24 Works on Paper Artists: Tom Wester

To give insight into the works included in the 24 Works on Paper exhibition, Ryan Pack has interviewed some of the participating artists about their work in the show. The exhibition is now at the Eleanor Hays Gallery at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. It will continue there until October 14. 24 Works on Paper will continue to travel the state through August 2010.

Tom Wester
Do you listen to anything while you create your work? What inspires you (Be it art, music, books, movies, etc..)?
I really like blues music, a little jazz, and some folk. Sometimes I like to listen to Audiobooks while I work. I look and listen for inspiration in many forms, people watching at the coffee shop, my cat chasing a bug, a forgotten song on the radio. Most of all it's when I'm not looking that I'm surprised and inspired.

Would you care to tell us about the technique you used for your piece? And why the technique appeals to you?
My favorite medium is graphite pencil. I layer pencil, scribbling to cover the image area, sometimes to great detail. Then, shocking to some, I erase it, either using a simple block pencil eraser found anywhere or an electric, that spins the eraser like a drill. This blends, removes, and smears the graphite. I sometimes repeat this process many times till I feel satisfied with the final outcome.