Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:02 The Center.
Speaker 0 00:00:22 Welcome
Speaker 2 00:00:23 To the Frame Center podcast. There's been a little bit of a layoff, so we decided we'd come back with a A fan favorite. Yeah, fan favorite I think is definitely what we would call 'em. Thank you. So we got Mark Slavin. Mark and his wife Trish have a show up at the moment here at the Frame Center. And to people that don't know, Mark's one of our longtime employees. Maybe some people think he's just a framer, but he's actually also a super talented artist. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And we're gonna sit down, we're gonna talk, I think, a little bit more about the artwork today. A little less about the framing. Maybe we'll bring him back for some frame talk at some point.
Speaker 3 00:00:58 The mat special. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:00:59 <laugh>. Oh yeah. When we do the mat special. Yeah. We definitely have to have you on for that one.
Speaker 3 00:01:03 <laugh> the Mat Master. That's me. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 00:01:05 So, mark, you wanna start off telling these guys a little bit about yourself and what the stuff that you do is, I mean, I'm a huge fan of your work personally. Thank you. I have three at home. Always looking to add another feel free the collection. Feel free. Yeah. Mike, we're actually talking about your work yesterday, but it's kind of like, as like a super textural feel to it. It's kinda like sculpture and painting combined.
Speaker 4 00:01:27 Exactly. Yeah. It's
Speaker 2 00:01:28 In a way
Speaker 3 00:01:29 That's basically what it is. <laugh>. Yeah. I stumbled upon that when I was in college and I was a sculpture and painting major. Yep. And I really wanted to paint thick. But you can't afford thick paints on your school. Yeah. God no. So it's just oil paints are so expensive. So in my sculpture class, we're using a lot of plaster, mold making and casting things. And I decided to see if I could intertwine the two. And I convinced both my professors to let me do like my final project for both classes as one piece. That was basically a sculptural painting. So I used plaster and whatnot to make a ground to paint on. Carved it out a little bit. I mean, it wasn't this type of thing. It was a lot more stuff going on. And then just attacked it with paints for a while. And they both let it fly. Hey. I said I got away with something <laugh>. I was gonna say it's a
Speaker 4 00:02:16 Unique time saver too. Two for one. So I mean, yeah.
Speaker 3 00:02:18 But I was able to devote twice as much time into that one project instead of just
Speaker 4 00:02:22 Spreading your time across the walls, saying
Speaker 3 00:02:24 Half my time here after my time there. But I really just sort of fell in love with that idea. So after college I just kept dabbling here and there and doing different things.
Speaker 4 00:02:31 This's the stuff that always turns out better. It's the stuff that you <laugh>, you know you
Speaker 3 00:02:34 Wanna do. Yeah. And I wasn't doing it for anybody but myself. Yep. Yeah. And I stab, I started using fabric and stuff in there. 'cause one of my professors was putting horse hair into his plaster. Yep. For
Speaker 2 00:02:44 Offering
Speaker 4 00:02:44 Reinforcement for
Speaker 3 00:02:45 Strength and stuff. And I was like, well what else can you do with it? So I started doing some fabric and kind of stumbled upon the things that you have.
Speaker 2 00:02:52 Yeah. Those ones were sheets, right? Those were
Speaker 3 00:02:54 Some sheets.
Speaker 2 00:02:55 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yep. Is that a big part of it too, when you're figuring out what the surface is gonna be? I mean, a little bit of experimenting to figure out. That's
Speaker 3 00:03:01 A little bit of experiment. I've actually done a couple pieces where the sheets are sold. 'cause I'm using old, recycled old. Yeah. Yeah. The sheets start falling apart when you're working on 'em. And then that turns into something in the piece because it's, they become part of the fabric of it. A lot of times they'll hold together. That's when I started using t-shirts. 'cause they've got a little more flexibility too, right?
Speaker 4 00:03:19 Yeah. A little more stretch. Stretch.
Speaker 3 00:03:21 You've
Speaker 2 00:03:21 Used jeans before too.
Speaker 3 00:03:22 I've used jeans, I used sleeves of sweatshirts. I've used a lot of different things. But what I really like is just the fabric.
Speaker 2 00:03:28 Yep.
Speaker 3 00:03:29 Mushing it around and making a mess. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But again, I just work on stuff till I'm kind of happy with it. Yeah. I set it aside, let it dry.
Speaker 2 00:03:37 Yep. Usually
Speaker 4 00:03:38 What the average, how does it take to dry?
Speaker 3 00:03:40 It depends how thick the stuff is.
Speaker 4 00:03:41 Do you find one's better? Like if it's got the fabric in, it takes longer versus if it's got plastic, if
Speaker 3 00:03:46 It's got fabric in it, it usually takes a lot longer. 'cause you can do a lot thicker with the fabric. Right,
Speaker 4 00:03:50 Right.
Speaker 3 00:03:50 Like that's just, that's joint compound actually. That usually takes a few days to dry. 'cause it's got some peaks, but a lot of valleys too. Right. There's really nothing there. It's almost like you're flat onto the surface of the board.
Speaker 2 00:04:01 So that one's like a little bit different than, the ones that I have are more like long like yes. You know, like pulled things. And I know you have like a few that are like these, these kind of like feel more like rain or like, you know, waves,
Speaker 3 00:04:13 That kind of thing. I mean I, I was, I
Speaker 4 00:04:14 Get a lunar surface feel from 'em sometimes. Right. Like a meteorite strike.
Speaker 3 00:04:17 Yeah. It depends how you get the final project. It's like when you're frosting a cake or something, you Oh yeah. Yeah. Just try to get little peaks on things. Yeah. Or you don't, you smooth it out. You can go around. I mean I just sort of let it do its own thing and then when at a certain point I just say, okay, I'm done.
