Kyle- I'm from Missouri and my nickname is Track, short for Trackstar. The nickname actually came from playing Xbox my junior year. Then I made the state track team. Friends started calling me track and it stuck with me.
I've drawn almost my whole life. As a kid I started with Pokemon, Rugrats, and Dragon Ball z. I also paint, sculpt, and write music as well.
Artist Couple- We noticed on your Facebook you mention creating an art business that provides kids with a platform to create. Can you expand on this and give us an idea about what your vision is for this platform?
Kyle- So imagine a tattoo shop in a warehouse. Within this are multiple aisles flooded with art. Ceramic cups, bowls, and all types of functional work. A photography section for studio pictures. Nail salons. Sculptures. Jewelers etc. On sale made by the artists who don't care to blow up in the gallery scene. Ones that have a medium they love but could use a space. With success and teamwork multiples can be created with various styles catering to those areas. An art super store franchise. A place where every creative kid can dream of working when they grow up vs being a struggling solo artist. The most talented can come straight out of high school. Others can go develop their personal crafts in college. Leading each store will be the most versatile, team oriented, and well spoken artists to help create a culture.
Artist Couple- Of all the opportunities there are in the world, why did you choose art and more specifically, why figure-drawing?
Kyle- Art is one of the biggest constants of my entire life. As a kid I was always curious but grew bored after accomplishing most tasks. If art was a video game it's the one game I could never beat. There are always pieces to my craft that I can improve on and the fact that I can never reach complete mastery keeps me fascinated. I enjoy portraiture because I love all things living. Whether a human, pet, or anything capturing the soul in a still image to create a moment is one of my biggest purposes in life.
Artist Couple- Do you have a specific artwork or series of works that resonate with you more than other anything else you have created? If so, why do you favorite that/those artworks?
Kyle- There's no way I could pick one piece of work. I'd pick many for many reasons. My music helped me face a lot of my inner demons and mature as a man. My yoga practices have helped me find a clientele and develop a social media following. And my famous figures I've drawn has acted as an investment for future events and sales.
Artist Couple- Who/what are your inspirations and/or role-models that motivate you to create the work you do?
Kyle- Da Vinci is my hero. His versatility allowed him to not be pigeon held and accepted as a multi faceted human who's ideas helped shift culture. Michelangelos work ethic and consistency motivated me as well. Along with rappers like Jay Z and Tech Nine for bridging the cultures of art and business.
Artist Couple- What comes next in your artistic future? Do you have any long-term projects or goals you are currently working towards?
Kyle- What's next for me is tattoos and my podcast. I've been practicing my shading and line work on prosthetic skins to transition into becoming a tattoo artist. My biggest project is creating my podcast for artists. It will be called The Artists Podcast and live art will be created on my go pro camera. Each week I will create a drawing for an hour or 2 and during the drawings will have audio between myself and a guest (preferably other creatives). The conversations will stem around art. Why we love art, how we feel in love with art, first art memories, and even what is art to you. After a few weeks of people knowing what to expect (a piece of art being created for the viewers) I will give the guests opportunities to have their own work created for the episode they come visit. Ultimately creating a platform to express why we love what we love and an opportunity to showcase it in a fresh way.
Artist Couple- Do you primarily create from reference photos or do you draw your figures live? Do you prefer to create in one way or another, why?
Kyle- I can draw live or from a photo. For the best picture likeness I'm best from a photo but I love the challenge of capturing the subject in the limited time. As someone who's been more dependent to photos I respect drawing live so much more.
Artist Couple- This is potentially a sensitive question given the current state of racial affairs in the United States, but as a black man living in a country that is currently struggling with a major racism issue, do you ever feel pressured or obligated to use your artist expression and platform to create artwork that addresses these issues?
Kyle- I've never and probably will never feel pressured to create anything for or based off my being black in america. I do feel a sense of pride when I draw a strong black figure. But I represent my culture by the way i carry myself. Seeing as to how I am naturally a prideful black man I've never felt a sudden inspiration to express it through my art.
Artist Couple- As a formally trained artist (I.e. You went to school and got a degree) do you feel that your education was “worth it”? Meaning the time and money you invested in going to school for art was worth the skills, experience and cost vs. the quality of work you generate today, when compared to pre-educated work?
Kyle- I wish I had more focus in my beginning college years. But studying art at my college was perfect for me. It wasn't about learning cool techniques or the physical side of it. Studying art allowed me to develop the language of the elements and principles of art. With the language comes the understanding of why you like and don't like certain artworks. Without that I'd just be a talented kid with no knowledge. Could I have technically gained all of that knowledge without the classes sure. But being honest with myself I know I wouldn't have pushed myself to that extent. I needed those classes, that time, and even some of those professors to push me. I studied greats before me and fell in love with art again only because I gave studying it a try. Safe to say it was one of the best decisions of my life.
Artist Couple