Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Tiki Taane talks to me in this issue of Indie Magazine - check out more inspiring artists and musicians inside..
Citation preview
indieIndependent Kiwi Musicians & Artists
Tiki Taane
Jo Sweeney
Tim Armstrong
inside
indie Magazine
Editor & Photographer:Tracie [email protected]
Contributin Writer:Nikki [email protected]
Copyright©2014Indie MagazineAll contents and images cannot bereproduced without written permissionfrom Tracie Heasman
So here it is - issue TWO of Indie Magazine!
Thanks to all the artists involved, especiallyTiki Taane for taking time out of his busyschedule to be a part of Indie Magazine.
This issue includes plenty of insanely talentedartists once again; from a surfboard carver toa DJ about to embark on a New Zealand tour,to a tattoo artist and a Hamilton grunge metalband making waves in the Kiwi music scene.Each and every one of the people inside IndieMag were an inspiration and a pleasure tomeet and photograph.
So go ahead - sit down & grab a coffee as Iintroduce you to this eclectic group ofinspiring individuals; and if you like what youread, be sure to look them up and follow theirsocial media pages.
To keep updated and informed of futureissues of Indie Magazine, make sure youfollow my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/indiemagnz
Page 3 Tim Armstrong
Page 5 Jodi Collins
Page 7 Tracy Brechult
Page 9 Cheshire Grimm
Page 10 Nick Raven
Page 11 Jo Sweeney
Page 13 Tiki Taane
Page 15 Lauren Haynes - Debrasic
Page 17 The Nomad
Page 18 Jess Santorik
Contents
Tim Armstrong
Give us a quick rundown of how you got whereyou are today musically?I started playing gigs at the age of 13 and justnever gave up. Originally starting in Tokoroa, thenmoving to Hamilton and travelling overseas atvarious times.
What are your major music influences?The Beatles,The Eagles, Stevie wonder, PeterFrampton, Al Stewart.
What are you up to right now, music-wise?Always recording. Very lucky to have recordedsome of my recent music with Howie Casey; awell known session saxophonist from Englandwho has played on many McCartney albums andhas and also played on albums by T Rex, ABC,Ringo and The Who.We are off to San Fancisco in September to playsome private gigs, and also performing inChristchurch as our Beatles tribute show in August.
Who would you most like to tour with?McCartney, Peter Frampton, any of the classicrock stars.
What is your favourite song of all time?I don't really have one, so many I like.
What are your fondest musical memories?Getting in trouble by the police for loud band
practices when my parents were not home...
What was the first tape/record you bought?“I'll Meet You Halfway” by the Partidge Familyback in 1971. I was only 10 years old at the time.
How would you describe your perfect day?Sunny, long daylight hours, hanging out withlikeminded souls.
What is your most valued possession?The GIbson SG I bought in 1978 for $300 secondhand.
If you could blink your eyes and be in afavourite place right now, where would thatbe?Anywhere warmer with less rain....maybe SanFrancisco (Summertime)
Where would you like to find yourself in 10years?Still alive and perhaps retired with the occasionalgood gig...and being able to afford nice holidaysin exotic places.
What four famous people, dead or alive, wouldyou invite for dinner? Lennon, McCartney,Harrison, Starr. or perhaps Harpo, Chico,Groucho, Zeppo
Having reached success in the 80’s and early 90’s with his band ThePolititions and later The Kiwi Bandits, Tim continues to make music and
perform at various gigs around New Zealand
www.timarmstrongband.com
Jodi CollinsMulti talented Jodi or Miss Popinjay talks to me about her creative side
What is your preferred medium?Oil paint and abbots white clay
How would you describe your work?Playful - I have a lot of fun making the work, it hasbeen described by many as quirky, whimsical andinteresting. The work has a lot of layers and depth,never limited by one medium but bouncing aroundfrom one medium to the next. The work has asubtle underlining humor its, “pretty satisfyinghearing people laughing in my studio”
When inspiration hits how do you channel thatinto your work, what’s the process?Make sure I have all the materials needed and aclear space, my studio has to be functional. I playsome good tunes preferably something thatdoesn’t drive me bonkers – I have a bad reactionto classical music or opera, and some pop music,but I have a good reaction to bluesy rock, indiemusic and even some metal music from time totime
What inspires you generally?Having a holiday is a great way to get inspired,especially somewhere new! Going to galleries,and wandering the town taking photos and soakingup all the visual stimulation!
