Impressionist Painter Andrew Faulkner, Based in California, Now Exhibiting in Portland, Maine

Hello, this is Dr. Lisa Belisle and welcome to the sixth episode of radio, Maine. Uh, we are broadcasting from our studio on little John Island. I happen to have a lovely painting behind me. That is of little John Island. And I also happened to have with me, Andrew Faulkner, who is a Portland art gallery and many other art gallery represented artists who painted this little John Island right behind me. Thank you for coming on and having this conversation with me, Andrew. Thanks for having me. This is, this is a fun for me as, as I was just saying to you earlier, how much I love Portland. So I'm and I have a plan to come the summer, but, um, yeah, I, it's exciting to be part of radio Maine. You are currently located, not in Maine, however, No about as far as you can get from Maine. I'm in, uh, my art studio is in Sausalito, California, and I live about 10 minutes North of my studio in mill Valley. So I've been, I'm a transplant from the East coast, but I'm, I consider myself pretty much a hundred percent California because I've been here since 1988. So I'm I all, uh, I've I, all of my East coast DNAs is starting to fade. I'm a big fan of your neck, of your current neck of the woods. I had done my acupuncture training actually out in the San Francisco area. So in addition to doing that, when I was just starting out in family medicine, doing acupuncture training, I also have had multiple family members who have lived out in your neck of the woods. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous part of the country. Yeah. Marin County is, has, uh, I want to say like 75% open space protected land, you know, where we are. So there's so many trails and so much beautiful nature. Um, but at the same time, we're right next to a world-class city of San Francisco, which behind me inspired one of these city scapes behind me. But, um, so I, I get inspiration from cityscapes and, uh, country scapes and woods, the areas like Maine and, um, which is not that dissimilar to Lake Tahoe, which is just North of us too. But yeah, it's great. Uh, just living around nature. One of my favorite things about that area was going to, um, the, the Muir woods and seeing the enormous trees, which we do not have here. Our trees are not nearly as big as the trees on the West coast. They really are startling when you're up close to them and, you know, their trunks are like the, the size of a pickup truck or something. And, um, but they're, they, everyone says, you know, the cliche that they're majestic, but there's really not a, a better word that I can think of, of these, these huge columns and, and the, the red of the bark is just very saturated, red, Brown, red, and gorgeous. One of the things that We have redwoods in mill Valley in belt wheel Valley too. And one of the things that I remember reading about you was that you had a former career and then you chose to take on the, your actual real career, which is the career that you have now. Yeah. I kind of poke poking fun at that. When, when I, uh, describe to people about, uh, having a 30 year successful career in graphic design, and then I decided to get a real job and become an artist. And so it's funny to me because that is kind of, you know, there's the cliche of the starving artists. And then, and then the thought that painting is not a real job. And, um, but the more you get into it and the more you take it seriously, you realize it is, it is a real job. And, um, and, uh, I was doing it sort of as a part-time job during, during, you know, when I had my own design studio. And, um, it feels very different now that I have closed my design shop and I go into my studio every day as my, my workplace. And it's, it's just a great gift to be able to do this, but there is a fair amount of work, just keeping up with it too. So tell me what your process looks like. I know that when I wake up in the morning, um, most days I am, I know I'm going to just get in my car, drive to my office, see patients, um, work with colleagues. Uh, you probably have a very different type of structure to the life that you lead. I do. Um, I, um, I'm actually in my home office now where I take care of paperwork or, um, correspondence with galleries and such. And I try to get that out of the way by say, 10 o'clock so I can go straight to the studio. And so I, uh, get, uh, you know, it's 10 minutes or less, uh, to my studio and I'm there. And I have, uh, a large, uh, studio with four big windows. And, um, it's just a, in a building with, uh, over 50 other artists. We're all practicing during COVID. So there is a community there it's all been very COVID safe. We all have our own studio space. So we haven't had to worry about interacting so much with people. And then the hallways are large, so you can do social distancing. So having that, um, during the pandemic has been kind of a lifesaver. And so back to my process. So I have generally a work on three to pieces at one time, and I do, um, art prints too. I don't know if you knew that, but I, I do prints. And sometimes those many times those smaller prints get used as sketches for larger work. So, you know, my paintings can get as big as 10 feet wide. So, uh, get working from a print to a painting. It sort of becomes a different thing, but, but I'm really all about using color to define space. And so it's experimentation after experimentation to get that kind of richness, uh, to, to happen. And also a part of my process, I was just gonna say part of my process is using my phone as a, kind of a sketchbook camera, because I, we talked