Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Brandon Bullette & Ray Allen Parker
Northwest Arkansas is a hotbed of artistic talent. In our April Makers’ Round-Up, we shine a spotlight on more of the folks who make up the creative, diverse heart of the region’s art scene.
BRANDON BULLETTE
Known for his chalking, murals and live paintings, Bullette and his wife, singer/songwriter Candy Lee, live in Fayetteville.
Please tell us a little bit about your work. What do you create?
There is a push and pull of layered applications of mixed media on paneled wood or found object salvation. My personal work leans blue in content and saturated in color. The pieces are burnt, seasoned with spice, stained with coffee with heavy charcoal and whipped paint lines. Figures and faces of restaurant workers are distorted in an emotional response to being hyper-aware during a task of mundane nature. Those moments of awareness can be intense so I exaggerate in that direction and emphasize with color proportionately.
When did you first start thinking of yourself as an artist/creator/maker? What were some of the first things you remember creating?
I went to Missouri State University in Springfield from 2004 to 2009. I attempted many disciplines but returned to what brought me the most joy and smaller carbon footprint. I majored in art and design with an emphasis in studio drawing. I graduated, and my flimsy “plans” gave way to a decade of kitchen work. Art remained a party trick hidden at home or bartered with at the bar. I woke up from this haze engaged, ambitious and carrying some content to express. Observing my wife’s business acumen, I followed her lead into an artistic career. Then after a few choice gigs, I quit my kitchen job and have been pursuing art seriously since the summer of 2016. My dad and mom showed me drawing basics when I was a kid, and I took to its portable stimulative value. I drew a clown in kindergarten that received praise. I liked that response and went for that reaction for many years.
Where can we see/purchase your work?
You can see my work at brandonbulletteart.com or using my handle on Instagram and Facebook @brandonbulletteart.
Do you experience “creator’s block” and, if so, what kinds of things inspire you to get over that?
Yeah, I think artistic block plagues every discipline with few exceptions. I think it is helpful to stay in touch with the ideas, objects, themes, etc., that connected
one to the inspired feeling that drew that person to that discipline. For me, I was inspired as a child by intricately inked children book illustrations, then comics/graphic novels, subversive cartoons, my dad’s album covers and my mom’s artbooks. Play is also very important. Doodling and action character sketches get my hands loose for gestural renderings of many types. I will fill a few pages with tiny renderings until my brain and chi catch up.
What’s your favorite part of the creative process?
My favorite part of the creative process is when the basic layout is complete. What is left is the grayscale and color theory application. That’s when I put on music, down some coffee and ride the wave of fleshing out an image. That being said, I try to find pleasure in every aspect of the process so that I can grow in every aspect, not just my favorite.
Was there a teacher, relative
or friend who particularly encouraged you to pursue your art?
All my teachers and friends have encouraged me to do art. Mrs. Reigh at Joplin (Mo.) High School by far focused on my artistic cultivation. She hosted an after-school art club. She also got me into the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in my junior year of high school. It was a summer art camp held at Missouri State University. I learned about how to see and appreciate artistic fields of every type and how to hone my skills even beyond the art camp.
Have there been any responses to your art that you found particularly moving or memorable?
I had an older woman respond brightly to a darker image of mine. The piece is called “Squat Pik” and is of a large-headed creature with tiny limbs squatting to fit in the field of vision of the panel. The top half of its head is blackened and its mouth is deteriorated. She touched my arm and said, “I love this piece; it speaks to me.” I thanked her for her words and asked what she appreciated about it. At that time, her son and his wife, as I was introduced, came to check on what mom was doing. They looked at my work with less enthusiasm, and the mom told them that she was really enjoying my work. The son asked what “Squat Pik” represents. I told them that it is a figure of the “idea not come to fruition,” a moment of inspiration going rotten before it could be realized. I told them he is a prisoner of stagnation. The mom’s eyes widened as she looked at her now concerned-appearing son and said, smiling, “That’s it, that’s how I feel all the time!” The daughter-in-law begian to lead mom away while the son sternly looked me in the eye unsmiling and said, “You are talented. You are a sick individual, but you can draw.” I took that with an “Allllllright, thank you for your words!” as I waved to him walking away.
How has your work
changed or evolved over time?
It’s no longer angry and sexual. I draw from lighter pallets and themes of gratitude.
What are some other artists/creators that inspire you?
I knew I was in the right town when I saw murals from Joelle Storet, Matt Miller and Jason Jones. Octavio Logo is another artist I have come to know, and l love his work. Also, Adam Grant Campbell is phenomenal! I grew up enjoying Alex Grey, H.R. Giger, Thomas Hart Benton, Frank Frazetta, Brian Froud, Amy Brown, Salvador Dali, Todd McFarlane, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Wassily Kandinsky.
What is one tool in your studio you can’t live without?
I have a portable French easel that is the base of every project. A quality, metal pallet knife is good. I can always use a No. 2 pencil.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Don’t use the paint as is straight from the tube and avoid local colors.
Has rejection ever affected your creative process? Explain.
