MEET THE ARTISTS:
Will Bryant
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: Texarkana, TX.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN ILLUSTRATION + DESIGN: In high school my friend Lance and I had a t-shirt “business” where we would make bootleg band t-shirts with X-Acto stencils and fabric blow-pens (no one told us about screen printing in East Texas). I took two art classes, one in 8th grade and one in 9th grade, but my first notable experience came when I was in undergrad at Mississippi State. Kate Bingaman-Burt was my professor and she changed my world. She’s now one of my best friends, a studiomate for almost 10 years, and I was able to teach alongside her at Portland State University.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Bowling alley carpets, transit textiles, cheesy store displays, bespoke signage, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, bright colors found in urban landscapes, friends, family, and food.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE THAT YOU’VE CREATED: I hope I’m working on it, is that a lame answer? I really like this dumb drawing titled “Toilet Paper Paints A Smiley”
IF YOU WEREN'T AN ARTIST WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING INSTEAD: High school basketball coach (a cross between Eric Taylor & Richard Simmons) or a shoe salesman (i.e. Al Bundy).
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE HISTORICAL FIGURE: Michael Jordan (joking not joking).
WHAT SONG GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD MOST OFTEN: I can’t carry a tune, so nothing is stuck for very long.
WHAT IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL: According to an online quiz it’s the tiger: “willpower, personal strength and courage, aggression or anger, unpredictability”
IF YOU COULD ONLY EAT ONE FOOD FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Peanut butter.
WHAT IS THE ONE ITEM OF CLOTHING THAT YOU WEAR MOST OFTEN: Underwear. Don’t get me wrong, I like freedom, but I respect boundaries.
WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE: "Self Titled" by Will Bryant.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE: Maintain a marriage through grad school. Currently raising a child, but that is not past tense.
WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED SO HARD IT HURT: A few weeks ago on vacation in Palm Springs with good friends.
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TALENT: The Eurostep.
WHAT IS YOUR GO TO DANCE MOVE: Jelly legs.
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR: Batteries. Supposedly this makes them last longer (according to my wife and her family)?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND AFTER A BUSY DAY: Lounging in expensive sweatpants with a beverage and my cute family.
