[00:00:12] Speaker A: Hello, I'm Rick Marshall of the Daily Gazette and this is the Marshall Arts podcast in which I talk to artists around New York's Capital region about their work, their inspiration, and the experiences that connect us all, regardless of where we call home.
In the last episode, I spoke to award winning hairstylist, educator and influencer Jordan Yanatas. In this episode, I talk to visual artist Quill Harrison, whose colorful murals of birds and other elements can be seen around the region, and whose art is also featured in sincerely no one, a solo exhibit at Schenectady's Bear and Bird Gallery.
With their multifaceted exhibit now on display in the Schenectady Gallery, and a new mural in the works in Albany, the young Troy based artist took a break to stop by the Gazettes podcast studio to share some thoughts on their art and inspirations and of course, some birds.
[00:01:16] Speaker B: Quill, I want you to know that getting to know your work has been such a joy for me. It's so vibrant and unique, and it feels like there's so much emotion invested in it, whether it's a massive mural or something small, like a little keychain.
I certainly want to discuss your exhibit at Bear and Bird, but before we get there, can you tell me a.
[00:01:37] Speaker A: Little bit about your journey as an artist?
[00:01:40] Speaker B: Have you always been creating art?
[00:01:42] Speaker C: For me? I've been drawing since I was like a little kid. And like a lot of my siblings, I have like a lot of, I have six siblings, so they all draw. And so I feel like it kind of like I saw the way that they were drawing, like they were making stories. And then I kind of like came off of there. And then I think in like 2012 is when I really like started like, oh, I think art is really cool and I want to improve upon it and such. I think I got in like a Nintendo DSI for one of my birthdays and it had like this app on it called Flip Note, which is like, you make little animations. And I think the younger me thought like, oh, is it? Like for some reason I thought, oh, adults only adults can make animations. Like, oh, I'm sure you need some fake equipment and all these things. Then I found that, oh, I could do that too. And so then I started seeing what other people were animating and I came off of that, and then that's where I kind of started drawing more. And yeah, getting into it.
[00:02:50] Speaker B: Well, there's plenty of variation in your work. There are definitely some recurring themes, though some of them are obvious, like birds and vivid colors and things like that. What are some of the themes behind your work that might not be as obvious? Cause I feel like there's something in common underneath the surface, too.
[00:03:10] Speaker C: A lot of birds find their way into my work because I really enjoy bird watching. And I go out and I see all these different types of birds, and for me, I associate something a different meaning with each of them. So it's kind of, like, within my art, a whole library of, like, oh, this bird means this, and this bird means that. Really? Yeah, and, like, an example would be, like a song sparrow. Like, when I first started bird watching, I was, like, starting to notice all these birds that I've never seen before, because you usually see, oh, you see the sparrows and the crows, but then when you really start bird watching, you notice all the different species around.
So it was. So I heard this bird song, and I was trying to, like, spot the bird, and I was, like, imagining, and they had such an intricate song, and I was, like, imagining, like, oh, this huge bird with, like, oh, they must have all these colorful feathers and, like, all these things, and I couldn't find them. And then one day, I was just watching, and I saw this little sparrow, and then they started singing the song, and I was like, oh, it's you. And I couldn't find you because I was looking for this other image I had in my mind, and it was such a small bird, but they had, like, they could project their voice so loudly, and they had such, this intricate song. And to me, I was like, oh, I want to be like that bird. Like, I want to have that voice and that confidence, you know, just to be like this tiny bird. But, like, just has so much to say and, yeah, and so it's like, in my work, it's like that, like, different birds mean different things, but, yeah, I think that's one of the things that people might not notice within my work unless I tell them.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Yeah, I love that. That's such an amazing story that this little tiny bird was making this sound that you never anticipated, and you sort of latched onto that as a theme. Well, we spoke briefly about this when we were setting up this interview, but I'm a bit of an amateur birdwatcher.
