1. Welcome Andrew to the Influx Gallery family. Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?

I am a Digital Artist, Photoshop and Lightroom Tutor, and I do Photo Compositing and Retouching in Los Angeles, California. I am from upstate New York and have lived in Brooklyn and New York city, London for 6 months back in the late 80s/early 90s, then San Francisco and now Los Angeles for the last 15 years or so.


2. Was your family supportive of you deciding to become an artist?

My father was a manager of a construction company and wasn’t the most creative focused, yet he dabbled in Photography. My mother on the other hand is a great artist and craftsperson and was always supportive of me being an artist even from a young age. My mother even had me take private lessons with an oil painter as a child. And when I wanted to go to art college she was all for it. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have her wonderful support. Both of my sisters are also artists and their creativity has inspired me as well.


3. Was there anything specific that you can remember that made you want to become an artist?

Having 2 brothers and 3 sisters meant my siblings were always busy with sports or art classes growing up.
I became very introverted from a young age and seemed to be always creating or daydreaming. Dedication to art since I was young made it natural for me to want to go to art college and then pursue various creative focused jobs throughout my life.


4. Did your schooling or work affect your creative development in any way?

I went to art college in Boston, MA and was a Fine Art major with a focus on Painting, Drawing and Printmaking. Not only was taking art history classes mandatory but I truly loved studying about so many artists. I then worked for some fine artists in New York and also worked hanging shows in galleries.
After taking computer graphics at School of Visual Arts in NY and falling in love with Photoshop I built up my portfolio and with the help of creative temp agencies got my foot in the door of some advertising agencies to do photo compositing and retouching work. I believe every creative endeavor from the act of creating itself, to studying artists, to doing Photoshop work, have all helped my creative development, and honed my eye for design and composition.