- Wooden Toy Features -

INTERVIEW WITH NAS CHOMPAS // Interview by Jay Chapman.

To get this ball rolling, tell us a lil about yourself. My given name is James Mitchell. I have recently found out that I am described as a "laid back California dude". I almost found it insulting but after a few laughs I've come to realize that its completely true. At this point in my life I spend absurd amounts of time working on art in the studio or making music with my band. In the off time, I love riding my bicycle, skateboarding, reading, debauchery, building social consciousness, exploring the different realms of consciousness, petting cats and you-tubing cat videos, getting really existential, enjoying the company of others, traveling, taking photos, hanging out with mother nature, and drinking a beer or two at the river.

Your based in Portland, Oregon. how does, if at all, this influence your work? It plays a huge role in everything I make. Specifically, the influence from other artists, the general mentality, the closeness to nature, and the city life all have their input in my work. The connection to nature is usually the most obvious in the content, but the influences of being young in a vibrant city are also there in the line-work and general appeal, I think.

What's the inspiration behind your recent works of wood, trees and giant figures? This last winter was a really harsh one - for Portland at least. I decided to make the best of it, and consciously made the choice to take in the seclusion and darker aspects of wintertime to the fullest. I listened to a lot of woodsier music, watched some darker films, read some fantasy folklore, and most importantly made a fair share of trips to places that had a really eerie or magical feel to them. The Oregon coast is great for that. All in all, the old wood, trees, and giants just sort of came about without too much thought. I tend to disregard what size certain things should be in relation to others, which naturally makes for giant or small things. As with old mossy wood, I just can't get enough of it.

You also work with photography? I definitely spend a lot of time with photography and trying to get better at it, but I like to keep it as a hobby and nothing more. I can shoot a roll without much pressure and just enjoy it, whether the outcome is absolute crap or golden. I have definitely put pressure on myself as an artist and a musician since I was young, for reasons that I still believe in. Art and music are fortunately things that have made it out of my closet and into the world somehow, but its nice to have something like photography just for myself.

You use a number of camera and film types. have a favorite? I've been through some phases in taste, but right now I am loving 35 mm all over again. I am especially into moments that seem to really radiate their magic through an imperfect medium like film. I am a sucker for foggy coastlines, woods, light leaks, candid shots, soft colors, youth, etc. My "favorites" page on my flickr account is filled with these types of photos. My new Canon AV-1 that I fell in love with was just stolen from a friend's car. Bummer.

Did you study any of your arts or have any formal training? Not really, however, my parents are both talented artists and worked as such when I was young. I grew up drawing comic book characters religiously, and they would always help me with anatomy, shading, line work, etc. They really encouraged me since I was young to explore any form of art I liked at the time. I took a drawing class and a design class in college but I just couldn't keep myself interested in their format for teaching.

Have you ever tried Vegemite? if not, WHY? Vegemite? I ain't ever heard of the stuff until now. Whadduya crazy Ozzies eatin'? I think I'll try some. I'm a huge fan of Bragg Liquid Aminos (salty sauce), nutritional yeast, and spreads, so maybe I'll like it.

Where is your favorite place on earth? Gah! My head might explode trying to ponder. I don't know if I could pick a single spot, but the state of Oregon year-around is pretty amazing. It does good things to my mind & body.

What does Nas Chompas do to relax? Sometimes I'm bad actually "relaxing", but I take a bike ride daily. That really does it. Sometimes I sit in park and read or drink a beer with friends, float around at the river, drive to the coast on a foggy day, watch an eerie movie, go camping, grab a pint, play my guitar, lay around with the cats, watch the rain and read inside a coffee shop, or go ride my skateboard with no destination in mind.

At this moment in time, who are you favorite artist? and who should we
keep an eye out for? I recently saw the work of Scott Barry which has really made me happy and stoked to draw. As far as long-time influences go, I definitely geek out over the work of Brendan Monroe, Thomas Campbell, and Barry McGee. I think they've all nailed their own aesthetics. As far as upcoming artists go, I've been really impressed with the work of some of my friends here, including Aidan Koch and Adam Baz.

What is your favorite medium to work it? Gouache! Hands down my current favorite. Its so versatile - you can get great tones and shades, flat colors, and good line work all from a simple wet medium. And its nice to let the paper come through and do its own thing as well.

Got a favorite type of wood? Thee ol' haggard, mossy, losing-its-paint-job type!

There is often a story that does with your painting. is this developed before, after or during the painting? I think visually first, so that develops more so first. I tend to just freely draw rough forms and compositions until I start to see something. From there both the story and illustration seem to develop, but I'd say they usually end up working together and consistently change throughout. Its something that I've only recently began to do, aside from early childhood, so its nice to put more thought and fantasy into my illustrations.

Do you exhibit your work? any shows coming up? Very much so and more than I ever expected. I share a studio space and volunteer at Together Gallery in Portland, which is an awesome space with great art and good people. I've been showing there in group shows lately, or elsewhere with the Together Gallery folks as a group elsewhere. Timothy Karpinski, Mark Warren Jacques and I are having a show at Gallery Three in San Francisco in January. I've got a show with my friend Dennis Foster at Forthrite Gallery in Oakland, California this September as well, and possibly another Bay Area group show later this year.

If you could bring back a popular fad from the past what would it be? Short shorts. Let them legs breathe dudes.

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