Nothing to brag about. I mostly just hang out in my back porch and watch the birds from in the wooded space behind my house. But it has cardinals and blue jays and all kinds of other little birds passing through.
Birds are such a big part of your work, as you just said.
So they've become this subject for so many of your pieces of art that you work on, what is it sort of about them besides their song, besides this theme you just told me about that you bring to, you mentioned some examples. What do some of the birds represent for you in your work?
[00:06:00] Speaker C: So, like, in the exhibition itself, there are a bunch of small birds all along the wall, and all those are song sparrows, so they have that same meaning, like, oh, they're like a lot of the meaning of the birds to me. I kind of weave them to tell different stories about communication. And so the songs bros, they're all around and being and getting into shenanigans, and they're like.
And they're just very unapologetically themselves. And then there are these herons, and herons, to me, are like, they're very mysterious, and they're also very tall. And I feel like when I draw them, I usually exaggerate their height, kind of like, oh, they're just so tall that they just sit above everything, all the problems below, and they can choose, and then they have these long necks, and it's like, oh, they can choose to engage in it where they can just stay in their space up there. And then there's this recurring character who's also a sun sparrow, but he has a skull forehead. And to me, that one is kind of like when you communicate with a person, you look at their eyes, you listen to their voice.
There's all these cues you get from the eye contact and everything. And so it's like this character who's like, oh, they don't have any eyes, and, oh, they can't change facial expressions because their face is just the skull. And so it's kind of like, how does he choose to communicate with the other characters?
And then, like, along the wall itself, it's like the bird with the skull head is like holding a a cup telephone to one of those sparrows. And then on the other side, like, following the cord, and there's the other side of the cup telephone and another sparrow, like, perching on a heron, kind of like the way it's perched, it's kind of like closing its mouth, like it can't open itself. And so it's like, oh, this is a really extravagant way to just talk to each other when the sparrows could literally just, like, fly across and, you know, why are they going through all this process? Why are they going through this whole process?
[00:08:29] Speaker B: And, yeah, communication feels like such a big part of what you are describing here. Like, whether it's simple communication, whether it's overly complicated communication is that, am I correct in thinking that that's sort of a theme here in the exhibit at the baron bird?
[00:08:49] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. A lot about communication and. Yeah. And I think during the reception, like, I think it was my aunt, she was like also telling me like, oh, there's these cup telephones and the cord is so long that you wouldn't be able to hear that well either. And I think it's just interesting, like, yes, the complexities of communication. And for me, communication has not always been easy.
[00:09:19] Speaker B: Does it seem like the birds sort of represent finding ways to communicate? Because it seems like that's what you were describing. There's different ways for people to communicate and for the world to communicate with us. And that was the sense I got from looking at the exhibit.
[00:09:35] Speaker C: Yeah. Like finding ways to communicate and the complexities of it and like how there's so many pieces that go into how we communicate with one another. Yeah.
[00:09:56] Speaker A: Hi, it's Rick again.
[00:09:58] Speaker B: The rest of this interview is coming.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Up, but I just wanted to take a short break to tell you that if you like this podcast and want to support it, please make sure to subscribe on your podcast platform of choice and leave a review.
This isnt the only Gazette podcast either. Gazette sports editor Ken Schott has been interviewing people in and around the Capitol regions sports scene for hundreds of episodes. Now in his parting shots podcast too. And if youd like to stay up to date with everything happening in the region and beyond, be sure to subscribe to the Daily Gazette or sign up for the Gazettes newsletters, which deliver links to the top stories across the Gazette family of newspapers directly to your email.
Okay, now back to this episode of the martial arts podcast.
[00:10:48] Speaker B: You described what it meant for you, the exhibit, like what it means to you with communication. And I had mentioned that I got that from it. I got that aspect from it. I found the little envelopes that are also involved in it to be fascinating in how you integrated these little envelopes that are sort of connected, whether it's by string or other methods, to some of the birds who are spaced around. Can you tell me a little bit about the envelopes and what's inside them?
