KYLE GODERWIS
About Kyle:
Former Atlanta based artist, Kyle Goderwis, graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 2006, he was invited to participate in his first gallery show in Atlanta. Since then, he has showcased his work in over a dozen galleries in the Southeast. In 2010, Kyle joined a group of working professional artists to further his education in the fine art world. A transplant to Seattle, he has been with Grand Image since 2014 and creates a variety of abstract and expressionist paintings and other mixed media artwork. Subject matter ranges from landscape to abstract with a wide variety of materials and techniques.
Kyle is a current lead artist in residence in THE Studio at Grand Image. He is celebrating his 10th year at Grand Image in 2024.
Grand Image: How did you get your start in art?
KG: I went to college in Atlanta, Georgia for computer animation, and while that’s not totally related to what I do now, it did start my creative journey. While still in school, I started working at an art supply store. My manager pushed me and the others working there to get to know all the products on the shelves, and that was when I first picked up a paintbrush. There was something about putting paint on canvas that felt more fulfilling than my animation work on the computer. I worked at that art supply store for many years, learning all about paint, brushes, and different painting mediums.
Grand Image: How did you develop your style?
KG: A couple of years after I graduated and was living in Atlanta, I worked as a studio assistant for a handful of amazing abstract artists. I learned so much from each of them, pulling things from their artworks and changing and refining their concepts and adding it to my own style. My time working as an assistant with that studio team was one of my biggest highlights and helped me define my own work.
Grand Image: Where are you from and how is that reflected in your work?
KG: I was born and raised in Kentucky and lived in Atlanta for 14 years. A lot of my abstract style comes from seeing the graffiti artwork all over Atlanta and getting to know some of the artists responsible for it.
Grand Image: How has your relationship with art changed the way you view the world?
KG: Working here at Grand Image has taught me how art is needed everywhere. Not just in museums and art galleries – people want see art in their homes, when they stay at hotels, when they eat out at a restaurant and even in their doctor’s offices. Everywhere I go now I pay attention to the artwork, or notice places that need artwork.
Grand Image: How has working at Grand Image influenced your work?
KG: Being around so many different styles of artwork all the time is influential. I see a lot of trends come and go, in addition to more classical style works. It’s hard not to feel inspired by such a wide range of artworks that people create.
Grand Image was the first place I started producing artwork with dimensional elements. One of the first projects I worked on was a cassette collage, which I’m still producing here today. About 5 years ago we started book collages too and they’ve become one of my favorites. I like being able to balance the 3D work with the work I do on paper and canvas.
Grand Image: How many years have you been an artist? Can you tell us about a key moment in your journey that helped define you?
KG: I’ve been an artist for about 20 years, starting in art school. My time studying computer animation started me on my journey. I don’t think I could pinpoint one key moment – it’s been a lot of little steps. From art school, to working in art supplies, to working with and befriending local artists, working in publishing, to working at Grand Image for 10 years. All of it is important and defines who I am as an artist.
Grand Image: What is your current source of inspiration?
KG: Color trends. Most of my work comes from putting different colors together, seeing what combinations work and that I haven't thought of before. I find color inspiration everywhere, even when I’m on driving and see billboards. I use a lot of bright colors and a lot of pastels. I get a lot of satisfaction from placing colors together that are unusual and finding new combinations that I don’t see in other artists’ work.
Grand Image: What does your artwork say about you as a person?
KG: I think it shows that I’m a fun, easygoing, carefree person. My work is very light and colorful without serious messages or deep meanings behind it. I want people to see my work and feel a sense of joy.
Grand Image: What artists inspire you? What do you like about them?
KG: Too many to mention. I find that I’m really inspired by the journey of the artist and the artwork, sometimes more so than the final piece(s). It’s fun for me to see where an artist starts and how their style develops and how and why their style changes.
Grand Image: If you could have your artwork hung anywhere in the world, where would you like that to be and why?
KG: It would be really cool to see my work on a huge scale, maybe as a wallcovering or on the side of a building. Or on a smaller scale, in some galleries that I’ve had my eye on for a while.
Grand Image: Please describe an artwork or series that was pivotal to your career.
KG: My Fluid Forms series really changed me as an artist. I began playing with the concept in 2019. It started as essentially just a quick scribble in Photoshop that I colored in. Quick, gestural linework filled with interesting color combinations. It has become what I see as my signature work. There is tons of value in artists that can produce work in various different styles, and I’ve done that, but I am finding a lot of value in a work that has a streamlined focus. I see the Fluid Forms I’ve done and say “Hey! That’s me.”
Grand Image: Do you choose to stay on top of current trends? If so, how? If not, why not?
KG: The only trends I really follow are trendy colors. I love seeing the Pantone and Sherwin Williams colors of the year, especially if it’s a shade of pink or a pastel. Pantone’s 2024 Peach Fuzz? Super into it.
Grand Image: What is your favorite way to implement self care?
KG: I don’t have much down time, but when I do, I spend it rewatching old shows. By the time I finish work, family stuff, and painting, it’s pretty late at night. So my bandwidth is pretty low for paying attention to the plot line of something new. I just need something to watch that’s familiar before I go to bed. For example, just finished rewatching The Sopranos for the 8th time lol.
Grand Image: What advice would you give someone starting out as an artist?
KG: Patience, patience, patience. You might see some artists online have a quick viral moment or get lucky with a piece they’ve made, but that’s unrealistic for most artists out there. As an artist, you’ll have to put yourself out there: go to the galleries, send the emails, create the work, and be patient. You may feel like you only have a moment of success every six months or once a year but that’s great. A win is a win no matter how small. I submitted my work to a magazine multiple times and finally on the last attempt got accepted. Looking back now, I can see my work wasn’t ready for publication on those first two submissions. But I was patient. Kept painting. And when that win came, it was even more meaningful because I waited for it.
Celebrating 10 Years of Kyle in the Grand Image Studio
