Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
DariusTwin: The strangeness in Life, fate, people, art, epiphanies.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
DT: I am self-taught with some formal inspiration. In my experience, it’s both helped and hindered me depending on what I was trying to do.. In a graphic sense it has helped bc growing up I saw a lot of skateboarding, surf and street art and that’s what I tried to create for a while.. it got me work. However, I see artists on display in places like the MOCA and MET and would like to start presenting my art on a much larger scale. I’m sure formal training wouldn’t hurt in that field.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand
that you love working with? Why do you use them?
DT: My mediums include light, photography, digital art, paint, print… usually a combo of each. I really like photoshop and illustrator for graphics, Montana spray paint for stencil pieces, Big pilot markers for ink on large walls, and Canon products for photos… as the time allotted for processing long exposures is quick in comparison to similar Nikon cameras.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large
part of your life?
DT: 2nd grade, when Mrs. Labastida (teacher) brought me outside the classroom because I had been sketching while she was talking. I remember thinking she was going to send me to the principles office when she asked me if I would like to skip what we were doing and work on a large poster in the back of class. I recruited my twin brother Ross to help draw and we finished the project over the next two weeks. The poster turned out great, and my parents still have it. That teacher really hyped me on art.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
DT: I’d say photography bc it helps me remember moments, people, stories and feelings.. I think the light paintings encompass my love for illustrating as well.

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
DT: Go for a walk, skateboard, play music, be with friends, see others art, visit the beach at sunset, fireworks, museums, see my muse, wine.

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
DT: Coffee or energy drink.

CM: How do you define your style? Does it represent an inner you or
something completely different?
DT: Creepy-cool or Bright with a pinch of evil. Definitely represents parts of me, I’d say it’s the closest thing to my soul shouting out loud.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
DT: One I find interesting, overgrown, abandoned, historical, high spirited, not uptight or with hidden fears.

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
DT: Worst: Moving a huge painting (8×10ft ~ 250lbs) into my new house.. There are lots of stairs.
Best: Having Filter Magazine sponsor an art show in downtown Los Angeles. Super fun.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
DT: Tim Burton, Dr. Suess, Edward Gorey, old Disney (fantasia is always great), David Attenborough specials (BBC), charles bukowski, carlos ruiz zafon, chuck palahniuk, hip hop, indy rock, neo-soul, some electronic.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or
destroying the art world?
DT: Helping, definitely. Every technology is a tool to use. The accessibility of finding great art is much more available and search-responsive than ever before and the dialogue is especially important.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else
that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
DT: Music, photography, film, design, skateboarding, travel, hiking, people.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like
our readers to know about?
DT: The light painters will be featured in pacific magazine and 944 Magazine distributed in San Diego, CA in early 2009. See The Light Painters.com and DariusTwin.com for upcoming events and releases.

For more information on DariusTwin and his artwork check out these links:
DariusTwin.com
The Light Painters
DariusTwin on Flickr