I finally got to meet Dan @texastweaker at a brain4worms x viva vintage fundraiser collaboration. They're an individual setting themselves to try more than one medium of art. From their digital art work to screen printing and even just recently print making/mono printing. Every time I look at what Dan has been making they are really just doing what they want and most importantly having fun. How could I forget! They also do collage work and this is how I learned that you can take pieces, scan them, and work on it digitally? I was mind blown when I was told about the process haha. I don't have a background in art, but I just love learning new things about art in general especially when I just talk to artists. Keep at it, Dan. You're doing great!
Speaking to Dan (Dan actually sent a video) they share a few things they personally enjoy "welcome to an interview, with me. Texas Tweaker. I fucking love birds. I wish I was one the other day. I sat outside for an hour. In front of this pond and birds just kept coming to it, and they're just taking their showers. Oh, I love seeing them fly. I've also been enjoying the squirrels, every time I see a squirrel, I know it's going to be a good day. And every day is a good day so i haven't been wrong. I think. I've been trying to connect a lot more with nature." Now Dan continues by mentioning a few shout outs "All my friends matter. I would love to give a shout out to queen. She recently started as an actual thrift store. But, she has been doing this for way longer than that. She has also been one of my closest friends for so many years and she has been nothing short of amazing, supportive, encouraging, and loving through literally everything. She is the one that I think has encouraged me to put myself out there. I think i wouldn't be here without her. She gave me the opportunity to, design posters. When we organize those garage sales, those are my first tries doing posters and She really believes in me and she really wanted to see me at work. All right. Like, do stuff like that. So I think i owe her a lot. Tiny is Cursed (Instagram) as well. Both of them are amazing. Amazing people. So loving so supportive. We've also been friends for so many years. So, Nice to see all of us growing. Artistically and in other ways as well. Also Bryan Weston. He's simply so inspiring, so amazing. He has really one of the people that has pushed my boundaries artistically. He has such an amazing sense of creativity and gaze. So carefree and I wish to be more like him...I feel like i have an amazing support system around me. Also Jasmine and Mikey, my bestest friends. Without you, none of this would be happening because they're the ones that get me places. I love them so much. Anyway, let's get into The real stuff!"
How would you describe your art, if you could give it any name, what would it be and why? "I'd say my art is self explanatory. My art is very loud, overly saturated, and I think, it's not something you really see every day. At least, i hope it's not. I would also say that it's very colorful. When it comes to the name, I know what name I would give it because whenever i say that I'm gonna work on something and just say I'm gonna tweak it. That's why. Texas tweaker, just tweaking and because I don't think i do 'major things'. I think I'm just grabbing things from my everyday life and creating something out of it. I just tweak things. I wouldn't really put a name to it, at least, not yet. I don't think I'm where i want to be so. Anyways, that's my art!" I mean would we say "tweaking" or any sort of abbreviation would be the "name." I don't see Dan with a "title" such as "digital" artist, due to the numerous mediums tackled so far. Not even "multidisciplinary artist" because bleh too formal. When I think of the word "tweaking" I think of Dan adding their own twist to the medium at hand. Texas Tweaker, just tweaking this to MY liking.
When it comes to your art, you cut out images, then proceed to scan it and then work on a digitally? "So, there's a long process when I create a collage. I will usually will find graphics that i like or I'll see them somewhere like on a magazine, or inside a book, or even a texture I find that just has my attention. I end up scanning it. When I visualize it, I edit it even more. I go crazy on that. You can never have too many layers. You can never edit something enough. Then, I just try and hope it works out with what I'm trying to make. When i make a collage, I always go in without a single expectation for myself, I let the images move on there, let them find their own place everywhere, and seeing if it has a cohesion all together. I don't think i could ever plan that without visualizing it first. There's also why you collage, there are so many different combinations, you could do. So why would i limit myself to just one when i could just do everything? I also like to just work everything on a collage on one piece of paper like analog, analog. Yeah, the old way. Because, I like being able to just like move things then maybe i can add a little bit of texture, crumple one up, glue it all down together, and finally slap a couple of stickers in there. God, I love a sticker. God, they're amazing. Don't want to know what the world would be about stickers. Yeah, collaging is fun." Looking at your collage work yes it is all that was mentioned, but it has character and charm. What's the word, it's work that when you see it you can tell who made it. When I make collages, yeah I do visualize it at first, but man...I can't tell if it comes out better or worse than when I pictured it haha. It's fun, but I just have this problem where once I glue the piece down, that's it. On the topic of stickers, doesn't love stickers. Brain4worms does these flyers and always includes these cute kitten stickers for example. It a touch that makes it distinguishable (I think this is the word I was looking for earlier). Your work, Dan. Is distinguishable as was mentioned earlier "I think, it's not something you really see every day. At least, i hope it's not." Your work is yours, and you put so much into it! All for the the fun of it.