about being around so much open space. And so I'm always snapping pictures. And then I have those, uh, I, as you know, sometime I'll print out the picture, put it up on the wall and that'll become the beginning of a painting. You and I were talking before, um, we started talking on air about the, um, mug that I have in my hand with the bee on it. And it seems as though you allow yourself to have the freedom to not only use different, um, sorts of subjects to focus on like the rooftops of San Francisco or the trees, a little John Island. Um, but you also apply it in different ways like mugs used for coffee, for example. Right. Well, I was so excited to be asked to do this project. So there's this great sort of, uh, boutique housewares, uh, store in San Francisco. They actually have, I think, five of them around the country called Hudson grace, and they just sell just beautiful, very sort of curated houseware. And sometimes they have things made custom. And so they, um, had been selling some of my art through their store and they asked if I would be interested in doing a series of plates. And, um, I just almost died because I w w you know, I've spent some time in Italy. I love hand painted plates from Italy or Portugal. And, um, so they weren't asking for anything like that, but just to have something applied to something that you use was exciting to me, and they had some concepts of what they wanted, they wanted a, uh, a flirt Alee and, uh, a bumblebee. And so, um, I was able to come up with some ideas and they loved them. And so we, we sorta went with it and, um, and then, you know, and so they're on plates and on mugs, uh, for now anyway. And, um, and so that's been, it's been fun. There must be some interesting, um, accommodations that you have to make, being an artist who's currently located in California, but working with galleries across the country, including the Portland art gallery right here in Maine. Well, there's, there's the, you know, sending work is, uh, expensive and takes time. Um, and, uh, it's, it's very interesting to me how you can really sort of get to know a gallery, even if they're far away from you and they take an interest in you. And I feel that way with the Portland gallery, first of all, I've, um, as the, the true story goes, I I've been sort of stalking the Portland gallery for a while. Um, and I, I just love going in there. And so in their little guest book, I write, you know, hi, it's Andrew again, follow me, you know? And so they started following me on Instagram and, um, and then, um, over time, uh, they started liking some of my work, and then they, they reached out and said, would you be interested in just doing sort of a test run and sell, you know, selling a few pieces through us, we'll see how it goes. And it was very, uh, open-ended and kind of easy going. And so, um, so it's, it's kind of, you know, then they were asking for more and then they offered me this show that's up now for April. And so it's, it's going really well. So I think that, um, you know, there's a time difference and there's kind of logistical things. Um, but I think it's been easier than I imagined to work with a gallery. So far away, You have a very large piece currently hanging at the gallery, which, uh, I've been told that I should ask you about, I believe it's called outlier Outlier. Yes. So this is a, a diptych meaning that it's two large canvases put together. So it's, uh, six feet tall by 10 feet wide as it's that two pieces together. And this is a very blue boat scene. That's, um, you know, uh, like many of my works, it's somewhat abstracted and the use of colors, what I call an invented color space. And, uh, and outlier is a scene from Bellinas Cal, California. And, um, the title is really, you know, if you look at the painting, it's mostly, uh, the blue water, and then there's these collection of boats in the left corner and there's sun on one of the boat. And it's, I think of that as the outlier and thinking that even though you're small and you're off in the distance, the sun will shine on you someday. And I just think that's the kind of very optimistic thoughts. So that's, that's where the concept of that piece came. And then, you know, again, I just, like I said, for my process, I, with color, I just put layer upon layer and then it starts to gel in a way that I, it makes sense to me and people. One of the questions I get a lot in artists get a lot is how do you know when it's finished? And, um, that the answer for me is not really describable in terms of a formula or checking the boxes. It's more of a feeling, and I think many artists have that, that, you know, you, you keep going keep pushing it. And then there's a voice inside that says, you know, you can stop now. So This piece behind me, the little John Island piece, um, where your sister apparently walks her dogs and because your sister now lives in Maine has been living in Maine for quite some time. The, the P the part of it that is striking to me is the light and the light that's coming through the trees. And it's really, it is a feeling more than anything when I see this. Um, and it's a similar feeling to something I've had as I've walked my own dogs and the little John Island preserve. Was that what you were attempting to capture? I think so. I think, you know, when you think of, uh, a light coming in, in the morning, um, or in the afternoon, which is streaming in, you're interacting with it in a way it's, you're having this subconscious dialogue with earth, you know, that they're opening, that's pouring this goodness towards you and you're accepting it or not, you know, whatever. And