Tell me a little bit about your relationship withart and being creative?Being creative is up there with eating and drinkingfor me, I live and breath the stuff. I don't survive toowell without it.
Which artists do you admire, past and presentand Why? What draws you to their work?Bill Hammond, Salvador Dali, Mark Ryden,Seraphine Pick, Camile Rose Garcia, they all havesimilarities, they are overloaded with many layersconnotations, symbols - a visual language. I woulddescribe their works as bent; they view andrepresent the world back to you from many angles,and challenge the psyche. Very visuallystimulating, “like a feast of many flavours, I'malways ravenous for such works”
What are you workingon at the moment?Right now I'mscheming, planning mynew series, I've decidedI'm done with canvasand framed works, I findit too restricting. I'mreally excited aboutexploring with moreready made objects andmore of a mash up ofmediums than stickingwith the same old. I’menjoying constructingcontraptions made frommy hoardings, being abit of a collector oftreasures.
Tell me somethingyou like about living inRaglan. How is itspecial?Every artist is so uniquely different here, becausewe work so independently we're not producingworks that are all the same. The place wasinstantly inspiring to me; I've come a huge way inmy art, its definitely moved me in new directions,especially in reusing materials. I'm able to re-explore this way of utilizing materials that arearound me and accessible with Raglan's recyclingculture. Collecting is nothing new to me - I grewup with an Op Shopping queen mother; going togarage sales and gala's was our regular weekendactivity. Coming from Hamilton previously I feel a
lot more liberated here… yeahthe place has it's ownboundaries but I'm finding theskills to get around or overthem to make it work for mesomehow.
Where can we see yourwork?You will find me in our littlegallery and working space onBankart Street 'Hello Studios'where I work next to afabulous team of enthusiasts inthe arts and 'The Old SchoolArts Centre' community clayshed where I do after schoolkids clay workshops.I also travel around doinghandcrafted/vintage marketssuch as- ' The Little big market'at The Mount. The past fewsummers I have, and I'm
currently doing, a market in Hamilton once amonth called 'Marketplace'. You may also haveseen me at the local Raglan 'Creative Market'over the years. I also enjoy putting oncollaborative group exhibitions, involving like-minded artists. I've put on a show as part of 'TheFringe festival' in Hamilton for the past threeyears.
www.facebook.com/HelloGalleryRaglan
www.facebook.com/misspopinjay
Tracy Brechult
Give us a quick rundown of how you gotwhere you are today with your art?I worked in graphics arts and advertising when Ileft school. I was always plugging away withpainting & papier mashe sculptures. I wasfortunate to stumble into tattoo tuition and havebeen running my own tattoo shop 'Designs FromThe Back Of The Fridge' in Raglan forapproximately 16 years.
What inspires your creativity?Im influenced by no particular artist but lovemany fashion designers. I also love Eric Freitasclocks.My creative brain is always on overload. Beachcombing, finding washed up stuff. Bird skullsare irresistable and feature a lot in my art andcostuming. Old revamped furniture, fabrics anddriftwood are all very precious.
What are you working on at the moment?Aside from tattooing I’m very creative at present.I’m working on pimping the Raglan Hall for theWinter Masquerade Ball into a winterwonderland along with my costume. I’m makingart to go into the Hamilton Fringe Festival 'TheBon Voyage installation’. I have work going intothe Hamilton Home Show plus I’m decorating amedievil themed party for that. I’m also working
on building a themed camp for SundaiseFestival, all the while trying to paint.
Best and worst thing about being an artist?Surprising myself with my creative bents. Worst:not enough time to do everything I want to make.
