We had the pleasure of teaming up with Santa Cruz, Ca artist Travis Gonsalves (@newalchemist) to create the design for the second puerh artist series. Travis is a traveler, meticulous artist, and overall great guy. Take a second to read the interview and see some more of Travis' great work below.
Q. You have a very unique art style that I really admire. So, tell me (and the readers), what's up with all the lines?
I enjoy seeing what I can do with textures. It is very aesthetically pleasing to me when illustrations are crisp, clean, and detailed. A lot of my pieces are minimal in subject matter and instead focus on the detail used to present the subject. That stems from what I like to see in art. Not to just appreciate finished pieces, but also the methods used to create the pieces. I think creating art can also be almost meditative. When you work on a piece that is very repetitive, it puts you in a different headspace that puts you at ease.
Q. Have you always been drawing and creating art?
I have always been a doodler. Every school notebook I have had growing up had all of the margins filled with doodles. About 8 years ago, I started to really try to create finished pieces and improve technical skills. Having never taken an art class, it has definitely been a lot of trial and error over the last 8 years. Over that time, my style has just developed organically into what it is. My art has always been personal, creating the kinds of things I want to see and what I find to be aesthetically pleasing.
Q. The mechanical art contraption you made some months back was really impressive. Are there any other mediums you want to explore?
I have been exploring creating a lot of dynamic art. Both dynamic illustrations and larger installations. I have been making a bunch of prototypes, which has been a blast. I like the idea of a piece being interactive. A lot of the dynamic art I have been experimenting with forces the viewer to pull some pulleys or spin some gears to properly view the art. This lets the viewer be a part of the piece’s experience, which is neat to think.
Q. Can you describe what your creative process looks like?
It is probably pretty similar to most. I’m always doodling in notebooks and eventually something catches my eye. I then spend some time sketching that doodle and refining it to be something that is interesting to me and hopefully others. I usually like creating a few variations on that piece, and then go on to draw something new. I am not a fan of drawing the same thing too much. What keeps me interested in art is always seeing what else I can create that I haven’t done before.
Q. Where do you find your source of inspiration for the art you create?
I’m not sure I could really point specifically to where I get my inspiration from. There are so many talented artists out there that have inspired me over the years. It all kind of adds up in the back of your mind that way. I rarely ever reference photos or much of anything to create my art. So, I guess almost every piece of art comes from those doodles in notebooks.
Q. Are there anyone you've been wanting to collaborate with or look forward to collaborating with again?
I have had fun in past collaborating with a few local photographers. They were very brief collaborations, so I would love to collaborate with them again in more detail to see what we could come up with now a few years later. I am always open to collaborating with anyone who wants to. I just enjoy seeing people get stoked on being creative no matter what kind of style they have.
Q. What do you do in your free time?
I am mountain biking every chance I get. Living in Santa Cruz, CA, it is such an amazing opportunity to be just minutes from the ocean and the redwoods. So, I try my best to take advantage of it and appreciate it. Other than riding, I’m pretty addicted to graphic novels. So between the two I stay pretty busy.
Check out Travis' website www.TravisGonsalves.com
...and take a look at more of his work @newalchemist