What got you interested in art? In creating your collages to your works involving photography and your digital works as Dan says " I've always been until art. Voice then. An artist, i would say, ever since i was little I've always felt, um, I need to express myself through an art.
First, it was dance, drawing, painting and now, we are in digital. I'm not gonna put myself in just the 'box' saying that I merely a digital artist because I don't think i am. When there is any medium of art, I want want to try it and I would want to master it. I cannot do anything without being perfect at it. So, I think it was around April 2020. So you know, it was just fairly lock down. I was going insane in my room just thinking, locked up in my room and being online. I think i really messed with me. I don't think any of us were having a good time. I felt so much pent-up emotion. So many feelings that i just had to get out and The only way I could was through drawing or through some art or through anything that i could do really. So I started, Texas Tweaker. This was literally meant to be an account just for myself. I didn't think much of it. I would just take selfies. I would do some graphic liner. Hope that it would look cool. Take selfies and then get on Photoshop. I didn't really think it would be that big or important or ground breaking. This was a first. I thought it was a very silly idea like if anybody saw it they would think it's very silly, stupid and you know I'm aware that my face is not everybody's tastes. So, even back then, I just knew, like, this kind of gonna be for me, only and if people know about it, then that's great. If people don't know then it's better that way. I would just edit my little selfies and see colors. I would also just put random shapes into Photoshop. I would just. push the limit with all the things that i could do with it, if there was an option to mess with it, I was going to click it and i was going to take it all the way.
I don't think i had a boundary set for anything. I think all i want to do was see what could be made out of those things. So, yeah. I just loved seeing the colors changing and the textures. Eventually seeing what I could make out of it and I always ended up loving what i saw. I think I was just messing with it until it didn't make any sense to anybody, as long as I thought it was cool and I saw some sense into that, I would just be so happy and I would post so much of this on Twitter. So much I was literally spamming that account for a while. Then i took some of them down because they weren't were I wanted to be. Obviously, you're never going to be when you first start, but I guess i got self-conscious." I mean I was working from home during the lock down. A great job, but super fucking boring. Wasting my own time and what I really wanted to. Long story short, that's how I started this little blog. I mean something that I created for myself ended up just growing and becoming what it is. Dan created their page to release their emotions and to express themselves via art. I am curious to see what's been archived though! It's been years since well 2020. From Photoshop editing selfies, Dan has come a long way. A long way in the art "tweaked" and called their own, through the touches of personality added to these new mediums. I agree with Dan, there was boundary set in 20202 and there is no boundary set since then. You can go through their work on Instagram and see the amount of work released because she just wants to see what she can make out of anything. You are not going to be or return from where you started because through experimentation comes "growth" and seeing new touches or rather "tweaks" unlocked/learned if that makes sense.
Looking at your color palette the touch of blur, the textures and patterns are very dreamy, or should it say otherworldly? What you have to say about this as Dan explains "yeah, I would have to say when I'm working on something. I'm editing, I'm you know, playing with colors or moving pictures around. Before we continue this ties in with the next question 'being when creating art would just say that it lets you express? Is there anything about yourself that you've added to your art'? So, I'm adding those two and one. So I'm going to say that every single color that I use, my color palettes are strong. Blue, pink, green, and maybe a little bit of orange. These are my favorite colors. I do not stray from them very often. I don't see a reason to stray from my choice of colors because everything that I make is for myself. Like i said, I started texas tweaker as an outlet for me. Not having any expectations of anybody else seeing it. Therefore everything that I make and I've made a point of this. Has to make me happy and it has to represent me in someone. If it doesn't, then i don't think it's going to be good enough if I'm not happy with it. I cannot put something out there that I'm not really proud of. That's just how it is. Every aspect, every element that i add, the blur, the haziness, the texture, and the the glow that i that i put on to things. It just represents the way that I see the world.