How would you describe your perfect day?Sunny, beach/bush campsite, fire,beachcombing then wonder down to watchsome live GP motorbike racing.
What is your most valued possession?My grandfathers tools, my sewing machine.
If you could blink your eyes and be in afavourite place right now, where would thatbe?Europe to watch some crazy speedway &rallycross or Nascar in Texas.
Where would you like to find yourself in 10years?When I grow up I want to be a professionalcostumerer. Love playing with fabrics,wigs,flowers etc. It would be nice to be paid todo it.
What four famous people, dead or alive,would you invite for dinner?
Raglan tattoo artist Tracy tells us there’s a lot more going onwith her creatively than body art
0212649324
Give us a quick rundown of how you got where you aretoday musically?
DAN:Started music in high school and have been workingon various musical projects since.
LORA: Grew up watching my Dad play at gigs and festivalslike Sweetwaters. Played my first official gig to 1000+people at age 13 and got hooked.
What are your major music influences?
LORA: Our band is a bunch of people with eclectic tastes.My music collection varies from death metal to hip hop,reggae & drum & bass. Among our shared influences thatwe all agree on would be artists like Radiohead, Nirvana,Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails, Pink Floyd.
What are you up to right now, music-wise?
Our new single 'Rot' is due to come out soon accompaniedby our first music video. We are also hoping to release ourEP by the end of the year. Currently we are balls outpreparing for our up-coming North Island tour later
Who would you most like to tour with?
We're currently in the running for an internet competition toopen for I am Giant, which would be a dream come true asfar as the New Zealand scene goes. Nine Inch Nails &Queens of the Stone Age would be ultimate.
What are your fondest musical memories?
DAN : Would have to be the Summer Smash gig we did inRaglan with Knights of the Dub Table. Packed out showand good times all round.
What was the first tape/record you bought?
DAN:The Marshal Mathers LP
ORA : Metallica Reload
How would you describe your perfect day?
LORA: Drive to a new place you've never been before, setup , play a sick show & party afterwards.
What is your most valued possession?
DAN: Probably my computer, which is lame. Kids thesedays...
If you could blink your eyes and be in a favourite placeright now, where would that be?
DAN : Drinking on the street in Vietnam, sitting on tinyplastic chairs.
Where would you like to find yourself in 10 years?
LORA: Chilling out somewhere in the countryside after a(hopefully successful-ish) musical career.
What four famous people, dead or alive, would you invitefor dinner?
DAN:Jimmy Carr, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Stephen Fry &Trent Reznor...that would be quite fun I guess
www.cheshiregrimm.com
www.facebook.com/CheshireGrimmh
Cheshire GrimmThe increasingly popular grunge metal band Cheshire Grimm talk to me while in
the throws of their North Island tour.
Talented musician and House Music founder Nick talks musicNick Raven
Give us a quick rundown of how you got where youare today musically?Basically I played music when I felt like it, wrote songswhen I could, recorded and worked on them until theyfelt right, released them in the best way that occurred tome using the resources I had. Also doing things withother musicians and creative people, tours,collaborations, various projects etc.
What are your major music influences?Matt Johnson's work as The The, Neil Young, Red HotChili Peppers(Frusciante era only), The Cure
What are you up to right now, music-wise?Listening to a band from Belfast called Southern. I alsorun an event collective called House Music whichprovides up-and-coming musicians with the opportunityto perform in a unique and intimate setting. Variousrecording and management projects with different artistsand I'm always writing and dreaming up ideas on the go.
Who would you most like to tour with?I dunno, someone nice who has great songs, takes theirturn driving and doesn't keep asking to borrow money. Itoured with Simon Mallet once and that was cool so letsgo with him.
What song gets the best reaction when you playlive?I don't play live all that much, but maybe Nineteen FiftyThree or Butterfly High. People seem to like the looppedal tracks.
What are your fondest musical memories?Playing in Rockquest with my band years and yearsago. Recording at The Lab and making a music videojust after. The second tour I did in 2012 was also reallyfun.
