In the artworld today, "traditional" means items such as paintings, sculptures, drawings using pen or ink.

While "nontraditional' art would be any kind of art with little history, such as "Computer Art" or "Video Art".

Many people believe traditional art is rapidly vanishing on the horizon, as the nontraditional moves into the spotlight.

Well.. I'm happy to report there are still traditional artists showing us awesome artwork such as..

                      

And it is my pleasure to bring to this group this interview w/ the artist of these deviations..



~MarkSatchwill



Hello MarkSatchwill, please introduce yourself to our group.

Hello, my name is Mark and I'm an artist/illustrator from the UK. I live in town called Watford, which is on the outskirts of Greater London (about 45 minutes by car from central London, 20 minutes by train).

I live with my partner Mike. We have been together nearly ten years. We have a dog, Dexter, two cats, Lyra and Will, and a couple of chickens. We lead a fairly quiet life and enjoy the animals, cooking, gardening, and socializing with friends...simple pleasures.

I work from home, using one of the bedrooms as my work room. Though I studied art I more or less gave it up for nearly 15 years, only taking it up seriously again a few years ago.



How was it that you "studied art"?

I have a Degree in Graphic Design, specializing in Illustration. However, we were not taught any painting or drawing. We were left to our own devices in that respect. To be honest it was a fairly miserable experience.



When did you first discover an interest in art?

Oh, quite young. I knew I wanted to do something in art from quite a young age. At first I thought maybe fashion design, but as I got older I decided I wanted to do illustration.



How did you discover your own artistic talents?

It was something I did from a young age. As I got older I realized I had an aptitude for it and enjoyed it and was encouraged by my art teachers. I was always drawing and painting.



Please tell us about a real-life situation that inspired you to pursue these talents?

Hmm...I can't think of a single situation. I was just encouraged and it was clear the teachers thought I should pursue it, and I felt I had some talent and it made me happy. I used to win quite a lot of the school art competitions, and also won the school a computer and myself an Atari game system by designing a poster for the Bob Hope Golf Championship which was held near where we lived.



Mark, what does art mean to you today?

Pleasure. Pain. Work. Delight. Jealousy. Awe.

It's something I feel driven to do. I can be pleased with a piece of work for a while but then begin to see the flaws and how it could be better, so there is always something to strive for. It's challenging but rewarding.



What does Male Art mean to you?

It's usually about beauty, sex, desire, love. It can also be political. I've tried to express all those things through my male art. However. it's only one facet of my art.



What is your favorite style of art?

I prefer figurative art - portraits, images that tell a story. I like all sorts of styles really, from the Victorian Pre-Raphaelites [link]

..to comic artist's like Jaime Hernandez [link]

..and Nathan Fox [link]

I like to see evidence of skill and good draughtsmanship.



Who are a few of your most favorite artists?

Aubrey Beardsley [link]
An illustrator from the late Victorian period, a friend of Oscar Wilde, a brilliant draughtsman with a wicked style and sense of humor.

Pierre et Gilles [link]
I love their beautiful, camp imagery and many of their influences (pop stars, kitsch, film poster art) are similar to mine. I particularly like their images of Saints, which are violent and beautiful.

Harry Bush [link]
Again, a great draughtsman of beautiful, sexy drawings with a dollop of sly humor.



Do these artists have an effect on your own artistic projects?

They have all influenced my work at some point, and I've studied them and tried to understand how and what they do and incorporate it into my work without copying it too blatantly!



How would you describe your own artistic style?

Oh, I don't know. It's certainly illustrative rather than painterly. I'd like to think that my style is sufficiently my own that people recognize a "Satchwill" when they see one.



Do you believe art must have some relationship to the rest of the world?

Absolutely. Most art, be it modern, commercial or decorative, is trying to communicate something to another human being, be it an idea, or a story, or simply saying "Isn't this beautiful?". This is the problem I have with a lot of modern conceptual art - the idea is more important than the imagery. You look at the work and have no idea what it is about. It's not communicating.



Do you believe your home life, education, and current environment has an affect on your artistic endeavors?

Only if you let it. It's my job, so I have to turn up every morning and get the work done regardless, especially if there is a deadline to meet. But yes, my home life and environment at the moment are good so I guess that's something I don't have to worry about.



How has your artist interests and talents changed over time?

