AMA: Dustyn Bailey Interviews Ryan Adams 1/23/23
Dustyn Bailey 11:32 AM
Don't forget everyone we have our next AMA with @Ryan Adams in less than 30 mins!!!
Dustyn Bailey 11:46 AM
A little bit about Ryan Adams!
He is in Portland, Maine (born and raised)
He has been painting murals professionally for 13 years
He is in love with Italian sandwiches, so much to the point where he has one tattooed on himself
Got another 13 mins until we kick it off
Get your questions warmed up @channel!
Dustyn Bailey 11:58 AM
Welcome, welcome, welcome everyone in the @channel!
Thanks for joining us to ask Ryan Adams anything! Our first AMA of 2023!
Alrighty, it's time to introduce our guest today12:00
RYAN ADAMS
His "background in traditional graffiti led him to creating large-scale mural work and hand lettered design and signage. ... His pieces tend to be bold, colorful and clever; often including statements within." We are super excited to have him here on the Slack Channel today. Ryan give a wave to everyone!
And everyone give him a wave back! (edited)
Ryan Adams 12:00 PM
Hi everyone!
Dustyn Bailey 12:01 PM
Thank you for taking some time to be here!
Ryan Adams 12:01 PM
Thanks so much for having me! Excited to chat with you all today
Dustyn Bailey 12:01 PM
We got 30 mins so I'm gonna start throwing our questions out there!
Ryan Adams 12:01 PM
Sounds good!
Dustyn Bailey 12:02 PM
First off to gush, I love your work. I'm originally from Bethel so seeing the Gem theater's art is something that hit close to home!
What drew you to paintings gems and working with geometric design?
Ryan Adams 12:04 PM
Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! That project was a VERY special one... The 'gem' style is sort of an extension of the letter studies that came through my graffiti writing years as a youth. With using spray paint, one of the most difficult things was to master straight and consistent lines. Once I got to a point where that was doable, I became (even more) obsessed. The geometric design of the gem style pieces is created with the flourishes and extensions that you would put on to letters with a tag or graffiti piece. So it really feels like a continuation of the ‘letter-nerd’ in me that came about around 20 years ago with a can of spray paint.
Dustyn Bailey 12:05 PM
I love that
I feel like a lot of young artists struggle with finding something that resonates with them in the beginning.
Did you find it or did feel like it found you?
Ryan Adams 12:07 PM
For sure. I feel like it found me. The world of graffiti was introduced to me by an after school teacher who gave me a copy of 'Subway Art'. That opened up that entire world to me, and even though I was already drawing and painting, this completely took over.
Dustyn Bailey 12:08 PM
That's cool! The passion is real
To expand on physical art, can you speak to the importance of murals, and why they are an unique creative piece for local businesses and nonprofits? (edited)
Ryan Adams 12:09 PM
Absolutely. I’m obviously a bit biased here, but I think that murals are extremely important for a multitude of reasons. First, I think that having accessible works of art is necessary for a healthy community. Seeing firsthand how murals can create dialogue and spark inspiration within a neighborhood is one of the magical pieces that keeps me motivated to continue. There are also direct benefits to businesses in that murals set their space apart from others, convey an expressive and inviting vibe to the public and increase engagement with customers through social media interaction. Murals are very often landmarks that people use to show that they were there. I’ve been slowly cataloguing some of the social media posts with people tagging the business in front of the mural I painted for them. It’s a pretty cool way to quantify the benefits.
Dustyn Bailey 12:11 PM
Your bias is very much welcome here, and your insight is very much appreciated!
Speaking of causes and intertwining the work with the community, can you tell me about a project your were particularly proud of and why it struck so close to home? (edited)
Ryan Adams 12:14 PM
I think that the 'Piece Together Project' that my wife, Rachel, and I started in East Bayside is one of my personal favorites. We wanted to honor and celebrate the people that made Portland as awesome as it is, so we asked some of the businesses down there if we could paint portraits of local residents on their exteriors. These have been so wonderful to paint and also great to see the community interacting with them. We fund and execute these on our own, so we were too busy to add one last year. Hoping to double up this spring and continue the project around other neighborhoods in Portland.
Dustyn Bailey 12:15 PM
That's awesome, and sweet, and very generous to use your time and skill for the benefit of the community.
We'll all be watching @ryanwritesonthings to see what you add this year!!
From watching your feed, we know Rachel and your family is big part of who you are So give us something about Ryan off the clock! Where do you and the family travel? What's a slow afternoon look like for you and the kids?
Rachel 12:19 PM
Sorry to be joining late, where can I see more of your work, Ryan?
Ryan Adams 12:19 PM
Ooh! I am a food and travel fanatic (I know, groundbreaking ). In my time away from the job, I love to be outdoors. My dad used to take me fishing and camping a few times a year while growing up and I have always needed a little bit of time in the woods each year for a reset, so we try to get a summer rental somewhere at least once a year. I also love traveling to other places solely for the cuisine. In the past few years, most of the travel has been in the states, but I am looking forward to getting back out there into the world and bringing the kiddos along… maybe. Between the businesses and the kids slow afternoon is so rare around these parts, that when they do happen, there is a lot of takeout and watching the Harry Potter movies together.