What was the first tape/record you bought?Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
How would you describe your perfect day?Doing cool stuff with cool people. Good food and goodmusic will also be involved.
What is your most valued possession?Maybe my notebook with all my lyrics and artwork. Twoyears worth of it. Actually it was stolen last week and I'mreally really guttered. You don't know what you haveuntil its gone. I've started a new book but its just not thesame.
If you could blink your eyes and be in a favouriteplace right now, where would that be?Right here and right now because there is no place likethe present.
Where would you like to find yourself in 10 years?Still present in the here and now. Perhaps with a familyand doing what I love to make a living.
What four famous people, dead or alive, would youinvite for dinner?I have no idea. I've always struggled with this sortaquestion. I don't think fame makes a person any moreamazing or whatever, so I wouldn't want to have dinnerwith four people who I've never met just because theyare famous.
www.nickraven.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/nickravenmusic
www.soundcloud.com/nickravenmusic/nineteen-fifty-three-1
Give us a quick rundown of how you gotwhere you are today with your art?It all started with a dream that I couldn'tsilence. Ever since I was a kid I have alwaysenjoyed being creative and never wanted a'normal' job. I shifted to Raglan around 2003where I started my own range of accessoriesat the kitchen table. I started selling mycreations at theAotea markets inAuckland. Fromthere I picked upcontacts andstarted selling mywork in a handfulof NZ designstores. For thepast eight years Ihave been part ofJet Collective, aretail shop in theheart of Raglanowned and run byit's members.Being part of Jethas helped me create a solid range and hasgiven me a platform to sell my work. Beinginvolved with such a talented, down to earthand fun loving group of artists means theworld to me.Now I have a huge beautiful home studio inthe hills of Te Mata, Raglan with stunningviews of Mt. Karioi, Bridal Veil falls, Aoteaharbor, Mt. Taranaki and Ruapuke on thehorizon. I am very grateful to still be doingwhat I do ten years on . . . Living off yourcreativity is never easy but when you followyour own path, keep being an individual andwork hard. . . dreams can come true.
Who are you influenced by?I don't look at other peoples designs forinspiration but I am inspired by a lot of artistsand musicians for my design. People whohave (or had) a strong sense of self, hardwork ethics, talent and a story to be told.
So Frida Kahlo, Isabella Blow, VivienneWestwood, Coco Chanel, Gustav Klimt,Hundertwasser, Erykah Badu, Etta James,Nina Simone, Billie Holiday . . to name a few!
What inspires your creativity?Balance in life. Having a beautiful living spacewith my partner Mauro and my cat Prince.
Amazing familyand friends.Music. Art.Living in abeautiful,supportivecreativecommunity.Raglan Roastcoffee!
What are youworking on atthe moment?My website . . .finally after tenyears I am
moving with modern times! I am super excitedto finally be making my mark on the worldwibe web. I have had a tone of amazingcreatives help me on this.It is combining a lot of local talent with design,photography, writing and layout . . . we arevery lucky in Raglan to have so much talenton our doorstop. I am quite well known forbeing bad with computers and technology sothis journey I have found challenging. Itshould be live by the end of August . . . checkit out at www.josweeney.co.nz.
Best and worst thing about being anartist?Best is being able to express yourself in yourown style, and having people connect with it.Worst thing is not always having a solidincome and having to streamline someproducts I would love to spend more time on.
Jo SweeneyWorking from her beautiful Te Mata home, Jo creates her incredible pieces, and is only
weeks away from launching her brand new website
How would you describe your perfect day?A perfect day off would be waking up to jazzmusic and coffee . . . eating a beautifulbreakfast with my man. We would then get ona luxury jet plane with a few close friends andbe dropped off at a tropical beach where wewould spend the rest of the day surfing andswimming in warm tropical waters, eating goodfood, enjoying refreshing cocktails andlistening to some good live music. Then wewould sleep underthe stars . . . Bliss!
What is yourmost valuedpossession?My hands, but notsure if that is apossession. Iwould have to saymy entire studio! Itis a treasure trovemade up of years
of collecting beautiful fabrics and curios, myexperiments, failures, successes andmemories. It has soul.
