Kevin Maybee is a nineteen-year-old attending Bellevue College and practices art as a hobby. He states to not have a favorite artist “because everyone has his or her own style and it would be too hard to pick one to favor.” In addition, Maybee believes art is a great way of expressing one’s self without being judge.
1. What made you decide to become an artist?
I never really “decided” to become an artist because it was just something I had always done. I started drawing when I was in kindergarten and I never really thought of myself as an artist at that age because I figured my interest in art was just normal. When I got older in about mid-elementary, my parents told me that I should consider being an artist when I grew up since I loved drawing. That was the first time I ever thought of myself as an artist.
2. What inspires you to be a better artist?
I know this sounds dumb, but I’ve never been too proud of my art. When I finish anything, all I can look at are the mistakes and I get really embarrassed of my work. However, that isn’t really a bad thing because it pushes me to fix my mistakes and improve my craft.
3. How many years have you studied art for?
I started drawing in about preschool, but later in elementary school, I stopped drawing completely. I didn’t draw a single thing again until my last few years in high school when I started doing a few silly doodles in my history notes. In high school, I probably drew one thing a month, as I still wasn’t very interested in art. It wasn’t until last summer that I started really getting into art and began to draw more. I only consider myself getting truly “serious” with my art in the past year.
4. How many art classes have you taken in your life? How many have you taken at BC?
My first art class was during my senior year in high school. I didn’t really get anything out of that class except sparking my interest in art later that summer. Then, my first quarter in college this last fall, I took a drawing class at BC and got a good amount out of it. Since I am self-taught, it was really nice to learn something with help for a change. Both of these classes were pencil and charcoal art classes.
5. Do you present your art at galleries, competitions, etc?
I am not the person to enter my art into competition, as I prefer to see other people’s work rather than my own. However, I did enter this one contest called “Reflections” through my school once or twice in elementary, as well as my junior and senior year in high school. I was not a fan of this contest and only entered it for extra credit from some teachers to be honest. I don’t think I will enter another contest in the future, as they are not something I am interested in.
6.Have you won any recognition for your art?
When I entered those contests in school, I got through a few stages and got some ribbons, but nothing overly exciting. I got to districts in elementary and state both times in high school, but didn’t place after that.
7. Do you plan to major in art? Why? Where do you want to go to school after finishing here at BC? What are your future goals?
I am not sure what I want to major in right now, but I don’t think I will be getting an art degree. Art is more of a hobby to me rather than something I want to make a living from. My only goals are to continue to improve my work, but only for my own interest, not a career.
8. Who is your favorite artist?
My friends! I love seeing people I know express themselves in any artistic form: music, visual arts, fashion, theater, dance, literature, etc. I like anything people create, even if it’s a simple stick figure. Also, I don’t have one favorite artist because everyone has his or her own style and it would be too hard to pick one to favor. I like seeing many different styles and types because art is a way to express one’s self and it’s only interesting to see something expressed in as many ways as possible.
9. Are you working on any big projects regarding art at the moment?
Right now, I’m not really working on one major project, but I’m working to improve my digital painting. Most of my art is done digitally in Photoshop with my Wacom drawing tablet, which allows me to digitally paint on the computer with this touchpad-like device. My current improvement project is to branch out into painting scenery as I mostly only paint people. In terms of this very moment, I am working on my first scenery painting ever, which is a three-point perspective of some skyscrapers.
10. What other activities do you enjoy doing?
My favorite thing to do is to go out and travel to new places around here or across the country. When I am at home however, I spend most of my time doing either schoolwork or working on art. When I’m not working on something, I sleep. Sleeping is probably my favorite activity because I usually stay up until 1am drawing, so the sleeping part is really nice. Other than that, I read, play video games, eat, and breathe, the usual things really.
