Recently I interviewed my friend James Russell. Well actually, he is my friend by proxy because really he is my brother Scotty's best friend and so more like another brother to me. What I can remember growing up with Scotty as an older brother was having MANY creative experiences. Most of which, included his friend James. When I told Scotty that I was interviewing his best friend from childhood he gave me a wonderful soundbite. He said "It's not so much about the art that Jam...es creates it is about the fact that James is art; a living piece of it." Ah, well said bro and what a wonderful tribute to your buddy of 30 plus years. Please enjoy!
Me: James you and Scotty were drawing and writing comic books when we were just kids. I didn't even know until college that you guys were actually creating graphic novels. In retrospect, it was a little weird that while most kids your age were into dinosaurs you guys were creating publishable works of art.
J: Ah, yes, we did do that. We always were working on something a little ahead of our time.
Me: A lot of people know your Dad, of course, as the Art Teacher that they had at the Lewistown Junior High. I know I had him as a teacher. One would assume that a lot of your talent comes from him?
J: Yes, that side of the family but my Mom too, She painted china, wrote light verse, was a well-known conversationalist and overall very creative person. My sisters also sang beautifully. In fact my sister Renee’ gave me her guitar before she passed away, and she encouraged me a lot musically.
We all have oil paint in the blood.
Me: Are you passing on your gift to your daughter?
J: Well Leah is a wonderful writer of lyrics and short stories; she definitely has talent but she is very shy. She also took banjo from Elliot Smith when she was 14.
Me: Darn, no interview with her huh?
J: Unlikely. (laughing)
Me: You draw, paint, sing, play instruments; which ones?
J: I play the guitar, bass and some banjo.
Me: You and I have talked about performance art before. You would like to act?
J: Yes, I would like to do some one man plays something like that. I used to be involved in a lot of the stuff that Dave Rummans is doing in town, played with him and Wicks (Brian Wicks) and Ferd (Scott Ferdinand) on stage. Would like to do that again. I am actually working on some music with Will (my nephew William Gumeson). We pulled together a small group called Jimmy and the Gingers.
Me: Ha! Is the other band mate a red head?
J: yes!
Me: Ah, cool. Can’t wait to hear you guys. What kind of music are you working on together?
J: We are pulling together a Ferd (Scott Ferdinand) tribute. Doing some of his favorites like the Butthole Surfers, some post punk and psychedelic stuff.
Me: You and your cousin Vince have a band, Morbid Public and a couple of cd’s?
J: Yes, they are entitled, Choose Your Own Adventure and Paper Rose. (I will post the links to some songs you can listen to.)
Me: You guys have done some pretty creative stuff together besides music too, right?
J: Yes we once took a camera made in 1910 down to main street and took pictures of random people and things with it.
Me: I’d like to see how those came out. Neat. You said you are doing a lot of art with the kids you work with.
J: Yes, pretty much daily.
Me: Tell me about that.
J: Well, we do a lot of one man plays, improv, talent shows even break dancing. I give them a topic and have them do improv commercials. I teach them basic drawing skills with consistency, like Dad taught all of us and we use crayons, colored pencils and dry erase marker. We do story boards. I’ve taught them how to do comic book cells. Most of them have one of my drawings in their rooms.
Me: You have a very nice creative outlet at work.
J: Yes, I teach them some music too, iambic pentameter, rhyming…
Me: Do you consider yourself an artist?
J: Mmm. No, I guess not. I just feel like I have to be creative.
Me: You and Scotty were always exploring the dark side of stuff to. You and your ghost pictures scared the poop out of me.
J: (laughing) Yes, we explored and I continue to be interested in the macabre. I do a ghost tour of Lewistown or rather, a macabre tour.
Me: Really? Like what?
J: I researched all of the places in town where lynching’s and things like that, took place in our little towns history. It’s pretty extensive.
Me: I could see where that would be pretty interesting. People love the supernatural stuff. What for example, is on your tour?
J: In WW2 the community tried to lynch the principal of Fergus High School because he refused to stop having the school teach German.
Me: Really! Wow, that’s a bit overkill.
J: Ya, he gave a rally speech on his knees in front of the flag and that saved his life. But that was the first Fergus High School. It burned down in 1906 and 1917 and so the one that is now there was actually the third one.
Me: I did not know that. Very interesting! I am definitely thinking we should set those up around Halloween. Those tours would be a blast.
J: Sure. I have some other ones I do also.
Me: Well we have talked about what you do in the arts already, what’s next?
J: Hmm. Eventually I would like to write some screenplays and do some more acting.
Me: I am sure you will. I would love to see more of that locally.
J: Great, I'm in.
Me: Well, thanks so much for your time James. It was great seeing you and interviewing you.
J: You are most welcome.