Where would you like to find yourself in 10years?Running a studio with about 3 hard working,fun fellow creatives selling my work to theworld. I would love for my work to take meoverseas every year to escape a bit of the NZ
winter and gatherinspiration from thiscolorful world!
What four famouspeople, dead or alive,would you invite fordinner?Frida Kahlo,Hundertwasser,Leonardo De Vinci andErykah Badu.
www.josweeney.co.nz
Tiki Taane
Give us a quick rundown of how you got whereyou are today musically?Well it all started when I was 14 years old and Iformed my first band called "Cultivation". By thetime I was 16 I had already left school & wasplaying in pubs, living rough but was so stoked tobe doing what I always wanted to do. A few yearslater I linked up with Salmonella Dub and spent thenext 11 years making records, touring the world
and living the dream. During that time I beganmixing a very young band called Shapeshifter,which I've been their permanent sound engineerfor 15 years now. After Sal Dub I decided to gosolo and build my production company and recordlabel, focussing on my brand and producing musicfor bands like Six60, The Adults and also for TVand film. Nowadays we cover every aspect of themusic industry and run it all independently.
Tiki Taane has certainly etched a spot in New Zealand music's history afterdecades of dedication. It's not all history though; Tiki's brand is strong and I sense
decades of musical milestones are still to come
What are your major music influences?Pretty much any style as long as it’s from theheart and soul.
What are you up to right now, music-wise?Right now I'm producing an album for a Dunedinband called Summer Thieves while still chippingaway at numerous studio projects. Tourwise i hitthe UK and Europe with Shapeshifter for July.Then for the rest of the year I hit Vanuatu,Rarotonga, a bunch of NZ shows, 2 tours of OZ,Fiji and then its all the Xmas and NYE shows.
Who would you most like to tour with?Jimi Hendrix would be epic.
What is your favourite song of all time?That is a hard one to answer, there have been somany incredible songs written.
What are your fondest musical memories?Well I've been very blessed to have had a lot ofunforgettable, life changing moments through outmy career. From having dinner with and thenopening up for Tool, or hanging with Metallicaand being on a 6-date tour with them, to partyingwith the All Blacks after winning the Rugby WorldCup. These are just some of the awesomemoments I find myself in because of music. Ispent a choice as day with Joss Stone recently,she is an incredible spirit. Rihanna came over tomy studio once, wanting my best friend to tattooher. Thats an interesting story which I will save formy book one day. But the cool thing about thislifestyle is that there is always something new andcrazy happening every week, that's a big reasonwhy I'm still doing it I guess.
What was the first tape/record you bought?Billy Idol - Mony Mony.
How would you describe your perfect day?Nothing too major, just a day off in my own bedwould be nice.
What is your most valued possession?My son.
If you could blink your eyes and be in afavourite place right now, where would thatbe?I'm already there, at home on my couch.
Where would you like to find yourself in 10years?Doing exactly what I've been doing for the last 23years - making music.
What four famous people, dead or alive, wouldyou invite for dinner?Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Gandhi &Marilyn Monroe.
www.tikidub.com
www.facebook.com/TikiTaane
Give us a quick rundown of how you gotwhere you are today with your art?After travelling for a few years trying to figure outwhat to do with my life I decided to studyjewellery tech anddesign, LOVED itand graduated in2006. I then wentand took part in aninternational designworkshop inHolland, whicharmed me with atonne of tools. Ithen decided tocome home toAotearoa and takeon the jewelleryworld….. I startedchipping at the block on a part time basis asmaking a living takes a lot of discipline andsacrifice. In this time I had a baby- which reallykicked me into gear. I went hard and have beendoing so for 5 years… and I now have a very
happy boy and “Debrasic” my own shop sellingmy work as well as many of the talentedjewellers in our country.
What inspires yourcreativity?I’m constantly fuelled by thepeople and places aroundme, the conversations, andways of living and ethicalcodes. People and emotionfascinate me, mine, theirs andyours. I don’t have to go farin the outside world to rise aquestion that ignites fuel forcreativity.
