Benjamin’s evocative portraits bring together pop culture, fashion, and politics, while giving a nod to the drama of 17th century Baroque painting. Born in Guyana, South America and raised in Brooklyn, Benjamin explores his perspective as a Black man in America, combining photography and mixed media collage to weave together a story in each piece.

Tell us about your background. When did you start creating art?

My family immigrated from Guyana, South America when I was young and settled in Brooklyn. Growing up in New York City the museums were my happy place. I spent a lot of time there, it was one of the only places I felt like I could be myself. In high school I took a photography class, and that was really my entry point. From there I knew I had to be an artist, there was no other path that made sense.

Describe your creative process.

My creative process varies. I work across mediums and am inspired by fine art, pop culture, and design. I always start a body of work with a concept or idea and then I get to work on gathering images and materials and build it out visually. My studio walls are covered with inspiration images and fashion and art magazines. My creative process is playful and experimental.

 

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What is your studio space like, and how does it affect your process?

My studio is broken up into different rooms for different activities, pouring resin happens in one room, I have my main studio which is where concepts and ideas are formed, and another room for handling packing and shipping of work. I have a studio assistant who is involved in the technical aspects of my work. It’s taken a long time to get the studio to where it is now, but on a busy day things run very smoothly.

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

I arrive in the studio every day by 9:30am. Depending on what deadlines I have coming up, I will focus on different projects. It’s usually a mix between gallery shows and bigger, more large scale projects like museum shows and residencies. I also spend a lot of time meeting with other artists and creatives, I love putting together creative people to see what kind of magic they can make happen.

 

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Do you plan your process, or do you let chance take a role?

Everything is planned!! I do not let chance take a role in my process. There is a lot of experimentation and play in the planning stages, but once I get going, things happen in a streamlined way.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the Heads of State series?

Heads of State takes inspiration from my family and friends, honoring their lives and ancestry while marrying today’s culture with the past. It’s a colorful world, conjuring an intersection of media, fashion, politics, pop culture and design.

How do you describe your work?

I am very inspired by the work of artists during the 15th to 17th centuries, especially the Dutch and Italian masters. There is something very romantic, dark, mysterious, and brooding about these works. I find this period fascinating because of the deep, luxurious colors and intense light and dark shadows.

I am drawn to the juxtaposition of objects and compositions that come together to tell a story. The work investigates the intersection of culture, media, politics, fashion, and design, addressing questions that (continue to) confront men of color in America today. It reflects everything that I’m thinking – it includes everything that I love and everything that I’m challenged by. It’s honest and curious and bright and thoughtful. And sometimes a little dark.

How has your work evolved over the years?

Recently, after witnessing the political, emotional, and physical carnage of the last five year, my work has become more overtly political. This is something that is intentional and something that I will continue to explore as our country continues to grapple with issues of race, truth, and greed.

What do you hope viewers see in your work?

It is my goal to elevate the Black experience and share with my viewers Black glamor as well as Black struggle.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not creating?

Creating–always creating.

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Symbolism is an important aspect in Nathalie Boissonnault’s narrative and playful pieces. Masterfully weaving together acrylic paintings with collaged maps and text, she explores broad human emotions and ideas through intimate interactions between animals. See inside her riverside Quebec studio space, and hear more about the motifs that repeat throughout her work.

What inspired you to work in collage? How do you choose your materials?

The basis for creating origami is paper, so that’s what prompted me to use paper collage to represent my origami animals. As a collage I generally choose geographical or topographic maps to evoke travel or belonging to a place, and in some cases I will favor texts whose subject will have a link with the title of the work or what I am trying to express through the work.

As for the choice to make my animals look like origami, I didn’t want to paint realistic animals. Origami and balloon animals bring an atmosphere of lightness and a playful character that leave more room for the imagination.

Can you tell us about some of the symbolism found throughout your work?

GRAFFITI
In general, the graffiti that I paint are rather abstract symbols, a bit like those that can be seen on public surfaces. They always represent a certain chaos without too much meaning. On the other hand, they can reveal a lot about the environment in which they find themselves. In this sense, all the graffiti painted on my animal-origami suggest (a bit like tattoos) the course of life – the experiences, the joys and the wounds that shape individuals throughout their lives.

BALLOONS
Heart-shaped balloons of course represent love, a single balloon in a work can represent friendship, sharing or a feeling of lightness and freedom. When there are several balloons, often it symbolizes hope.

LIGHTBULBS
The light bulb always has a positive meaning in my works. It represents light and symbolizes audacity, determination, future and hope.

BLUE BIRDS
Lightness, happiness, peace, friendship, fragility. They are little guardian angels or fragile little beings who need to be taken care of.

