Rapping with Ryan "MouseRawk" Davis.

Remember laying on a trampoline when you were a kid, looking up at the sky and asking "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I think one of the coolest things about "growing up" - not quite there yet... is seeing what your friends you grew up with are up to. I mean, Facebook has kinda ruined it just a little bit. But otherwise!! It is still fun! Back to what I was saying... Ryan Davis. Grew up around the corner from this kid. His family practically adopted me for many years and he was my go to advice guy for my early dating years. (Thanks for that Ry, btw) Anyway, I am stoked to be interviewing him! He is doing some really great things and has turned into quite the talented artist. I've watched his yearly "Home Is Where The Art Is" show grow so much over the last few years, from a handful to now over 30 local artists!! Not to mention clothing, jewelry and music. I am definitely excited to see what he's put together for this Saturday!

On to the questions...

When did you first realize you wanted to be an artist?
From an early age I enjoyed drawing and making things but I didn't start considering it as a profession until I was about 15 or 16.

Who are your inspirations?
First and foremost my parents were a big influence on me. They are both very talented and creative people so that definitely had a role in my creativity. In 1999 I met my friend Chase who got me into graffiti, which really boosted my desire to be an artist. I would have to say Salvador Dali is another large inspiration among many others. There is a long list of different people and places that provide inspiration.

Do you have an favorite piece you've done, or one that is particularly special to you?
Yes, there are a few pieces that I have kept over the years that have sentimental value to me and anything I make special for family or friends holds a lot of meaning for me.

How did "Home is where the art is" come about? 
Growing up in Thousand Oaks you learn quickly that there isn't a whole lot going on so I wanted to create something new and exciting within the community. Living close to Los Angeles I realized how flooded it is with art shows and galleries so I knew right away that I wanted to throw the show in my little town to shake things up. In 2011 I had a lot of work piling up and so did a lot of my friends so it made sense for me to put together a showing. The first show was a success and we had such a fun time putting it on that we decided to do it again the following year, only this time bigger and better. Last year’s show had 12 artists involved and was a huge hit. We had a few hundred people come by and we sold over 50 pieces of artwork. This year we are hosting over 30 artists so it should be a good turn out to say the least. To sum it up I love art and love helping people so it came pretty naturally to me.

What should first timers to the show expect? 
First timers can expect a wide variety of different mediums which will include oil paintings, photography, digital art, sculpture work, graffiti, glass blowing, jewelry, and much more. It’s pretty much an explosion of art in all form, a truly a mind bending experience.

Be there or be square!

FInd more on Ryan here, here, here and here!

Xx,
Jess

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