Speaker 4 00:04:30 You fussed with it enough and you don't want take, 'cause you one more thing. It'll screw it up and the other and
Speaker 3 00:04:34 Then you see what the paint does to it. I love just spray painting stuff.
Speaker 4 00:04:38 I love this look, this metallic look that you get from it. Is that very like,
Speaker 3 00:04:41 I like the metallic
Speaker 4 00:04:41 Thing also. The bronzing coloring is
Speaker 2 00:04:44 So is that two layers? Are you going in with black and with like a silver in a different direct Kind
Speaker 3 00:04:50 Of. Sort
Speaker 2 00:04:50 Of. I don't want, I don't want you to give away too with the secrets.
Speaker 3 00:04:54 It really depends. I've done things. I believe the pieces you have, it's all silver. One way black the other way. Yeah. So when you're in one side, the road,
Speaker 4 00:05:00 You see it. Oh, the directional. Yeah. You, you had one other there with white I believe too, that had that right. A silver with white. You had white one direction and silver in the other. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:05:08 Maybe that was a while
Speaker 4 00:05:09 Ago. Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was from the previous shows. Yeah. Oh that was thing
Speaker 3 00:05:11 Comes with all the angles. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. That was actually just like a piece of board and spray paint. It was like
Speaker 4 00:05:16 Oh okay.
Speaker 3 00:05:16 Kind of graffiti style. Yeah. But somebody bought it. I mean, <laugh>.
Speaker 4 00:05:21 Well that's the thing. Somebody, this
Speaker 3 00:05:22 Ours is what you can get away with. Right. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:05:25 Well these always have a much more natural feel to almost like inner cave wall or like Yeah. I like still like natural formations. I like
Speaker 3 00:05:31 Those. I think those are kind of like waves almost in a way. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, a lot of times they're dry and they're white and you just look at the shadows on 'em and yeah. Just hang 'em on a wall and you can look at like that and just leave it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it's like a little marble sculpture or something. I mean I love that idea. I have a piece at my house was one of the first fabric pieces I made that I've actually just, every now and then I just repaint it white. 'cause it is white, but it just cuts so much dozen. Right.
Speaker 4 00:05:53 Just colors. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 00:05:54 <affirmative> every, now I just paint it white again. I just love
Speaker 2 00:05:56 It. So how much are you trying to figure out what you're trying to get the sculpting part done first and then you paint? Or are you mixing it all?
Speaker 3 00:06:03 Mostly it's a sculpture first, then I paint. But like a lot of times, I mean I could go into something like that when it's new. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and go back in there and scrape stuff off and carve it and add more to it if I wanted to.
Speaker 4 00:06:14 Yeah. That's a good thing with the joint compound. You could go through with the Dremel if you wanted to and create all kinds of different little
Speaker 3 00:06:19 Yeah. I could take it when it's at a certain point and it's still wet and then just drag sticks through it.
Speaker 4 00:06:24 Oh yeah. Yeah. Form it.
Speaker 3 00:06:24 There's so many different things you can do
Speaker 4 00:06:27 The clea stage just before it's dry.
Speaker 3 00:06:29 Exactly.
Speaker 2 00:06:30 I think that the show came out great too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I think that the way combination of the photographs and Yeah. I mean Trisha's,
Speaker 3 00:06:36 My wife was a photographer, if you don't know. Yeah. <laugh> fantastic. Patricia Walsh. Look her
Speaker 2 00:06:41 Up. Yeah. And we could have one star on at a time. So we're, yeah.
Speaker 3 00:06:44 She'll be part two.
Speaker 2 00:06:45 We'll, well that, and you guys have the kids too. So somebody, we couldn't line Maya up to babysit the two children next time. Yeah. So one at a time for these episodes. But her photographs, your side, just think it was a really cool combination. Yeah. I think it looks awesome. Just wandering around in there. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And it almost makes sense if someone's gonna buy one of your pieces, they should probably buy one of hers too. <laugh> piece. Exactly.
Speaker 3 00:07:06 And they're paired nicely out there. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:07:07 Well that's the thing. You've got nice soft, ethereal movement on hers. This nice blends and blurs and your, you've got these heavy weighted pieces with a lot of shadow and a lot of depth to them. Which I think is like a nice contrast between the two. But they compli the but. Exactly. Yep. It's a good explanation for the two of them there.
Speaker 2 00:07:24 You haven't shown, I mean, aside from like shows where you guys both have a piece in there, right? You haven't, I
Speaker 3 00:07:28 Don't think we've ever done a show like that before.
Speaker 4 00:07:30 No.
Speaker 2 00:07:31 Did you do a talk together down in Duxbury or was that Yeah, that was,
Speaker 3 00:07:34 She did a piece and I did a piece. We were separate but Yep. Part of the, I forget who. Eileen. Casey I think. Okay. The third one kind. We stood up in front of a
Speaker 2 00:07:42 Group of people. Yep. Talked
Speaker 3 00:07:43 It out.
Speaker 2 00:07:43 Yeah. So it was more like a talk that you guys did together. So it wasn't really, the work was on display. No. Together. We both
Speaker 3 00:07:50 Found a couple pieces just to like show, I just passed a piece around and I was like, feel it <laugh>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. Because that's what
Speaker 4 00:07:55 Everybody ask. Everybody wants to do. They all wanna go up and touch.
Speaker 3 00:07:57 Anyone wants to walk up and just touch it.
Speaker 2 00:07:59 Yeah. Is that gonna squash or is that <laugh>?
Speaker 3 00:08:01 Yeah. And no, but a lot of what I like about it's people look at it and go, what is that?