[00:11:18] Speaker C: Yeah, the envelopes are my, it's a series I call letters to no one I started making in 2019. And um, I was just like kind of like in my sketchbooks, like I'm always writing. I'm always like, they're kind of like a diary, kind of like a journal. And then I thought of like making these little envelopes and putting these letters of just random thoughts, because I'm always writing so many random thoughts, and then now it's just, like, collected to, like, a big pile of them, like, like, 200 of them so far. And they're just, like, I'm just constantly writing them. And I think when I first made them, it was kind of like, because they're letters to no one. Like, I can just, like, write my unfiltered thoughts, and it's like, no one's gonna read them or no one's gonna judge me. They're just, this letter goes to nobody at all. So it's like, I can say whatever I want. I think in the past, like, when I around. When I first started writing them, I never would have read them to anyone. And because I felt like, I think over time, like, I've grown more confidence with who I am. And in the past, I was more, like, maybe more ashamed and then.
But I feel like today I can read them more. And it's interesting hearing how other people respond to them. Like, a lot of during the reception, I read, like, some of them, and a lot of people were saying how they can relate to them. I think it's interesting because so many of them are out of context, and it's like, I wonder what context they're applying to it with their lived experience.
And it's also interesting how sometimes I don't even, like, remember what I wrote about in these letters. It's just like, I don't remember it at all.
[00:13:15] Speaker B: They must take you back sometimes. And I know it can be difficult to make that transition from creating art on your own as a solitary experience, to then bring it out in front of people. And in this case, you really are. You're reading things that you never really intended anyone else to read?
What are you hoping people sort of come away from the exhibit with? How do you hope people feel when they look at the exhibit, when they.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: Hear the letters that you wrote?
[00:13:48] Speaker B: Is there something that you'd have you're trying to maybe get across or hope that people come away with?
[00:13:53] Speaker C: I think one thing I hope is, like, like, art is very vulnerable, and, like, I hope through my vulnerability that, like, you know, and that, like, someone seeing the work and, like, oh, I relate to this, too. I hope that they, like, it'd be cool if, like, it's like, oh, I've never seen, like, someone, like, talk about these things, and maybe that makes them feel more comfortable to be, like, who they are or something like that. Maybe.
[00:14:22] Speaker B: Have you felt through making art over the years and sort of the way that your art has evolved. You mentioned feeling more confident. Has this been a sort of growing process for you in the more you create art, the more you sort of grow? Because I feel like that's one of the themes that, in this conversation alone that we're having here, is that making art and putting it out there and going through that process has been an evolution, a growth for you.
[00:14:51] Speaker C: Yeah, I think I have grown a lot, and, like, I think the work I make today, I feel like in the past, I would have been like, oh, I made this thing, but I don't want to show it to, or I just are just, like, feeling, like, not used to being so open with people. Yes.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Switching gears a bit, I was fascinated by all of your work with murals. When you take on a mural project, what's the process like? Cause it's one thing to create art on these small canvases or in a sketchbook, but on such a large scale, it kind of comes with all these other different things. You have to account for a ladder and a lift and a lot more paint, I would assume. What's the process like, bringing your art to such a massive canvas?
[00:15:39] Speaker C: The process definitely, like, involves many steps, depending on the project. It's like, oh, this business has a very specific design that they want. Or it can be like, oh, you have full creative freedom. Just design something cool.
And I've done both of those. There's designing it and then picking the colors and like, to figure out how you're gonna project it on, get the design onto the wall, and then it's kind of like a giant coloring book. Yeah. I think what I enjoy most about mural painting is, like, the community aspect that comes with it.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: So it's not a solo experience.
