Q: You are both artists! Can you tell us a bit about your backgrounds, how you got started as artists and your current artwork?
Elise: I have been drawing since I can remember, although as a kid I mainly practiced realism. I didn't start exploring my creative side more until I was graduated from college and invited to a 6x6 party actually! I painted a piece that I ended up keeping for myself as a reminder that I can in fact paint and I can create anything I want, not just what I see plain in front of me. So I started incorporating some of my realism to create more playful, imaginative, at times darkly humorous art. But overall I am self-taught, maybe a handful of classes over the years, and my favorite mediums are ink with cross hatching technique, and colored pencil. Although I have been wanting to expand my skillsets and explore more in acrylic and watercolor.
Will: Doodling in the margins of my notebooks in school is the first I remember drawing. I drew all sorts of random things: studies, abstract patterns, surrealist, geometric. I took a drafting and architecture class in highschool that helped show me some drawing tools and, I think, Informed some of my precision. The first real class I took was in college, I don't remember the name of the class, but it helped me realize how unique my interpretations are. The teacher I had was very good at giving us open-ended projects, which fit my style well. Her reactions to some of my projects helped convince me that art was a suitable endeavor for me, though, I rationalized myself out of it. I dropped out of school and decided to teach myself how to code computer software. I think I was really good at it, but after 4 years of study, projects, and experiments, my laptop was stolen and I lost everything I had made. It was devastating, I didn't do anything productive for a year and a half. After just partying and playing video games and barely getting by for a while I eventually decided enough is enough, so I started again. I decided to rebuild some of the codebase I had made, but quickly realized my fervor and passion for it was gone. I then decided to work on more indulgent projects, I started building a video game. I learned C#, Blender, Unity, animation, 3D modeling, and game systems. It was in the midst of this that I met Elise. After a few years of toiling on a project that was much too large for one person, Elise and I decided to start Semiwild Art. Semiwild was first concepted during the shutdown in 2020, though we didn't start selling until 2022. In 2022 we had two shows, Artist Row at the Public Market, and RMSC's Holiday Bazaar. Between having enough success at those two shows, and Elise selling her "Deer Eastman" drawing at RoCo, we decided it was worth a greater investment.
Having Semiwild Art and clearer goals gave me the push I needed to start creating more finished pieces, and helped hone my style. I settled on a particular shape language that I found the most unique and fun to draw, and have been expanding on that ever since! Being a guest at RoCo Upstairs was a great opportunity to get some deeper insight from other artists and art fans, I hope to do more events like that in the future!
Q: Can you tell us what it’s like working creatively alongside each other? How do you meld independent work and collaborative work? What is Semiwild?
Elise: It is fun having a creative partner and one with such a different end result, but similar attention to detail. We both love the little details in our art and most of our collaboration is through kind and thoughtful feedback and criticism during the creation process. We do sometimes have soft collaborations. For example, If I create a black and white drawing, Will may digitally color it, or I create a subject and Will creates a background. At some point we would like something that conceptually feels like a true mix of our ideas from start to finish. Independent work simply becomes easier while we create in the space, typically without much conversation, but simply the presence of another serious creator is motivating and inspiring.
Will: Mostly we work in the same room, on independent projects. We help each other sift through ideas, stay motivated, and provide feedback. Having a second set of eyes is hugely helpful, sometimes I'll look at a project for so long that an obvious detail will slip my attention. We are constantly saying "hey, will you look at this." Our collaborations are more of the artist / editor sort. I will add color, change color, rework designs, extend borders, add backgrounds, create references. All of this is done as needed for production, manufacturers, or to fit a client's needs.
Q: Who do you consider to be your greatest artistic mentor? What did they teach you?
Elise: I don't feel like I had a mentor. I grew up very shy and anxious of social situations, so I typically was hiding my work and creations. My parents would provide materials, but neither were or are very creative to this day and just tried to be supportive in the only way they knew how. I really did just keep drawing and experimenting and absorbing as much art as possible through comics, film, and other visual art, to help guide me and inspire me.
