2008 Golden Nosey Interview
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| Author | Jeff Redford |
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| Subject | Jason Seiler |
| Genre | |
| Published | EF Issue 2009.1 |
Publication date | Winter 2009 |
| Media type |
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| Pages | 12-15 |
| Website |
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Article Description. Should include author, brief description, issue number and page number(s).
Article Transcript
Jeff Redford: I am talking with Jason Seiler, winner of the Golden Nosey for the 2008 Convention that was held in Raleigh, North Carolina. It really was your first year competing, wasn’t it?
Jason Seiler: Sort of. I came in 2003 when Kruger and Op de Beeck were first there. My wife was about three months pregnant. She was there, and really, really sick. So I only did a few drawings and I wasn’t into it seriously. Mostly, I was walking around, observing. So I really didn’t compete the first time I was there. And actually I wasn’t even there that often.
JR: So 2008 was the second time you attended a convention and the first time you really competed?
JS: Yeah.
JR: So how did you feel about your win, and the competition?
JS: Well, I feel extremely honored that I won. I’m still—I don’t know if the word is “shocked” because I worked very, very hard. To win all that I did win, was overwhelming and a huge honor. But it meant even more because of the friendships with the other artists. I think that is what makes it so special and cool—to be able to let your friends and peers vote for you. But as far as my first time and my experience with competing, it was a lot of fun. There was so much energy. I think I could have gone for another day, at least another day. But I was pretty trashed by the end...
JR: Does anyone’s work stick out particularly?
JS: My friend, Fred Harper, from New York was sitting next to me. He is a talented painter and has some great color techniques...I also thought Paul Moyse did some excellent work. Jert’s work is excellent too! It was overwhelming how much artwork there was. It was pretty unreal.
JR: I thought so as well. You have been painting and drawing probably since you were a kid. So tell me basically how you got started. I know your father is an artist...
JS: Yeah, I grew up with a father as an artist and I really didn’t take advantage of anything he tried to teach me. I kind of blew him off a lot, like most kids tend to do. I wanted to do my own thing...I was pretty seriously geeked out on drawing since I was in at least the second or third grade, to the point where I didn’t really play with other kids...My dad would tell me I should go outside and play... but I would get bored and ten minutes later I would be back in my room. My dad gave me his old drawing table from his college days. And basically all I ever did was draw.
JR: Did you ever feel pressure to go this way or did it just evolve and your parents just let it happen? JS: Actually, my dad tried to talk me out of being an artist, at one point. My dad is a fine artist and there is not a great market for that kind of work. I don’t think my dad was hoping that I would become an artist. But I think he saw the passion that I had and the ambition. I would come home from school, get my homework done as fast as I could and draw for hours and hours. I think he supported what I did, but he never pushed it on me or forced me to draw.
JR: Did you go to art school?
JS: I sort of went to art school. I had always wanted to go to art school, but things just didn’t work out the way I wanted. I moved to Chicago when I was 18 and I ended up getting married when I was 20. So art school didn’t really happen. But I still wanted to go really bad. I was also in some...not really famous or successful bands, but we put out several CDs. So that was pretty much my life for a few years-touring the country, putting out albums and stuff like that. I was in three different bands. And then I still did my art on the side.
My art was slowly picking up and I started getting more illustration work. Caricature work here and there. Things for me started to change when my wife was pregnant. Us having a child together kick-started everything into gear. I sort of freaked out the night my wife went into labor. That night I had my first go at “really” painting, all while my wife was in labor. She had a friend coaching her and I ended up freaking out... I remember thinking to myself, “My gosh, I am never gonna make it if I don’t learn how to paint.” and, “ How am I gonna support my family if I can’t paint.” Up until this point, I had always been afraid to learn how to paint. So I got out some paint and did my first of many paintings. And I haven’t stopped since.
JR: What was that first painting of?
JS: It was a watercolor of Owen Wilson. I remember thinking about different artists that I wanted to one day compete against, artists like Daniel Adel
