How many sentences do you discard before you settle on the right one?
David Rathman:I find the right words/legends for my pieces after the drawings are done. I riff through my notebooks, looking for something that will resonate with the drawing. The notebooks are filled with things I’ve written down: quotes, song lyrics, titles, bits of conversation, and movie dialogue.
TMN:What’s the most challenging aspect of painting for you at the moment?
DR:Each new painting or body of work presents new challenges and possibilities. That’s the beauty of painting and drawing—it’s an endlessly engaging and rewarding pursuit.
TMN:What’s your daily schedule like?
DR:I work most days in my studio, six days a week, about seven hours a day. I balance that out with family, kids, reading, exercise.
TMN:Timothy Olyphant—under-sung or oversold?
DR:He was good in Deadwood. Haven’t watched much of Justified. Neither one of those shows really grabbed me.
TMN:When was the last time you looked at a painting by someone else and were confused?
DR:I wish I could say that, but I look at all sorts of other paintings all the time and mostly I’m thrilled, delighted, and feel inspired by all of it. It is a vocation. You need to study, absorb, and work with conviction.
TMN:Do you work on multiple pieces at a time? Do you play favorites?
DR:Usually I’m working on one body of work at a time, several pieces in a series.
TMN:Most beautiful household object you own?
DR:Maybe a treasured lamp, and a lovely Sangean radio. I like simple, good design, and things that are excellent in their function.
TMN:Trait you most admire in filmmakers?
DR:The energy, vision, and skill they bring to such huge, collaborative endeavors. I love good cinematography and writing.
