Episode 12 : How An Artist Turns A Guitar Into A Story

A painted guitar that feels like a portal is the kind of artwork that forces you to slow down. We sit down with artist and art teacher Cody Jimenez to unpack how he built his show piece from quick thumbnails to a finished scene: an oval “opening” on the back of the guitar where bees and flowers drift through toward surreal clouds and a hovering hummingbird. The result is realism you can appreciate from across the room, but it really clicks when you’re close enough to notice the shadows under the smallest details.

Transcript

Meeting Cody Jimenez

SPEAKER_01 0:06

All right. We are here with the lovely Cody Jimenez. And it is beautiful. You have such a lovely take on realism. Thank you. I love it. I was looking through your art and just the colors and the way you capture art

Building The Guitar Artwork

SPEAKER_01 0:22

is beautiful. Walk me through making your piece for the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Yeah. Yeah. Um, well, thank you for saying that. Uh it was really nice. Uh I yeah, I've uh been painting for I don't know, over half my life-ish. Um and yeah, uh, I I play music. I've played music for I think even longer than that. And this opportunity came up, and it was kind of a perfect opportunity to kind of put artwork on a guitar. I just started doing that uh earlier in the year prior to this show happening. And so this opportunity came up. Uh I, you know, the design which is on the back side is the the main design. Uh there's a lot of like thumbnails and sketches of like something. I wanted something very uh pleasant to look at, something, you know, uh good colors. I think something that came to mind was people like hummingbirds usually. Uh they're just very majestic little birds. Uh so that's kind of what I went with. Uh and I wanted something more of a um I wanted a scene, but I wanted sort of a design element. So I created this uh kind of oval opening in the back of the guitar that you know there's some bees and flowers coming through that opening, and you see into like the kind of the surreal clouds and uh behind the butt the hummingbird there.

unknown 1:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

We will flip it over. Don't worry, you'll see both sides. And you should come this Saturday and see both sides as well. Because you have to get up close because I've noticed you have the tiniest little bee, you know, the tiniest little detail, and the bees even have shadows underneath them. So I don't know. I just see your attention to detail is exquisite.

Teaching Painting With Kindness

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Um, you're also an art teacher. Yes. Yeah. How long have you been an art teacher for?

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Um good question. Uh six years, I think. Um, yeah, I I got my uh MFA from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2017. Uh I didn't teach right away. Um it was a little daunting to teach uh in Southern California. Uh it was very competitive and I was very aware of that uh through just different peers of mine that had been teaching and bouncing all over. Um, but I think uh I had been mentoring at the college, which is a little different. It's more one-on-one. So it is teaching, but it's less like curriculum and syllabus and classroom and making assignments. It's more just like talking about, you know, uh professionalism in art, uh, how to approach galleries, like uh different things like that. Some technical stuff like in painting. Um, but then I think about a few years ago, uh three years ago, I started actually teaching in classrooms. Uh first one was at Laguna College of Art and Design for the undergrad program. Uh and it was painting one, so just kind of teaching people how to paint. Uh and yeah, it was really fun. Um been doing that for a while. Now I teach at three different colleges now. So it's it's it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of driving. Um, a few different places throughout Southern California. But um yeah, it's a it's a really fun time to be like uh try and be that influence that hopefully makes people have a good time in an art class and learn how to paint and hopefully pursue it. Um I think there's a lot of moments in art classes where it either makes or breaks somebody from wanting to pursue it. And I really try and be as positive and like you know, cheerful as I can to like be a good influence of like not somebody that tears a student down because they can't get something right after like multiple attempts, you know. Um, I've witnessed that and I've heard a lot about that. And I try and be something good that can you're like, let me not be that person to kind of break your

Mentors And Color Psychology

SPEAKER_00 4:26

spirit.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah. Do you feel like you had that mentor in your life um that kind of gave you that uplifting moments throughout your art that was like, okay, cool, I know this is what I want to do. Or maybe you had that moment where you're like, this is not what I want to do to people.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah, yeah. It's um I've had more of the positive than the negative, I would say. I don't I don't think I've experienced many negative teachers, which is very fortunate. Um yeah, in my undergrad, it was at New Mexico State University. Uh my painting teacher, Craig Coley, was just really nice. And I was a horrible student. Uh, didn't complete assignments on time, just all of that. But uh he just kept pushing me to do stuff. And even if I like completed it over the summer or whatever, I was just like notoriously slow um at painting and getting things done, and just yeah, it was uh I don't know why he he pushed so hard. What what he saw in me at that time, I don't know. But uh yeah, he was a really good influence on me. And as I'm teaching more and more now, I think of him as my like what I experience. So I try and do the same. Uh and then most recently in uh in grad school, I mean most recently, that was like 10 years ago now, um, but uh uh F. Scott Hess, uh he's an artist, been based out of LA for a long time. Uh really big in like the late 80s, early 90s in LA art scene, um, figurative work, narrative work. Uh it's I feel like where all my color comes from now. Um it's he's very, if you look at his work, he's very like bright, vivid pops of color like everywhere. And um yeah, I just really took from him a lot of that and how he uses it like for psychological purposes and kind of aids the narrative of the artwork.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

