Deaf Dish - ASL vLog / Blog

Before I write about the very talented deaf artist, Rob F. Walker, I wanted to let you know that I am itching to do something different with my blog – specifically the style of writing/blogging.  

I know my style is very casual – nothing too fancy. Since I know I have diversified readers – many different educational backgrounds, I do not want to bore my readers with many decorated or inert vocabulary and rigid structure – let’s say flaccid. I want to keep posts simple and clear.

Here is a quote, “The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words.” -George Eliot

Another quote from one of my favorite British writers: “Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very’; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite." - C.S. Lewis

Okay.  Let’s know more about this fellow, Robert!

Here’s an informal online dialogue between Robert and me (IM language – not using capitalizations and punctuations except for “I”:

Teri: congrats for becoming a blogger! (http://challymack.wordpress.com)
Rob: oh hey
Rob: heh . . . thanks . . . you saw my blog?
Teri:    not yet
Rob:    what you think of my post?
Teri: let me go there
Rob: ok
Teri: so much like mine showing a close up picture of a pair of eyes!!!
Rob: good
Teri: I like it! I always love close up photographs
Rob: yeah . . . I thought only eyes add a bit of mystery
Teri: right
Teri: funny . . . I was going to use that photo of you for my blog featuring you as a deaf artist
Rob: lol . . . go ahead
Teri: since you wrote a long bio and I don’t want to cut and paste so, I did think up some questions for an interview
Rob: too long? you can edit if you like
Teri: maybe we do an interview now?
Rob: sure . . . am free now
Teri: great . . . first, I want to say . . . I absolutely love the artwork you did for me . . . beautiful job!
Rob: good . . . glad you like it . . . it was fun doing it
Teri: I think you should go into business
Rob: doing digital portraits? not bad idea!
Teri: yes! I am sure everyone would love to own a masterpiece
Teri: go for it . . . I think you should if you have time
Teri: use my portrait as an example
Rob: can make time . . . if people want to send me photos (and checks)
Teri: pay you half in advance
Rob: would have to figure out what to charge . . . would depend on the picture and what they want I suppose
Rob: yes . . . that’s the way I usually do with commissioned art work (studio) half in advance and rest on delivery

Interview Questions (Serious stuff!!)