It is my world y'know. It's how everything is processed in my brain. It might seem like a lot and it may seem so over the top for some people and I understand, but that is what i see. I'm not going to change the way that i see things or the way that I represent them. It's a big part of me and I don't think I could replicate or try to fake something that is not me. The colors, the textures, the elements everything that you see is because that's how my brain sees things. I love colors. I love being over the top, I love saturation, I love crazy pictures and things that grab your attention. They feel like they're very me. They're very Dan. Hmmm actually, I don't think I represent myself that way.
I think there is a border between what is In my head and what is physical? I think the reason why i have no boundaries when it comes to my artwork, is because there are many things I can't do in the physical world, or like, there are many things that i can't do with myself. Representing myself or showcasing myself in, but that can manifest in my art and in the way that i create things. I think it's all very me and who i I wish to be." Dan at the end was questioning her thoughts saying "does this make sense? It makes sense to me" towards the end of her response to these questions and I'd have to say....yes it makes sense. No need for a new answer, because I say that there is a "border" between ourselves and the "format" or the "outlet" we use to express ourselves. We are our own beings, but these colors, textures, blurs, softness, roughness, edges, and so much more can be used into be used to represent yourself. Everyone has their style, a style they harbor and craft as their own. Even while Dan may have had this fight with themselves, its understandable, because also in the of the day the art reproduced at time is for ourselves anyways. It's our view point, our experience, and at times what we create has no meaning because we just want to create something. As Dan said it's their "world" and they're putting who they are out there.
Do you have any pieces that you've created that personally call out to you and you'd say you look back as Dan says "Some of my first pieces are some of my favorites because I was so carefree back then. First of all, i was learning, I didn't have any expectations for what I was going to make, what was going to come out from that. So, for example, I'll show you
I really love this. That's literally a half-tone texture on some squares. But, I love it.
Same as this. It reminds me of those really old Microsoft screensavers. I love it so much.
And this one!
This was my first post on texas tweaker. This was Genuinely April 17th 2020. Whoa. I that was just locked up in my room. This was just me, not knowing what to do. I just set up a sheet on my bunk bed.
Then i put cellophane on there. I put vaseline on my camera lens and then I was also recording from my phone at the same time. I had a DIY tripod while listening to yaji. Just taking videos, just hoping to see something. Something that i liked. Actually, you know what?"
Dan proceeds to show me some archived pieces from 2020. Pieces Dan states "these archived posts/pieces were just not worth the cut", but continues by saying "looking back at them, I was just having fun. I was genuinely having the time of my life doing these things. No expectations and no right or wrongs either. Early texas tweaker. She was the shit. Although I'm really happy with what i make now, don't get me wrong. I feel like I'm getting to my taste but I feel like it was easier back then. I love this. Everything i make is purely self-indulgent.
So of course, I'm going to make my cat into Bjork and homogeneic. Like, Hello?" Wow! Starting off is easier than where we "end up", huh? Creating these "expectations" when we don't owe anyone anything. We don't need to show that we're creating or strive to be a "valid artist" because it's about genuinely having the time of ours lives doing what we enjoy. If 2020 Texas Tweaker was "the shit", would you say 2020 Texas Tweaker would be impressed on where you are now? Expanding your horizons with the art you create now and the way you're producing art. Dan, Texas Tweaker now and then is by all means a "star girl."
Is there any way you wish to experiment with when it comes to your work?