Speaker 2 00:08:05 Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:08:05 Because especially the thicker pieces, it's like people think it's metal. Yeah. And that's what I,
Speaker 4 00:08:10 Well your bronze one that's at the bottom of the stairwell there. Everyone's the first thing everybody sees is they're heading up to the gallery. I always get the Ooh as I can hear it from, you know, around the corner. Exactly. They touch it. Yeah. I know. We should have like, please do not touch signs on everything for, you know,
Speaker 3 00:08:23 It's basically Okay.
Speaker 2 00:08:24 Yeah. We'll create
Speaker 4 00:08:25 One little sensory set up that they can just go and touch it. And it's the same for all. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:08:29 You feel like that's helpful too, at home? You and Trish go over the work together or,
Speaker 3 00:08:33 Well, she does her thing. I do my thing. Yeah. We can ask each other advice, but it's like, I'm gonna do whatever the hell I'm gonna do. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. She's gonna do what she wants to do. I'm gonna do what I want to do. I frankly don't give a
Speaker 2 00:08:45 Yeah. So it's not So you're
Speaker 3 00:08:47 <laugh>, we'll clean it up.
Speaker 2 00:08:48 No, I mean I just, I think that makes it interesting too. Like the,
Speaker 3 00:08:52 That's part of my thing is I'm not doing this for anybody. Yep. Except for my own pleasure. You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 00:08:56 Yeah. And that's, that's a good thing about it.
Speaker 3 00:08:58 And I think that that's something, it's just that I'm ending up having like bunch of these pieces and it would be, you know, it's nice to sell something. Yeah. Oh yeah. Which I've sold a good handful of things in my time. Especially being here. Yeah. First time I hung here I hung, I think I got like three or four things out here. You
Speaker 4 00:09:12 Had the other show too before the library. Library show. Yeah. The library show. You had some
Speaker 3 00:09:15 That, was that the adventurous,
Speaker 4 00:09:16 There was some golden pieces in that one, wasn't it? Well these ones here are mostly bronze and this kind of pewter tone. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:09:21 There was a gold piece that, yep. Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:09:23 I remember that was like your cover.
Speaker 3 00:09:24 I'm starting to go back a little bit towards gold just 'cause it's kind of warm. Yeah. Well I
Speaker 4 00:09:28 Do you like the earthy metallics versus going
Speaker 3 00:09:31 I like the metallics. I've, I keep toying with the idea of doing colors 'cause people love color. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But I don't wanna do that.
Speaker 4 00:09:36 It's tough.
Speaker 2 00:09:36 Yeah. I mean, it'd be interesting to see how it looks, but No, I feel like, I think
Speaker 3 00:09:40 If I had the right time and space, I mean that's a lot of what it's, we have children now, so it's like Yeah. Out the window. Well
Speaker 2 00:09:46 Is that why you ever, you're set up in there <laugh>. The audition residency. That's,
Speaker 3 00:09:50 That's the most stuff I've done in the past, like four years.
Speaker 2 00:09:52 It's fun to look at. I don't know how many times you've walked over there, Scott, in the, in the mornings just to see the progress taking place.
Speaker 4 00:09:58 Oh yeah. Yeah. I usually, every night when we go to lock up, I always go to see if there's anything new over on the table or something's been changed up. Now
Speaker 3 00:10:05 That we're back, I'm gonna get back to it. Like coming in here at like four in the morning. A couple things.
Speaker 2 00:10:10 Yeah. You've been recording some of it. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:10:12 Well that's the thing is having a space where you can work that you can know you can leave it and have it be the exact same place you left it when you have kids, animals, any of that kind stuff.
Speaker 2 00:10:20 Cat walking through it
Speaker 4 00:10:21 With cat walking through. No, that could be kind of neat. I get some cat paws going through there. It's a hair, it's another problem. That's a problem. But knowing that you can come back to it at any time. Yeah. And just pick right back up when you have that feeling of, oh, now I know what to do or where I'm gonna go with it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And not having to like set up. 'cause then by the time you got everything set back up again, you gotta take it back down. It's a
Speaker 3 00:10:40 Lot of stages. So like Yeah. Does the make it then let it dry? Right. Then I hit with primer and then let it dry. Yeah. Yep. And then something like that takes a lot of like you gotta get in all the nooks and C creams.
Speaker 4 00:10:52 Exactly. Yeah. So it's multi, it takes,
Speaker 3 00:10:54 Put that down, let that dry. That's got thicker spots you want relay that dry. So it's nice to just leave stuff for a while. Mm-hmm. Come back to it.
Speaker 2 00:11:01 The size
Speaker 3 00:11:02 Spray paint and then you have to let that dry, right? Well,
Speaker 4 00:11:05 Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:11:06 Or you just start messing around. It just turns out brown or whatever. Yeah. It's good to have multiple pieces going at the same time. So you're at a different stage with each one. Very true. Yeah. Or you have five of the, at the same stage and you can be like, okay, I'm gonna spray paint this one, then I'm gonna spray paint that one, then I'm gonna spray paint that one. Then you got, well
Speaker 4 00:11:21 At least the paints are like, the spray paints are a consistency for color. Unless you're doing blends of going overlay.
Speaker 3 00:11:26 Yeah. That's why I'm also just trying to like stick to like, and then I will use acrylic paint on top.
Speaker 4 00:11:30 Yeah. Because then if you mix something and you don't get the color back the way you want it, you'll like, oh, I'll just duplicate the slate. Like, no, it's never gonna be the exact same color unless you make a big batch of it.
Speaker 3 00:11:38 Still looking for the perfect like spray paint. Perfect. Yeah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm <affirmative> giving like a top coat of some
Speaker 4 00:11:44 Shininess. Maybe a nice rose gold. Sometimes
Speaker 2 00:11:46 The sizes are all over the place too. Do you have a preference or is it just like what materials you have to work with? Not
Speaker 3 00:11:51 Really a preference, but I think like if you think about a t-shirt, that size is kind of like, yep.
