Interview with Patrick Haemmerlein

q)Please introduce yourself. 

 a)Hi - my name is Patrick Haemmerlein

q) Where do you live and work? 

a)I live in Los Angeles CA and work out of my apartment turned studio

q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it? 

a)Informational

q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an

artist? 

a)Well I always did draw - fire trucks, race cars, family members and such -

but looking at the pieces now I see I wasent very good at it - it wasent

until I moved to Los Angeles and picked up a camera and started shooting

and then designing with those pictures = that's when everything began for

me - that was back in fall of 2000

q) What are your favorite art materials and why? 

a)Paper - im a collager

q) What/who influences you most? 

a)My surroundings - most strong the actual city of Los Angeles - as I wander

the city I take pictures and then design around them and then make my

art.....most of my work is produced by chance - for example - I was

driving to a meeting a few months back - in santa monica - as I was

sitting at a traffic light - I see the most unusual tree - so I grabbed my

camera - which is always on my lap as I drive - shot the tree - got home

later that afternoon - downloaded the image and made a design around it =

which started a whole tree/city series - and if I dident go that that

meeting that day - would I have saw that tree some other time - or a

differnt tree that inspired the idea - maybe - so it was all by chance =

that how my work works

q) Describe a typical day of art making for you. 

a)I wake up between 6 & 7am everyday - make coffee - eat fruit - and am

working soon after that - while watching sports center - I usually work

until noon or so and then go on a bike ride to forage for food - I dont

cook much - mexican, italian or Thai usually = then I get back home work a

little more and then take a nap - have to have it – I’m 34 and have to nap

- sad I know - but then i awake and it's like a new day and I’m ready to go

-after a cup of green tea- have to have it and it has to be green - as you

can see I am a creature of habit = I can re-adjust when needed - but for

full force creativity - I must have a regimen   - then I work for a while

and go out or stay in or whatever - always different

q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art

or in your career as an artist? 

a)Oh yes - sell art and find design work of all kinds - for the rest of my life

q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you? 

a)Well I show with alot of great artist - I mostly like people who work with

paper in some way - paint or collage or whatever - as far as a particular

artist - I really like Swoon

q) How long does it typically take you to finish a piece? 

a)Well my pieces work in layers - and each layer must dry before I can work

on the next - a day or so - so what I usually do is start 3 or 4 at the

same time - depending on the size -

q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to

them? 

a)I LOVE selling art work - been doing it for 7 years now and will do it til

I die - I used to become attached - and still do sometimes - but gotta pay

the rent = and selling art is my primary source of income

q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're

listening to now? 

a)Oh yes - always have my pandora internet radio on - everthing from Led

Zeppelin & neal young to the white strips/silver sun pickups

q) Books? 

a)Ya know - I use book pages alot in my work - and do read some of those -

but I mostly use old dictionaries and encyclopedias. The  last book I read

was the lord of the rings trilogy = and that was back when the movies were

out - I do read the news everday thought - love current events -

q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the

creative process? 

a)Work - work all the time - and you better love it - because you will loss

things & relationships over it

q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating? 

a)Think about creating

q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are

particularly excited about? 

a)Oh yes = well I am a resident artist at the hive gallery and studios -

which means I have 26 feet of wall space to sell from - and I like to keep

it full - then I have a solo show in Anihem in october and a 2 person show

here in LA in november - and a bunch of group shows in between  - Los

Angeles has a thriving art scene - so yes very busy -

q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites,

magazines, galleries do you prefer? 

a)Art shows here in town - and art blogs and such on the web = I try to stay

connected

q) Any advice for aspiring artists? 

a)Kinda same as above = work - create all the time - and pick a style to

work in - but dont be afraid to change it down the road