Kyle Goderwis was born in Lexington, KY USA in 1982. He currently lives and works in Seattle, WA. Kyle has a BFA from the Art Institute of Atlanta and is a self-taught abstract painter.
Since when do you paint and what are your favorite motives?
I started painting right after college. I went to art school, but my degree was in computer animation, and not visual arts. During that time, I was also working at an art supply store. The employees were encouraged to try all the different materials, and that’s what really fueled my interest in painting. Having previously only created my artwork on the computer, the process of painting on a canvas was so thrilling. I loved all the colors and various painting brushes and tools. After working at the art supply store for many years, I left to join a fine arts publishing company as a studio assistant. I learned techniques and new materials from the lead studio artists, and eventually moved up from assistant to studio artist. This was a great learning experience as I was able to work side by side with so many different artists with different styles and backgrounds.
When you create a new work, how do you proceed? What comes first?
When I first create new work, I’m usually motivated by what colors I will use. Color schemes play a very important role in my paintings, so that is the first thing I am usually thinking about. I’ll mix up some colors and do some test swatches to see what looks best together. Once I have my colors selected, I decide on the composition. For my current series Fluid Forms, I will decide on having one large form per canvas, or a group of smaller forms. Then the last step is sketching out the forms, and then the painting starts to take shape.
From what do you get your motivation?
I get my motivation from looking at other artists’ work, and even my old pieces. I’m always looking at others artwork for inspiration. Often, it’s a color scheme or interesting way to frame the piece. And sometimes it may have nothing to do with the style of my artwork, but I’ll find the movement or composition interesting. I also look back at my own work from time to time, to reuse a color scheme, or composition. 
Your life without art would be...
... hard to imagine. Art has been a part of my life from as early as I can remember. When I was little, I would make up superheroes and try to draw comic books. I used my parents’ old camcorder to make videos using my action figures and made elaborate background scenes with my crayons and markers. From doodling in class, to college at an art school, to working in two different fine art publishing companies, to painting on my own. Art has been a constant factor throughout my life.
What's the best art venue in your city right now?
The Seattle Art Fair is the biggest art event in the city that happens every year. Artists and galleries come from all over the world to display their work. In addition to that, there are numerous neighborhoods that have Art Walks throughout the year. The art walks provide a great opportunity for artists to showcase their work that may not have gallery representation or have even shown their art to the public before. 
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