An artist profile of Nicholas Di Genova.

Describe your process of creating a piece. What materials do you normally work in?

When I have an idea for a piece I'd like to do, I usually collect source material and do a whole bunch of sketches for a couple of days... When I have enough material that I feel confident that it will look good, I sketch it out in pencil, and then go over the pencil really slowly with quill pens... I used to use a lot of mylar and animation paint in my pieces, but lately I have been sticking more and more to black and white work... Mostly pen and ink, or ballpoint.

What projects are you working on? What do you have coming up, any shows?

I just finished a piece that I have been working on for 16 months, it’s a large grid of 20 000 butterflies drawn in ballpoint pen... That's the centerpiece of the show I've been working on, now I have to finish up the rest of the show... I sort of think that I've been working on the show for too long, I want to get it wrapped up but I still have a lot to do....

Other than that, I've been working away on a collaborative comic with two of my friends from the states, Shawn Cheng and Zak Smith.... We've been working on it since 2006, and are thinking of putting it out as a book soon.... You can see it at roadofknives.com. Other than that, um, I've been doing some art fairs, and I think that's it..

When are you most productive?

I used to be more productive at night, between midnight and 5 am. I would stay up all night and drink lots of coffee and be all artsy and get a lot done. Lately though I'm trying switch my lifestyle a bit, just too generally take better care of myself. I guess I get the majority of my work done during the day now, I'm trying to be in bed by 2am or so. 

When did creating art become something important in your life?

I guess it’s always been important, it’s always been the only thing that I was sort of good at... Since around 2001 though, it’s definitely been the thing that my life revolves around.... I think it was around 2001 or 2002 that I knew I was going to become an artist, and I quit my other job in 2006 to do art full time...

What are some of your favorite spots in the city? Some favourite places to go, eat, drink, bike ride?

My favourite restaurant is San on Queen.... a Korean place. My girlfriend lives beside it and I get Kimchi stew there about 4 or 5 times a week. For breakfast I like the UFO on Niagara, or the Wellington on, um, Wellington. As far as bars go I've always liked the Beaver. Like most people in my neighbourhood I love Trinity Bellwoods park. My apartment backs onto it, I think of it as my own giant back yard....

What are you currently obsessed with? Any blogs, pod casts, films, artists?

For the last 7 years or so I've been obsessed with fantasy audiobooks... The longer the better, just because I find drawing is much more relaxing when I'm listening to descriptions of knights and wizards destroying the forces of evil... Other than that, I'm not too sure... on lunch break I either watch nature documentaries or MMA fights, but I'm trying to cut down on the fights a bit because sometimes they work me up a bit... In terms of visual artists, there are a few that I'm particularly excited about... Kris Kuksi's sculptures and Luke Painters drawings are two of my favourites... Matt Brown's drawings, Julie Moon ceramics, Amanda Nedham's drawings.... these are the artists that have been getting me excited about making art.

What are your thoughts on the Toronto art scene compared to everywhere else you've experienced?

Oh man, I'm so pro-Toronto. The art scene here is great... It is affordable enough that many artists can survive off of just working a few days a week and being in the studio the other days. It’s big enough that there is a broad collector base, so we're capable of supporting quite a few artists... It’s close enough to New York that if you have a show down there, you can drive it down yourself in a day. Last year I moved down to NYC for a few months to see what I thought of it... I know it has such a rich history and vibrant art scene, but trying to work down there as an artist wasn't for me... Rent is so expensive that most of the people I met had to put most of their time into real jobs to keep a roof over their head, which to me defeats the purpose of moving down there to be an artist... I don't want to take a dump on their city, I'm sure the people living and working there love it and there are obviously a million great things about NYC, but to me there is no better place to live and work than Toronto...  I really love it here.

What is your survival food? Cheap eats for the starving artist?

$6.90 walk-in special at Dominos Pizza before 4 pm.... It’s pretty gross, but two people can eat a full meal for 3.50 each, it’s often our lunch here in the studio...

Any last words?

Ummm.... thanks for interviewing me! Read my blog, skeletonhug.blogspot.com if you want to see some more work!