so I find that light is, you know, has so many characteristics like that. And, um, the piece behind me has some interesting sense of lights, even though the building colors are abstracted and kind of funky, there is a sense of light coming from one direction and interacting with the shapes and the forms. And I find that in, in nature. And oftentimes I will, if there's not enough of that, I'll add some in like, it's, it, it's somewhat up to my imagination. So the piece behind you with little John, some of it was based on light coming from a certain direction, but in some cases I exaggerated it. Other cases I muted it and made it sort of stylized. So it is, I mean, you picked up on a theme that kind of, I see over and over again, emerging in my work, which is the sense of light and where that, you know, how that, uh, defines painting. Is there also an idea that light creates contrast, um, in looking at the piece behind you, there, it's a very kind of geometric piece with the rooftops and the squares and the shapes, but then the light, it, it softens it somehow It creates contrast. And also it creates a sense of place and a perspective and a, and a place for your eye to go. I mean, I think that as much as we want to interpret a piece of art in any way that it hits us, I think that for many of us, our eye wants to be told where to go. Like you go here first, and then you go down. I mean, everyone's going to experience it differently, but I like to have a little bit of a roadmap in the art that I enjoy. And, you know, with a Rothko it's more subtle because there's large areas of color that are kind of similar in value. So you're, I might have to work a little differently to move around the page, but even with his work, your eye sort of has a journey going through. So, and that's not the case for all of the art, but I think especially when you bring up light, I think that that is a, um, it's a tool for artists to tell the viewer where their focus is, or, you know, where the artist's point of view is. So Tell me about this piece. That's, um, smaller behind me, the Sonoma road piece. So, uh, this is, uh, from, uh, uh, park, um, Jack London, state park in, um, and it's called Jack's way. Um, and that's in Sonoma and this came from one of the many hikes that I've taken with my wife. So my wife grew up here in Marin around this beautiful nature. I grew up in Washington, DC, um, in DC, near the national cathedral. And although it was not super urban, it was much more urban than out here with all these trees and such and why I never went hiking growing up. I mean, that was not part of the agenda. Fortunately, you know, we have all these wonderful museums in DC, so that was our kind of our family activity. Um, and not that I had an aversion to hiking, but when, when I got married, that was kind of part of the contract is that we're going to be doing a lot of hiking. So that's, that was understood. And it turns out, and, you know, my wife will tell you that, you know, a lot of my, uh, really successful paintings have been out and about with her. Um, so I give her a lot of credit and so is one of them, um, we were, went up to Sonoma for lunch and instead of driving right back, w we were invariably going to go find a state park or something and go for a hike. So that's where that originated. That actually makes a lot of sense to me because when I think about, uh, some of the pieces that I love the most, it, there are pieces that remind me of a place that I've been with, someone that I care about. So there is an emotional connection to that, to that piece. And then there's an emotion that's associated with my looking at the art. So it's an interaction with the yard. It creates something that's more than just a two dimensional viewing. Yeah, absolutely. And it, and it tells part of the story of my life. I mean, I'm not, I am not a nature guru by any respect, but I, I appreciate, uh, all of the beautiful open space we have around. And, um, and so part of the story of my life of the last 30 years has been out in nature when, whether it's at little John or in a park out here or in Sausalito by the boats, or, you know, so, um, that's very personal to me. Art is also something that, um, has been kind of running through your veins. So it was almost, you were almost genetically predisposed to, um, to being artistic. I believe you have some pretty impressive, um, art, uh, family members, art oriented family members lineage. That's the word I was looking for. I, um, I didn't, uh, clear this before the interview, but I'd have a little painting of my great-grandfather's, but it'd be okay to show that. Okay. So this, um, hopefully there's not too much, um, reflection, but can you see that that's Venice? Oh, it's gorgeous. It's very beautiful. Yes. So he also had a appreciation for light. He was, uh, he was painting at the turn of the century in, in, uh, he he's from actually Washington, Connecticut, but, um, he would go to Venice and Paris and for bring his family for months and do these sketches, like the, what I showed you is, is what he called a sketch painting on wood. And then he would come back to Connecticut and get, uh, commissions to do larger sort of salon paintings from these, these paintings. And, uh, um, of course I never met him because he died way before I was born. But, um, he, you know, he was a professional artist and, um, I often think about, you know, what would it be like to meet him? And then, um, my grandfather, his son was an architect and then my father was an architect and my uncle was an architect. So we have my brother's an architect. So we have a lot of architects, um, that