Hardwork And Dedication Leads to Success ~ Alan Hurley

Robert Adams is an artist based in Detroit. His work is very striking and he has a graffiti-esque style. I thought I'd ask him a few questions on why and how he does what he does.

How did you get into art? Were you naturally good at it or was it something you had to work on?

I began drawing since I was a child. I remember drawing with crayons, then i drew with pencils and markers. I loved to draw dinosaurs. Art has always been something that I enjoyed doing. In school I Did best in my art classes. Now I enjoy painting and am learning Graphic design. I want to design cars in the future.

I think I Have always been somewhat good at it. As I get older I get better and better. I think art for me is something that changes with time and develops into a higher level of skill as an artist grows older.

What kind of materials do you use?

I use a lot of different materials. I love to keep my art new and exciting. I try not to focus on one thing for too long. I use a lot of Acrylic paint , Montana Gold Acrylic Spray paint, Paper , ink, graphite, Fabric. Basically anything I can get my hands on! I’m not afraid to try something new.

Tell me about your inspirations. I see a few paintings in your gallery with political messages...

I am inspired by Life. I love to paint things that represent feelings. How the mind works and how the ego affects people throughout their lives. I also love to Paint about things going on in the world. Politics is always a good topic to paint about because there are so many conflicting views on it.

I like to create things that keep your eyes on the piece. I use a lot of colour to catch your eye and to show how proud of my work I am. To totally give the viewer a sense of the power of my work. I feel that art is an important way to express yourself and to say something without really saying it.

My latest piece "The three faces of Evil" Is an expression of how I felt about the previous president and how Americans need to avoid electing Evil people in the Future. I like to bring topics to people who don't usually pay attention to whats really going on in the world. What I end up painting usually just comes to me. All day I think about different things I want to paint. If this comes to my mind more than once , I usually paint it.

Does how you feel affect or influence how you work do you think?

I feel free when I make art. It is relaxing, calming. It helps me gather my thoughts and helps me decide big decisions in life. Making art is something I must do. If I go too long without making art I get anxious and stressed.

Different emotions provide different end results. If I’m calm I usually paint something straight forward and easy to see. If I’m upset or full of energy I paint something crazy and messy.

When you work, do you have a plan before you paint or do you just turn up at the canvas and just "jam"? I'd often have no idea what I'm doing, throw down a few strokes here and there and something will appear and give me an idea.

Usually when I work I do have a plan. I sit around and think of ideas. Then I come up with little rough sketches and then from there I paint on Canvas. All of my work is Cumulative. So everything I do now is a result of trying something and a lot of the time making mistakes.

Learning from your mistakes and being able to fix them is very important. Today I am better than I was yesterday but I will be even greater tomorrow because of what I learned and experienced today.

If you’re a new artist. My biggest advice is to not be afraid to start and believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it or it’s not good enough. If you believe it is great work then it is great work. The more you do the better you will become.

Artists need to promote themselves all the time. How do you do it?

I promote my work in many ways!

My website WWW.RobAdamsArtAndDesign.Com

I have had 4 Art shows , and two of them I have raised money and donated to Charity.

I am Thankful for Facebook Because i have promoted my work through that for years for free. Its really helped me gain confidence and get my work out for the world to see. I also Promote through word of mouth. I talk about my work through friends and people i meet.

Also through my quote "HardWork And Dedication Leads To Success" I say it all the time ! I believe if you work hard and are dedicated to your dreams you will achieve them. And Creating art for the rest of my life and being a designer is my dream!

I am also starting a clothing line , Working on a small Video, and working on getting a studio, all to promote my work!

I really love your "Hardwork and Dedication" motto. It's a great attitude.

“HardWork And Dedication Leads to Success” Yes that is my Motto and I live by it every day. It motivates me and other people that I come across to do things they normally wouldn’t do. It gives confidence and inspires great things. I wear 2 wristbands with that quote and I haven’t taken them off in over 2 years. It truly keeps me going!

What's your favourite curseword? B-)

My favourite Curse word is FUCK! HAHA I say it a lot , I don’t think it’s wrong to swear when the time is right!

Thanks a lot Rob! Good luck with your future work!