Ryan Hodson Profile

First off , where did you get your artistic inspiration?

When I was like 4 years old my dad would stick me in this room with a desk like a school desk and some water color paints all splattered around on the paper and he’d stick the brush in my hand and leave and close the door. Then he’d come back like an hour later to see what I made. That’s pretty much how I got started. And my aunt, she’d make these really cool watercolor paintings and that’s pretty much what inspired me to make art. 

What kind of art do you like doing the most?

I don’t want to break it down into one particular median. More like something you see in your mind, like a dream or something that seems important to you as a person. I’d like to think it might help the world, but it might be striving a little to hard because there are too many crazy things going on. You just gotta try to fuel your fire and try to stay positive and make something that’s important to you.

What are some of the places your artwork has been seen?

I did some art for some Gnu snowboards a couple years ago, those guys are way cool. Growing up and being around all them in the Northwest seems important to me. I did an album cover for Blind Melon a couple years ago. I think the stuff I like the most and when I have funds for it is putting out art on like t-shirts or stickers. Just show up places where skaters or snowboarders are and try to get it out to people that way. I am doing Essential HodgePodge clothes now with some. The underground zines and a couple restroom toilet bowls too. 

Where do you like to snowboard and skate, and how do you like to include it in your art?

For me skating and snowboarding is as much art as a visual image is. Your expressing yourself! I like to go to Alpenthal, Ski Acres… although I used to go there, Stevens, and Crystal Mountain. Crystal is my favorite mountain and my friend Emil Hilton has ridden that mountain for 6 years and knows the back country really well so I learned all about hiking to the powder bowls back there. As for skating, I’m really inspired by curbs and natural banks where some construction guy just threw them out somewhere that’s not really supposed to be skated. I like the Vancouver B.C. parks, Silverdale, and the Ramp in Wilkison. 

Do you have anything else you wanna ad into this?

Yea, I wanna ask you a question! What made you make the magazine? 

Because I love skateboarding and there was a void to fill. …Anything else?

I’d also like to say that Jeff’s a good guy who takes the camera to skateparks and takes photo’s of people skating cuz he realizes they’re ripping. Try to stay positive and don’t let the corporate structure shut you down and try to see through all the corporate crap going on with all the companies moving into the northwest. Try to stay true to people you believe in and that have been there the most for you.