The whimsical animals and nature scenes in Joshua Coffy's acrylic, prints and mixed media works have their roots in the small rural township of Tuscarawas, Ohio, where he and his two brothers could be found, almost daily, fishing, hunting, hiking and playing. Add in a captivation with Georgia O'Keefe's skull paintings, engendered from a move to New Mexico when he was thirteen and which inspired him to first take up painting, a fascination with scientific illustration and design, and his extensive photo reference library and we see the building blocks of his intriguing and detailed work. 

SC: Joshua, let's start with something most viewers want to know from artists. What motivates you and how would you describe your art-making process, from inspiration to finished piece?

 

JC:  It feels rare when the picture on my panel is exactly what I see in my head. I love chasing that. I am always striving to get better. I follow artists that work the hardest and are always challenging themselves.

 

I sketch less than most artists I know and am trying to change that. [laughter] Most of the time my paintings start with a phrase I scribble in my sketchbook, which often become the titles to those paintings. I let the phrase sit for a while and build stories around it. Once I settle on the idea, I look through my photo reference library, piece together something in photoshop and then start painting. Sometimes the idea phase takes way longer than the painting. Mostly, I am an acrylic painter. I also use a mixed media technique I call "paper inclusion", where I paste or collage various papers into my paintings and then paint the subject on top of that inclusion. 

SC: Would you tell me about those subjects?

 

JC:  I use animals to illustrate metaphors in my life. With animals, people are free to add in their own story. If I used human models, the connotations would change.

 

Last year, I staged a show based on predator/prey relationships to illustrate that this is not good vs. evil, but simply survival. Right now I am working on a series for the Myths and Legends show with another Arc artist Diane Hoffman at Secession Art and Design, 3235 Mission Street., which runs from May 30th -July 30th

 

SC:  What would you like viewers to take away from experiencing your art?

 

JC:  I like it when my subjects remind viewers of someone they know and when they make up their own stories and apply them to my illustrations. But, it is a thrill when I can clearly communicate the story I was trying to tell.

 

SC:  How do you recharge your creativity?

 

JC: Lots of naps. [laughter] Walking in the woods, visits to the zoo, playing the ukulele and with my son. For my birthday, my wife and son bought me a membership to MOMA. It's AWESOME! And I also rather enjoy going to Burning Man.

 

SC:  Would you tell me about a particularly meaningful or influential response to your art?