Many locals know of artist, Dave Zackus, even if they don't know him personally. Dave's mural work was in the basement of the now, Art Center, when it was the funky store, Center of the Universe. Sadly, when the store was purchased and became a dollar store the murals were painted over but you might recall the motif; a ultra retro man in space.
Please enjoy my most recent interview with local artist, Dave Zackus, 45 and our visit about his art:
Me: Let's see, I guess first o...ff how do you do what you do?
D: (smiling shyly) Um, I just do what I like to do.
Me: Are you self taught?
D: Yes, somewhat. I do have a degree in Graphic Arts from the Denver Business College, it used to be in Billings. They taught everything old school like type set and how to do hand lettering for signs etc. Now computers do all of that work.
Me: You grew up here though, right?
D: Yes, I am the oldest of 4.
Me: I recall your brother Ty is talented as well, anyone else in your family?
D: Yes, my Grandfather carved. He carved the heart and I then carved in the angels and made it into a cribbage board.
Me: (looking at the carving he had brought with him) Wow, that's really cool. Two generations of carvings in one piece.
D: My daughter is in Jr. High and she is really talented. She has stopped asking me technical art questions like, how to get a reflection in an eye, so I try not to offer her my opinion. Sometimes it's hard but I want her to do what is her art, not mine. I can only offer other people an opinion, I try not to offer advice. It changes how they see things, it changes their interpretation.
Me: People that know you think of you as a performance artist, did you know that?
D: (laughs) No, I didn't know that. I guess I just like to play guitar, and make music.
Me: You paint, you carve, you play instruments. That's a lot!
D: (Still smiling) Yes, I guess I am into improv when it comes to music. I like to get some friends together in my basement and play free flow, free consciousness kind of music. I don't like all the confines of gigging. It's just for fun and enjoyment this way. Plus I figure with all art, once it's been done, it's done. I like originality I guess.
Me: What instruments do you play?
D: Electric guitar, some bass and accordian. (grinning)
Me: What is your favorite medium?
D: I guess, right now, it is air brush acrylic.
Me: I see you are very influenced by retro, possibly 50's moon landing artwork?
D: Yes, and Sci Fi. I liked Star Trek a lot growing up. (laughs) The first things I remember drawing were helicopters, lots and lots of helicopters.
Me: (Looking at a piece with a beautifully air brushed moon and spaceship) This is amazing.
D: I did that one around Christmas time. I am really working on texture and shadows both light and dark. I just figured out how to do that with the air brush.
Me: You captured it perfectly.
D: It's all about trial and error.
Me: Tell me about your carving, the one you did on the rocks above the springs of the lady.
D: Well I carved it directly out of the rock there. I like carving because you can't erase your mistakes. It's a challenge, you can't turn back.
Me: I will be sure to post the picture so people can see her, she is amazing.
Me: Would you like to do more mural work? Because I am really trying to make that a reality around town.
D: Yes, for sure. I loved to do something with big shapes, very colorful.
Me: You're hired! (laughing) I also love the work you are doing with 3-D film. It is amazing. (note: I got to flip through an entire photo album of this work with those killer 3-D glasses on)
D: It's fun, for sure.
Me: You said you have to take a shot, move a little and take another to capture it?
D: Yes, click, move a little and shoot again.
Me: Wow, I would love to see this in a gallery and when people come in they have to put on the retro 3-D glasses and then they can walk through. I love to laugh at people when they reach out to grab at stuff. It makes me giggle.
D: I'd like that. I have some of those glasses too.
Me: Who inspires you? Where are you going next with your Art?
D: I am really into Nemo Gould, he does kinetic sculpture. I will send you some of his Youtube links. He makes little robots inside robots, the one's inside moving and appearing to be the reason the bigger one is moving.
Me: Wow, cool. Yes, I want to see that.
D: I am just bummed he though of it first. I collect all kinds of retro stuff and will be making some kinetic art pieces with it.
Me: I always wondered about your 'stuff'. (laughing) Where do you think of your ideas?
D: I dream it sometimes. (pointing to a very retro color and shape piece) I dreamed that.
Me: Wow, thanks for sharing with me Dave. Totally awesome.

