Martin Wittfooth is an illustrator and fine artist living in New York City.  His surreal oil paintings are much more than simply depictions of animals – they are emotional self-portraits that demand to be seen as a timestamp of our place here on Earth – where we have come from and more importantly where we are going.

In this episode, Martin discusses:

-What he attempts to accomplish with his paintings.

-How his style has developed over time and the experience of looking back at his old work.

-One of his earliest creative memories when he realized that his art could cause a reaction in people.

-How he sees his paintings as “emotional self-portraits.”

-His fascination with the way that the human species communicates with one another on many different levels.

-How young adults have to make decisions on what they want to do for the rest of their lives at too early of an age.

-The difficulty of trying to find a marriage between painting and the business of painting.

-How we live in a time where the knowledge and advice is out there on the internet… we just need to know where to look and how to ask for it.

-The importance of enjoying the act of your creative endeavor rather than the results of it.

Quotes:

“Through drawing, all the sudden people took interest in what I was doing.”

“I’m trying to get myself somehow trapped on the canvas but in a way that isn’t the predictable image of me.”

“If it stops feeling like play, then it’s probably not worth doing.”

Links mentioned:

The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna

The Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast — Episode 137 with Martin Wittfooth

Connect with Martin:

Website / Facebook / Instagram