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GARRETT HOLT: Caricature artist, writer, dad, and husband

Midweek Conversations

FROM SARAH'S DESK: Hello again! We are pleased to have the opportunity to introduce you to some good friends of ours this week! We met Garrett and CeCe Holt several years ago when we lived in South Carolina while Matt was working on his graduate degree at Clemson University. Back then, Matt and I were exhausted parents to 3 little babies and Garret and CeCe were adorable newlyweds. They are now (still adorable) parents to two cool kids and still actively pursuing their talents and passions in the arts. They are incredible caricature artists. Today, I interview Garrett- he's pretty cool. We like him. Enjoy this really great chat we had with him!

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TAG: When people ask you what you “do”, how do you answer?

GARRETT HOLT: I find and train artists for amusement parks. When I’m not putting out fires, I draw caricatures and face paint right beside my staff.

TAG: Do you have a day job? What is it? What does it mean to you?

GARRETT HOLT: I am lucky in that my day job is all about art. Sure, I have to manage payroll, and update spreadsheets, but at the end of the day, my crew and I use our talents and get paid for it.

TAG: Tell me about your family. How do you manage your time? Art/work/kids/house balance? Does it balance? What are the struggles of having to do both? And what are the benefits?

GARRETT HOLT: Yeah, our schedule certainly isn’t a 9 to 5 situation—most of our weekends are occupied by our jobs, and we work a lot of odd hours and nights, but the flip side of that is that we get to spend a lot more time together as a family at other times. So, while it is really hard to do much during the Summer, there are about three months during winter (my amusement park is seasonal and CeCe’s event caricatures are booked less during this time) where we are practically on vacation.

TAG: Besides your art and design practice, are you involved in any other kind of work?

GARRETT HOLT: In addition to helping CeCe with the business side of Painted Monkey, I also enjoy writing. I’ve released a fantasy novel, and am gearing up to release the second novel in its series soon. I am also very involved in face painting and I developed the training materials and signage that are used by my company in 40 accounts nationwide. This big project featured the incredible efforts of other very skilled artists,  a supportive management team,  and a great photographer,  who all helped turn my notebook full of face paint concepts and goals into the best program it could be.

TAG: How would you describe your subject matter or the content of your work?

GARRETT HOLT: So it looks like we’re getting more into the fine arts side of these questions. Really, our work is much more akin to commissioned illustrations. We have honed our ability over several years to create products that our customers are going to love and that they will treasure for life. I mean, on the one hand, every face is different and brings its own unique challenges and opportunities. You want to create a picture that the customer will laugh at or love, or hopefully, both. But the short, un-artsy answer is, I draw awesome faces with shoulders or little cartoony bodies.

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TAG: What mediums do you work with?

GARRETT HOLT: Although our paid work is primarily done with traditional media (markers and color sticks), we take our craft very seriously and are focused on expanding our abilities. To that end we have both been working on our digital drawing and painting abilities, primarily in Photoshop and Sketchbook Pro.

TAG: Has there been a shift or change in your life or work that has led to what you’re making now? Do you see your work as autobiographical at all?

GARRETT HOLT: I have been working for the same company drawing caricatures for about 18 years. I have to be on guard to ensure that I don’t become stagnant in my abilities. One of the big changes came about last year when CeCe accepted a position working for ISCA. I have known many, many members over the years, but had never attended a caricature convention. It was a big wake-up call for me artistically. I have been focused on upping the quality of my work ever since.

TAG: Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting that you can tell us about?

GARRETT HOLT: The digital coloring is a big deal for me, because I come from a drawing background, and never did a lot of painting (unlike CeCe). So I’m not only learning how to create paintings with different tools, I’m learning to paint digitally for the first time with any tools.

TAG: What are your biggest challenges to creating art and how do you deal with them?

GARRETT HOLT: Sometimes I care more about getting it done than getting it right…which is tough because sometimes you’re tired after a long day in the 95 degree heat, and the customers can’t really tell the difference between a good and a great piece. But I can, so I’m always pushing to make sure that when a piece leaves it is one I am proud of.

TAG: What are you most proud of?

GARRETT HOLT: I’m most proud of the fact that our sons know that being creative is a valid life path. I believe that if you tell your kids they can be anything they put their mind to but then they watch you settle for a life that doesn’t excite you, they aren’t going to believe you. Our kids are provided with a daily example of us living our passion.

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TAG: What are you presently inspired by— are there particular things you are reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?

GARRETT HOLT: You know, it’s funny, but in my line of work, being the person who finds artists and trains them to do caricatures, I am often one of the top artists in my immediate vicinity, but being active in the national community has really upped the bar for what is possible, and is motivating me in so many ways.

TAG: What does having a physical space mean for your process, and how do you make your space work for you?

GARRETT HOLT: Working in an outdoor retail environment is a kind of a weird thing, since you invite your subject into your work space, but I am still meticulous about my area. My seat and my subject’s seat is placed in a very particular way. I give them clear directions, and keep my stands very clean and am obsessive about any messes on counters or nearby. I will lay out my colors and markers in a particular order and…well, you get the picture.

TAG: Do you see your work as relating to any current movement or direction in culture?

GARRETT HOLT: I would say pop culture is definitely related. The popular movies and video games of any given year make an impact on requested themes. On a larger scale, caricature is definitely a reflection of concerns and movements, but that is more on the editorial side of the art form, which we are largely uninvolved in.

TAG: You have a varied art practice in which you employ an array of materials and mediums— how do you think this benefits your body of work overall? Are there pitfalls?

GARRETT HOLT: I believe the more you use any medium, the more polished you can be with your work. Sometimes it can be hard to be more experimental, to break away from your tried-and-true methodology for one that may not be as well-developed, but could expand your abilities.

TAG: Does personal history work its way into your practice? How might who you are be reflected in your current work?

GARRETT HOLT: You know, that’s a hard question to answer. I really feel like my day appears in my work. If I’m having a rougher day, my drawings are structurally tight, clean and “safe”. If I’m having a good day, and I’m enjoying my interaction with the people that I’m drawing, the drawing always looks more alive, and fun and bouncy.

TAG: What risks have you taken in your work, and what has been at stake?

GARRETT HOLT: Definitely when we’ve invested in CeCe’s business. We may not be starving artists, but we do have to be very conscious of how the money is used. I know this question is about artwork, but it takes a certain level of confidence in the artwork you do to continue to invest in new opportunities that may (or may not) help to make you stand out from your peers.

TAG: How will you know when you have arrived?

GARRETT HOLT: I guess after all of the faces have been drawn. What’s the current world population?

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TAG: What advice has influenced you?

GARRETT HOLT: “I don’t care if you scrub toilets, be the best *#$%* toilet scrubber there is.” –my father

TAG: What do you hope your work will accomplish?

GARRETT HOLT: I like it when the lights stay on.

TAG: Do you have a motto?

GARRETT HOLT: We are pretty well represented by our mission statement for Painted Monkey Entertainment:

"Brighten the World

Enlighten and Inspire

Create and Dream

Imagine and Do"

TAG: What do you want your work to do?

GARRETT HOLT: My hope is that my silly little drawings will remind people that it’s fun here. You know, in life.