Will: I don't have a mentor. All of my inspiration and motivation has come from the myriad of society's creative output. I love visual artists, musicians, 3D artists, game designers, philosophers, movie makers, actors, designers, performers, architects, scientists, the list goes on. There are so so so many places to draw wisdom, and inspiration from.
Q: Do you have any big dreams for the future? What do you need to take the next step?
Elise: I simply dream of spending more of my days creating and being able to master more mediums and create larger pieces. It is a simple, but not easy, matter of setting up my routine to better support a low-stress environment. I think the next two steps to take are: 1. Having a travel van to be able to sell to a wider audience at festivals and 2. A studio space to help foster an environment with no distractions where I can leave all works in progress out.
Will: I try not to define my future too strictly. I want to keep creating, I want to keep connecting with people, and I want to help others do the same. Having more resources to invest in travel, help with events, help with manufacturing, and editing, would all help me spend more time being creative and making connections. I don't mind at all making my own prints, working with manufacturers, or building the website, in fact, I enjoy all of it. There is just only so much time!
Q: How long have you been members? and Why did you join RoCo?
Elise: My best friend gifted me a membership as an early birthday present at the end of 2020. She had heard about the Member's Exhibition and wanted to give me an opportunity to show my art in a gallery. So I got my membership and submitted my piece, which sold and really provided the validation I needed to pursue being a professional artist.
Will: I think it's been 3 years. I have contributed to the 6x6 for maybe 6 years. I think I became a member to do the Members Exhibition, but I just generally enjoy supporting RoCo, its a community forward piece of Rochester that I have loved for a long time.
Q: What is your favorite exhibition that you’ve seen at RoCo? Why?
Elise: I truly love the Member's Exhibition. It is amazing to see how many member's are here that not only support the arts, but are such talented and inspiring artists themselves. I love that there is a space to showcase their creative pursuits, to give an opportunity to share their passions and interests in a gallery setting.
Will: The Members Exhibition is very special, I love variety and I love creativity. I also love the range of talent, we need a place for novice artists as well as professionals. Recently I've been going to The Day The Artist Spoke, it has been very inspiring.
Q: What can Rochester do better to support young and emerging artists?
Elise: I'm not sure about Rochester specifically, but it warms my heart whenever I meet a parent that has a child interested in art and they talk about all the ways they try to support them, with supplies, space, encouragement, class opportunities, educating them on career paths and future opportunities. Even if they are young, especially when they are young, we need more parents to realize that art doesn't have to be just a childhood hobby and there are so many opportunities to be successful as long as you pursue it and give it your best effort. I want young artists to know that the "starving artist" trope doesn't have to be their truth.
Will: Rochester seems to be a good place for emerging artists, there are a lot of festivals and events that give plenty of opportunities for people to show and sell their work. I suppose just making sure the infrastructure allows for these events to keep happening, help with funding, and advertisement. Having the time and extra money for hobbies is really good for a society, so things like; healthcare, 4 day work weeks, subsidized childcare, affordable rent and groceries, will all help people be able to spend their free time doing more interesting things. Affordable classes can be a great catalyst for people. Work groups have been a new thing, people even do them online, where they just sit and study or work in the same video chat. They don't even talk really, but having others there doing the same thing helps motivate and mitigate the inherent loneliness that can come from working long hours on personal projects.
and now something off-the-wall: What are you currently streaming/watching/ bingeing?
Elise: The winter always has me watching spooky movies and books. I run a little book club for my close friends and we just finished reading "The Hellbound Heart," which was the start of the Hellraiser series. And we watch some anime, currently Demon Slayer, as our light-hearted comfort show in the evenings.
Will: My niece really wanted us to watch the anime Demon Slayer, so we have been. Elise is a big anime fan, so if it came into our radar any other way, we probably would have watched it anyway! The Hellbound Heart is the book for our book club this month. I also love video games, we have been playing V Rising together. It is a challenging action game about building an epic castle and reclaiming the blood of Dracula. Also, like always: playing UNDERDOGS VR. It is a VR combat game, of which I am either the best, or depending on how you slice it, second best player in the world!
Learn more about Elise, Will and Semiwild Art: @semiwild.art