"I really want to create a texas tweaker score. Does that make any sense? Like, music, but not like, 'oh my god, i'm a singer.' I want to create ambient music, that sounds like the inside of my brain. I would love to do that. I would love to create. clothes but, cut and sewn by me. I would love to get into 3D rendering, I would love to make a short film and I would love to do more photo shoots. I would love to design my own sticker sheets. Trust me, if there is any medium out there. Artistically, I want to pursue them. Yeah, there is no boundaries to my desire to create or learn" Oh I believe you, from what I've seen online and in person. Dan is pursuing any medium they can get a hold of. From monoprints to linoprints? Back to back! It's so exciting to see.
What does it mean to be a "star girl" as Dan explains "what does that mean to be a 'star girl'? I started calling myself this around 2020, same time as texas tweaker. I think I did a sketch and that was a cute little me. I put like 'star girl' at the bottom and it was a cool font that I did. I've always thought of myself as a star. Who hasn't, you know? First of all, stars are my favorite shape. So why not? They have Five. Points. My favorite number is 5. I think that kind of tied it in for me. I just think it's a really cool like thing. I really love looking at the stars. Back in that time I was just very into astrology. You know that quote on tumblr 'were all made of stardust. It's star particles.' For me, it's just what i call myself.
I like the saying, I like how it sounds but if I had to put a definition to it and give it a meaning I'd say it's someone, who isn't dictated by what other people say about them. Someone who is very like self-assured. I'm not gonna say only girls can be stars, everyone can be a star. It's someone spreads the love, the joy, and the light, you know what star do? They shine! So, spread that light. You can't be a star if you're not nice, I'm sorry. Like, don't be mean. Spread love."
What would keep you going forward with your art to keep creating and trying new things? "there is no way for me to ever, stop going forward. Everything I see is inspiring, I'm constantly feeling a rush and a need to create. Just because i don't have the time doesn't mean that, It's not always running in my head, I always feel so guilty when i have a great idea and i just can't get to it right away because i have responsibilities, obligations and prior engagements, but yeah nothing could ever stop me. I can't, i don't think i could stop making anything, even if i tried. Um, I think I am constantly inspired by the world around me, the people around me and everything surrounding me, just another way. For me to get that need to create again. Sometimes I just get a feeling so STRONG, and it won't stop until i just get down and do something. Draw something or knit something for example. I don't know, I love to let my creativity out In any way that i can.
Doesn't matter what medium, I will be so happy as long as I get to do create. I get these bursts of energy and I can't stop it. I just love to be an artistic little girl, and my art manifests itself, many, many ways. It doesn't have to be digitally, the drawings, the paintings or whatever. I have many things to say and many emotions are being felt. They manifest in every single aspect of me." I feel that. There's ways I want to push this silly little blog, but I have responsibilities, obligations, prior engagements, and sometimes you just have the worst week EVER. The feeling of wanting to create is real. That's where projects come from for me, that's where being out there and getting myself involved comes from. Even with the little art I create and especially my first zine. That took so much energy out of me that I'm glad I did it. It pushed me to keep going and try other things with these art projects I carry within my mind. Everyone around me, every person I meet and involve myself with pushes me or inspires me one way or another. We can't bottle up this creativity, this energy. We have to release it one way or another, in many many many different ways.
Any final comments you would like to add? "Wait. Actually, I'm going to answer this one first. 'Your thoughts on the local RGV arts?' I think the local RGV arts is a great place. I don't think I am hyper involved or as much as I would like to be at least. I wish I was a bit more involved in the artistic community. Early last year, when I was first starting to gain a little bit more traction on texas, tweaker, and my friends were, you know, paying a little bit more attention. I was very scared of rejection or being cast away from the artistic community. Because, I felt like I was a bit younger than a lot of the people. I was also newer, and i was also just not as experienced. I think all of that kind of played a role and like me, and, like, having posture syndrome thinking I'm good enough to put myself out there. I need to learn more. The thing is, you can't learn more until you're really getting that criticism or really just seeing the feedback. I've met really wonderful people. I've received a lot support from a lot of different people and I've made a lot of great friends through this. My final comments are. If you see me anywhere, and I'm vending say hi to me. I love making new friends!"
That's been it for me. Texas Tweaker.
Thank you, for reading