sprang from this artist. Uh, so yeah, that's, that's kind of part of my story too. And then I was dragged to a lot of museums, as I said, you know, as, as a kid, when hiking was not, you know, not the go-to for my family, but museums were definitely up there. So You went to Trinity college as your education, but you didn't start out in art, correct? Right. Well, I was, uh, well, I was initially an English major. Um, and then I switched to psychology and, um, I took a, uh, a personality. Uh, it was, uh, um, it was a statistics class called personality for psych majors. And I couldn't, it wasn't, I knew it wasn't right for me, so I quit the class, but they continued to have my, have me as listed as a student in class. So I failed the class. So my mother never let me forget that I failed personality, um, in college then I discovered art and, um, and, uh, I had, I actually had been spending a lot of time in the art room since I started college, but I, it just, you know, it kind of goes back to your original question, you know, how did you end up, you know, going from graphic design to art and, um, you know, rightly so your parents and society encourage you discourage you a little bit from going right into the arts, because it's a hard life, especially when you're young. And, um, so I, you know, when I started college, I wanted to do a real major, you know, art or psychology, psychology that were things that were interesting to me, but, um, but I was in the art room all the time. So I figured I might as well get credit for this. So I settled on fine art about halfway through, uh, uh, Trinity and I had a great, uh, professor, uh, George Chapman, who was, he was a student of Joseph, Albert's the great colorist. And so he really kind of knocked color into me for, um, my time at Trinity. And, and I, you know, he was a really hard teacher. I'm actually, uh, one of, uh, Portland, art galleries, other artists, Paige Eastbourne was in my class at Trinity and had the same teacher. So, um, interestingly enough, we're both students of this very strict, but good, uh, art teacher, Trinity. And she also uses a lot of really vibrant colors in her art. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I love her work. It's really fun. And she also has used her art in a very practical way prior to, um, I mean, I believe she's done illustrations. And, uh, so both of you have that kind of similarity that somehow there was this need to do something very practical before you kind of broke free and said, okay, now, now it's my time. Right? And so we, yeah, we both kind of been dabbling in illustration. I was doing while I was doing graphic design. I was also, uh, doing illustration for the New York times and Washington post and wall street journal. And, um, at, uh, at one time it was about 50% of my workload was illustration. And then when stock illustration came on the scene and the recession happened and, um, illustration wasn't paying as well. So it just didn't make sense, but it is good training for, for artists, I think to have an assignment every once in a while to bring some focus to what you're doing. So that's, uh, bumblebee mug was this kind of like an essay assignment for me, which was kind of fun to, you know, problem solving. It's a, it's a funny thing that you're describing because I funny and in kind of a, in a larger sense, because I think a lot of people who, whether they're writers or whether they're painters or whether they're photographers, they end up basically creating lives out of doing, bringing other people's ideas to fruition. So if you're a graphic designer, you're given somebody else's stuff to work on and it's your job to make it real. But I, I wonder if in doing that, sometimes it can be really helpful because it's good practice, but other times do you, do you think to yourself, okay, when is my own idea going to become real? When do I get to work on the stuff that, that somebody else is not paying me for at least not right this moment? What's a really good question. In fact, I just heard a podcast by, uh, two artists who are talking about, you know, to you get caught up in making art that will make people happy, or, you know, that you're, you kind of have your audience in mind. And I think that, um, there are definitely times where that enters into, especially with my graphic design background, where I'm always, you know, thinking, you know, how can we make this work? So the client, you know, is happy and whatever. So, um, and so sometimes I will see a sketch or a photo, and I'll think that will be great, like somewhat, but somebody would want that versus, you know, I'm, I'm working on, um, a painting of figures in a gallery, uh, right now. And, and figurative work is not really part of my go-to. Although I have one figurative piece in the show in Portland now, uh, which I'm very proud of, but, you know, that took a lot of struggling because I'm using abstraction, I'm doing the figure, but I'm not thinking, Oh, someone's gonna want this painting of these hikers. This is the one in Portland or the one I'm working on now, people in the gallery, because, um, we've had several open studios where I've talked to people about my work and what they're looking for and, uh, paintings with figures in them can be so personal, um, that it's not going to attract as broad an audience as a very simple landscape, which can be interpreted in many ways. So to answer your question, yes, I kind of go back and forth. I don't think there's anything wrong with, um, making work that you think people will like, but I think that, uh, uh, one of the ingredients of a good artist