#sparkchamber 012924 — James Neish
Art inspires and connects, and #sparkchamber elevates a true example of that today as we welcome creation connector James Neish. Born in Cebu City in the Philippines, James “mostly grew up in a little culture bubble of multiracial, multicultural, and half-foreign kids like me.” Having Canadian citizenship through their father, James travelled to Nova Scotia in their early twenties “to live a little more freely and embrace my Canadian heritage.” We learned more about James’ interests and influences from an insightful interview with Wayves, an independent periodical published by a non-profit collective with an objective to inform lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people in Atlantic Canada of the activities of their communities, to promote those activities, and to support their aims and objectives.
“I started drawing before I started talking, so it has always been a big part of the way I communicate. I fell in love with art when I witnessed its ability to change people’s minds and emotional states. I started thinking about visual language as a career when I had my first good art teacher; she opened up my mind to what was possible with a life down the artist’s way.
“I’m a fan of Maurice Sendak and Tomi Ungerer. I’m heavily influenced by Dali and Kahlo. I grew up on comic books, worshipping guys like Jim Lee and Joe Madureira. I guess I like a balance of technical and intelligent skill with raw, empathic expression through a one-of-a-kind lens. I admire strong individuals who have something to say and say those things well.”
We highlight two of James’ works, which in tandem are entitled Nova Scotia Stronger Together. The first, a representation of the flag of Nova Scotia, replacing the stylized lion in a crest with two lions, hugging. And the second, Nova Scotia plaid with a patch in the shape of Nova Scotia stitched into the fabric.
“I thought about it a few days after the terrible shooting that happened in Nova Scotia. I had been reading several status updates on Facebook and I just felt compelled to connect to my community and express my feelings in the best way that I knew how.
“I was watching The Prince of Egypt recently and there was a great song about the thread not being aware of its place in the tapestry's grand design. I thought about this violence tearing the fabric of Nova Scotia and all of Nova Scotia acting together to patch it up, each thread stronger together, creating something whole from the pieces.”
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Ideas come from everywhere but mostly from collaboration with others. This is the real magic, the ability to collaborate and have an impact on other people. I have a background in comic book writing and design, but I also teach — I work with teenage patients at the IWK health centre here in Halifax, Nova Scotia — and I love being able to give them an accessible framework for talking about their feelings or communicating their feelings.
I used to be a wallflower and never wanted to dance or been seen in that way by other people, but I pushed myself and now I enjoy being the first one to jump up and get on the dance floor. I am no longer concerned about what others think. It’s so freeing, to just be moved by something, music, singing, comics, art and to let those feelings come out of me.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
There are many things that motivate me to create, some are personal, some are deadline driven for work or a commissioned piece.
Do you remember a time when you were learning to walk? Most likely not, but it took you a long time. You had a crawling phase, a wobbling-and-falling down phase, before you could actually stand up and walk. But you did it. You learned and you didn’t beat yourself up for not knowing how to do — you just put in the work to learn to master the skill.
I believe that art can be taught in a way that mimics this learning curve to persevere and gradually hone your craft. My aim is to encourage people to take time to connect with their inner creativity, to play, to make mistakes, and express themselves through their chosen art form.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I just completed a painting that took a year and it was wonderful to take my time with a piece — I was able to include all of the details my client wanted but I also got to test new approaches and techniques. It’s rare to have that kind of time with a piece but luxurious to work in that way but now it’s almost completed, and I am ready to apply the varnish to the piece and send it out into the world.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
This is a fascinating question that I often discuss with my students. One of my favorite techniques is to have them draw an image of their inner selves using a color crayon that best represents them. As they start drawing, they begin to see themselves in the image they are creating. That's when they know they are done — when they see that it truly reflects them.
The feeling of being done is not always simple or triumphant. Sometimes, it’s more like coming home at the end of a long day, letting the coat fall off, dropping the bags, and surrendering. I am just done!
