CH.89: If you were to categorize or describe the style of your artwork, what would it be and why
SP: I would characterize my current work as contemporary narrative/realist/allegorical utilizing figures, still life, and sometimes landscape to convey whatever story I am trying to tell. Up until a few years ago, my work was abstract/non-objective but went through a transition during the 2020 Covid pandemic lockdown.
CH.89: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
SP: I draw my inspiration from my immediate environment, my house, my yard, my neighborhood. I also draw inspiration from mythology, art history and even sitcoms and TV shows that highlight the mundane concerns or conditions of contemporary life.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new project/ piece of artwork?
SP: Starting a work involves a lot of looking and thinking before I even sketch or start to put together the beginnings of a composition. I think about the place, the objects, and the idea I am considering conveying, and how I can accomplish that idea without getting too literal or telling the story in too linear of a manner. I try to pair my idea down to focusing on a moment. For instance, in my latest drawing series, Hercules' in Suburbia: New Labors as a Middle Aged Man, I think about the mundane daily chores I have to do, which ones are the most common, least heroic, and try to think about how I might possibly relate them to one of Hercules' 12 labors. I also think about Don Quixote and try to make my interpretation of my daily labor slightly absurd. When I think I might have found a way to express the idea in a distilled moment, I then set up and photograph myself as a reference for the drawing.
CH.89: Is there anything in particular that you would want people to take from your artwork?
SP: I'm hoping people see contemplation, consideration, attention, and sometimes humor.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about your lifestyle as an artist and what that is like?
SP: As an artist, professor, husband, father, and stepfather, it is hectic and chaotic at times. I try to find art and inspiration in my everyday so that I can glean ideas from that chaos. I drink a lot of coffee, sleep very little, sketch and draw as much as possible and squeeze in time on my larger works whenever I can. Even if that means adding some shading or modeling to a drawing or painting for only 15 to 30 minutes on certain days. Sometimes it might mean that I am only able to sit and stare at a current work for 15 minutes on really busy days, but after I stare, I am drawing and painting in my head, planning the next steps or even the next work.
CH.89: When starting out an artistic task, do you think it is better to have a particular direction/set plan guiding your way? Or, is it better to act on impulse and go from there?
SP: I think it depends on whether it is a task that is already in progress, or at the beginning stages. I plan in the beginning, but after I start, I work on impulse, making changes the work is telling me it needs.
CH.89: What is one major lesson you've learned as an artist thus far?
SP: I think the biggest lesson I've learned is to approach art like a job, put in the time, and fail forward. I've done a lot of bad work over the years, some that never see the light of day, but they always lead to work that is more successful. However, you can't get to the successes without putting in the time.
CH.89: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being an artist?
SP: I think the hardest thing about being an artist is finding the time to be an artist, learning to ignore the distractions. Doom scrolling is a serious issue. After that, I think learning that rejection is a normal part of the process can be hard, but something we all have to accept.
CH.89: What is one thing you love about being an artist?
SP: I love being able to see my life, my world in unique ways, and then being able to depict that.
CH.89: Is there anyone in particular, any artist's that inspire you in any way?
SP: From my wife I've learned that there is no obstacle that can stop us, from my dad I've learned that a work ethic is a defining characteristic, and I've been inspired by so many artists its hard to narrow them down. I've always been inspired by artists that aren't afraid to push their works in new and different directions, always exploring, like Grace Hartigan, Audrey Flack, and Kerry James Marshall.
CH.89: What do you think of technology in terms of being a useful tool for artists today?
SP: I think we should be open to use what tools and technology are available. Vermeer used a camera obscura, a tool available to him in his time, to make some gorgeous paintings. Artists should feel free to use the tools necessary for accomplishing their goals.
CH.89: Do you enjoy traveling? If so, do you have a favorite city?
SP: I do. I enjoy exploring the cities and towns around me, and throughout the states. I enjoy Europe as well, last year my wife and I went to see the Venice Biennale in Italy, Documenta in Kassel, Germany, and spent some time in Budapest Hungary. We rented a car to go from one place to the next which allowed us to see some of the countries we were passing through. My favorite city, however, is still NY. I discover something new every time I visit.
CH.89: Do you have a favorite author or book?
SP: Richard Russo is one of my favorite authors. He writes about the area in Upstate, NY I grew up in. His novels are full of pain and perseverance. My favorite book has always been On the Road by Jack Kerouac. The thrill and excitement of open exploration of the country and life has kept me returning to the book since my first read of it in the 1990's.
CH.89: Any future goals or plans for your artwork?
SP: I'm working on the fourth drawing in the, Hercules' in Suburbia: New Labors as a Middle Aged Man series. The goal is to find ways to recreate all 12 labors with domestic chores along with some incidental chores that highlight the routine of daily existence. Expanding these drawings into paintings is the next step. Fortunately I have two solo exhibitions to showcase these and other works in the near future. One in June at the Art Association of Harrisburg, in Harrisburg, PA, and the other in September 2025 at the Scott Gallery at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD.
CH.89: What does being an artist mean to you?
SP: Being an artist means to learn to interpret the social, political, cultural, and natural world in which we live. It means to be curious and committed to be a lifelong learner.
CH.89: What's the last song you listened to?
SP: B-Boy Bouillabaisse, by the Beastie Boys from their album, Paul's Boutique.
CH.89: Any last words on the aesthetic of your artwork?
SP: I've always been drawn to trying to achieve complex compositions that work as a whole, but draw us in to examine the many individual parts.
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