Grease, Gears, Sweat and Tears

As the new year starts everyone is posting about resolutions and positive affirmations for 2015. People in general are trying to have a good time and do better. We lost a few this year, time stands still for no one. As I reflect on my year I am pretty happy. I have made many new friends and have been fortunate enough to be a part of a growing scene here in New Orleans.

My whole life I have felt like I was on a time crunch. Like I was living on a time clock that was ticking down way faster than I am comfortable with. My conscious awareness of my mortality is always in the back of my mind. I remember reading the comments made by someone regarding a young woman who had taken her own life instead of dying a slow painful death from a terminal illness. The woman stated "how awful it must be to live every day knowing that you're going to die". This struck me as insane. I laughed so I wouldn't cry at the absurdity of her comment. We are all dying, some just quicker than others. It blows my mind how people just go about there day living life and putting off their dreams and ambitions. There is no tomorrow, no guarantee's, no promises and definitely no refunds.

I don't do the resolution thing. I would like to believe that throughout the year I try to improve and change and avoid complacency. I have a long way to go and a lot to learn. So lets make 2015 about getting out and doing a little something to make things happen. You reach a goal by standing up your obstacles and knocking them down one at a time. The good old days are now and life is what happens while you are planning it. Death comes for all of us eventually and I can promise you he's gonna have to chase me down.

It's been a busy summer and I've been working my butt off so I've been neglecting the blog. Here's an interview with Barry Land, the creative genius behind So'full Garage Creations to help kick things back off. Enjoy and help support an independent artist and chopperhead, go buy some of his stuff.

GGST - What is So’full Garage Creations?

Barry - So’full Garage “Two Wheel Fueled Delirium ” began as a blog in March 2010, where I chronicle my motorcycle adventures. I share my writing and photos and I also do interviews with people relative to the blog’s subject matter.

I began creating my own art in July of 2013 and have been luck to have had a really good response to it. As word spread and my pieces began to sell, I needed to come up with a name for my Etsy store and business cards. After giving it some thought I decided to stick with the So’full Garage moniker. It is somewhat recognized, and it is attached to my name. I wanted my endeavors to stay associated with each other, and to me. That is why I stuck with the name, just adding “Creations” to it.

The name is a play on the word soulful, meaning deep with feeling and by dropping the “ul” out of soul it also suggests a garage that’s packed wall to wall. It seemed to fit.

GGST - Where did this idea come from and what is your motivation?

Barry - I’ve always had a connection to art and creating. When I was younger I’d draw and paint. I’ve been writing since 9^th grade. I used to publish a punk rock zine, sang in a band. Since mid High School I’ve always had a camera in my hand. My weld art is just a natural progression for me to be creative and satisfy that obsession, to create. For me, So’full Garage Creations is one of my favorite things I have done!

GGST - Do you work in any other mediums?

Barry - As touched on above, I have. Nowadays its mostly words, photography, and metal/weld art.

GGST - What would you like this to become?

Barry - I would eventually like this to become my full time gig. I plan on taking a business class to learn some of the in’s and out’s of running my own business. For now I’ll just keep creating, and hopefully selling. I will be attending some local area flea markets this coming year also, attempting to spread the soul.

GGST - What are your other hobbies?

Barry - Riding motorcycles is a major passion of mine. I’ve been riding since 2000 and have ridden around the country on my ‘72 Honda CB750 chopper that I built back in ‘09. I’ve been thru close to 30 states from coast to coast on that motorcycle. Motorcycling and traveling are huge for me, if those are considered hobbies. I like music. I don’t create it. But I collect it and listen to it. I write and take photos. I enjoy cooking, and on a rare occasion I’ll still ride around on my skateboard.

GGST - What have been your favorite pieces that you’ve made so far?

Barry - Dang Clint, that’s a tough one. I guess the blanket answer to that would be “the last piece I made”! I’ll say that every time you ask me.

GGST - What artists have influenced you?

Barry - So many! I feel that Kenny Howard (Von Dutch) has had a huge impact on me. He dabbled and mastered many different realms of creation and did things his own way. Not only did he paint and pinstripe, he also made knives, did engraving…so much stuff.

The same goes for Ed Roth. He was very DIY. He self-published all kinds of how-to booklets, painted and pinstriped, air brushed T-shirts designs, and built some amazing, influential hot rods that were from outer space.

Their names have sort of become buzz words over the years. Howard’s name being sold to a fashion mogul and the Von Dutch logo being adorned on bad clothing.

Ed Roth, maybe not as much, but ya get the “I love Rat Fink” crowd that only know that about the man, his anti-Mickey Mouse character and not all the other rad things he did.

Guys like Jason Jessee & Ed Templeton inspire me. Street artist Fra.biancoshock inspires me. I guess I took your initial question of “influenced” and changed it to “inspired”.

I could go on and on. But really, anyone doing their own thing and creating something influences AND inspires me. This doesn’t have to just be “art” either.

But I regress, I assume the focus of your question is who has influenced me with So’Full Garage Creations, and to answer your initial question, that would be my friend, hot rod builder and artist in his own right, Aaron Grote.

GGST - What type of art medium do you wish you could work in that you haven’t or maybe cannot?

Barry - This is a hard one to answer also because of the word “cannot”. Mainly because I’m the type of person that will DO anything I put my mind to. Whether its silk screening shirts, painting motorcycle tins, screaming in a band…you get the idea. I usually have personal success in what I do, but not everything I do, I do again. Make sense? Like writing, I’ve been doing that for a quarter century, but I haven’t drawn a picture since I was in college. I look forward to new endeavors though and I don’t think that will ever change.

I’d like to try painting again, brush and canvas. It’s been a lifetime ago since I’ve done that.

GGST - Do you do any commissioned pieces?
Barry - Yes, as a matter of fact I have done many commissioned pieces. They tend to take a little longer and be a little more pricey than the creations that come from my imagination. It’s a different process. I can see a piece of metal and think to myself “okay that is gonna be a ______” and it becomes whatever that “blank” is.
With a commissioned piece I have to look at the metal differently and seek out that certain piece of metal that I can see becoming what the customer wants. It’s sometimes difficult and stressful but I love a challenge and have had success with the commissioned pieces so far.
As a matter of fact I have a list of commissions right now, and I explain this same thing to my customers. Everyone seems to understand that it is a different process and has been patient so far.

GGST - If you could be any animal what animal would it be?

Barry - An elephant.

GGST - How can people contact you, websites, email etc.

Barry - The So’full Garage blog, which is a little bit of everything I’m up to, is soulfullgarage.blogspot.com.
Facebook, which focuses just on the “Creations” part of So’full Garage, is facebook.com/SoFullGarageCreations And finally, my Etsy Store: etsy.com/shop/SoFullGarageCreation (no “s”)

GGST - Thanks for the interview man. Good luck and I'll see you on the road.

Barry - Yeah man. Thank you for your support and taking interest in the So'full Garage. Keep those knees in the breeze.