D: Thanks, I had a good time too.

 

We are on facebook. Yes, we are.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rural-Artist-of-Montana/208978135914951

Featured Artist: Joe Ziolkowski of Lewistown Montana

 Me: So when were you born, our friends might want to... know since you look like you are 17.
Joe: Ha, I was born on March 12, 1975
Me: I am not good at math, how old does that make you?
Joe: 38
Me: When did you know you loved to paint?
Joe: Probably at age 6. I can remember my brother Peter working on art on the kitchen table and I was always in the middle of that.
Me: So there are other artists in your family?
Joe: Yes. My grandpa Mac, my Mom's Dad, used to carve diamond willow. There is still a piece of his above the bar at the Cascade Bar. Mom was an artist at heart, she was active in choir, loved to cook, and was very "crafty" with cross stitching. Dad loves music/jazz, and would use his hands a lot making birdhouses and planters.
Me: You are the youngest of how many?
Joe: 6
Me: Me too!
Joe: My grandma on my Mom's side was also a poet and a singer and played piano.
Me: Wow, there are a lot of artists in your lineage. When did you know you wanted to be an Artist?
Joe: Always, since I was 4 probably.
Me: Sophie (Joes' daughter) seems to be an up and coming.
Joe: Oh yes, for sure.
Me: What advice would you give her?
Joe: I would tell her to involve technology and don't quit your day job. (laughs) I had some really good advice from passed mentors that I would pass on: Learn how to do three things really well.
Me: Great advice. You went to the Art Institute in Seattle?
Joe: Yes, the technology centrifuge was just beginning then so I missed out on the computer animation.
Me: What do you define yourself as?
Joe: Look this up on Wiki: photo impressionist.
Me: Wow OK.
Joe: (laughs) It's about painting what you see. Taking a photo of something you want to capture and painting that. It means defining proportions, tones, shadow, contrast, "painting what you see".
Me: What advice do you give to up and coming artists?
Joe: Involve technology, learn, solidify and perfect your drawing skills. Animation all the way.
Me: Where can people see and buy your paintings?
Joe: The Lewistown Art Center, Caye Gallery, 618 Coffee, Coffee Cup, Moccasin Mtn Gallery, Lewistown Insurance, Baldy View Realty and on my website: orginalz.net
Me: Wow, thanks Joe. You kinda rock.
Joe: Well thanks.See More

How Rural Artist Montana came to be.

This is a rural area. Montana. Even the cities that boast populations over a hundred thousand are rural. The beauty here is undeniable but the lifestyle can also be very difficult. Winters can be ceaseless, bone biting cold. Add in darkness and the soul can go mad. The Spring, Summer and Fall provide landscapes that are the balm for this madness. The lifestyle here can be feast or famine. Poverty is more likely then not but for many this is still the best choice. Life is, simply put, less noisy, less conflagrated.

With simplicity comes the ability to see more, hear more, feel more. What I have found in my home State is the room, the expansive sky, the vastness of prairie allow the spirit to be moved. Maybe even awakened. And with this awakening comes the need to create.

I hope you enjoy the interviews and art pieces of the folks I have and will interview. This is as much an opportunity to promote them as it is to simply be part of something higher reaching.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes outside Lewistown MT, graze along with the cattle on the Duffy ranch.