Dustyn Bailey 12:20 PM
Tag I gotcha @Ryan Adams and @Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/ryanwritesonthings/ (edited)
Rachel 12:21 PM
SO cool!
Dustyn Bailey 12:21 PM
It's as wholesome as I was hoping
Rachel 12:21 PM
The city of South Portland is getting ready to send out a call for proposals for a mural, I will keep you posted on that!
Dustyn Bailey 12:21 PM
I know you are a Portland native, but what are some of the other places you like to visit in the state @Ryan Adams?
Ryan Adams 12:22 PM
Wonderful! Thank you!
Rachel 12:23 PM
Did you also do the mural on the building for the artists and craftsman? I am also curious about where you like to visit outside of Portland.
Ryan Adams 12:24 PM
I'm a huge fan of Rockland. I am on the board for the Ellis Beauregard Foundation, so I fortunately get to make a few trips up each year. It is absolutely beautiful and has a thriving art scene. Every time we visit, one of us ends up on Zillow
Ryan Adams 12:24 PM
I did do the mural at Artist and Craftsman! 2017, I believe.
Dustyn Bailey 12:25 PM
I know we have spoke a lot about communities, and we know Maine is not as diverse as other states, how can creative agencies in Maine actively work on inclusivity internally and with clients @Ryan Adams? (edited)
Ryan Adams 12:26 PM
For sure. I think that this answer comes from within the agency. Taking a look at the work they are doing and the company culture/structure through the lens of inclusivity and acceptance will probably provide all the answers needed.
Elizabeth Campbell 12:27 PM
@Ryan Adams, the geometric murals with the semi-hidden letters — I’m amazed by that work. What’s the process like to create something just visible enough you can read it, but also kind of obscured by all the lines and colors? Does it feel like flow when you design it, or is it something that requires methodical planning? Can you get it right on the first couple sketches? (I have an arts background, so this style blows my mind trying to figure out how to do it ) (edited)
Mel Andrel 12:27 PM
@Ryan Adams i'm curious if you have any favorite projects / murals from 2022 or any cool experiences from on the job to share! (edited)
Ryan Adams 12:31 PM
Thank you! The process begins with the statement, and figuring out how I want to deliver the feeling/emotion. The geometric pattern is made from flourishes and extensions that would happen with a tag or graffiti piece. From there, it is all about balancing that out with the color palette. I accentuate the unique properties of each letter with colors, highlights and shadows. That helps pull things forward and back to get the eye going to the right places. There is usually a ton of planning beforehand. There is always an on the spot obstacle with murals, so I try to be as prepared as possible... and I try to nail it on the first round of sketches, but there is tinkering that happens on the spot to make sure it works well with the space.
Rachel 12:31 PM
I know there are lots of questions here! I am also wondering about the lifetime of the work of murals. Do these need to be maintained? How long do they last? Are you contracted to 'clean up' graffiti, should that happen on the mural?
Ryan Adams 12:33 PM
One of my favorites from last year was for Google and Live Nation. It was a blitz of a job, but so much fun! We spray painted this container in DC at this facility that manufactured things for large scale event. So the place was like a playground, with White House backdrops, a massive King Kong and all types of snacks :-)
Dustyn Bailey 12:35 PM
Hey @Ryan Adams I know we are going a little over and we have lots of questions, I need to bounce to my next thing but I wanted ask my last and favorite question of all our guests! If there is one thing you can tell young Ryan about your career, what would it be and why?
Ryan Adams 12:35 PM
I take a lot of time to make sure that we use the right pain for the job and prepare our surfaces adequately to try and prolong the lifetime of the murals, but like any exterior paint, they fade over time. I have been touched up a few, but not too many. In regards to any 'additions' from the public, I get to those pretty quickly
Sure thing! I would probably tell myself, that this IS possible. Lol. I really had no idea that I could make a living doing what I absolutely love. I’m sure most of us were told about the whole ‘starving artist’ archetype that basically scared me in to believing that if you wanted to be an artist, that you would basically live in a heatless shack and eat nothing but canned beans while laboring over paintings that may or may not sell. It would have made this journey a much more direct path if I had known that this life of creating art and making a decent living was possible.
Dustyn Bailey 12:38 PM
That's truly the inspiration and words that some young artists getting their first steps need to hear.
@Ryan Adams thanks again for jumping on and being our guest today!
Ryan Adams 12:39 PM
Thank you so much for having me!
Elizabeth Campbell 12:39 PM
Thank you, @Ryan Adams!
Dustyn Bailey 12:40 PM
Everyone feel free to throw questions to Ryan, message him here on the slack channel, and remember to follow his work as he continues to make Maine an even more beautiful place!
https://www.instagram.com/ryanwritesonthings/
Rachel 12:45 PM
Thank you!!!