Speaker 4 00:11:56 Right here. 16, 20 18, 24. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 00:11:58 <affirmative>. Yeah. Around that. Yeah. But I kind of like a little bit more tall than like standard 1620s. Yeah. 1624 maybe. Something like, right. But then thinking about if you wanted to see it in somebody's house. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, not everybody can have a piece like that. They don't a wall for
Speaker 4 00:12:15 That. Yeah. Well yeah, it's definitely a statement piece.
Speaker 3 00:12:16 Maybe you have the smaller pieces, or like right now in the back, I'm working on like a diptic kind of thing where it was like two pieces that I did on the side. You would gimme those floater frames. Yep. I think we just made the wrong size with somebody and I finally dug them out like five years later. I'll make two pieces please.
Speaker 4 00:12:30 There
Speaker 3 00:12:31 You go. Hopefully it'll turn over. It's just
Speaker 4 00:12:33 More found recycled artwork. That's all that is. That's it's all
Speaker 3 00:12:35 Part of it. I just have bags of old t-shirts. 'cause every t-shirt I wear here gets a hole in it. Something.
Speaker 4 00:12:39 Oh yeah. Right from the bench. Yeah. You can't,
Speaker 3 00:12:41 You can't just donate those. Be like, here's some holy shirts. Yeah. I just use 'em as rags and little
Speaker 4 00:12:45 Filler a little, you know? Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:12:48 Oh, maybe we'll have to commission a piece for a worn out frame. Set T-shirt. Ooh.
Speaker 3 00:12:52 I have,
Speaker 4 00:12:53 There you go.
Speaker 2 00:12:54 For the permanent collection,
Speaker 4 00:12:55 Maybe that could be the colored one. You use red. Yeah. Try a red one. Could, yeah. Just do a nice bright, glossy ride with the black. That was
Speaker 3 00:13:02 Achar. I used to do, I, I had a whole run of doing just t-shirts that had things on em. So it was like a, A donut T-shirt. Yep. Messed that around. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> just left it and I'm like, I'm eventually gonna give it to somebody. I had a whole thing where I was just doing t-shirts.
Speaker 4 00:13:12 Well you had one out there before. Was it two that you had with the collars lined up and it was like divided down the center? It was like green and kind of denim color. Those were
Speaker 3 00:13:20 The two sleeves of a A sweatshirt. Okay. The thing that was in the show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It was two sleeve in the sweatshirt, had the stripe going down. Right. So I did pieces side by side. I was messing 'em around. I didn't really realize it when I first did it, but I kind of put 'em this way. Put 'em that way. Put 'em this way, put 'em that way. I was like, look, that kind of looks like a figure. Yeah. And then it just hit and I said I'll do that. Yeah. Stuck 'em together like that.
Speaker 4 00:13:38 Well it worked out nice. That's what I was saying. I said, you don't even have to like completely cover them to No. To make them. 'cause
Speaker 3 00:13:43 The two t-shirts that I do, that thing with my brother had one that was like a Radiohead t-shirt and I just had a quote from one of the songs. I just mushed it around. Did that and framed it and he just, it's hanging on his wall. Cool. It's just like some weird textural thing going on with the T-shirts. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I just framed a quote from a song. Yeah. It was just something different about it. So Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:14:00 More interesting. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:14:02 And I thought about it and gave it to 'em. It's heartfelt, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 00:14:05 How's it been receptive by some of your regular customers? They're excited to see the work upstairs too.
Speaker 3 00:14:10 Yeah. I think everybody's kind of like, what I'm getting is the more like, oh it's a powerful show. 'cause I think the show itself looks really good. Mm-hmm. Cohesive. It's a cohesive thing. But a lot of people, like they either know what I do or they don't. Yeah. Or they don't know what I do. They're like, oh wow, look at that.
Speaker 2 00:14:24 Yeah. No, I've talked to a few people that I've seen out, but I
Speaker 3 00:14:27 Know it's not up everybody's alley either. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:14:29 You don't have to always be in love with somebody's work to appreciate what they do. Right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, and especially like, you have a ton of customers that you have like strong relationships with. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I'm sure that you see their artwork all the time. 'cause you're framing it. So it's kind of nice for them to get a chance to see what you do. Not that it changes the relationship or like means they have to buy a piece. But like, just having an understanding and knowing that you're an artist as well I think is kind of cool. I've
Speaker 4 00:14:52 Said that a couple times to some people knowing that half the people that work here are artists or art lovers themselves. Just know, have an appreciation for it. We know what you're going through when you bring a piece in. Want something made up. So we're in that same boat half the time when we do our own pieces. So yeah. No,
Speaker 2 00:15:05 I mean everyone here is like a creator of artwork and one way or the other. And even some of the folks that don't paint or that work work a creative field. So it's important. Even though like Tanya doesn't do artwork, I'm sure if
Speaker 4 00:15:18 She, no, she collects a vast amount of different styles and types though. Which is,
Speaker 2 00:15:22 I'm sure if she wanted, if she found the time and she wanted to put her mind to it, she could create creating, you know, adding frames to things is talent. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:15:29 I heard gallery walls are a piece of art. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:15:31 Yeah. Installation part <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:15:33 Yeah. It's like an installation piece right there. Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:15:36 Exactly.
Speaker 3 00:15:36 Can't wait to see what the new place looks like.
