< Overview
Matt French
Q&A
What is your art background?
Always loving to draw the most when I'm supposed to be doing something else. Art is escapism without cellular brainloss. Creating art triggers the exact same dopamine reaction as any of the established highly destructive substances widely abused today, the world over.....except art exercises and invigorates the brain rather than destroying it.
How did you get hooked up with with doing art for Lib Tech?
I grew up skating with Adam Vanderhorst. He moved here from the peninsula when he was a kid in the 80's. In the early 90's we would drive over there and skate with his buddies in Sequim and PA, and I would randomly abandon art over there at Huntz's house. Huntz worked at Lib, so after a while I just started giving Huntz art to bring to work. I guess Pete started seeing some of my art in a positive light and then Jamie said some good words about my work. That was encouraging enough to inspire me to turn in 68 paintings that first year.
What graphics did you do for Lib Tech this year?
The Cygnus X-1 and the Skate Banana.
What Lib graphic was the most fun for you of all time?
I don't know......100 percent of the time they are fun every time.
What Lib Tech snowboard do you ride?
I dunno...the Banana Magic was pretty fun. Whenever I get a Lib with my art on it, I like to go see what it feels like on Baker snow.
Any other Lib product?
Whatever they send me, I put on right away so it can be my nowlaween costume.
How would you describe your style?
About midway between "what the...?" and "you gotta be kidding me."
Do you have any favorite board graphics that you have found inspiring?
Probably all the stuff the other guys do. Mike and Jamie and Nick and Ryan and Carl and Quincy all just kill it. And lets not forget Annette. She makes the art look good on the boards.
What is your creative process for snowboard art? In materials and application? In inspiration?
Whatever it takes. All good things come from above.
What are your favorite mediums?
Double-extra medium, happy medium, and medium rare.
How do you know a painting is done?
When we're no longer on speaking terms.
What is the best late night art elixir?
Drifting off into ethereal mystery sleep in the hours after midnight, regaining partial consciousness and materializing in a lucid state where the horizon is a blurred region between the stars and the sand, and in that land, the ideas are exponentially more numerous than the grains of sand and the stars put together. It is there that I pluck the fruit of inspiration and taste its goodness in those nameless hours.
Best way to cure a nasty case of artistic blockage?
Brain fiber
How did you get started as an artist?
My mom put pen and paper in front of me before I could walk, because even then just my crawling was damage incorporated. It was ironic, because as an artist herself, she was just trying to keep me busy so she could create. And round it goes, because I do the same thing with my kids.
Favorite place to paint?
Behind the wheel.
Where is your favorite place to snowboard?
Zigzagging the corduroy mountain pants
What are some of your other hobbies?
Heaping knowledge of local fauna onto the minds of my children. Oh, and skateboarding.....I like it a lot.
Any other projects you would like to talk about?
Not really, but if I were to make a recommendation, I would suggest that everybody buy a bunch of socks and bottled water and keep them in their car to distribute to the people with cardboard signs by the roadside.
What would you say is the best part about making art for Lib Tech?
If I were to be honest, I would say keeping my kids fed and clothed, but I do love seeing my art on products. That just never gets old. Its like Christmas every time.
Do you sell your art? If so, where can people buy some?
I don't go out of my way to sell my art, even though I do sell it. My best advice is just forget it...you can't afford it.
Last words?
Why? are you going to kill me?