PB&J Sandwiches, Skateboards and Other Artist Essentials Twyla artist Canyon Castator answers some of our favorite questions.
LA-based artist Canyon Castator makes figurative works that start as iPad sketches and end as narrative paintings. Raised in Boulder, Colorado, Canyon spent his early years competitive skateboarding, but took up art as a hobby after he was injured. (You’ll probably pick up some of that skater vibe as you read the Q&A below.) As Canyon is one of the more recent artists to join Twyla, we asked him a few questions to find out more about his favorite things and his approach to art and life.
What is your favorite work of art?
"Asheville" (1948) by Willem de Kooning.
I always have [fill in the blank] in my studio.
PB&J.
What famous person would you most like to have dinner with?
JFK.
What book would you take to a desert island?
A sketchbook.
What websites are you addicted to reading?
Thrasher Magazine, The New York Times, The Intercept
Who should we be following on Instagram?
Describe your perfect day.
Wake up, surf, ride motorcycle to studio, paint, dinner with the wife, then back to studio.
Favorite things to do when you’re not making art?
Skateboarding and surfing.
My ultimate secret for finding inspiration is....
Stepping away, letting it find me.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I grew up working summers on a cattle ranch in Missouri. I’m also a very talented karaoke rapper.
What music do you like?
Bob Dylan all day long.
What would your final meal be?
Bottle of wine on an empty stomach.
What's your favorite quote or words that you live by?
“Skate or Whatever."