Kevin Nodland - An Artist Trying to Make a Living Creating Art

Kevin Nodland (NODZ)

Visual artist, Illustrator, Painter

Pinellas Park, Florida, United States

 

EARTH © NODZ/ Kevin Nodland, is my new technique of painting abstract art. The colors represent the Earth, looking at it from outer space.

 

Mediums:   Pen and ink, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, acrylic, watercolor, and digital design.

Style:   Abstract expressionism, Surrealism, Digital Expression

Favorite Quote:   Work with it, NOT against it, by Kevin Nodland

Favorite Book:   The Business of Being an Artist

Favorite Movies:   Die Hard, Its a Wonderful Life, Waterboy, Kicking and Screaming.

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from the old school before computers.  I am trying to be a full time artist for my own company NODLAND DESIGNS. I create graphic design, logos, flyers, brochures, business cards, t-shirt designs and more. I also paint with acrylic, and watercolors.  I specialize in pen and ink Illustrations. I illustrate homes, buildings, cars, animals, and whatever you need. I also illustrate with colored pencils, creating t-shirt designs and more. I work with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign for my graphic design services. My paintings vary from the past to the present.  Lately I have painted abstract, vivid, colorful designs.

 

DALI EYEZATION © NODZ/ Kevin Nodland, is my tribute to Salvador Dali, but in a digital medium. This is a portrait of him, one eyball popped on the point of the pyramid. It shows blue as good, and red as evil, intertwining. He liked ants so I put an ant hill/breast, and a whirlpool/breast, there is a key, a lock, a universe, and a love story, smiley face of a boat and sunset. He has 2 mouths. There is another Dali face on the far right of the art. Lots of things to look at.

 

Experiences with art as a child

It must of been as a young child, doodling around with colors.  I used crayolas a lot creating a deer laying down in the woods in 4th grade and by 8th grade I was illustrating Rock and Roll album covers from the bands I listened to. 

 

What music do you like to listen to when creating art?

Rock and Roll, usually my old CD's of Heavy Metal from the early 80's and Classic Rock.  Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Styx, REO, Rush, U2, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc.

 

Do you have a day job outside of art?

I did have a job as a printer on pens for 15 years until my back went out and surgery did not fix it, so they fired me in April 2013, that's why I went full time artist.

 

BLUE © NODZ/Kevin Nodland, is part of my new abstract series.  This is just a mixture of different blue and white paint in a circular motion.

 

What message are you trying to convey to people who see your art?

I have a wide variety of art, styles, images, ideas, but with my recent paintings, it would be lots of COLOR, abstract, to have the viewer really enjoy looking at it and continue to look at it, for images they may find, or emotions that are felt from my work.

 

Creative Process

I start by choosing bright colors to use, mixing them really fluid.  I use a technique that is my SECRET, so I won't share it, but I lay down different colors on the canvas, then use my techniques to combine, spread, spatter and create more colors.  As the acrylic paint is drying, I rush to mix more, if I need to add certain colors to areas that I feel need it.  Once I pour the first color, its ALL SYSTEMS GO!  I can not rest or take a break, my paintings are created fast, within 5-30 minutes.

 

Inspirations

It may be the only thing I feel that I am good at.  I love doing it, the challenge, the sometimes disappointment, then the satisfaction when a piece is complete.  It may be the power of being my own boss, doing what I want to do and making someone else happy enough to buy my art.

 

Exhibitions

So far just Art Shows around town, nothing where I am the main artist, yet.  That is my goal, to have enough cool work to have an entire show. 

 

IMAGIN/ATION © NODZ/Kevin Nodland, is my tribute to John Lennon in digital medium.  The slash mark in the title separates his song "Imagine" from his Imagination in song writing, playing music and drawing.  He was colorful and creative, which I tried to capture in his mind.

 

Are you selling your art?

At art shows, a few pieces, mainly copies, or prints and a couple paintings.  And also a few on websites like Zazzle and Redbubble, where they make the money and I get some change. hahaha, but its good exposure, or I wouldn't do it.

 

Online art promotion

FACEBOOK the most.  My website, that doesn't get as much traffic as FB and Zazzle, Redbubble, Gotartwork.com, Google plus,  and a few more that I can't remember.

 

 

Influences

When I was a kid looking at album covers, I loved the art work.  Before I knew the band and enjoyed their music, the art of IRON MAIDEN, the creature Eddie, created by artist Derek Riggs.  That really got me loving album cover art.  I wanted to be an album cover artist, but it didn't happen. 

 

Can you recommend another admired artist?

Also in college, studying Salvador Dali really got me interested in Surrealism and abstract art.  I figured if they can make anything up and it don't have to look perfect, why can't I do that.  I love the weird and colorful, crazy art.

 

Tell us something interesting in your life

Well this is funny, I was a printer in a big warehouse corporation, and they had an art t-shirt contest for Breast Cancer Awareness.  So the entire art room, full of so-called artists were busy creating designs.  I went ahead and created a few of my own on the computer, but the last one I did by hand with colored pencils and I knew I had something really good. I ended up winning the contest and I remember all these art people walking by me in the warehouse, starring at me, like "how could that printer guy be an artist.  ahahahaa.  Funny thing is, 3 years later, they had the same contest, I did a few digital designs, and I WON AGAIN, that really ticked them off, hahahahahaa.

 

WOMAN © NODZ/Kevin Nodland, is also part of my new abstract series.  These colors are very feminine and that's why I named it Woman.

 

If you could live your life over again, would there be anything you would do differently?

Everything!  I would try harder in school, instead of being the guy that thinks he's so cool, he don't need school.  Big mistake.  High School I should of got a soccer or art scholarship, but I didn't try and I regret that to this day.  Then college, way too much partying and not enough art time.  May of got a good job out of school if I focused harder.  And woman, should of tried harder to keep the one I had, instead of shopping around and never finding her.

 

Any future plans?

EVERYTHING, I want to succeed as an artist.  I want to prove to all these people around me that don't believe in me, that I can do it, I can make a living at what I want to do and that’s being HAPPY.  Create a lot more art, and get in galleries, shows, exhibits with good sales.

 

Advice for artists

Don't stop trying, like I did and so much time has gone by.   Stop partying so much and focus on your life, not your friends party or what your friends want you to do.  Focus on what you want to do with the rest of your life.  Being stuck in a warehouse job, breaking your back, to stay unhappy, barely paying your bills, or follow your dream, if you barely pay your bills, who cares, AS LONG AS YOU ARE HAPPY, that's all that matters.

 

Kevin Nodland (NODZ)

Pinellas Park, Florida, United States.

Website:   www.nodlanddesigns.com

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