Speaker 4 00:15:38 Yeah, I know. Once we'll have to get some pictures for some fresh walls to work with. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:15:42 I think it's fun too. I mean, I like the idea that we have, especially now that we're expanding and having more space. Mm-hmm. That we're hanging artwork. I think having stuff from everyone that works here on display from time to time is nice. And just having a record of it. 'cause then you can show someone when you wait on a lot of customers, Scott. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I mean I'm sure that people ask you all the time, like what kind of,
Speaker 4 00:16:02 Oh yeah, no, I get that. Yeah. We get that one. <laugh>. Well,
Speaker 2 00:16:04 I mean I feel like sometimes, but
Speaker 4 00:16:06 It's different than just having a picture of it on my phone and going here. This is what it looks like when you actually have it in a space and you can see it. Yeah. Surrounded by stuff is always better. That's why we ask customers all the time. Like send us a picture of it once it's home, at home. 'cause it's always different when it's surrounded by bookcases and shelves. Curtains things, other textural items that help bring it to life. Same thing, having it on a table just painted. Yeah. It looks all right. If you put a frame on it, it looks better. Yeah. Put it up on the wall even better from there. Yeah. So it's,
Speaker 2 00:16:30 Yeah. I mean even
Speaker 4 00:16:31 Part of the process,
Speaker 2 00:16:32 Even if we had a space, like even if we kept stuff on the stairs leading upstairs on a regular basis of people that are here, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>
Speaker 4 00:16:38 Or roast, rotate. Rotate through it. Yeah, exactly. Some have as a reference for that kind of thing. So
Speaker 2 00:16:42 We'll run that one by Dina. Yep. Yeah. Alright.
Speaker 3 00:16:45 <laugh>. <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:16:46 Yeah. And then you could always pull it down and good filler, right? Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:16:49 Well we've done a couple shows for Yeah. Us when we have the groups that worked here. It's been a while. You get D reminders on Facebook every once in a while. How long, long ago.
Speaker 2 00:16:56 Yeah. Well we had the gallery wall out front. You have a kind of like a, a piece of every once, which I thought was tied together nicely. Yeah. You know, I think sometimes like with a show, like even though the, the subject matter is so different, like that tie the fact that his husband and wife I think is so cool. That's the reason to put 'em together. Right. And then it just turns out that colors work out perfectly. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 4 00:17:16 Yeah. It's a good balance between the two, so. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 00:17:19 <affirmative>, maybe the next time the kids will be producing, but we'll sneak a couple of those up. Of course if there is a closing, we still try to,
Speaker 3 00:17:25 We're working on the closing date. Maybe the 15th, I think.
Speaker 2 00:17:28 The 15th. So
Speaker 3 00:17:28 I think that's what we've been talking about. Nice. So we're gonna see if we just solidify that and send it out. Yeah. Facebook, whatever.
Speaker 4 00:17:37 Now you refresh from vacation, you have time to think about these things.
Speaker 2 00:17:39 You're gonna get a couple of the kids pieces up. So it's a whole family show. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:17:43 Why not?
Speaker 3 00:17:43 Of course. And maybe I'll finish a couple of new pieces. Yeah. <laugh>. That's true. You gimme a couple weeks. Yeah. You get a couple things done. Yeah. Just back in the schedule. 'cause I mean,
Speaker 2 00:17:52 Now you feel like being here, does that help at all working with art? Does that inspire you at all? Or does that not, does it take away,
Speaker 3 00:18:00 I mean, I'll be honest with you, I think a lot of what I do in my, my approach to my artwork. Yep. 'cause this isn't everybody's thing is mm-hmm. <affirmative> is like, I reject a lot of stuff. I mean, not that I don't like art, I love art. I've seen art my whole life. I've been working with like being artsy or whatever Yeah. My whole life. But like, I think when I started doing my thing, what I'm doing, it's kind of like I'm just not paying attention to what people think you should be doing as an artist. Yeah. So it's kind of like I'm just taking everything you learned in art history and whatever and I'm like, I don't care. I'm just doing what I want to do. Yeah. Right.
Speaker 2 00:18:33 You've read Rick Rubin's book yet? No. You should read it.
Speaker 3 00:18:36 So whatever. Yeah. <laugh>, whatever. Dave <laugh>.
Speaker 4 00:18:38 No.
Speaker 2 00:18:38 He talk like he talks about, is that what he is talking about? He talks about just No, that's how you know and you're done with something. Right. Like, 'cause you are happy with it. And it's like not about pleasing other people. If you're like our true artist, the art will speak for itself in the end.
Speaker 3 00:18:50 I think my mother used to tell me that too. She'd like, I can tell you a million times, it would be nice if you did this or if you're nice if you do that. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I know you're just gonna do whatever you wanna do, but you'll tell me. Sure. Mom <laugh>. Yeah. But I know you're just gonna do whatever you wanna do with. That's fine.
Speaker 4 00:19:02 Yeah. Well I've done colored palettes for around here for coastal coloring. 'cause I know it's what people have in their homes and things. Right. They never really quite turn out the way I want them to. 'cause it's not how I would normally do it. I prefer bold colors working in a cooler palette or either all cool or all warm. I don't like to kind of like mix them.
Speaker 3 00:19:19 Yeah. I mean it would be interesting if somebody came to me and said, I want you to do something like purple. And I just did that to something purple or something. Right. I started messing around mixing colors and this and that. It just wasn't working for me.
Speaker 4 00:19:30 Yeah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I mean, there are times too when you say like, all right, well someone says they wanted a purple one and you do it up and like, all right, you did it. They like it. They're happy with it. You're not thrilled with it. But you know what a purple one would come out like now. So, you know, you don't have to play experiment with that ever again. You
Speaker 3 00:19:42 Know. And if I, if I had a giant space and a ton of time Right. I'd just go to the store and buy every color can with spray paint. I could <laugh> just have jars of paint everywhere and just experiment. 'cause like you can always paint over it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:19:54 Yeah. Well that's the thing with it being layered and textural like that you can do buildups on it. Yeah. Go over it again and again and still have it turn out the way you want. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:20:02 And then back to the whole point about being here and seeing a come through it is inspiring sometimes to see some stuff come through. But some of my pieces don't even require re frame. Yeah. I kind of make 'em like that because I'm like, I like to being an object on the wall. Yeah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> that really makes people go, what is that? Because it looks like it's a real thick chunk of something.
