Welcome 2012!!! I am excited to introduce Chris Cornett as my very first Creative Mind in 2012. Before I got to know Chris a little better, we connected on Twitter and I fell in love with his vibrant and energetic artwork. Soon later, I learned more about him in some great discussions and sharing perspectives. Now, we’re even friends on facebook. Check out another brilliant artist and make sure to connect with him; I am honored to have Chris on my blog:

- Born in OKC, OK at the beginning of 1985
- Started my art career soon after that
- Moved around a bit from London to California and back to the OK with some time in Georgia
- Spent most of my childhood on a bike in the tornado ridden plains with nice air and sky
- Moved to TN at 11 years old under extreme protest
- Have spent my time in this cultural wasteland for a bit but it seems to be changing a little
- Took my first art class in my Junior year of H.S.
- Won some awards
- Went to a college and took every available art class
- Fell of the radar for a bit and am now back in the thick of it

What would you like to share about yourself?

Right now I am an artist. Descriptive words would be like Modern, Postmodern, Abstract Expressionist, maybe a little Cubism thrown in and from time to time just a bit of “Realism”. Outside of that I spend a lot of time searching the internet for more art, artists, and things that help keep my brain moving mostly because I have locked myself in a basement and don’t allow myself to come out until I need to get more paint or if someone wants to take me for a drink.
I somewhat enjoy chasing around and getting into intellectual arguments with the toddlers that rule this house and I also enjoy music. I’m not one of those that knows all the facts, details, and names but I enjoy furthering the eclectic collection of bookmarks I have on my near constant stream of Pandora.

What is your favorite color?

I’ve never really had a favorite color. Even when I was a kid I couldn’t really limit my options to just one. It just didn’t feel right to do that to all the other colors.
Many people that know me assume that Blue is my favorite color because it shows up a lot in my paintings and in my wardrobe. I suppose that there may be something to it because I feel Blue may have more symbolism and meaning as it pertains to me in the history of my life. I react to a good Blue in a way that the memories of my mind are popping their hands up all at once as if the teacher had just asked an easy question that most have had some sort of relatively profound connection to.

What’s your favorite food (and drink)?

I like all kinds of food. I enjoy cooking and experimenting when I get the chance but if I were to narrow it down a bit to what I might likely prefer more would be fresh ocean catch. Preferably never frozen, something I caught myself, and prepared in a multitude of ways.
As far as drink I’m a fan of things in the variety of liquid bread. One that I found recently that is particularly nice from a local place around here is the Crown Royal Stout, but since that isn’t always available I’ll go for a proper pour preferably unpasteurized Guinness Stout. I would also have to mention Orange Juice because when it isn’t breaking the bank I like to get it in.

Describe your dream place and where would it be?

I would really like to live in many places. I enjoy the idea of Urban living where I could walk out my door and find a grocery and next to it a pub that has a selection of black beers. I like the ocean both tropic and not so tropic because I’m a big fan of fresh air and fresh food. I enjoy the mountains for the air and the adventurous snow driving. Flatlands are nice be it the Australian desert or American plains because they give a lot of room for thinking and have a nice view of the sky.
So… if there were a place that had a lot of sky next to the ocean on top of a mountain with access to great food and pubs near a culturally interesting city that has seasons every so often then I wouldn’t know what else I could ask for other than a bit of traveling around from time to time.

The one thing you can’t live without?

Sad to say but that would have to be my iPhone. I managed to square away a computer thus far on this interview but nearly all my long rants, ramblings, and art updates on my websites and others are done from that tiny screen with that horrible auto-correct that causes me to say some even more out there type of stuff. I tirelessly search for art and art ideas (like ideas and arguments of theory and concepts) from there. I also like to research different techniques and pre order my paint from that awful thing, but I love it.

What ignites your fire?

I’ve never really tried to identify or define what it is that makes up my passion. It’s kind of always just been there. I could always call on it whenever I needed as long as what I was doing was interesting or challenging. I suppose that is why I found a home in art because it is always interesting and as challenging as I need or want it to be.
I’m usually exhausted at the end of a good painting session and my brain is completely on empty where it becomes difficult to pull together enough energy to talk. So as far as where my fire and/or passion comes from? I am not sure, but I believe I have an idea as to where it may be going.

What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done?

I’m not certain it could be considered silly as much as poorly thought out? But, a few art friends and I set out to destroy this evil thing that had been left behind at the end of the semester in college. Of course we were the ones cleaning up because we had most of the stuff left in the combined classes. I had just happened along the group of girls, that I would always work with and eventually befriended, as they were dragging this course long project made out of 3 milk crates tied together with a sheet wrapped around it and lighters in hand.
I speculatively guess that they didn’t particularly like it because they had all spent countless hours working on the same project and were graded more harshly (or the other was more likely graded less harshly) because they were art students rather than someone who had accidentally signed up for the wrong class and showed up four times to get some grade on her milk crates or something like that.

They invited me and I was always more inclined for having fun with fire so I had no problem to join along. The bright idea was to do it in the middle of a parking lot rather than the raku pit or adjacent rock pile. Fast forward to the end… We had to split the bill to repair the melted parking lot that had caught on fire before we could return to school the next semester.

What’s your greatest advice that the world should know about?

There is absolutely no such thing as absolute. Except for maybe sometimes.

Why are you the best in your area of expertise?

I wouldn’t like to say that I am the absolute best at anything because the world is all too complex to for me to say that about anything or anyone. I wouldn’t even say that I am particularly more knowledgeable because other people claim to be that already and due to a difference of opinion as to what I consider the meaning of being knowledgeable.
What I do know, or what I think I might know as a truth at this point in time, is that I love what I do and I realize that I can never really completely know what I am doing, and I like that because whenever I feel that I might actually come to “know” something than instinctually I feel like there is no reason to keep learning or progressing in that area.

As I’ve said before I like this art thing, because it can become all that I need it to be when I want it to be. I can keep pushing the boundaries of who I am, what I think, and where my furthering of potential knowledgeability can take me.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter
Facebook
Blog / WordPress
Tumblr
Email: ChrisRcornett@gmail.com

Thanks for the interview Chris, it’s been a pleasure.
Check out Chris’ sites and make sure to leave a comment Happy new year my friends!