Ninja May 28th, 2009
Recent Ringling College of Art and Design graduate, Max Marin, shared his thoughts and work with us.
Ninja vs Penguin: Hi Max! Please tell us how you developed an interest in art and when did you started painting?
Max Marin: I was born and raised in Miami, Florida and come from a well brought Colombian family. Since I was very small, my parents have encouraged me to draw. My father was also an artist, and he always said that I had the talent and interest to be more.
I was never much of an outdoor kid when I was younger nor did I have any video games of any sort, so I was inside most of the time. That’s where it started. I would draw along with my younger brother at the kitchen table for what seemed to be hours. Those were good memories. From there on, my parents gave me options to push this “hobby” of mine even more. So at twelve, I took my first oil painting classes at Miami-Dade Community college.
NvP: Do you have a specific process for creating your work?
MM: Well, I might spend days trying to figure out a good idea for the piece and ask some close friends for advice. Once it’s picked out, I start sketching it out on either panel or canvas, most of the time it’s never bigger then 18×24. Once it’s all in there, I second guess myself and revise anything that can be better. And for color, I try to figure it all in my head or sometimes I got to put it in paper, but the third option is always just winging it.
NvP: Your senior thesis (two of six pieces pictured above) showcases vibrant oil paintings featuring dramatic narratives where characters seem torn between the realms of paradise and torment. Could you tell us about the themes and inspiration behind this series?
MM: Ahhh… my “Senior Thesis” that was a special time; it took so much determination and focus to go all the way through. But in the end it was fantastic; the theme was something I have been doing since high school. I’m not a very religious person, but it’s something that has always intrigued me. Dwelling on controversial subjects is who I am. In high school, I loved doing paintings of that sort and it was always encouraged. But then getting into college they strip that from you, and your work becomes a commercial use. My inspiration was to go back as a fine artist and not the commercial illustrator I have become and just explore my interpretation of what happened before man arrived in the picture.
NvP: Who are your favorite working artists/illustrators?
MM: I love Rembrandt, but he is no longer working so I would say without a doubt Ashley Wood and Phil Hale. I love their looseness, style, color, compositions, and I hope to be able to paint like them one day and even meet them.
NvP: Is there anyone you would really like to collaborate and work with?
MM: Definitely some of my old friends from college would be pretty cool like John Suarez or even Charles Chassion. But if not them, Ashley Wood would be my number one choice. I even emailed him if I could be his apprentice, but I guess he was too busy… lol.
NvP: Apart from illustration, what are your other interests?
MM: I always said, if I could be a famous illustrator or famous soccer player… soccer would win. It’s a passion that never dies; I love watching it and love playing it!
NvP: And lastly, do you have any advice you’d like to share with our readers?
MM: Art is very competitive and it’s something that you should never quit on, take advantage while you are still young and just having fun. Enjoy the simple things and don’t make money an issue until you grow up. Art is fun. If you are willing to commit, sacrifice, and enjoy being alone in your studio for hours at a time, you can go very far in this industry.
Thanks for sharing Max!
Related links
+ Visit Max Marin’s blog
+ Contact/hire Max Marin
Related posts
Tags: Ashley Wood, Blogs, Charles Chassion, Illustration, ink, Interviews, John Suarez, Max Marin, Ringling College of Art and Design
at Penguin’s house.
by the door (Nancy works at Cartoon Network), 
battling on the window sill, bobble head toys on the desk, 
by the kitchen, 
by Nancy’s purse, 
in the bedroom, 
in the bathroom, and there are other titles in their bookcases. During our last visit, I spied 
on their coffee table and was reminded of how much I love this man’s line work.