is to be able to get in touch with personal work, whether it sells or not, but, you know, just to, to explore, explore, explore, Well, isn't that similar to, uh, essentially having conversational skills. So you have the types of conversational skills where you go to a party and you listen to what somebody else has to say. And part of what you need to do as an individual is to also show up and have something to say yourself, that, that they will then kind of bounce back at you. And I, and I think art done really well is that sort of conversation. So it's not that you're kind of creating in a void, but it's more like you're saying, okay, here's my part of the conversation. Let's see what somebody else has to say back. Yeah. And I think that I'm attracted to art that is, is doing that too, is they have something to say, you know, that's personal to them. That's not something that I would have maybe imagined before, you know? And so it's nice to make connections with, with artwork in that way, where you see something and you have a personal connection with the artist through their art without ever have met them For people who, um, may not have a chance to meet you as readily as some of the other Portland art gallery artists, because you do happen to live on the West coast. Um, what would you say is an important, um, aspect of, of who you are beyond your yourself as an artist? Um, Hmm. That's a good question. I mean, I think that, um, I think it's important for people to know that I have this family connection that goes way back to art and that, you know, I have something to say in terms of putting a part of myself into the interpretation of landscape or interiors. Um, but if you are looking for a really deep meaning in my work, I'm probably not, I'm not your artists, you know, that I, my art is really about connecting my experience, you know, in a, in a visual way with the viewer. But, um, and I do love art that has a lot of, uh, deep, uh, meaning and undertones. And, um, and I think you can tell from looking at my work that, that it's, it doesn't have, um, a lot of metaphor and so forth. Um, but, uh, yeah, I don't feel like I answered your question well, but, um, yeah, It's interesting that you would describe your art as not being metaphorical or deep, but maybe other people would look at it and find some metaphor in it, Which is, you know, which is great because I think, you know, I'm also a big music fan and I know that, um, I also listened to a podcast called song Exploder, where artists are ticket part their songs and talk about how they create them. And one artist, a musician whose work, I really love said, you know, if I knew what my song meant, when I, uh, put it out to the public, then I would be doing people a disservice because I don't really even figure out what my song meant till about two, two years after it's released. And, um, so I think that, um, maybe I should rephrase that and say, it doesn't have, not that it doesn't have deep meaning. It's just that I'm not consciously putting out a, um, a script for someone to interpret my work, but I like to it, I like it to be very interpretive. And, um, my, uh, that, uh, work behind you have little, John also looks like, uh, a view that you might find in the great lakes of Minnesota or in Lake Tahoe and people it's really nice for me when people connect to that work. And, you know, even though it's not the exact place, but it's the feeling that they get from being in that place. And sometimes that, um, allowing other people to exist with your art is even more powerful than being prescriptive about how you want other people to experience your art, because that that's a gift that you're giving them. Yeah, it's, you know, so as I said, we have, um, we have two, um, pre COVID, we've had two large open studios a year in our building. And, uh, as I said, we have, you know, 50 plus artists. And so it's quite a cattle call of people, uh, roaming through your studio. And so it can be overwhelming for artists at time. But, um, what is really interesting is the reaction that, that, uh, people will say the most wonderful things about your work and think, think of things about it that you would never have thought. So it's almost like they're teaching you something about yourself. Um, so, um, I like getting my work out there because it's really interesting to see what people have to say. Andrew I've really enjoyed our conversation today. And, um, I, I feel like you've allowed me to go back and reclaim a little piece of myself that continues to exist out on the West coast, where I, um, went, as I told you to, to learn acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine many years ago. Um, I hope that people take the time to get to know your work online, to get, take the time, to get to know you possibly from a distance, um, maybe even go to California and visit you certainly to see the nice, absolutely certainly to see the opening, which is available both. Um, in-person at the Portland art gallery and also is available virtually. This is the sixth episode of radio Maine. And, um, every time I have a chance to talk to somebody who is engaging in creative pursuits, like you, Andrew Faulkner, I feel very privileged and I'm, I'm, I'm so glad you were able to join me today, um, on our podcast and also video cast. Well, that's nice of you to say it's been, it's been nice to chat with you and thank you for promoting artist's work. It's really nice. I've, I've watched all of the episodes so far, and it's really interesting for me to get to know the artists through your questions. Obviously you have a great appreciation for art.