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www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
WBM: Do you approach your graphic
design art differently than when you
paint?
RH: Graphic design is more structured,
like a home; you have to build from the
foundation. Paint on the other hand is
more spontaneous with happy accidents,
which is a good thing. There is no undo
button and you can experiment with
mixing colors more.
WBM: Where do you find your
inspiration?
RH: The subject matter tells me what it
wants to be. I’ll be cruisin’ and see an
image and think to myself that it will
make a great piece of art. I have to have
an emotional attachment to the piece.
WBM: Where do you find the photos that
are used for the acrylics as well as other
artwork?
RH: I’ve taken photographs at the beach
and collected them. Some come from Bill
Creasy, the town historian. He is incredible
to work with; it’s nice to work with someone
who has a lot of knowledge about the
area and loves Wrightsville Beach as much
as I do. From a photograph I can manipulate
my artwork, like move things around
and zoom in on a particular area.
WBM: Why did you create the Retro
Wrightsville Beach series using graphic
paint rather than acrylic?
RH: It started out as a way to study
color for a painting and then I thought
the image was strong enough to stand
on its own. The computer gives me the
flexibility to explore with color and I
can try things you wouldn’t normally try
as you would in painting. These areas
bring back fond memories for people
that remember getting food, the specific
staircase, or people have told me it is
where they met their wife.
WBM: What are the major themes in
your artwork?
RH: I would say nature, architecture
and surfing, which I think is 90 percent
nature. It is a different perspective you
get when you are surfing and look back
at the shore.
Joshua Curry