Number of the Yeast, a black IPA and fall favorite, is returning to the Public House this year and for the first time ever… in CANS!
A special beer required a special can though, so we connected with local artist, Parker Winans, to bring his art to life on an Angel City limited release. Check out what he had to say about his art and more!
Where are you from and how did you get your start as an artist?
I was born in the Reno/Tahoe Area and started painting and drawing the surrounding landscapes at a very young age. In my adolescence I turned my attention more towards music and began trying to create the best death metal band in the world. In High School, my parents moved my family to southern California where I rediscovered my love for painting and drawing. I studied film in college and was working on getting my foot in the door of the industry when I became sick with some sort of auto-immune deficiency in 2015. Coinciding with a really tough break up, I felt shattered physically and mentally and once again returned to my first love: Art. Ever since then I’ve dedicated my life to creating art.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My process has been very laborious since art took over my life. I want my stuff to express the purest emotion of whatever is going on in the moment. But I also spend a lot of time trying to counteract the abstractness by practicing the classical traditions of art. The chaotic, raw expression of boundless emotions, and the refined restrained order of tradition and familiarity: the balance between the two is what I strive for with every piece.
I am a proponent of just starting. I’ve taken certain art classes where the systematic approach was just overwhelming and I felt like I could mess things up by doing it wrong. So I eliminate that fear immediately by just pouring some dirty water on a canvas or throwing a cup of ink at the canvas and then smudging it around with a trash bag or something. So there: I’ve already destroyed it right out of the gate, and now I can get to work. And from there its just a continuous process of refining and building and trying to get it to perfection, but not being afraid to destroy it. Sometimes when I’ve worked for hours on rendering out a figure and it seems perfect, I’ll take a can of spray paint and just start spraying over part of it. This probably sounds crazy, and thats because it is. But being an artist is a crazy thing to try to do with one’s life, I just lean into the crazy I guess.
Would you say you work with one specific theme or medium?
Just like my paintings, I don’t get too attached to themes or styles. I guess the through line of everything I’ve done is that it has a darker edge to it. But it also doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m always exploring new mediums too, so the only constant is change. I try to do at least one small watercolor painting a day. It’s almost always a monster, and I post them on my instagram.
How did you get connected with the brewery?
I submitted images for another ACB label and got a response saying that my stuff would be great for the October IPA. Once I saw the information on the IPA, I was just radiating with glee. I am very grateful to the people who got me set up with ACB, especially Katie at Art Share-LA. Everyone was at the brewery was very helpful in the process. Everything that was said was constructive and actually helpful and that isn’t always the case when working freelance. This is probably the best gig I’ve had in my young art career so I look forward to being able to cheers a can of Number of the Yeast to them!
Where can people view and/or purchase your art?
You can buy art directly through my website. My Etsy is also good place to buy prints and stickers: etsy.com/shop/parkerwinansart.
You can also contact me through my Instagram to purchase art, request a commission or just connect and say hey.
I have a book of ink drawings called Things, Beings, and Places I’ve Seen which can be purchased on Amazon.
Oh, and I have a Facebook Page, which is Art by Parker Winans!
Oh, and cans will be available to-go starting 9/28 (while they last)!
