Californian Painter Kelsey Brookes "Art was simply more fun"

Kelsey Brookes is a well-known artist from California. 

He calls himself an "artist of contrasts" who works on mixed-media

 assemblages. His work  is represented in La Jolla, Los Angeles and London. 

It has appeared in magazines such as GQ, Modern Painters and Confused. 

Looking at them for the first time it seems like you are looking at an 

explosion, an explosion of colours and emotions. 

Kelsey decided to stop working as a scientist and devote his life fully to art. 

"Art was simply more fun than science and I put great value on having fun", he says. 

And Kelsey is sure, that it was worth the trade. His List of Inspiration is long: Nature, 

Animals, Instinct, Conversations, Jokes, Galleries, Museums, Art, Books, Blogs...

Any career advice for young artists, Kelsey?

And that's what he says: Have fun and work hard at what you love. 

Everything else is a distraction.
 
 

 

 Kelsey Brookes 2010: SOS ( http://kelseybrookes.com )

 Kelsey Brookes 2010: The Storm ( http://kelseybrookes.com )

 Kelsey Brookes 2010: JiffyJiveDooJee ( http://kelseybrookes.com )

 Kelsey Brookes 2010: Explosion Puzzle ( http://kelseybrookes.com )

"Expressing your history through art" Interview with african artist Jems Koko Bi

Jems Robert Koko Bi is an african artist, who was born in Ivory Coast and lives in Essen, Germany. He left Ivory Coast for studying art abroad in Germany. 

Leaving his home was not easy for Jems. This is why he expresses his own history in his artwork. "The best way to be an artist is to be yourself", he says. Serious work and endurance is very important to him. "Anyone who gives up because the world of art is hard, doesn't understand what art is", he concludes. Until now, each of his artworks has been a challenge for him. "It is always hard to find the harmony between myself, my history and the material", Jems says. 

One of his hardest artworks was making the sculpture of Nelson Mandela, he had to use 

27, 000 pieces of wood to make this portrait. However, the struggle was worth it. The sculpture can be viewed in the downtown city of Essen. 

Jems Koko Bi: Babylon ( http://www.jemskokobi.com )

Jems Koko Bi: Darfur ( http://www.jemskokobi.com )