Teri:  okay . . .  let's ask you several questions . . . first question . . . where did you learn your art skill?
Rob: well . . . it was my first mode of communication with my family. they are hearing
Teri: right . . . I now remember . . . you had to doodle as a mean of communication
Rob: right I drew pictures of what I wanted or need to say and that got the message across
Teri: interesting
Rob: later I took art courses at the art center and in private lessons
Teri: what did they think of that mode of communication?
Rob: and in high school (hearing) . . . oh they thought it was a good tool to learn english with . . . draw a pic and they would write word above it . . . and teach me how to say it
Teri: interesting
Rob: I ended up being bilingual
Teri: like flash cards . . . showing images with words above or below?
Rob: heh . . . you could say that
Teri: interesting . . . what is your favorite style? favorite medium? I notice you use many different kinds of media such as clay, pencil, digital, painting, and etc.
Rob: I consider myself a contemporary artist and use watercolors, acrylics and clay sculptures and pencil
Teri: do you have a studio?? I am curious
Rob: yes I do . . . I run a studio in my loft where I live and use another studio at the art center where I do my clay sculptures
Teri: cool! is it expensive to be an artist? purchasing tools, materials, renting a studio, and etc??
Rob: as for expense . . . yes . . . it can be expensive
Teri:  go for digital art
Rob: always needing new paint . . .run out all the time
Rob: heh . . . I like digital art too . . .but I HAVE to do traditional studio work too. it’s in my blood
Teri: I see . . . so you are a true artist!
Rob: yup  . . .was doing that long before computers came along
Teri: if you have to make a choice what medium would you like to work with — only one medium!
Rob: hummmm . . . not easy
Teri: shall it be watercolors, acrylics, or sculptures?
Rob: but guess I would have to say acrylics
Teri: what’s your working routine – as an artist? while you work?? like drinking coffee, making a sketch first, and so on
Rob: depending on what I am working on . . . I usually have a cup of coffee while I sit before my current painting and thinking about what I need to do . . . then get to work . . . usually in the mornings . . . then take a long break and do errands, etc . . . then in afternoon or evenings I go back to work and stay for hours sometimes
Teri: (nodding) what made you decide to become an artist??? cuz of family history?? (other than drawing as a way of communicating with your family)
Rob: it wasn’t so much an decision . . . it’s just inside of me to do art
Teri: what make you think you will be a great artist (I know it’s a silly question, but artists often believe that they are great ones!)
Rob: (nodding) ha ha . . . I never thought of it that way . . . becoming a 'great artist' I just do art because I love it!
Teri: good answer! what inspire or move you deeply? you know there is a famous quote by Pablo Picasso . . . "What I want is that my picture should evoke nothing but emotion"
Rob: I look around and see people . . . they make up the fabric of my work . . . one of my favorite artists is Georgia O’Keeffe . . . I feel that she came close to the truth in her paintings
Teri: interesting . . . I love her work too
Rob: believe or not . . . santa fe inspires me . . . ever been there?
Teri: really? No I have not gone there yet
Rob: GO
Teri: always want to go there
Rob: GO
Teri: my good friend charity told me several years ago that she thinks santa fe is the place for me to live . . . my style . . . my type . . . etc . . . interesting!
Rob: I have been there several times . . . and my older niece and her actor hubby have a house just outside of santa fe . . . we spend christmas up there sometimes you would like it
Teri: okay I will make time visiting there
Rob: its famous for its annual canyon walk in the gallery district . . . they have hundreds of galleries
Teri: hold . . . sorry . . . my hubby asked me of what plans for tomorrow
Rob: np
Teri: anyway . . . who’s your role model in the field? too many questions?? the more the better
Rob: a friend of mine . . . he lives here in Little Rock Arkansas where I live . . . his name is Kevin Kresse . . . another one that I like is probably Paul Johnston . . . he is so passionate about art remember him? Paul?
Teri: umm . . . sigh . . . I am so bad at recalling names . . . I guess I am getting old (smirking)
Rob: heh . . . Paul Johnston is a heavyset man who works in the art dept at gally . . . teaches painting
Teri: oh yes yes yes . . . okay . . . a tough question!
Rob: not THAT old yet
Teri: thanks
Rob: fire away
Teri: who is your favorite deaf artist? Deaf only!
Rob: let me think a minute . . . I like Susan Dupor's work . . . she is probably my favorite deaf artist
Teri: umm . . . I don’t recognize her name or work ??
Rob: she is from chicago . . . had a one person show at gally some years ago
Teri: is she a well known artist?
Rob: pretty well known
Teri: really??
Rob: yup
Teri: it seems I need to study deaf artists
Rob: look up www.deafart.org
Teri: cool
Rob: that will give you some information
Teri: I never heard of that site
Rob: it pertains to De'Via
Teri: why have not I heard of it before?
Rob: well now you have
Teri: yes, I will certainly add it to my post . . . is it informative?
Rob: see . . . I am educating you!
Teri: ha ha . . . your turn now
Rob: yes (grins)
Teri: remember all the art movements I taught in TFP 110 . . . I set up a poll
Rob: yes I remember when you asked about that in class
Teri: not as many people cast votes as other polls . . . interesting  . . .  is it due to lack of knowledge?
Rob: interesting . . . but I noticed that more and more deafies are becoming interested in art
Teri:  (ruminating)
Rob: that was evident at the DWII in the WAB building . . . they were selling so many paintings there
Teri: I am thinking of what format to use featuring you on my blog . . . in dialogue?
Rob: to me its a sign of changes . . . a big flashy one please (kidding)
Teri: yes . . . I was at DWII . . . what a wonderful and memorable event . . . you know it was run by IJK!
Rob: did you go to WAB during DWII? yeah I know . . . ugh . . . **should be ikj . . . not IKJ**
Teri: (smirking) let’s not get into politics . . . you know me
Rob: smile . . . not into politics myself (much anyway)
Teri: yes I changed a little bit
Rob: artist and politics make a bad mix
Teri: I remember I tended to politically argue or debate  — even in my TFP classes
Rob: thanks for the warning . . . LOL . . . I noticed that . . . grins
Teri: I guess I become older and wiser
Rob: but you were also a defender
Teri: oh . . . no questions about that
Rob: you stood up for other people
Teri: I will always be a defender
Rob: and that’s good
Teri: that’s me . . . I always told myself that if I were a man . . . maybe hearing . . . I would become a fireman
Rob: lol lol
Teri: ha . . . true
Rob: you could still become a firewoman . . . there’s a deafie who is a fireman . . .
Teri: would run into any burning house to save someone without taking a moment to think
Rob: yeah
Teri: what consequence could be . . . just to be something, not having everything
Rob: I tend to leap before I think
Teri: that's my mantra (“just to be something, not having everything”)
Rob: (nodding) hold . . . need to check on something
Teri: no problem
Teri: me thinking thinking thinking — what to do with you bio, images, our conversation, etc . . . will type away and you can read  . . . am in haste, really — before my sons get home from rugby practice . . . oh . . . one more important question . . . can art be taught?
Rob: back . . . with a bowl of soup . . . that depends . . . if the person had talent . . . you can only guide him
Teri: I always think it’s something to do with DNA lottery . . . ha ha . . . you see . . .
Rob: if no talent . . . they can learn about the basic of art but they will never be able to do a lot . . .

This is where I cut off since our IM conversation became too personal — when we discussed whether art could be taught or not …  after that “ you see”, I talked about several of my kids who are also talented artists, and genetics.  We then conversed about our families — for about another hour before my sons (Dillon, Sloane, & Bram) arrived home from rugby practice in time to celebrate Dillon's 17th birthday — yes, it was around 10 PM. 

So … 

Interesting conversation?  Let me know what you think of this format? It is an experiment, really. It's like having an interview without cameras! :)  FYI, I edited the dialogue a little bit . . . when you see three-dot “phrase” between sentences, those are our one liners in our original dialogue and being added together to shorten the length of its post.

Let’s take a look at the selection of artworks done by Robert F. Walker! Is not he a great artist? If you want to contact him, go to his new blog and leave him a comment!

 

Want to know more about him? Check out his bio!