Theme 2: Week 8- Contemporary Riverside, California Artist Chick Curtis

Today we explore the shapes of Chick Curtis. Look how expertly he reduces all images to their basic shapes.

What was your path to becoming an artist?

Miss Vanoy, my first grade teacher, wrote in my first report card: “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, your son is a very nice boy. However, would you please have a talk with him. He announced to me that all he wants to do this year is draw. please encourage him to do his arithmetic, spelling and reading?. Somehow, I got the message. It became clear that what I loved the most, I would have to squeeze into my life between the Three R’s, chores, and bedtime. Since my mother was an artist, I figured I could make a living being an artist too. I was quickly disabused of that notion.

Fast forward five decades, a career in high school counseling, a marriage and kids, I couldn’t help but notice that I still managed to draw and make art in various forms, from sign painting, cartooning, calligraphy, wood-working, and model trains.

I took my train modeling to unheard of levels by making as much as I could from scratch, including wooden train cars, roads with pot holes, rocks made out of plaster castings, trees and buildings. What triggered my present odyssey in art was painting the back drop of my garage-sized layout. One day I was so fascinated with my backdrop, I decided to buy a canvas and oils and just make a painting. It was a flop, but the spark had ignited a firestorm of interest, curiosity, and desire unlike anything I experienced before. I began painting anything and everything. I read books, went to museums, art shows, galleries. Scoured art magazines. I was possessed to learn as much as I could because I thought there was always a certain magic about art. I took countless workshops from Ken Auster, David Leffel, Jeremy Lipking, Ron Pokrasso and Joseph Todorovitch, each of which unlocked a piece of the mystery and added to my joy of art making.

What is your art life today?

I now have a studio of my own where I lead life drawing classes twice weekly, and offer an open studio painting class. I teach printmaking on top of this. I think miss Vanoy would be relieved to know that I did learn some ‘righmetic, ‘riting, and reading, but she probably would be most pleased to discover that I have added art to my life. If my wife gave me a report card, it might say, ‘Sweetheart, I know you are a very nice man, However, you can’t do art all day long. I need some help with the chores’.

What’s your favorite media? Why?

I love to oil paint, do charcoal drawings, and make monoprints. Sometimes I will combine all three. Art making is like oxygen to me. I couldn’t live without it. As much as I enjoy making art, I love to teach it the most. My favorite students are the brand-new ones who are reluctant to begin painting. I like to teach the way I like to learn; with patience, thoughtfulness, tact, encouragement and honesty. Critique doesn’t have to be brutal or harsh to be effective. I feel like I’m successful when a student goes off on their own or to another level of instruction. I hope everyone I meet and teach leaves with a sense of confidence, curiosity, and eagerness to explore the world of creativity in whatever way feels most rewarding to them.

Where do you get inspiration for your next work of art?

My art contains work from studio drawings and paintings of the live model, from photographs I have taken of models, from sketches, memory and pure imagination. It tells stories without words: Sometimes strangely. Occasionally with humor. Often with beauty. Always with joy and wonderment.

Where can your art be found?

People can see some pretty good examples of my painting and printmaking on my website: chickcurtis.com. Whenever I have a solo how or group show, I announce it on Facebook and email my friends about it.