What are you working on atthe moment?
I’m currently working on getting lots more stockfor my shop; my list of “to make” it extensive.Aside from the actual product making, I have therunning of the shop, growing the business,scouting talent and currently building the shops
Lauren Haynes Talented jewellery artist and owner of Debrasic -
contemporary jewellery workshop
website and online store...... due to launch inearly September
Best and worst thing about being an artist?The best thing about what I do is that I havechosen it and I’m committed to it! I have aphysical and emotional outlet that works for meand keeps me stimulated. The worst thing is:like in any profession, it takes so damned longand such hard work for the fruit to be ripe. Butthat’s kinda good too.
How wouldyoudescribeyour perfectday?Currently asit stands itwould be:lots of salesin the shopand I get tofinish 2pieces in oneday. Butthat’s totallyunrealistic soI’m workingon buildingblocks toenable this to happen. I’ve just hired a jewellerto take on some of the extra load so I can havemore time to make my own work. A retailmanager is next on my hit list. The end goal isto be able to make what I want to make whilstthe business makes the money it needs….hahathis could be some time.
What is your most valued possession?I love my rolling mill- yep pretty glad I have oneof those.
If you could blink your eyes and be in afavourite place right now, where would thatbe?It would be more of who would be there with me.If I was ‘I dream of genie’ I would blink my wayonto an island beach with many huts dottedaround the place, not too close together, and Iwould fill each one with the most beautifulpeople I have met in my life that still havesignificance. I’d take that opportunity to bringthem all together to have them all in one place
for me tosaunter fromhut to hutand enjoyeach andevery one ofthem atleisure.Relationships is whereit’s at. xx
Wherewould youlike to findyourself in10 years?On an islandbeach withall my
friends and loved ones……….on me!
What four famous people, dead or alive,would you invite for dinner?Mustaf Ataturk, Pj Harvey and Jeff Buckley withJamie Oliver cooking for us
www.facebook.com/Debrasic
www.debrasic.co.nz
Give us a quick rundown of how you got where youare today musically?Well I started as a Dj about 25 years ago in Dunedin, acouple of years latter I moved to Christchurch where Imet the guys from Salmonella Dub, some of the boysfeature on my 1st three albums. After Christchurch Imoved to Wellington and recorded another fouralbums, then Melbourne where I recorded anotheralbum, then back to NZ for my latest album “7”
What are your major musicinfluences?I started off as a hip hop Dj backin the late 80’s then got into a bitof dance music. I also washeavily into jungle & d&b & nowit’s a mixture of all those styles;Trap, Grime d&b etc, I loved allthe big hip hop names. I wasalso really into Dj shadow, NinjaTunes, Goldie etc.
What are you up to right now,music-wise?I just finished a new albumabout 8 weeks ago, it wasreleased on the 7/7/14, atpresent I’m booking a big NZtour that will start on the 22ndAug & run through to late Sept,we are touring from the deepSouth to the far North, I havealso designed a heap ofmerchandise for the tour; teeshirts, vinyl, slip matts. I havealso just finished a big remix competition for the 1stsingle off the album called “Brok Out” featuring Lotekfrom the UK. The single went to #1 on RDU inChristchurch so I thought I’d put together a big remixcomp for young people. We had 34 remixes come inand just announced the winner last week; they win a$2000 prize pack & also get to support me at myChristchurch leg of the NZ album tour. The winner wasa guy called Josh Poynter aka DJ Friendo. I also justfinished putting out a ‘best of’ album called 14 years.
Where did your name come from?My birth name is Damon so I just wrote it backwardsand came up with nomad ;-)
Who would you most like to tour with?Dj Shadow or anyone that is big that is down to earth &fun to be on the road with.
What song gets the best reaction when you playlive?It would have to be between Breaking Rocks & Power ftKing Kapisi, they are both big dancefloor slammers &always gets people up shaking their booty.
