Artist of the month: Godfrey Escota

What age did you begin creating art?
I began drawing at a very early age. I’ve always liked drawing people, having been influenced by a love for comics at an early age. I used to stash my doodles under my bed, hidden away from my parents who saw no future in being an artist.

If you weren’t doing something creative what would you be doing?
I’d be in construction if I weren’t an artist today. I love Nate, the carpenter in Reality TV’s Extreme Makeover. I find it fun to create something new from what other thinks of as hopeless wrecks. I remember accompanying my father in construction sites and liking the smell of the fresh paint. I would’ve wanted to be a psychiatrist too, now that I think about it.

Have you consistently been doing your art since then? What detours have come along the way?
I worked as an artist for an animation studio before I joined IAS.

What is the driving influence or inspirations then and now in your art?
My inspiration remains my family. I was suddenly thrown into the role of sole breadwinner and thus was hard-pressed to find a good paying job. Unable to find work as a fledgling architect I took a job as an artist at an animation studio which led to a year long gig. Soon after, a friend recommended that I try out for IAS and the rest, as they say, is history.

Current exhibits or outside projects you are working on?
I am devoting my spare time to one of my creative pursuits which is sculpting figures using commercial clay. I am just starting out though.

What mediums do you like working in?
Aside from doing digital painting in Adobe Photoshop I love the feel of pencil on paper. I use clay when working on my sculpting projects.

Who are some of your influences?
I discovered Norman Rockwell by accident, unearthing an ancient, cloth-bound monster collection of Norman Rockwell paintings in the university library. It started a lasting fascination for painting and Norman Rockwell. I also love the work of several comic book artists known for their dynamism and clean lines: Travis Charest, Jim Lee and Frank Cho.

What are some of your future plans?
Todd McFarlane’s sense of fun, quirky artistry and business sense inspires me to one day set up my own business, maybe after I put my younger siblings to school. I’ll probably pursue painting and sculpting full-time then for the sheer pleasure of creating art.