Studio Chat with Derek Aylward
Travis Landry and the VE crew went out to Derek's studio in Massachusetts to get a glimpse of the master at work. Situated in a quiet neighborhood outside of Boston, MA, Derek's studio is quaint, yet efficient.
Derek Aylward's studio located outside of Boston, MA.
We arrived early morning on a cold February day to find Derek seated in his sketch chair drinking a coffee. It was obvious that no painting was going to be done that day, since the heat in the studio was left off overnight and all of his supplies were frozen. So we took the time to sit down, have a cup of coffee, and chat the day away.
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Q. When you wake up in the morning how do you decide what you are going to paint that day?
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A. I actually do not start by painting. All of my paintings begin as a sketch on a piece of paper or more often than not, a napkin. I find myself constantly drawing throughout the day.
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Q. What do your paintings represent ?
A. To me, my paintings are a representation of the anxiety and uncertainty of living in the present day. With my paintings, I feel the looser the art the better. They may appear primarily figurative but there is always an abstracted element behind them. The combination of expressive marks, color abundance, figurative forms, and textural variety truly represent me in a painting.
"All of my paintings begin as a sketch..."
Q. What is your life like outside of the studio?
A. I have a day-to-day job at MIT, that keeps me sane. I love technology and pontificating the possibilities related to artificial intelligence, academics, and computer hard drives. I do have to say, there something pleasing and satisfying about working with computer hard drives ;-).
A work in progress in Derek's studio.
The VE crew had a great time with Derek Aylward. He is a great, down to Earth guy who likes to talk about life. If you every have the chance to speak with Derek DO IT.
Derek warming his hands in the FROZEN studio
Derek's frozen supplies.
Studio Snapshot
Derek warming his hands in the FROZEN studio