Another week, another kick ass interview with a creative Portland dweller. Today I bring you the down-low on Trish Grantham: a self-taught painter with a playful imagination that comes through in her works. She didn’t start painting until she was 28 and now, almost 10 years later, her pieces are some of the most recognized in the Northwest art scene.

Featuring anime-esque, large-eyed creatures; such as Panda, Girl, Carl the Squirrel, Think-Monster, Toast, and Birds; there is one thing that you won’t find much of in her creations: a storyline. While Trish often does have a specific idea or emotion in mind for her cast of characters, she leaves the opportunity open for her audience’s mind to wander, creating situations and outcomes based on her individual images.

The focus on most pieces is on the characters, all the while exciting things are going on in the background, thanks to Trish’s consistent use of vintage maps, books, and newspapers to create her mixed media base for her paintings. “I find paper texts in foreign languages to be a most beautiful and intriguing medium to work on,” she said in a previous interview.

Trish is also one of the few Pacific Northwest artists and illustrators who have had the “privilege” to work with major companies - her art has appeared in ads and billboards for Visa and Converse (among others). The future is already looking bright for her and her three animal companions with a new webstore in the works and a solo show opening up tomorrow in Seattle. Keep reading for my interview with Trish Grantham and details about her distinct style, green habits, and how to get your hands on one of her original creations.

With old (often foreign language) books and newspapers as the background for your creations, would you venture to call them more mixed media or collage pieces instead of simply paintings?

No, I don’t like to call it collage because they’re really paintings; the paper is just there to paint on.

It’s been mentioned that you are not a fan of computer illustration and prefer to get in and get your hands dirty. Does that mean we will never see a cartoon series based on your anime-style creatures?

I’d love to do a hand-painted cartoon - they look so much better!

Speaking of anime, your characters do have a distinct Japanese style. Do you intentionally draw inspiration from the island nation or is it simply an intrinsic part of your personal style?

I really don’t know where it came from. If you saw some of [the] first paintings I did 10 yrs ago, they looked more folk art. It just evolved!

You didn’t even start painting until you were 28 - what were you doing with your life up until then? Have your previous careers been a valid source of inspiration for your current freelance lifestyle?

I was just having too much fun and waiting tables. I was lost!

Though the bulk of your work is painting, you’ve also done some 3D versions of your creations, such as wooden creatures, nesting dolls and a My Little Pony. Do you see yourself integrating other mediums like this into your regular painting work? Will we someday seen Trish Grantham t-shirts and crafty sewn creations?

They are on their way! (check out Paper Milk for the scoop)

I’m an avid user of flickr.com and I can’t help but notice how many pictures of your little dog Pablo you have - tell me a bit about why he is so awesome. You have a few cats as well, no?

Oh Pablo. I have so many pics because he’s so little and new. My true love is my cat, Miss Mandy; I’ve had her for 15 years. I have “I love you Miss Mandy” tattooed on my arm. Pablo is great; we are still getting to know each other. Then there’s big Steven, who I’ve had 12 years he’s a naughty little brother.

Similar to fellow Portlander Amy Ruppel, you do an online art sale on your website to give any and all of yours fan a chance to get their hands on your original works. How often do you hold these sales? Why did you choose to go that route instead of selling through a gallery or some other outlet?

I try to have 2 sales a month: one to pay rent and one to have some spending money and pay bills. I do like it better then galleries, plus you get all the money. Usually, galleries take 40% - that’s a lot! Also, it costs so much to ship [to galleries] and all. I do have shows, just not often.

You’ve also got an upcoming show in December with Amy and a select few other Portland artists (opening December 8th in Astoria, Oregon) - how excited are you about exhibiting with others that you already know so well?

It’s fun. It’s like a party - we all know each other so well.

Your work has seen some major attention from companies like Adidas, Converse and Visa - do you feel like you are selling out or bringing indie art to a wider audience?

It’s not selling out - they don’t pay enough! It’s more like getting a wide group of people to see my art. I love what I do, but I do need to make money!

Living in what has been called the greenest city in the US, do you have any eco-conscious habits?

I do all I can! I use wind electricity and all the other basic stuff (recycling … etc.).

Do you have any other nifty, secret projects in the works that you could hint at?

I have a show at Fancy in Seattle, starting this Friday, November 9th (the opening reception is from 6pm-9pm); it runs through the end of the month. I’m also focused on getting Paper Milk up and running by next month.

[All images courtesy of Trish Grantham]