[00:16:24] Speaker C: Yeah, there's always, like, I'll be painting, and, you know, there's the people around, and sometimes it's like, one of the murals I worked on was called Gems of Troye and something like the hoosick bridge in Troy. And that one my sibling actually designed, Jade Warwick, and I was one of the painters for it. And it has all these diverse characters across, and I got to paint some of the characters. And for that one, it was really cool seeing people pass by. People pass by, and they would see themselves and the characters, and they would comment on, oh, how they feel like, oh, this character looks like someone I know or like. And I always think that's cool, like, how people interpret the work and how it's like, oh, this mural is in their neighborhood. And I think it's cool when it's like everyone feels part of it or relates to it in somehow. It means something to the community itself. Yeah.
[00:17:28] Speaker B: You've done a few of them before. Where else can people find your work around?
[00:17:34] Speaker C: I have a mural on Emac and Bolivia in Albany.
[00:17:39] Speaker B: I am a frequent visitor there. I know of this mural.
[00:17:43] Speaker C: There's one in Troy on a building called Troy area United ministries, or Tom Taum. And there's one part of the Troy art block which was put on, like, it was like a mural festival that was put on by the arts center of the capitol region. And it's like a whole alley of murals have like a giant green heron there. Yeah, that's just a few of them. Yeah.
[00:18:11] Speaker B: How do you feel when you sort of wander by some of these and think, I did that.
And when you wander by and maybe people are admiring the mural and maybe even secretly, you're like, I did that?
[00:18:25] Speaker C: Yeah. It's always cool, like, hearing what other people think of it, how they interpret it, and it's like a, oh, here's my mark. Or something like that. Like, kind of like I was here kind of thing. Yeah.
[00:18:42] Speaker B: What has working in sculpture done for you? And how do you feel about working in sculpture too? Because I know that's another medium that you work in.
[00:18:50] Speaker C: Yeah, working 3d kind of like, helps me more, like work in 2d in a way. Like, it shows me, like, okay, here's the shape I want to create, but here's how it would look from a different angle and then I can, like, actually create that different angle kind of thing.
[00:19:08] Speaker B: I imagine it shows you sort of the space something would occupy in real life. Yeah, I'm sure it gives you an interesting perspective. Well, what's next for you? What are you currently working on? And I know you have something for the Albany center gallery, and I don't think that they've. I don't want to be a spoiler or anything like that because I think that they haven't revealed it yet or haven't shown the full thing. But I would love to know, is that the case? Are you working on something there?
[00:19:38] Speaker C: Yes, I'm working on a mural currently and finishing it up this week and. Yeah. More murals on the way, definitely. And I'm always making. I'm always. I've always got, like, a yemenite billion ideas. But, like, with the exhibition, like, the wood and the layered pieces, I've really been enjoying, like, exploring that medium. And I definitely have, like, so many ideas for, like, more pieces like that. So I definitely want to create more of those. Yeah.
[00:20:10] Speaker B: Well, thank you so much for talking with me here. Where can people find more information about you and your work online?
[00:20:20] Speaker C: I have an Instagram under the name September colors. I have a website, septembercolors.com and a TikTok.
Septembercolors. Yeah, those are a couple places.
[00:20:34] Speaker B: Well, fantastic. Quill, thank you so much for chatting with me. This has been so enjoyable. Your work is beautiful and I hope everyone listening to this takes the time to seek it out and see it for themselves.
[00:20:45] Speaker C: Yeah, thank you for having me.
[00:20:59] Speaker A: This has been the martial arts podcast with guest Quill Harrison. You can find more information about Quill and their work
[email protected] and see photos and video of their work on Instagram at September colors thanks for listening to this episode of Martial arts. If you like what you heard and want to hear more, make sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts.
And for more coverage of the region's arts and entertainment scene, head to Dailygazette.com and Nipper Town.
This episode was produced by me, Rick Marshall for the Daily Gazette. If there's a local art story or artist you'd like to hear more about on this podcast, you can contact me at r.
[email protected] or via social media.
