Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Rogers.
Hi Chris, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Because of my parents’ work, I’d lived in seven different countries by the time I turned twenty. This was mostly in Southeast Asia. It was a childhood that gave me a big imagination, but it came with some grief too as we frequently relocated. The arts were a way to synthesize complicated feelings. I really took to writing and drawing.
Eventually I attended FZD School of Design in Singapore, where I developed my technical skill as an artist. After Singapore, I moved to America and eventually to Culpeper, Virginia. I’d actually lived in Culpeper before, for a few years of my early childhood.
During those first years back in the US as an adult, I worked various day jobs while trying to actualize my long-standing dream of an artistic career. I took what chances I could to do creative work, whether that meant global freelance opportunities like designing props for a direct-to-Netflix animated movie, or local opportunities in Culpeper like selling art at holiday markets or doing event photography.
I also met my wife here. We’ve found a home in Culpeper’s downtown area. It was through those new neighborhood connections that I noticed how much passion people have for revitalizing Culpeper’s historic downtown, following a national trend in many American small towns. So why not make art that celebrates the concept of place?
Now I’ve made a business out of it. My goal is to collaborate with tourism teams to elevate their marketing efforts, work with businesses to promote events and venues, and commemorate our historic buildings. All through iconic artwork that embraces our timeless small towns and historic areas.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Each win is only made possible by prior learning experiences. When I was at FZD, I was just eighteen. All my classmates were much older, the equivalent to grad students or career-switchers. It was hard to keep up! By the end of the program I could draw quite well, but still had everything to learn in the way of professional and business skills, and daily life in America. Hard-won knowledge all around.
Before I found my way back to Culpeper, I landed in Oklahoma City (some family was there). I thought I’d easily find myself a remote art job in film or games. No such luck. I worked part-time in a shipping warehouse. Then the pandemic hit!
But as time passes, all of those curveballs just turn into funny stories. Even my abrupt transition from being an expatriate art student in Singapore to being a pandemic-era warehouse worker in Oklahoma, to now being an entrepreneur and husband in Virginia. It’s a privilege to have all of those diverse experiences. The insight from the twists and turns is something that you get to keep forever.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always been a drawer, as opposed to a painter or sculptor. I really enjoy the creative constraint of tackling complicated subject matter with only pen and ink. Part of art is turning limitations into opportunities.
A unique part of my process is that I scan my physical drawings and incorporate color digitally. The original drawing grounds me, and provides a lot of artful imperfections that enrich the final piece. As for color, I love the fidelity and vibrance of hand-drawn digital. I’ve developed both workflows over the course of about ten years.
I think the thing that sets me apart within the world that I operate is my emphasis on drawing ordinary local buildings. Nobody knows what’s unique about the place that they’re from, but I’ve seen enough of the world to know that small town Virginia is special. Growing up in Asia and the Middle East, the materials around me were concrete, glass, marble and even bamboo, but I always had these memories of red brick masonry. To my eyes, American small towns are soulful and culturally specific. Worth drawing.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The act of planting roots. When you have roots, you have a network. That’s your neighbors, your family, your friends-of-friends, other artists. Those people all become stakeholders in your life and business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrisrogersvisualart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisstilldoesart
