Everyone is in for such a treat today as I interview Shane Koehler, nature illustrator extraordinaire. His work, mostly watercolor-based, explores nature’s inspirational beauty and strength, inviting viewers to experience his view of the world around us. Read on to learn all about the self-taught painter and his environmental messages through his artwork.
Hey Shane! Thank you so much for the interview. Let’s start at the beginning: What got you into fine arts?
My family has always fostered
creative thinking, and as kids, my two sisters and I were always coloring, which turned into following the drawing lessons from the PBS art show “Imagination
Station”. In school we were encouraged to enter art shows and to practice as
much as we could.
Who or what are your main sources of inspiration?
Honestly my greatest inspiration has
always been my older sister and her natural artistic abilities and sense about
art. Through observing her I began to understand how to think more as an
artist. More recently, my twin sister’s background in sustainable design has helped me think as a designer and has led to better compositions within my paintings.
My over-arching inspiration is nature, and I strive to inspire and educate about
conservation and the importance of nature in every art piece that I make.
Are you formally trained? If not, how did you work up your portfolio for professional work?
My knowledge and ability to make
professional art work is primarily self-taught through practice and mindful
observation. I have read many books and followed teachers on TV and in school, as well as other professional artists. With each project I spend lots of time researching
and collecting reference images and material.
Each morning I attempt to wake up
with or before the sun, around 4:00 am, for morning into noon light. This feels
like a natural productive time for me and is the best lighting to work with. I
am still in the early stages of my professional portfolio but I have mapped out
a progression of art shows and series of work that is inspired by the many
different facets of the natural sciences. For example, I would like to show different
series highlighting ecosystems like coral reefs, tropical rain forest, desert
life, etc., and the interconnection of all life on Earth.
What is your creative process like?
Currently I draw inspiration from a
mix of modern day artists who work with simple commercial style forms and
colors. My goal is to sell online and continue to sell to various shops in
order to create an income that will fuel my fine art aspirations.
My process
includes sketching out thumbnail ideas and arranging compositions to form images
that are both instantly appealing and quick to make. By making the “quick
affordable” art I can free myself up to focus on the more intricate and time
consuming fine art that will best educate and inspire others.
What media do you use in your work? Is it all traditional media, or do you work digitally as well?
In the last few years I have decided
to hone my skills and to focus on watercolors. The best way to learn anything
is by hands-on practice, and I am trying various techniques to develop a unique
style. The process of using different watercolor paper with typical
watercolor paints is considered traditional, but the way I use thick opaque
amounts and sometimes mixed with acrylic is not traditional. I’m interested in
learning this versatile medium on paper first and developing a unique style
with true vibrant colors, and then branching into wood and other mixed mediums.
For how long have you worked professionally? Is your work as an artist your day job?
I have been making and selling
artwork since I was in high school, but I feel my true professional career
started about two years ago when I decided to make my first official series of
work which included smaller, brightly colored, loose abstracts with tighter sea
horses interlaced. I then showed them in
a Downtown Portland gallery for an event called First Thursday held each
month.
Since that time, a Portland store
called Bud and Finn has carried them, and they have inspired a larger show in progress
titled REEF. At this time, working as an artist is a part-time job until it
becomes full-time, but at least I am getting to make art during the week and
some is better than none.
What’s your typical workday like? What’s the typical “day-in-the-life” of a fine artist?
Rather than filling my time with
commissioned projects, I’m more focused on my own artwork and creating the
images that I feel will best inspire a positive change in others and the world.
I try to have one commission per month, which I usually obtain through friends
and word of mouth. The process is like most and involves setting up a clear
dialog and contract with a client, and then setting a schedule and updating the
client along the way until it’s finished.
How about your work space? Can you give us an insight into how and where you work?
One
day I aspire to have the studio of my dreams, which involves lots of natural
sunlight and a fair amount of space to set up large paintings. For now I have a
cozy studio apartment, which is perfect for my current work. Just enough room to
accommodate my 24”x36” and 20”x20” new body of work. I’ve worked at
making my space a sanctuary where I can easily zone into my nature subjects and
be inspired by the prints and originals of other artists I admire.
Your focus in art seems to be environmental/nature based. Tell us about the message you’re sending with your work.
The focus of my nature-based art
work is to show true representations of scientific concepts while including
artistic and fun elements. I can achieve this by creatively placing different
wildlife together both in composition and theme. A recent series called “Native” shows this well by encompassing wildlife from Sanibel Island in Florida, where
I did conservation work, and grouping the native species together based on
similar coloration.
A new large scale
work that I am in the process of making will showcase entire ecosystems. Plants
and animals will surround the portrait of a keystone species, which are the
species that are critical in maintaining the relationships of an ecosystem.
By representing wildlife and making
the artwork fun, I hope to inspire positive thinking and therefore positive
change in human behavior on all levels that support conservation and
preservation of our natural resources.
What has your role as an environmental educator been? Where do you hope to take it?
Since college I have taught as an
environmental educator for state and national parks, as well as conservation-based non-profits. With volunteers, I have led community-based art projects
like murals and painted benches that depict and educate about themes in
wildlife like metamorphosis, plant identification, and bird ecology.
The
experiences I have had as an environmental educator are now aiding me in
developing artwork that speaks for itself and educates to different viewers at
different times. It is this extensive reach that art has that drives me to
continue on a path to use art as the catalyst for education and a call to
action.
Does Portland play a part in the focus of your work?
Portland is an extremely special
place where creativity, free thinking and uniqueness are celebrated. In my
experience so far, the people of Portland are very receptive to my
environmentally-focused art work. Like most cities there is a disconnect
between wildlife and human life, but Portland is surrounded by mountains and
lots of plants and animals. Each day in and around Portland is a constant
reminder of how important wildlife is for the health and survival of our
species both physically and spiritually, and that importance is what I try to
convey in my artwork.
What are your goals as an artist?
My goals as an artist include making
a livelihood and creating images that are strong, impactful and deeply felt by
others. Overall to enrich the lives of viewers and in doing so enrich my own.
What’s the story behind your Native series?
The series titled “Native” is a culmination of the wildlife I experienced
while working for a conservation organization on Sanibel Island in SW Florida.
By grouping realistic representations of the island’s native flora and fauna
together by similar coloration, it gives the viewer and understanding of what
the species look like and is a fun visual way to see and think about wildlife.
I like to place marine life with land-based life to surprise viewers and allow
for the idea of interconnection within all species and habitats.
The theme of
making series based on ROYGBIV colors is also a way for me to provide color
therapy to the world, which can relax or stimulate emotions, and paired with other
messages can potentially give rise to positive changes in our thinking and
actions towards the environment.
What words of advice do you have for aspiring artists?
If
you are passionate about making art and truly compelled to have a career in the
arts industry, it is important to be realistic with your strengths, where you
need improvement, and how much time projects and things really take you to complete.
Then research what professionals at your level make and charge accordingly—do
not sell yourself short. Last, know your potential audience, always be true to
yourself, and produce the art that represents you the most.
Many thanks to Shane Koehler for taking the time to answer my numerous questions about his work and experience as a fine artist in Portland, Oregon. You can check out more of Shane’s artwork at the links below:
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