Well I hope I've improved! In general I'm a bit kinder to myself than I used to be. I'm more confident than I used to be too, though I still have periods when I wonder why I do this. I'm more open about subject matter too (my younger self hated painting flowers but not any more).



What do you hope to do to people, and to the world, with your art?

Make people happy I suppose. Maybe make them see something they haven't noticed before, or think about something differently.

When you have a commission (which a lot of my work is) the main concern is understanding what the client wants and pleasing them.



May I ask a few personal questions, such as.. What is life like where you live?

It's a suburban town and fairly quiet. I grew up here, then went and lived in different places all over the country and came back a few years ago. There is the odd moment of excitement like when our neighbours house caught on fire last year but generally it's a small quiet town.

I live opposite a park so there is lots of greenery. I don't really know anyone here apart from neighbors and people I meet walking the dog. We are close to London so if we want a night out we can just hop on a train, or friends can come for dinner. I'm fairly introverted so I'm happy watching films, reading or gardening when I'm not creating artwork. I was never much of a "scene" person so I don't miss that either. I don't do festivals, I hate crowds. Boring aren't I



What was your most embarrassing moment?

Probably when I was a student. There was a course meeting of all the students to discuss everyone's work. When mine came up (a traditional watercolor) the Head Tutor described it as "the sort of crap we don't want people doing on this course". I wanted the ground to swallow me up.



What was the biggest mistake you have ever made?

I should have chosen a different place to do my degree.



What do you love most?

My partner, my dog and pop music.



What do you not like at all?

Homophobes, bigots, racists, polenta.



Personally, how separate are you from your art?

Do you mean how much of my art reflects me? I'd say I'm there in most of it, even the commissions, if you look for me.

Or do you mean once a work is done, is it easy for me to let it go and to receive criticism or make changes if a client requires it? If so, I can handle that with no problem now. I've dealt with some fairly awkward people, especially doing portraits, where you have to walk the line between what a person actually looks like and what they THINK they look like.



What do you hope to accomplish in this year 2012?

I started using digital media a couple of months ago so I want to continue improving my skills in that area. I work with writer Katherine Tomlinson on a project called NoHo Noir so that will continue and we also have a graphic novel project we are working on. Basically to carry  on improving and learning and hopefully getting some interesting work done.



You have been a member of deviantART for over 5 years. What changes have you seen on this website since you first started?

Well, it has certainly grown in size. The biggest change has been the introduction of groups, which I am in two minds about. While they can be positive for showcasing work, I think too often they can be too specific and segregated. I want my work to be seen but I don't have the time to search and find appropriate groups and apply and hope to be accepted. I'd rather spend the time doing the artwork.



Do you remember how you first discovered this website?

Yes, I basically searched for online galleries as I wanted my work to be seen by as many people as possible. Deviant was one of the first I joined and it was very friendly and easy to use and had a younger vibe than some of the other sites.



Tell us about the very first deviation you posted here?

The first was a portrait of a friend..

Jojo

It had been part of an exhibition I had had earlier that year (2006) and it's one of my favorites.



What do you like/dislike about the art world today?

I like that we have the Internet to use to sell and promote our work and get to know other artists.

I dislike that people don't understand that my skills are worth more than minimum wage and just because an image is on the Internet it doesn't mean that they can just post it to their blog or website with no credit given.



What do you like/dislike about this website, deviantART?

I like that there is a mix of professionals and amateurs, that people are, for the most part, considerate and polite, and the variety and quality of the work.



What do you dislike about your own artwork?

I'd like to be better at anatomy. Sometimes I work too quickly and things can be a bit clumsy looking. I wish I wasn't so reliant on reference material.



What do you like most about your artwork?

My ability to capture and convey character and likeness. The rare occasions when everything about a piece works and you feel you're produced something worthwhile.



What was the most memorable response that you have had regarding your art?

There has been lots of positive ones but I will always remember the woman who I painted for an exhibition who, when she saw the picture, claimed I had made her look "gin-soaked" (drunk).



Which are your most favorite deviations in your gallery here on dA?

Mike
It's a portrait of my partner in the bath. I love it because it's him, it's intimate and joyful.

Condemned
I painted this back in 1999 for an exhibition, and felt it was one of my more successful images. It's not clear in which way he is condemned - the prison could be real or in his mind, but the candles offer light and hope.

Stefan
A portrait of a friend, it's simple but captures his character. He's very handsome too



~MarkSatchwill