An Interview With N8 Van Dyke

This summer, I was honored to interview San Francisco illustrator, Nate Van Dyke. When I had agreed to write the piece for Four G’s Magazine some time before, I had never seen his work. Well, I had, I just didn’t know it yet. About a week before our scheduled interview, I started doing my homework—some extensive Internet research—trying to familiarize myself with his pieces and determine what this artist is all about.

What I found out was that I had most definitely seen his work before. He had worked with big brands and advertising agencies I was familiar with, and had been interviewed by many magazines, including Juxtapoz. This research was supposed to better prepare me and perfect my questions, but instead it just made me incredibly nervous. I was no longer interviewing Nate Van Dyke the artist; I was interviewing Nate Van Dyke the genius.

When we arrived at the bar he suggested to meet at in the Haight, I started to relax a bit. “If he wants to do the interview in a bar, he must be pretty chill,” I thought to myself. And he was. We sat down with a pitcher of beer, questions loaded, and recorder on. My left hand worked furiously writing copious notes, as I conversed with a brilliant illustrator. My nerves quickly faded as Nate began talking. For someone who draws some truly crazy stuff, he was very considerate and just genuinely really nice.

After the interview, he invited us back to see his house and studio. I was in awe; his art was everywhere and it was amazing to see the originals in real life. Like a giant nerd, I snapped as many photos as I could with my phone. The experience was one I will never forget and the article was extremely inspiring to write. Issue 3 of Four G’s Magazine comes out sometime in November and my piece N8 Van Dyke, the Man Behind the Chimp will be featured. Please check back for more information.

Below is a parting gift Nate left me in my notebook.

Wait, I’m a Writer? My name is in Four G’s Magazine!

What did you want to be when you were a kid, a Cowboy or an Indian? I wanted to be a divorce attorney. “Little girl from broken home wants to help dissolve marriages peacefully,” the headline read…

I changed my mind quickly when I grew up. In college I took on journalism but never said I wanted to be a writer. All I said was, “I want to have a job where I can write” and I am very fortunate to have a career in marketing that allows me the luxury of doing so. I love my job, but sometimes I miss journalism – interviewing interesting subjects is an exciting experience. And as a writer, there is something to be said for seeing your work in printed form – holding something tangible, in your hands, with your name on it. Something about that byline makes it all worthwhile, and this is why writing for Four G’s Magazine was such an honor.

The magazine is truly a work of art – from cover to cover; each page is bright with color and rich with content. And while the mag contains subject matter that doesn’t necessarily reflect my views or opinions, I respect it, and am incredibly proud to have been part of it. Four G’s creativity and uniqueness gives it a standalone quality that makes it unlike any other magazine I’ve ever seen. It’s the type of book you could look at on numerous occasions and notice something different with each glance.

Four G’s Magazine is the innovative brainchild of its creator Andy Souza, whose imagination and perfectionism have led him to produce an exceptional product. His diligence and dedication to his craft are admirable and I value the opportunity of working with him. Andy’s critique of my work and meticulous attention to detail encouraged me to strive to write better, and the end result is an article I am quite proud of.

Four G’s Magazine’s basis is art and I will always take on anything for art’s sake. My contribution was an article written on San Francisco hip-hop artist, TOPR. The experience of meeting and interviewing him, and then writing a piece about his life and music was truly an honor. To read it you must first buy the mag at: www.fourgsmagazine.com . Do yourself a favor and buy it anyway, it truly is something special. Trust me; you’ll notice right away, its superiority sets it apart from the rest.

*The Four G’s Issue Release Party is Saturday, March 7^th, Club 6, in San Francisco. For more details please visit: www.myspace.com/fourgsmagazine or www.fourgsmagazine.com

Cataclysm Hits Petaluma This Month, a show by acclaimed artist Ricky Watts

Forward: I write about many up and coming artists that inspire me, but this article will prove to be of the highest honor to complete. Not only is it about a very talented artist but it is about a dear friend of mine, Mr. Ricky Watts. Who has at times inspired me to pick up a paint brush, forced myself to write when I had no words, and simply to pursue my dreams and do what I love to do. He is a true inspiration to artists of all types everywhere. I’m sorry it took me so long to write it my dear, but I am hopeful it will not disappoint. Much love and respect always...