Speaker 4 00:20:21 Yeah. Well even having the, the movement on the edges. Like it's not
Speaker 3 00:20:24 A poke at you, but
Speaker 2 00:20:25 It's like Yeah, no, I, I mean,
Speaker 3 00:20:26 I mean not everything needs a frame. I think frames do help. I mean a lot of the stuff is, the edges of it are trash. So you wouldn't put a frame will have to cover it up. But the fabric pieces that have, 'cause it's fabric wrapped around, it's like strong on the sides. Right. They's,
Speaker 4 00:20:38 Reinforc has
Speaker 3 00:20:39 Its own thing, so it's kind of,
Speaker 4 00:20:40 But they're rounded on the edges and like, they're not like straight and sharp. So when you put a straight and sharp frame on something like that, it kind of Yeah. Kills the whole thing. Something
Speaker 3 00:20:49 If you plan it out for like a floater frame Yeah. And kind of tuck it in like nice and mm-hmm. <affirmative> Right. Tucked a little bit so you don't have a chunk coming out one side. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:20:55 But if that whole thing is rounded and flowing movements, then you put a hard edge outline around it. Sometimes that throws off the whole field of the piece. But for something like this where you're trying to contain it, contained it a little bit. Exactly. So
Speaker 2 00:21:06 Yeah. I mean listen, I'm most supportive of darts. I don't think that, I think frames look nice. Artwork looks good without frames. I mean there's certain things, I mean, I think some things you can tell the difference when somebody has a piece of art that doesn't need a frame or it looks better without a frame. Then when somebody cheaps out and decides that they're just gonna throw a wire across the back of their store-bought canvas where the
Speaker 4 00:21:30 Edges aren't
Speaker 2 00:21:30 Painted and stapled. And because it, I mean, 'cause it meets the requirements of you can hang this in a show. Right. Right. There's a difference. You can tell. I mean, Cal does all his stuff. He doesn't, very rarely do we frame anything for him. And I think his stuff looks great. No,
Speaker 4 00:21:45 He makes some of his out of like driftwood and door frames and things. He found he's being a creator. Yeah. And And that's part of the artwork. It's part of the design.
Speaker 2 00:21:52 Exactly. I mean that's what we're doing with the frames we're adding, we're helping display the stuff and we're helping put the finishing touches on. That's how
Speaker 4 00:21:59 I always looked at it. A finishing touch. Sometimes
Speaker 2 00:22:01 Artwork doesn't need it
Speaker 4 00:22:02 If it's already finished.
Speaker 2 00:22:03 Yeah. I got no objections to that. Some
Speaker 3 00:22:04 People come in with stuff and they're like, I don't even know how to put this up on the wall. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. And then we can make that happen.
Speaker 4 00:22:10 Right. Well we always say, every time we think we've seen everything, somebody throws us a curve ball. So, you know, <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:22:15 Yeah. To those that don't know it, mark is in charge of figuring it out. How to get everything. Yeah. The master mounting. Yeah. Everything finished. <laugh> the master of everything out there.
Speaker 3 00:22:24 It's fun. Yeah. It, it's interesting. You never know, like you said, you never know what's gonna walk through the door. Yeah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and then you have to like brain
Speaker 4 00:22:30 Brainstorm a little bit and yeah. There's
Speaker 2 00:22:32 A creative element to things. And so not even like getting the idea of being inspired. I mean, I haven't created anything in ages. I'm in the collecting stage now. Right. Of artwork. You've
Speaker 3 00:22:42 Graduated
Speaker 2 00:22:43 <laugh>. Yeah. Maybe. No, but I mean at some point I want to paint again, but like, but you
Speaker 4 00:22:47 Have to get
Speaker 2 00:22:47 Ready for it. You know how it is. Right now my process is like, let's get the frame center perfect. Uh, have the kids grow up, do all their stuff. And then in 10 years when I don't have to drive kids around to rinks and don't have to do things when, when you can
Speaker 3 00:22:59 Retire,
Speaker 4 00:23:00 Be time for college soon enough <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:23:02 Yeah. And then I'll have more time and then I'll go back to it. I want to paint again at some point. Yeah. But I feel like being here and seeing stuff is you're using that creative part of your mind so it's easy to transition back. I think I could, that's
Speaker 4 00:23:15 What keeps me going is when I'm designing people's things with matte colors and frame and putting things together. It's, it's at least a little something of creativity that I can put out until I can get back to a canvas or a piece of wood or anything.
Speaker 2 00:23:27 But the setup is a big part of it too, right? Yeah. Yeah. The
Speaker 4 00:23:29 Space is a premium.
Speaker 3 00:23:30 I love that little core I made for myself over there. Yeah. Come check it out <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:23:35 Yeah. Well, I mean,
Speaker 4 00:23:36 Well Dave's got some ideas for some future projects. We might be able to put something together. Artist
Speaker 2 00:23:39 In residency. Exactly. I like it there. Our, the frame center's first official artist.
Speaker 3 00:23:43 I mean now that I've done that, I'm like, if I come here at three or four in the morning and just put a tarp down, I can do whatever I want. <laugh>. Yeah. No,
Speaker 2 00:23:49 We'll even
Speaker 3 00:23:49 Know.
Speaker 4 00:23:49 Yeah. You can spend a couple hours that and then just go Right to
Speaker 3 00:23:51 Just kill people. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:23:53 <laugh>.
