Last year at the dawn of 2006 I began to explore the perplexities of
stencils. I was never much of a painter, and really only doodled
during class instead of paying attention. I had taken classes in
painting, drawing, ceramics, collage, graphic design, and art history
but something about stencils really attracted me. I was walking around
the mean streets of Bellingham, Washington, where I preside, and
ventured into a unique shop that had many artistic and political
assets. One of which was a book called, "Stencil Pirates" by Josh
MacPhee. It was love at first site.
It wasn't until a few months later that I decided to quit drinking
and pursue what some might refer to as a "meaningful life". I used
stencils as an escape from the drudgery of everyday life, and in all
honesty, it was the most difficult yet productive period of my life
thus far. From one stencil to the next they became easier to cut and I was enticed the way they made an impact on any surface I applied them to.
Since then I've cut out over 100 different stencils and have had success in art shows, awards, flyers, and murals. When someone see's a
peice of my art and it allows them to have an escape from everyday
life, then I have done more that what I set out to do.
All images are copyright protected 2006 Aaron Brick
