Beat from the street (Apr. 25, 2017)

Many stories lurk throughout Asheville, whether they are behind the Vaudevillian jazz-folk played by buskers around Pritchard Park, the colorful businesses decorated with funky, hand-made crafts or the laughter echoing from a patio as locals and tourists alike enjoy delicious beer. 


Wesley Joines, server, originally from Newton, NC

So, what are you drawing?
“This is a piece of Asheville, down here at the courthouse building that I’ve been working on for a long time. It’s getting close to done though.”


Yeah, it looks great.
“Thank you.”


What inspires you creatively would you say?
“I guess just Asheville, just people, life in general, you know? There’s inspiration everywhere, right?”


Yeah. What’s one thing you like about Asheville and dislike about Asheville?
“Hmmm, I like how everybody’s so friendly, because I came from Chapel Hill before this and people were not nearly as friendly. So here, everyone is very friendly, especially just out in this general area. One thing I don’t like, I don’t know, maybe the fact that we’re getting so many people here right now. I don’t really mind it that much. But, if I had to pick one thing that I had a problem with, it’s getting a little too many people. It’s just constant, more and more people moving in. So, maybe that fact.”


Do you have a life motto that you live by?
“Not really, just live life, I guess, you know? Not particularly. I don’t try to do anything. I just try to work, do art and hopefully one day only do art. So, that’s the goal.”


What types of art do you like to do?
“This is it. I do just fine pen and ink, landscapes and people and animals and all of the things. I would like to work with color, but I kind of dug myself into a hole of just doing pen.”


You’re comfortable with it.
“Yeah, I’m OK with it. I’ve learned how to use it well.”


That’s good. So, if you were to describe yourself in three words, which three words would you choose and why?
“Oh God, happy, devoted and patient, definitely patient.”

Yeah, you have to be if you’re working on a really detailed piece like this.
“Yeah, for sure.”

What initially got you into art?
“I’ve just been drawing since I was a kid, like anime, watching anime and then trying to draw Dragonball characters and you know, then it progressed into drawing realistic stuff like real people and things like that and just progressed to this.”

James Hughes made the video for this interview, which was originally published in The Blue Banner

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