Speaker 4 00:23:53 Oh, what are you throwing away in the Nothing. I'm done. Dumb That
Speaker 3 00:23:56 <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:23:57 <laugh>. Awesome. Well I think we'll have Mark back on to talk a little bit more about framing at some point. But I think it was awesome to have him talk on a little bit of his stuff. I mean your work's been in a lot of different shows around here, right? I mean you, it has.
Speaker 3 00:24:13 Yeah. I mean we used to put stuff in shows all the time and until like four years ago when we had Luke and I said, yeah, I'm just cutting it for now. Yeah. So it's nice to be kind of getting back into it a little bit and feeling like, oh yeah, I'm part of something again. Yeah. Well
Speaker 4 00:24:24 That's what you want to feel too when you want to, like you said, anything you got force never turns out the way you want to.
Speaker 3 00:24:29 Yeah. Always had like good reception to my pieces. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 00:24:31 <affirmative>. No, as you should. I mean, I think we have a lot of talented people here. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I love Scott's stuff. I got one of his pieces. But a different style. The acrylic pores is your thing that these days Scott. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But I think you have like a cool niche of this area and I'm surprised the more people aren't we.
Speaker 4 00:24:47 Do you talk about the mobile?
Speaker 2 00:24:49 The mobile. Oh the
Speaker 3 00:24:50 Symbols.
Speaker 4 00:24:50 The symbols.
Speaker 2 00:24:51 The symbols. Yeah. That's 'cause of Mark's music background. Exactly.
Speaker 4 00:24:54 That's, I forgot all about that one. Why did we forget that? My
Speaker 3 00:24:56 Years it in the music industry.
Speaker 2 00:24:57 50 years. Yeah. I mean, Scott, you've heard me bragging about it, mark years with the music industry. Right, right. Well, I mean you still play.
Speaker 3 00:25:06 I still play but I haven't really played in a long time.
Speaker 2 00:25:09 Yeah. I mean I think that that's cool. I mean I think it speaks to you being like a true artist and like a renaissance man in a sense. Art, music.
Speaker 3 00:25:15 I mean, I don't really wanna do anything else. So finding a job here was like
Speaker 2 00:25:19 Great. A good fit.
Speaker 4 00:25:20 Well some of those colors you've used are like the colors and the symbols, the brassy tones and things like that. And some of the other ones you've used. So Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:25:27 But I mean, I couldn't see myself sitting behind a desk.
Speaker 4 00:25:29 Yeah. No. And just, yeah, staring on wall, our computer screen all day. Zoom
Speaker 3 00:25:32 Meetings all day. No <laugh>. I don't know if I could handle that.
Speaker 4 00:25:35 We drew more hands on <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:25:37 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:25:38 Do you go one way or the other with the music? Or is that,
Speaker 3 00:25:41 I mean, honestly I haven't really played music in so long. Yeah. I was deep in music for like my early twenties and then art's always been there. I've always felt like I wish I could just make a living as an artist. Yeah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and just like dick around with music on the side. Yeah. And just have fun. I got horrible stage fright. Oh. I'm like, I don't ever want to jump up on a stage and be like,
Speaker 2 00:26:03 Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:26:04 Well one-on-one I can talk to people, but I get in front of <laugh> a group of awards. Like
Speaker 3 00:26:07 We did that talk at Duxbury. Yeah. For some reason it was like, I think Casey went first, then Trish went second and I went third. Yeah. I was like all calm, cool and collected in the beginning. Like I'll have a cup of coffees. Wait some of these guys talk. And by the time it got to me, I was like, oh,
Speaker 4 00:26:22 Four coffees in just <laugh> ready to go. Like I
Speaker 3 00:26:25 Should have cut the coffee
Speaker 2 00:26:26 Off. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:26:26 That's why it's gonna be in the middle. You don't have to be the introductory, don't have to be the closer can just
Speaker 3 00:26:31 By bunch. You got up and started doing it. And that's happened before. I mean, I've played music in front of other people and it's like once you start, it's like everything goes well. That's everything goes away. That's
Speaker 4 00:26:39 Interesting. Do you have any music that you listen to while you're doing these? Like is it
Speaker 3 00:26:42 Nothing particular? Okay.
Speaker 4 00:26:44 I wasn't sure if there was something like that,
Speaker 3 00:26:46 But I do put you in
Speaker 4 00:26:47 The mood for it
Speaker 3 00:26:47 Also. I want a CD here. A CD there. Yeah. Or like whatever the
Speaker 4 00:26:51 Lord. I know it doesn't, the stuff I paint when I'm doing, I attention to listen to single soundtrack while I'm doing something. And then it tends to affect a lot.
Speaker 3 00:26:58 A lot of times I do this kind of stuff outside, right in my backyard, like a tarp down, just out the back and I'm just doing it. I just one with myself and nature. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:27:08 No, I just was wondering, just like I had said with how much music was part of it.
Speaker 3 00:27:11 It's always part of my life. I'm always listening to music. You guys come in here. I mean if you came in earlier it would be like turn it down.
Speaker 2 00:27:17 Yeah. Occasionally. Peruvian food, music. How am I supposed to hear what you told me?
Speaker 3 00:27:20 Crank it up to 11. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 00:27:22 <affirmative>. And what's the mobile?
Speaker 3 00:27:24 The mobile is old symbols that I had had for about, from when I first started playing the drums for about 10 years. I had inherited from various people, just old symbols that they had. And they were in various states of crap. Yeah. <laugh> some, some 'em were real old. Some of them just had a little crack in 'em. Some of 'em were like, okay. But I beat the shit out of 'em. There's dents, there's massive cracks, there's holes. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I just never threw 'em away, so mm-hmm. <affirmative> at some point, and this was another thing I didn't, college was like, Hey, what about this? And I made a mobile outta 'em 'cause I love Calder. I was like, I'm fascinated by mobile. It's like I just started
Speaker 4 00:28:02 The balance aspect's.