And yeah, so that's what I do now. Where did art start for you?

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Um I would say uh just as a kid, just watching cartoons and just drawing the cartoon characters and like comic books and stuff like that. Um very just, you know, I didn't uh see museums or artwork in person at all. It was very just like pop culture stuff. Um and by the time, I think my first real like museum visit was probably when I moved to Southern South Southern California 10 years ago. Um it was the first time seeing art in person, and it was just very uh very different than like looking at art on phones or computer screens or magazines. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

I know and Southern California is such a mecca for art and museums and things like that too. So what's been your favorite? Um, so your medium now is like paint and things like that. And what is what's been your favorite? Are are you just sticking to that? Are you doing other things with Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

I do uh charcoal drawings and and graphite drawings as well. Um, some printmaking stuff. I've kind of done some sculpture as well. Um, but I I would say currently, I mean, it's uh like the last year and a half, two years, been focusing a lot on like guitar setups as well. Because I I've made my own guitars. Um not like you know, cut the wood or anything, but started painting on them and setting them up and like putting together the whole all the components. And I I feel like that's uh the thing I care about the most right now as far as creative wise. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Yeah, because you said you do music too. So that kind of like goes hand in hand too. Um do you are you in a band or anything like that? Are you playing?

SPEAKER_00 8:05

No, no. Um I my main like creative thing is just like making art. Um yeah, as far as band, I don't have the time for it, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Art takes up your life.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Yeah, I would like to play more, more music. I I play on my own, just write and record stuff. Um, but yeah, finding the time to be around other people and have that commitment of like making music together is like that's a whole thing that I know I don't have the time for, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

That's a whole other art form. Yeah, yeah. Nice. So um when you were younger and doing art and things like that, was there um any person or something like that that really influenced you as far as like really moving into that art space or becoming a professional artist?

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Yeah. Um probably when I was younger, I I would say my teacher Craig Collie. Um, that was really my first experience seeing somebody that made art and showed it like nationwide and everything like that. Um before then, I didn't really understand that was possible. I I like I said, I mentioned like comic books being an influence. I was like, oh, that's something you can do where it's like you make it uh to varying degrees, like it's different than like um a classical painting or something like that. It's not like you do a classical classical painting per page, it's just you kind of do something quick to get kind of the story across of the the uh the comic. And uh yeah, that was the first time I saw somebody make work and there was a whole story and like narrative, and he you know, he he taught uh full time, and that wasn't really something I was like, oh you teach full-time. I was just like, oh, you paint. And that was like eye-opening because I I wasn't around other people. Uh I'm from New Mexico, and it's just very different there than out here for sure. Uh much slower pace of life, uh, different economy. Uh Las Cruces. Okay. So it's like Southern. Yeah, yeah. Um and yeah, I I wasn't around artists that showed. Uh I saw a lot of stuff on Instagram, but you know, that's stuff that's just like not attainable. I I don't know how they do that. And yeah, so I think my first real life example was that my painting

Moving For Grad School

SPEAKER_00 10:21

teacher.

unknown 10:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

So what drove you to move to Southern California? Was the part that brought you here?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Yeah, yeah. It was uh attending grad school here. Um, I finished school and I wanted to keep painting. Uh, I have a child as well. So they're they're 15 now. Uh at that time they were like five. Uh so I wanted to keep painting. I had to be financially responsible. And it was either stay there and find some sort of full-time job and not paint as much and be miserable, or figure out how to keep painting, which was grad school. And uh yeah, so it just kind of took on the uh burden of student loans to kind of just keep painting at the program at Laguna College because it was representational um artwork, which is more like you know, artwork that is things as opposed to abstract or whatever. Um, and uh yeah, that was the one of the few programs it was either there or New York, and here seemed a lot more attainable than living in New York. A little closer. Yeah. And yeah, funny thing, I never visited California prior to moving. I just moved. Oh, really? Um, yeah, so it was it was really terrifying. And uh, but yeah, it was art and I was very adamant about wanting to do it, and it was a good choice because I still do it and my life revolves around art, which is great, and I feel very lucky for that.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

