5 Questions to... Rob Hodgson

   For a while now, I've been visiting Rob Hodgsons blog for his inspirational, funny
   and beautiful drawings and paintings. I even bought one of his prints recenlty on
   Etsy (as the stalking fan I am) and still wanted more... an interview.
   And quess what? When you ask nicely you get what you want...

   Can you tell a little bit about who you are and what you do?
   My name is Rob Hodgson and I am interested in pictures. I tread the line between
   artist and commercial illustrator. I make prints and all sorts of pictures. I was born
   in Torquay, which is a little seaside town in England. I’ve lived in a couple cities
   since then. I’m in Bristol right now, but I’m going to France in a couple months.
   
   What or who inspires you?

   Music is really inspirational to me. I like a lot of music. I could deconstruct it all 

   but I think that’s boring, so I’ll just say music is the most inspiring thing for me 

   right now.

   

   Visually I’m kind of a culture vulture. I collect a lot of ephemera and art from my 

   friends. Things in supermarkets, things in books, things in magazines, art galleries. 

   My favourite image makers are the European painters from the first half of the 

   20^th C, people like Matisse, Picasso, Klee, Miro… they’re my heroes. But there’s a 

   ton of people from all over the place. I like Hockney, Charley Harper, Rousseau, 

   Twombly, Rokuro Taniuchi, the Provensons.

   Nowadays I like my girlfriends work, Clare Owen, my pals Ollie Butcher, Liam 

   Barrett. I’m lucky to live in the same city as some of the good guys right now like 

   Tom Frost, Bjorn Lie and Jon McNaught. People I know through the internet too 

   like Becca Stadtlander, Emma Lewis. It’s a really exciting time for image making.

   What does your work process look like, any specific techniques or combination

   of techniques you prefer?

   My process changes for everything I make, but it usually starts with drawing in a 

   sketchbook, just little drawings and lots of writing and more drawing. Usually 

   something comes out of there. I’m pretty into silly lists of words, and lots of drawings 

   start that way.

   When I’m making a thing I like to do as much with the hand as possible, so I work in 

   lots of media- pencils, monoprints, ink, and paint. I try to mix up the line weights a 

   lot and I’ve been working on a big chalkboard in my kitchen lately. And sorry to be 

   a bore, but like a lot of people these days I arrange these shapes and lines on the 

   computer. It gives you so much flexibility with composition and colour, but I just wish 

   sitting in front of a computer wasn’t so lame. The iPad looks exciting, but I’m looking 

   forward to the day the computer becomes more in tune with moving about! I like to 

   make a lot of things without the computer though- ceramics and paintings.

   How do you promote your work and do you have a 'best tip'?

   The internet is huge and exciting/scary and important for getting your work in front of 

   people. It blows my mind on a daily basis to think how a picture can be in someone’s 

   home on a computer in the Alps at the same time it’s on a little screen on a phone on 

   a train in New York. Oh my god my brain explodes when I think about it. But above 

   all it’s important to have physical things, prints, exhibitions, because there is so little 

   attachment to digital things. Everything must exist in real life! Face to face is ace.

   What would be your dream assignment?

   I think murals and public space stuff is really exciting. I’m getting into architecture 

   quite a lot. I’d like to art direct something big too, like have full control over the 

   décor of a hotel or bar, so all the way from the wallpaper to the pictures on the wall. 

   TV and films? I’m into environments I guess, when art becomes a real life thing.

   Thanks so much Rob for your time and effort to give us a peek into you creative life!

   

   For more of Rob's work take a look on his website, blog or Etsy shop!