Speaker 3 00:28:04 Interesting. That was another thing I put in like our senior show in college. I threw that up and I was just like, here's something different. Where
Speaker 2 00:28:10 Was it hanging out before you brought it in? Before I brought it here? Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:28:13 It was at my parents' house for years. We had a little cathedral ceiling in their family room. Yeah. And it was just high enough with like two beams that I could run a pole across. Yeah. From the middle of there. And it was just high enough so it wouldn't be hitting people's
Speaker 4 00:28:25 Heads. Somebody turned it into a gong.
Speaker 3 00:28:26 It hung there for close to 20 years. Almost. Almost. No kidding. And then my dad sold the house. Yeah. And I wrapped the thing up and put it in the raptors in my garage.
Speaker 2 00:28:35 <laugh>. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:28:36 And hadn't seen the light of day since like 2018.
Speaker 2 00:28:39 No kidding. I, I'm glad it came. It
Speaker 3 00:28:41 Was funny. It was fun just to bring it out and be like, Don came up with me and I was like, what's unwrap this thing?
Speaker 2 00:28:45 <laugh>. Yeah. <laugh>. She was like, what the hell? She's a huge fan of it. Right. Well
Speaker 4 00:28:48 I've had a lot of people comment on that too. Again, they, they've perused over in that little area to see what's going on and then they all of a sudden look up. It's like, oh, <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:28:56 Yeah. It could move it further out. But I think for now it's just,
Speaker 4 00:28:59 Oh no, it's, you don't want people Exactly.
Speaker 3 00:29:01 <laugh>. But it's like I don't have a place to hang it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 2 00:29:03 Yeah. No, it's cool. I mean I think it's nice to,
Speaker 3 00:29:06 It's just something different. I have a couple other small things I might just bring in and layer around right here. Here's some ethereal crap. <laugh>. Put a price tag on it to see if
Speaker 2 00:29:17 Somebody buys it.
Speaker 3 00:29:17 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:29:19 Taking Yeah. Negotiate. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:29:21 Going from the one man's trash to another man's treasure kind of motif area. <laugh>. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:29:25 No, when I had so much fun in college doing stuff like our studio space for sculpture was an actual separate building from everything else. It was like an old garage that they turned into a studio. Oh, okay. And I was, had like a work study program where I could work at someplace on the campus for like, like five, five hours a week and get paid just for whatever. It's like financial assistance. And they were looking for somebody to clean up the studio and I was like, I'll do that. So I got a key to the place. And so I would go in there after hours
Speaker 4 00:29:51 When nobody else is there, nobody else
Speaker 3 00:29:53 Is there. And just mess around. They had an old standup pano in there. Cool. <laugh>
Speaker 4 00:29:58 Just mess around until something, I seen
Speaker 3 00:30:00 A typical college student, but I was like working and getting paid. So I was making clay. I was like mixing up, mixing up the old clay. Right.
Speaker 4 00:30:05 Yeah. Old clay reblock it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:30:07 But like there was a lot of plaster and stuff. Please have to get cleaned up every day. So. Yep. But then there was like bandsaws there. There was all kinds of stuff. So you had
Speaker 4 00:30:14 Access to different materials that you can Yeah, that's the other thing is having the stuff you need to be able to create what you want.
Speaker 3 00:30:19 That's why people come here 'cause they don't have a giant place that they can put together a big 32 by four. Yeah. Frame. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> or do it well. Yeah. Yeah. And they're just gonna put it on the kitchen floor, so,
Speaker 4 00:30:31 Well that's the thing. Yeah. You like we have a couple clusters that say like, only thing I have big enough is my floor to work on this piece. It's
Speaker 3 00:30:37 Like having space, it's like having a studio space. I'm, it's tight at home. <laugh>. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:30:42 <laugh>. Yep. It makes a difference. It really does. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:30:45 Awesome. Well I am glad we are able to find a couple minutes to pull mark upstairs. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we'll probably have, we'll be down with Mark. He won't be able to help customers when we have TR on. 'cause they'll be chasing children around <laugh>. I hopefully it gives people a little bit of insight into your stuff and I hope a lot of customers get a chance to come in and see the stuff. I know Claude and Dino will make sure that there's plenty of coverage and we get some artist pages up for you and for Trish and mm-hmm.
Speaker 4 00:31:11 <affirmative>, that's what these are good for. 'cause everybody wants to talk to you and find out about this stuff. But if we did this all day long, we'd get nothing else done. <laugh>. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:31:19 Mark's an interesting guy. Exactly. Well yeah. Here you can hear a little bit more about his process. Right?
Speaker 4 00:31:23 Yep. So
Speaker 2 00:31:24 Awesome. Well we think it's the 15th right now. When we nail down those dates, we'll be sure to blast that all out. Yeah. Over social media. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and
Speaker 3 00:31:33 We'll go from there. Wait for further updates
Speaker 2 00:31:35 And then yeah. To be determined when we start covering all the different subjects on framing on this podcast. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we will start to include Mark on the how do I frame this ridiculous thing and shirts and matting and giving
Speaker 4 00:31:49 Terrible flashbacks and all of the
Speaker 2 00:31:50 Other things that Mark is an expert on. I think those who know this place and know Mark, they know that he handles all just about everything. The place wouldn't be the same without him. So thanks man. Thanks for being here Mark. And thanks for coming on the podcast. Thanks
Speaker 3 00:32:04 For having me on. It's been great. Excellent. <laugh>. Well
Speaker 4 00:32:07 Everybody I wanna take you for joining us today and we'll catch you next time.
