An Interview with Colin Kippen

by Erica S.

Colin Kippen is an artist and sculptor. Inspired by the graffiti in the city and the bright colors around you, he makes art out of things that can be found in the city. Colin is a penny pincher and has a good taste in his work, too!

Back in class we had to prepare for the interview by writing down our questions, making a poster, and deciding who would ask the first question. One question was “what is enjoyable about your job?” Colin said, “I enjoy the weird things in my art studio”. Colin also enjoys having “playtime” in his studio. He loves inspiring people to find their own vision and what materials they like to work with best.

“I'm inspired by the color and texture all around us,” Colin said. During the interview we all asked questions equally and listened to the answers. After we asked all our questions, he got out some samples of some art he made. One of the samples was a clay head. It had great detail, and I could tell it was a woman...I was right! Colin said it was a lady he saw once. Colin said “I like how materials can be changed by adding water or other things." If you mix extra water into model magic it turns to slime.

Colin makes wedding rings for people so he can make the fun things he wants to make, like cement sculptures and dying them with spray paint. Other than art, Colin also roasts coffee, runs half marathons, and likes photography. His mom is an artist and his dad was an opera singer, so he has had a lot of artsy things in his life. His parents helped inspire to Colin to do what he does today

Colin Kippen was an inspiration to me to keep doing what I do.

Colin Kippen

By Olive N.

A few months ago my friends and I were researching an artist for a journalism project in school. We had to find info on the artist (Colin Kippen) before we could make questions for him. After we decided all of our questions were good, we looked over them, and we were ready. When he came in for the interview my friends and I were shy, but we got through it. I was the first one to ask a question for Colin Kippen.

I asked Colin what inspired him. He said he likes when he walks into the city and sees all the graffiti. He's also inspired by things in nature like the flowers and bird feathers. “Keep figuring out what you like. It's all about what you like and what inspires you,” Colin Kippen said. “I’m inspired by color and texture all around us.”

Someone else asked about his favorite materials. He said, “I like a lot of materials. A lot of my art has things that I find that would normally be thrown away.” He said he likes how materials can be changed by adding water or other things, like slime or model magic.

Colin mentioned that there are a lot of environmental ideas he is concerned with in terms of what we throw away. He says that he wants people to think about how much stuff we are throwing away. That is why he uses normally thrown away things like plastic soup cups to create his art.

My friends and I really enjoyed interviewing Colin Kippen. We learned a lot about what you can use to make art.

Artist Makes Unique Art

by Emerson R.

We have been doing a journalism class. Others and I are the art beat with our journalism teacher Ms. Riley. She is an amazing teacher, and we are going to do an article on Colin Kippen. We found Colin by looking up artists and we found his page so we checked him out and was like he’s the one for us. How we set up the interview was we emailed him, and we didn't get his response for a while, but then Colin said okay to the interview so we got everything ready. I was so excited and nervous at the same time I was excited about how we get to really talk to an artist. I was scared that I would stutter when I talk because I get really nervous a lot.

Colinhas a three year old daughter, dog, and a wife. Colin uses his daughters model magic to make art with items like plastic spoons or forks. Model magic is like a dough that hardens. Colin uses his daughter or dog in his art and also uses clay. Colin took an art class in high school. He was a science geek in high school also. In college, Colin went to a liberal arts school where they would try a bunch of stuff. Colin’s mother was an artist and his dad was an opera singer he had a lot of artsy things in his life.

Colin has always loved art and had a passion for art all his life it's pretty awesome. Colin Kippen works with teachers to work and help students with art. Colin likes playing ukulele for his daughter. He said his daughter likes him playing Johnny Cash songs. Colin was inspired to use bright neon colors is from when he was walking and saw some amazing bright neon colors that caught his eyes it was graffiti on a wall. Colin has made about thirty clay sculptures. He usually makes one to two per semester. He once poured a bunch of cement on a door and then pulled it off. Colin said it was so amazing and satisfying.

I learned so much stuff with Colin like how all I need to do to become an amazing artist is to believe in myself all the way until my dreams are accomplished.

Colin likes photography, and he sometimes does half marathons and cool stuff like that. I learned that he helps environment. Colin said, “I make art off what I find things on the road like plastic spoons or forks so I don't pay for them instead I help the environment.”

The biggest lession I learned was that everyone can be inspired by something and that something for me is art.

“All you have to do to be an artist is believe in yourself,” Colin said.

Before this interview I never believed I would be good at art but this changed that. This journalism class and interview made that change now I believe in anything I can do. This interview cost a lot to me and it helped me realize that art is a beautiful talent. This journalism class was amazing and inspired me a lot.

Recycled art✎

By: McKenzie F.

Colin Kippen is an artist from Portland , Oregon. With a mind of his own he creates a masterpiece. Colin has a wife, a daughter, and a dog. We asked Colin if he had any tips for us Colin said, “just keep working .” Colin uses lots of materials many people would find as junk but Colin says, “a lot of my art is things that you would find on the ground or in trash.”

Colin sometimes makes rings for extra money. He uses his own garage as a smart way to create an art studio as an affordable place to create, store, and show people his art. Colin works on reusing any object he can find.

Colin loves to play with his dog and daughter and is very passionate about art as you can tell by what Colin does for a living. “Keep figuring out what you like, it's all about what you like and what inspires you’," Colin said. We were very excited about Colin coming and joining us ,and we hope you enjoyed learning about Colin Kippen.

Keep doing what you enjoy

by: Lindsey L.

¨I'm inspired by color and texture all around us,¨ Colin Kippen said. Colin started doing art when he was ten. Colin did art because his mother was an artist, and his father was an opera singer. Colin also took art in high school and went to a liberal arts school called the Oregon College of Art and Craft, and got a BA from Carleton College.

Colin then was an apprentice at a jewelry store for about nine years. Colin now teaches figure sculpting. "Sometimes we will have a model and sometimes they're naked sometimes not," he says. "In terms of teaching, I love inspiring people to find their own vision, and what materials they like. That's part of the practice."

He rarely collaborates with other artists. To make money, Colin makes a nice wedding ring, such as his own. Colin has limited free time between a wife, a house, a daughter, and a dog. Colin enjoys roasting coffee, running, and photography.

Colin works in his garage or outside if he's pouring cement. Colin often sculpts and rarely draws. Occasionally Colin will draw his daughter. Colin was also nervous before the interview because Colin's only had three other interviews thus far.

Colin is constantly using items you can find off the road or on the ground. Colin likes to use cement because it's cheap, and he likes to pinch pennies. Colin is inspired by the color and little codes and words of graffiti. Colin's art can be as small as a ring to taller than him. He will often use items like a door or a plastic tub to make a nice design. Colin is always looking for new things to try.

This interview has taught me a lot about art. I was nervous, but so was Colin. I learned that you need to keep trying and never give up what you're passionate about.