What are your fondest musical memories?That would have to be when I played my 1st festivalback in 1997 at the Gathering, I played my own musicfrom my 1st album “movement”. It was the first d&b
album to come out of NZ and I wasso proud of making my own beats.
What was the first tape/record youbought?The first record I bought wasMalcolm Mclaren – Buffalo girls, thatwas where it all started for me.. oneof my all time fave tracks.
How would you describe yourperfect day?Up at 7am, in the studio at 8, makingsweet music and going to bed at 12but not able to go to sleep till 3am asthe music in my head keeps meawake..
What is your most valuedpossession?My Genelec studio monitors formaking music and mixing albums,they are my ears to the frequencyworld. I have owned them for 12years & are they secret weapon for
my beat making.
If you could blink your eyes and be in a favouriteplace right now, where would that be?I’m there right now, at a studio space in Wanaka overlooking the lake & mountains working on the NZ tour &album promo stuff.
Where would you like to find yourself in 10 years?Teaching young people how to follow their dreams andhow to focus on a project to the end and also how tolook after their mind & body to get a better result.
What four famous people, dead or alive, would youinvite for dinner?Martin Luther King, William Shakespeare, Muhammad& Lady Gaga.. haha, that will be a random party!
The NomadDaimon Shwalger aka The Nomad on the brink of aNew Zealand tour, having just released a new album
www.thenomadmusic.comwww.soundcloud.com/thenomad
www.facebook.com/TheNomadMusicwww.twitter.com/#!/thenomadmusic
Photo: Staci Offwood
Give us a quickrundown of howyou got where youare today with yourart?I had the best artteacher in school!Tania Mills, shereally believed in meand pushed me tobe my best. When Iwas about 15 Ihassled AaronKereopa; anamazing carver, toteach me a fewtricks :) His work isunreal! I’ve beencarving ever since.Since I was 15 to now 27ish, ha ha, I have beencompeting in surfing comps all around the world andbeing able to come back and create art in betweenevents has been amazing. Lucky all my family andfriends have been so supportive, thanks guys!!
Who are you influenced by?I’m influenced by life, haha, I knowwhat sounds silly but in everything Isee or do I find art in some form oranother
What inspires your creativity?I’m inspired by surfing, a lot of my artflows like the ocean. I carve mypieces from broken surfboards or newblanks.
What are you working on at themoment?I'm currently working as a supportworker for intellectually disabled men.Anything creative is reallytherapeutic, they absolutely love itand benefit from it hugely. So I’vebeen busy; cleaned up a shed atwork and made it our own little artstudio. I’m hoping that one day we could do anexhibition with the men.I’ve also been going to pottery classes with HayleyHamilton and have been painting up a storm, it’spretty awesome. I have also been working on a fewcarvings, trying to get enough together by Summer foran exhibition. I usually have a few for sale at OrcaRestaurant in Raglan.
Best and worst thing about being an artist?That being creative warms the soul. Worst thingwould be that I would feel a little empty without it.
How would youdescribe yourperfect day?I would be at LakeyPeak in Indonesia.with family andfriends. Surf wouldbe pumping, thefood is unreal.Pretty much justsurf and eat all day.I say this nowbecause I'mcurrently sitting inmy house freezingfrom these horriblesoutherly winds,haha
What is your most valued possession?Maybe my camera.. I like to capture everything. Ormy surfboard.. I don't know. I’d almost go as far assaying I’d feel naked without them.
If you could blink your eyes andbe in a favourite place right now,where would that be?Indonesia, because it’s so damn coldright now. As you can see I don't dowell in winter.
Where would you like to findyourself in 10 years?On a tropical island eating freshmangos painting my carvings in myown studio that sits on the waterfront with one of the best surf breaks.We can only dream, haha. I'm socold that it seems like all my answersare rcoming back to being warm
What four famous people, dead oralive, would you invite for dinner?2pac, Denzel Washington , KellySlater and for sure Nostradamus
0226711077
www.facebook.com/pages/Jess-Santoriks-Surfboard-Carving
Jess Santorik Raglan surfer Jess talks to me about her incredible and
unique surfboard carving
