NAME _Carrol Harding McTyre
TYPE OF ART or JOB DESCRIPTION sculpture
Q. When asked what you do (artwise) how do you answer? SHORT ANSWER – SCULPTOR. LONG ANSWER – THE WORK IS CONCEPT DRIVEN AND THE IDEA DICTATES THE MATERIAL.
Q. What is your day job? TEACH ART IN A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL
Q. When the well runs dry, how do you recharge your creative spark? SEEING OTHER ARTIST’S STUDIO SPACE.
Q. The biggest enemy of creativity is…? T.V.
Q. What works better for you as a creative spur: a deadline or all the time in the world? DEADLINE
Q. Who and/or what influences you? EVERYTHING OVERLAPS EVERYTHING – HOME, FAMILY, JOB, ART, BOOKS, ADVERTIZING, ETC – NOTHING IS AN ISLAND.
Q. My best ideas come to me at unexpected moments, like when I’m…? SHOWERING AND DRIVING THE CAR
Q. What inspires you while you work? WORK BEGETS WORK – I THINK SOMEONE FAMOUS MIGHT HAVE SAID THAT BUT I’M AGREEING.
Q. No one is better than I am when it comes to…? THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE BETTER, THAT’S WHAT KEEPS ME HUSTLING.
Q. I still can’t quite get the hang of…? HAVING TO MAKE DINNER EVERY NIGHT AND SELF PROMOTION.
Q. The only thing I know for sure about the creative process is…? THAT CREATIVITY IS UNRELIABLE, SO ONE MUST DEVELOP THE CREATIVE HABIT.
Q. During your career, how did you deal with rejections or people who tried to discourage you and your artistic endeavors? USUALLY, MY FIRST RESPONSE IS WHAT THE HELL DO THEY KNOW? A WEEK LATER I’M COMPLETELY FILLED WITH SELF DOUBT. ANOTHER WEEK LATER I’VE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT IT.
Q. The world would be a vastly better place if only…? PEOPLE PRACTICED MORE SELFLESSNESS.
Q. What was your first job? I WORKED IN A SIGN SHOP PAINTING BANNERS, AWNINGS, AND SUCH.
Q. What was your worst job? DOING ALTERATIONS FOR A DRY CLEANER.
Q. What’s always on your desk? I CAN BETTER ANSWER WHAT IS NEVER ON MY DESK – A PENCIL – I CAN NEVER KEEP UP WITH A PENCIL.
Q. What do you do when things are not going well in the studio? DRAW IN A SKETCHBOOK.
Q. Give one to three adjectives that describe your work. ORGANIZED, GRAPHIC, FABULOUS
Q. Was there a decisive moment when you decided to be an artist? I WAS ALWAYS ARTSY
Q. Was there an event, or individual, or item that had a direct impact on your decision to be an artist? EVEN THOUGH I’VE ALWAYS BEEN ARTSY I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH BEING CALLED AN ARTIST. I DIDN’T THINK I WAS TALENTED ENOUGH. I HAD A PROFESSOR IN COLLEGE WHO CALLED ME A SCULPTOR ONE DAY. THOSE SIMPLE WORDS HAD A MONUMENTAL IMPACT ON ME. THE COMMENT MAY HAVE BEEN A THROWAWAY BUT THEY WERE THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME. THEY WERE THE EMPOWERMENT I NEEDED.
Q. Was art part of your upbringing? Was art valued in your childhood home? MORE CRAFT THAN ART, BUT ANY ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR WAS SUPPORTED.
Q. What else was valued in your childhood home? HARD WORK OF ANY KIND, ATHLETICS, ACADEMICS AND A GOOD VERBAL BARB.
Q. What three movies should always be in your Netflix’s que? REARWINDOW, THE JERK AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Q. What three books should be on everyone’s nightside table?
NIGHT STUDIO BY MUSA MAYER – this is a book about the painter Philip Guston written by his daughter (I love this book!!)
HARD LAUGHTER BY ANNE LAMOTT
TRAVELING MERCIES BY ANNE LAMOTT
Q. What are the three most frequently played (songs/albums) on your ipod?
I LIKE MUSIC BUT QUIET IS MORE ATTRACTIVE THESE DAYS. IF I DECIDE TO PUT THE RADIO ON, I NEVER GET TIRED OF NPR, WILLIE NELSON OR IRIS DEMENT.
Q. What dish should always be in your pantry? MY MOTHER’S HOMEMADE PIZZA
Q. Describe your studio experience. Example: what time of day do you work, week, when you enter the studio what do you do first…
THERE IS NO CONSISTENT TIME OR DAY TO WHEN I WORK. DURING THE SUMMER, I USUALLY WORK IN THE MORNING OR EVENING. DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, I WORK IN THE EVENING. NO MATTER THE TIME, I ALWAYS START BY CLEANING UP THE SPACE, PARTICULARLY SWEEPING.