You're really brave though. Like people taking like you hear so many times. Well, no, I mean it takes a lot of cojones to say, like, oh, I'm just gonna take this leap and I'm gonna get out of my box and my comfort zone, especially coming from New Mexico. I know it's a lot quieter, a lot slower pace out there. So I think just kind of saying, Oh, you know what? I'm gonna really make this my end all be all and do it, that's huge. Be really proud of yourself because that takes a lot, especially having a young child too and doing that. Yeah, that's huge. So be proud of yourself, my friend.

SPEAKER_00 12:15

That's a lot. Good days. I am. Yeah, yeah. It's uh it's uh it's a big leap and crazy, you know, on paper you write all that stuff down of the situation, just like that was a fool's move. But it could have worked, it's worked out.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

It pays off though, you know. Yeah, we can't. I mean, with no without risk, there's no reward, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:32

Yeah,

Advice For Artists Starting Out

SPEAKER_00 12:33

absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Yeah, so if you could tell, so going to that, like you know, on that route, what would you tell your younger self?

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Yeah, um, just don't waste as much time. Um, I don't know. I especially through like COVID and stuff like that, I was just able to spend a lot more time on the craft of like the skills of art and music as well. And there was I just remember being a kid and just it was a lot of time I could have done stuff uh just honing in on a craft and becoming better um a lot earlier. Uh I don't know if that would have helped like the the impact of art, but that's something I I really cherish uh about what I'm able to do um of and what I see in artwork. Um I probably wouldn't have had that good of a voice. So it would have been a lot of skill and no actual voice. But I think being able to do that when I had so much time and less responsibilities would have been beneficial versus now when I'm trying to sneak in like 30 minutes here, 30 minutes there, uh between like teaching or something like that. It's uh it's frustrating to think back on that. But you know, that's just I didn't know any better than life lessons though, you know.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

So you being a teacher and you have such an influence on these young artists and things like that. Like what would you tell you know young artists starting out and artists that are like trying to find their path or trying to find like their their way in the art world? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

Yeah, just uh keep making work and uh don't try to have any, you know, I guess just make work that is personal. Um that's usually the best work. Uh in my experience, I've tried making things that have some grandiose meaning or whatever, and it usually falls flat. Um, but the work that is more like about me or about my kid, that just things I'm thinking about, or you know, uh people in my life that tends to be better, um, just more impactful, more uh people relate to it in some sort of way, even though it is very personal. It's not like I'm writing the story of what happened on the canvas with words, but somehow the generalities of it work with other people.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Oh, yeah, you can feel it. When it's genuine, you can feel it come across, like in the artwork, and you can see it come across. Yeah, I feel that.

Shows Ahead And Where To Follow

SPEAKER_01 15:03

So um where what's next for Cody? What's your next big thing?

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Yeah. Um uh have a few shows coming up this year. There's uh a gallery in San Francisco um that I'll be having. It's just a group show, um, but I'll have some work there. Um, and then uh Portland as well. I feel like there's something else that I'm forgetting right now. Well, this, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Saturday. Upcoming, uh, for sure, Saturday. Yeah. Just the the OC made art show at the uh Fullerton Museum.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

Nice. Um, okay, and then a random question off the cuff. What is your favorite scary movie, sir?

SPEAKER_00 15:43

Yeah. Uh I would say I think one of my all-time favorite scary movies. Uh I I like horror comedies a lot. Um, but I also like like creature design stuff, so I like a lot of different things. But I think my go-to is probably Idle Hands.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

Oh, love it. Yeah, that's hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

It's a really silly, dumb movie, but it's it's fun.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Yeah. Yeah, it's good. I guess there's no wrong answer, no pressure. So, okay, where can we find you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Um at Cody Jimenez Art uh on Instagram, and my website is Cody Jimenez.com. Perfect. Yeah. Can I turn this around?

SPEAKER_01 16:22

Oh, yes, please. Let's turn around. Let's see the back because you have to see this beautiful design. It's beautiful. Yes. Yeah. So take it all in. Come see Saturday night, all of it on display. You have to see it up close, so you can't just see it on this. Well, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you, and I wish you nothing but the best. Thank you.