Cataclysm Hits Petaluma This Month, a show by acclaimed artist Ricky Watts

Ricky Watts has been an artist his whole life, but it wasn’t until his early teens that he found his true passion. Through peers at school he was introduced to graffiti, which would later mark the essence of his desired art form. Later he went on to graduate from the Art Institute of California in San Diego. Since this, he has completed numerous pieces, in multiple mediums, and has had his work displayed in many shows.

This month, Ricky will be participating in his only solo show of the year, including all new pieces- drawings and paintings (acrylics and spray). The show entitled, “Cataclysm” is a series of drawings and paintings based on a drawing he created a few years ago, called “Petaluma 2086.” The piece was created by using Petaluma landmark buildings as studies in combination with images from the artist’s imagination. “I was just going for a futuristic idea of what was in store for Petaluma but the more I thought about it, the more I realized we need to wake up as a society. That drawing is our future if we don't change the way things are going,” Ricky said of the piece. The show’s opening is Friday night, October 10^th, at the Mail Depot, in downtown Petaluma.

When Ricky isn’t making masterpieces or coordinating shows, he’s working a 9-5. During the day he does graphic design and pre-press for a local print shop. But, after work with any and all free time he is drawing or painting. “I have a lot of influences these days. Not just people though. Places I go, things I see or grew up around- life in general,” Ricky said. “Burning Man really opened my eyes to a lot of things this year.”

Open eyes he has and an open mind as well; Mr. Ricky Watts has many definitions of the word “canvas.” You and I would think of a white, blank space; while he might see it as a car, a skateboard deck, a US Postage label- sky’s the limit and the ideas always fresh. One of his most incredible works on a very unusual surface, “Pieces of Me,” is made up of 100 consecutive drawings, each on their own USPS Priority Mail label. The entire work was completed free-style with a Sharpie. When put all together, the piece is 45 feet long.

Painting cars seems like it would be a trying task and a strange assignment, but not if you’re R.Watts. “That one fell into my lap like most ideas. I was approached by some friends of mine to re-paint their truck after some people had vandalized it. I had posted photos of it online and sure enough, a few months later I get approached to paint a delivery van. I've done a few of them now and they've been great publicity for me,” he said.

He makes it look so easy, but is it? Is he ever at a loss for ideas or creatively stifled? “All the time - some days worse than others. I always try to do something else for a little while and take my mind off what I'm working on. Go for a walk, stretch, play online poker for a little while. This usually helps but not always. I've got unfinished paintings that have been sitting around months,” he said.

In addition to his job and his career, Ricky offers a wide variety of freelance services: Graphic design, pre-press and printing, custom art, illustrations, event flyers and posters- just to name a few.He has also contributed to the colorful Four G's (Graffiti, Guns, Girls and Ganja), a young American culture magazine distributed internationally. Ricky and fellow artist, Chris Jehly, designed the cover for the first issue. The easiest place to pick up a copy or a shirt designed by Ricky is at: fourgsmagazine.com.

With his favorite medium, spray paint, 14 years experience and endless other creative skills- "Cataclysm," by Richard Watts is a show not to miss. Aren’t you curious to take a peek into the future? The show will be located at The Mail Depot, 40 Fourth Street, in Petaluma and will hang from Oct. 10^th-20^th. The opening reception will be Friday the 10^th starting at 6:30pm and will feature music by A Case of the Willys, a local dance band will be performing a range of musical styles: "songs you know, songs you have never heard and song you know but have never heard like this before!"

So where will it all go? I asked Ricky what his thoughts were. With Mr. Watts we shouldn’t worry too much. There is no doubt in my mind where ambition like this ends up- there’s no place for it to go but up. “Sure I dream of making it big with shows in Paris and London and then over to New York City for a book signing but honestly, if I make a living doing MY art for the rest of my life, I'd be happy. The wealth and fame are certainly desirable but they're not necessary for me to be happy,” he said.

For more information about the show or Ricky’s work, please visit: rickywatts.com or read his blog.