Rejection on what feels like a sure thing concerning commercial bids will shake my confidence in financial endeavors. I don’t care about opinionated rejection anymore. Live painting gives a person thick skin and empathetic ears. Opinionated rejection is mostly the observer’s projection verbalized to the artist.
If you could change one aspect of society through your work, what would it be?
I think the act of creating something stimulating for other people is all that art needs to do. Of course, I hate that there are kids in cages or that people ignore quarantine guidelines, but the artist has no control over how someone responds to their work. Although if my work inspires people to create, then that means their brains are thinking creative thoughts, and they will learn a slew of other important lessons pursuing the fabrication of physical inspiration. I think creating or being inspired to create are catalysts for positive human behaviors. Creating makes experience, which brings us closer to empathy — and that is a good thing.
Do you have any advice for a creative just starting out?
All I can say is that what works for me is diversity in every aspect of your artistic career. Find or make yourself a mentor. See what people, whose level of success, you desire and observe their process. Apply that process to your ambition yet remain adaptable. Consider several people for this if you are multifaceted. Educate yourself on the community and its art scene. Attend the events of the people you want to have to attend your events. Reputation is a big part. People know if you are shady, and that will asphyxiate a career.
RAY ALLEN PARKER
Ray Allen Parker was born in San Diego, Calif., and grew up in rural Egypt, Ark. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from the of Arkansas, where he took his first painting class. Following a three-decade career in retail communications and advertising, he returned to his lifelong interest in portrait and figure painting. Parker lives and works in Fayetteville with his wife, Mary Jean.
Please tell us a little bit about your work. What do you create?
My paintings are monumental, psychological portraits that explore the human face and figure. These are meant to be iconic portrayals, like large visual biographies. My current series of works is conceived as secular altarpieces, with some measuring 8 feet tall by 12 feet wide. These reference the symbolic potency and beauty of Renaissance and Gothic religious masterworks … so we may locate within their subjects — and hopefully within ourselves — something overwhelming and unforgettable.
When did you first start thinking of yourself as an artist/creator/ maker? What were some of the first things you remember creating?
Growing up, I was always interested in art, drawing figures of presidents, athletes and mythic figures for the covers of my parent/ teacher workbooks. But during my undergraduate days, I took only one art course at the UA — a painting class from Donald Roller Wilson. I felt like painting demanded far too much of me. So I took a 40-year hiatus from art for career and family. When I retired from corporate communications and advertising, I moved back to Fayetteville and returned to study art at the UA, thanks to a wonderful program for senior students. I was determined to see if I had any real creative talent and interest left. After several semesters studying painting formally, I had a studio built next to my house. I’ve been painting nonstop since.
Where can we see/purchase your work?
My work is represented by Boswell Mourot Fine Art in Little Rock (boswellmourot.com). You can also visit my website: rayparkerart.com. Or please follow me on Instagram @rayaparker. I also have work on exhibit at Sutton Hylton Gallery in Bentonville (suttonhylton.com).
What’s your favorite part of the creative process?
Definitely the beginning, when ideas seem to rush at me unbidden when I first wake up, and all things seem fresh and possible. I also love the end of a painting when the marks coalesce, the image comes together, and the work takes final shape. The middle part is a lot of long, hard work.
Was there a teacher, relative or friend who particularly encouraged you to pursue your art?
My wife, who is my unpaid studio assistant, chief and most trusted critic, proofreader and biggest fan. She encouraged me when I decided to return to school to study art and supported me when I wanted to build a studio by our house. She believed in me when nobody else did — including myself sometimes. I value her emotional support and trust her critical acumen. Just as important, I enjoy sharing art openings and museum exhibitions with her.
How has your work changed or evolved over time?
Portraits have always been my passion. When I began painting full time, I tried to emulate Lucian Freud’s naturalistic, impastoed style. When I saw the monumental work of Jenny Saville for the first time, I was blown away by the size and fearlessness of her paintings, and I began incorporating large scale into my own work. A couple of years ago, I saw Velasquez’s
Christ Crucified at the Prado in Madrid. The painting was overwhelming in its majesty, beauty, power and scale. I wanted to try to paint like that! I eventually came up with the idea of a series of altarpieces as a way to seize that naturalistic monumentality. I don’t think my subjects see themselves as full of the grace, dignity and rebirth of self I’m trying to depict. In fact, they’re probably a little embarrassed by this. Renaissance masters made saints appear like human beings. I try to make my friends and neighbors appear like saints.
What are some other artists/creators that inspire you?
First, foremost and always: the Fab Five — Caravaggio, Rubens, Velasquez, Rembrandt and Van Dyke. You see their influence particularly in my altarpieces. Contemporary painters who continue to enthrall and inspire include Jenny Saville, Gerhard Richter, Odd Nerdrum, Lucian Freud and Celia Paul as well as photographers Richard Learoyd and Pierre Gonnord. But I search every day for new influences, new ways of painting and seeing — on the web, in art magazines and newspapers, exhibition reviews, Instagram posts, museums, openings, art fairs. It’s important to challenge and question yourself and your process every day. You do that by seeing as much art as possible.