Q&A with SEWE featured painter Dustin Van Wechel
After eight years in advertising, Dustin Van Wechel decided to leave a successful career to pursue his passion: painting. And that decision has proved to be a good one. Van Wechel will be making his eighth appearance at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, this year as the featured painter and poster artist. Based in Gilbert, Ariz., Van Wechel recently talked about his love for SEWE, his former job and his artwork
Q: How long have you lived in Gilbert, Ariz.? What took you there?
A: Three years. I originally grew up in Arizona, but my wife wanted to change jobs so we decided to move back closer to family.
Q: It seems as though Wyoming is a major part of your career. Is that where the majority of your shows take place? What’s the connection/significance?
A: Wyoming, Montana, Colorado — all the Rocky Mountain states. I’m in love with the mountains. It’s my favorite place to be. Growing up out here, even in Arizona, I’ve had a lot of access to camping, the outdoors, and it just sort of shows up in my work.
Q: Oklahoma also has been in your show circuit. Do you primarily show out West?
A: That’s correct.
Q: Is SEWE the only Eastern show you participate in?
A: It is. In the past, I’ve participated in one or two other shows, but SEWE is the only one I’ve kept since I get such a good response to my work and love the city, so I keep going back every year.
Q: How many art expositions do you participate in each year?
A: It varies. This year I’m participating in four group shows as well as a couple of gallery shows. I used to do a lot of group shows — my peak was 12 in one year — which I don’t have to do anymore. Now I can just narrow it down to my favorites.
Q: How does SEWE stack up to other expos you participate in?
A: SEWE’s very different than all the rest. It’s definitely the largest I attend; I think the largest in the country ... It’s a different atmosphere with the Southeastern shows than the Western shows.
Q: How many times have you show at SEWE?
A: I believe this will be my eighth year; 2004 was my first year.
Q: Of all the places your career has taken you, what’s your favorite?
A: It’s a toss up between Grand Teton in Wyoming and Glacier National Park in Montana.
Q: You left advertising to pursue a career in art, what was the catalyst for that?
A: I’ve always grown up drawing and painting. I went to college thinking I’d be a graphic designer by day and paint and draw by night. It didn’t work out that way. Advertising dominated my life ... My wife and I were in a place where we could loose half our income and not suffer too terribly, so we took the chance.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
A: I always knew. ... I always knew I wanted to get to that point where I was producing for myself and do the work that I wanted to do.
Q: If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing with your life?
A: I’m very much into science and technology, so probably something in that field.
Q: Do you paint from photographs, life, memory or imagination?
A: All of the above. It depends on each particular painting, but it usually starts with field studies and sketches, combined with photographic references; if I don’t like where it’s leg is in the photograph, I’ll move it ... Often times, I “Frankenstein” an animal together to make it what I want.
Q: How long does it take you to complete one of your works?
A: Depending on the size, a small piece is normally a working day to 8 hours to a large piece, 30-by-40, is a full working week to 40 to 60 ... It seems like a lot, but I make it a regular job, working about 8 hours a day.
Q: How many do you produce each year?
A: Probably somewhere between 25 to 35. That’s the normal major studio work, but I do little stuff, as well ... This year it’s a bit more since I’m the featured artist at SEWE. I think this year I broke 40 for 2011.
Q: What is the price range of your work?
A: SEWE will show a great example as I’ll have the smallest and largest work I produce: $550 to $7,500.
Q: What’s your personal favorite as far as your pieces go?:
A: Well, I’m way overly critical of myself, so I probably hate every one I do. But the one I probably dislike the least is one named “Gladiators.”
Q: Do you have a favorite piece that you’re bringing to SEWE this year?:
A: I actually finished it today ... I don’t have a name for it yet.
Q: Is there one phase or step that is most challenging?
A: A blank canvas is the most challenging, especially the large canvases ... The expectations are really high and then it just goes down hill once the brush touches the canvas.
Q: What is it that attracts you to wildlife art?
A: It’s an extension of my childhood and being outdoors a lot. It gives me an opportunity to get me to the places that I love to be.
Q: Have you noticed many interesting innovations or trends in the world of wildlife art?
A: Wildlife art has kind of a difficult history. It’s really new as a genre for art. People have painted wildlife art throughout history, but it’s new to being it’s own genre. ... Another is not being a slave to what the photograph dictates. It’s not about how well they can paint fur or how many blades of grass they can squeeze into a painting.
Q: What’s your favorite animal to paint?
A: Big-horn sheep ... They take you to the top of the world. You see some really amazing stuff at those altitudes, stuff you normally wouldn’t get to see.
Q: You’ve won numerous awards, what’s the most prestigious award you’ve won so far?:
A: Winning the Arts for the Parks’ Grand Teton Lodge award. There are a lot of great artists, so it was quite an honor.
Q: Would you say that’s been your greatest accomplishment, or would something else bump it off the top of the list?
A: Being able to look back at my body of work thus far and see really significant improvement year to year.
Q: Do you have any regrets?
A: I wish I would have gone to college and gotten a degree in painting over graphic design ... I would have been a better painter at this point if I had done those things.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: Getting to do what I do. I’m an artist; I get to paint for a living. It’s crazy when I step outside my box and look at it.
Q: Do you get any leisure time while you’re here for SEWE?
A: I try and take a couple extra days to hang out. I’m doing it this year, flying in a few days before SEWE begins. Charleston is my favorite place to go, especially for shows.
Q: Where do you like to go while in Charleston? What do you like to do?:
A: I love to walk around town, see the architecture; definitely get to the beach and hang out there. And I love the food. It makes me sound like a pig, but I love to eat Charleston food.
Q: Do you have a favorite restaurant here in Charleston?
A: Hank’s. I’m a big seafood fan, and it’s hard to get good seafood out here.
Q: What’s your favorite SEWE event?
A: I don’t get to go to too much, like the exhibits or the Dock Dogs. I’m stuck where I’m at for the most part. I wish I could, but I’m always working.
Q: If you had a good friend attending SEWE, what advice would you give them about buying wildlife art?
A: Buy what you fall in love with. It’s really that simple. You shouldn’t buy based on what you think the piece may be worth or the status of the artist. If you buy based on what you fall in love with, you just can’t go wrong.
Q: Who are some of your favorite fellow SEWE artists?
A: I got familiar with a lot of them, actually. We do a lot of the same shows, so we end up friends: Adele Earnshaw, she’s got great style. Ray Brown, he works primarily with graphite, which I love because it’s the basis of drawing. I’m really excited to see Chad Poppleton, he’s a favorite of mine. Period.
Q: As Charleston is a city bursting at the seams with artists, what advice would you give to those just starting out?
A: Follow your heart. Don’t let the market dictate what you create. If you do that and love to do that, eventually art lovers and collectors will see that. ... The best artists in history are the ones who did what they wanted to do because they love it, and collectors saw that.