There are many animals that you have used as subjects time and time again —elephants, bears, and dogs, for example. Do any of the animals have special meanings to you?

There are of course certain evocations: the bear = strength, the elephant = wisdom, the dog = friendship, etc. But beyond these symbols, there is more of a transposition of human emotions through these origami animals and balloon animals. In some works I explore relationships of love, friendship, or cooperation through individuals of different species, shapes, natures and colors (origins, languages, ethnicities, colors).

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When he isn’t traveling the world, Josh Brown can be found hard at work in his New York City studio. Learn more about his creative process and inspiration in our interview below. 

Tell us about your background. When did you start creating art?

I have created art from the day I could hold an instrument. By 3-4 years of age, I had an understanding of proportion and perspective. Drawing and sculpture have always come very naturally to me. And of course, many thousands of hours of practice have certainly helped to develop my skill and style.

At around 17 I presented my first works for sale in a gallery setting. My first gallery work was sold the day they received the painting. Funny enough I hadn’t intended to sell the work. In a rush to send example paintings to the gallery, my mom let me send a painting I had given her for Mother’s Day. With the work selling in a matter of hours, I didn’t have time to take it back. Fortunately, my mom was very happy for me and I made a new Mother’s Day work for her.

Can you describe your creative process?

My creative process often starts with a trip. I am most inspired while traveling. Many of my artworks’ textures, subjects, and approaches are the byproduct of experiences traveling the globe. For example, most of the cows I paint are from time hiking the Alps in Switzerland, many textures and colors are inspired by time in Bali viewing traditional crafts, and the idea for the night owls and birds struck me while touring Japan, specifically while meditating at the Ryōan-ji Zen garden in Kyoto. This trend of traveling and painting provides a constant flow of inspiration. I also find inspiration locally while visiting zoos and farms across the US.

I keep extensive lists of the ideas I have while traveling and dream of capturing everything in my notes with a physical construction someday. When it does come time to create work I often prepare a breadth of canvases starting with a variety of background color and texture compositions that speak to me. I typically do not have a specific subject or composition in mind when I first make these backgrounds.

After the paint dries I review the color and texture of the canvas and decide how to best make use of the background to emphasize the subject in the foreground. This way of working forces me to respond creatively to the work.

What is your studio space like, and how does it affect your process?

I am very fortunate to have a beautiful large studio in New York City. The studio has excellent natural light and I have outfitted the space with museum-quality full light spectrum lighting. It’s truly a dream to work in.
This space is set up well for me to work day or night with little compromise. I can put 100% of my focus into the work.

I also have a great sound system. I am always listening to music while painting and often play music I have heard many times over so that I’m not too distracted by new sounds during the moment of painting.

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

I love to work and move, so a typical day in the studio actually starts at the gym. With a background in college athletics, I find that consistent exercise helps me to stay focused and energized in the studio. After the gym, I bike to the studio and start my day along with an espresso and a moment to go over my goals for the day. I try my best to balance impromptu creativity and an organized schedule, so every day has a touch of wiggle room if I decide to focus on something unexpected.

As soon as I have wrapped my head around the day’s goals I get to work, prepping canvas, painting, photographing finished works, wiring, wrapping, emailing, etc. Each day is often very long and intense. I take few breaks and frequently skip lunch in the whirlwind of painting. I find this intensity keeps me from overthinking and helps to maintain a more instinctual application of paint. In a way, I feel the haste in which I work makes the painting authentic and honest.

My days end in two ways, either when I am too tired to keep going, or so energized that I start dancing too much to paint accurately. Years ago my work days were typically 16+ hours or so. Nowadays I have pulled back to have a slightly more reasonable work-life balance.

How do you describe your work?

I would describe my work as an expression of joyful curiosity through animal messengers. My works are lighthearted and friendly, but I think that at a deeper level they fulfill a natural desire to be seen, loved, accepted, and celebrated. I think of my paintings as the family dog that rejoices every time one returns from a day of work. It’s a simple gesture that ceaselessly warms the heart.

I believe this is why my paintings are so readily collected. I wish for nothing but the greatest happiness for anyone who experiences my heartfelt artwork.

How has your work evolved over the years?

My breadth of subject and application has expanded over the years. It has been exciting to paint new animals, and new stories, and explore a world of color and texture. I see ceaseless potential in the works I am painting and planning. At the same time, I am very happy to know that animals and themes I worked on over a decade ago still make their way into my current paintings.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not painting?

I have a few. I enjoy long runs and cycling trips. I will often go on a run or ride to turn my mind off for a moment.

After spending some time in Japan I’ve found an interest in the art of Bonsai. I’m certainly far from a green thumb and simply doing my best to keep plants alive at the moment!

Above everything else, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our pup. We travel frequently, love to enjoy great food, and spend time with good friends.

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