FOLLOWING THE SHOOT FOR OUR RIDE OR DIE COLLECTION LOOK BOOK, WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE ART PROFESSOR, MODEL AND GENERAL JACK OF ALL TRADES SETH THOMPSON AKA @SIR_NDREWSILVER; TO TALK ART, CA AND THAT INFAMOUS BEARD. HONESTLY, WE CONSIDER OURSELVES LUCKY TO HAVE PINNED HIM DOWN FOR 5 MINUTES- THIS GUY NEVER STOPS!

“I CAN SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD.”

ART PAGE: @billdabutcher 

 

 

 

SETH: What makes me tick? Who am I? I'm a devoted husband and dad. I'm a passionate doer of things and pour my heart and soul into what I fill my time with whether it's my art or staying fit. I'd like to think I'm a loyal friend who protects and takes care of those in my life. I'm a calculated rebel, a gentleman, a temperamental bitch, a playful imp. I've been known to enjoy a good sip of whiskey and get too friendly with a bottle of rum.  Beer is my water. Would be totally content to get tattooed every week if I could. I've come to love the freedom of a good ride on my motorcycle. Travel is great but home is always a nice place to be.

 

 

SETH: Coffee, donuts and beer fuel the machine and keep me going strong. Haha! Actually, truth be told, I wanna do right by my wife and kids. They are my motivation to never stop grinding, working, hustling to do whatever I can to provide a better life. I can sleep when I'm dead!

 

 

 
SETH: Artistically speaking, nothing is off the table with regards to inspiration. The world around me, colours, textures, sights, sounds, everything sensual. My relationships and life experiences have a way of turning up in my work. I like to do a lot of conceptual work that communicates themes about society and human nature. And my style, haha...I'd have to say is quite muted in contrast with my art. I like to keep things classic and simple, as in not a bunch of flashy colours, patterns and such. Black is a giant portion of my wardrobe. I like a hint of an Americana vibe, a bit of a worn, ripped, torn, tattered "don't give a shit" feel. There's a flavour of drinking, smoking, rebel, biker culture in my look. A dash of punk woven throughout...wow! I guess my style is way more involved than I ever thought.

  

 

 

 

P&CO: WE RECENTLY CAME ACROSS A QUOTE OF YOURS:“SEEING IS FORGETTING WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT”- NOW WE THINK THAT’S A PRETTY GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT LIFE, BUT CAN YOU TELL EVERYONE WHAT YOU MEAN BY THIS?

SETH: That quote! That's been a part of my life since I was a teen. I suppose applying it in a broad sense to life, approaching things with a sense of openness, attention and a desire to see beyond the surface is a killer way of living. Honestly, "seeing is forgetting what you're looking at," has been an artsy rule about observational drawing I adopted from a teacher in high school. For me, and how I explain it to my students, it means ditching the label or title of the object you are looking at when you're drawing it, and genuinely focusing on the true lines, shapes, forms, values, colours etc. that make up the object being observed. As I put it, sticking with the label,  tends to cause a formulaic product that isn't genuine. The brain has its go-to image of how something should appear, so simply saying, "it's a face," or "I'm drawing a motorcycle," will result in a watered down version of what's being drawn. However, if I approach the drawing with eyes that see elements of art, I get a much more accurate product.

 

 

P&CO: DO YOU HAVE A PIECE OF ART THAT YOU ARE PARTICULARLY FOND OF?

SETH: Some personal faves of my art work are the Pin ups I did a few years back. I wanted to take the idea of the pin up beyond just the pretty gal so I considered a broader sense of lust and desire by creating a visual metaphor. I equated the beautiful woman, that dreamy fantasy girl, to places I've spent time in that have impacted me deeply. Those places, like the pin up, are spots I long for, I yearn for more time with them, and experience them, to build more memories. Places like the city I grew up in, Encinitas, or downtown San Diego, San Francisco...San Simeon and a few clutch other locations. The paintings are comprised of an image of a pin up, inspired by Gil Elvgren's work, posing in a background that depicts a personally relevant scene from the whatever place I was focused on. Ultimately I feel those pieces are the peak of my figurative illustration work.

 

 

P&CO: AND IS THERE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT YOU REGULARLY GIVE TO YOUR STUDENTS?

SETH: So many things I tell my students..."stay in the suck!" As in don't give up when you're frustrated and get hit in the face with a challenge. Persistence is a powerful quality that is lacking in these days of instant gratification culture. I also say, "the artist that doesn't meet their deadlines is an unknown artist" for obvious reasons, but also, drop the bullshit excuses and get the job done!

 

 

P&CO: NOW WE’VE GOT TO ADMIT WE’VE CAUGHT THE CALI BUG! HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED HERE? WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT CALIFORNIA?

SETH: I am Cali born and raised. Been here all my life. I'm very grateful for having spent my years out here. The diversity. There's so much of everything going on in California. The people are v interesting, places and spaces are beautiful, the weather is perfect, for now. The foodie scene is endlessly delicious...the history, though young relative to the rest of the globe is rich. California is very much it's own unique creature with endless awe and wonder.

 

 

 

 P&CO: TOP 3 THINGS TO DO IN LA?

SETH: Eat, drink, get out!

 

P&CO: FIRST TATTOO?

SETH: Got my first tattoo 14 years ago on my upper, inner, left arm. It's an image of  praying hands and swallows...about family.

 

P&CO: IS THE BEARD FOREVER?

SETH: The beard! The beard is a part of me. Having a beard is a way of life. It's not a trend or some gimmick to be a part of a subculture social clique. There have been moments when I'm tired of it, the grooming shit, but ultimately, trust me, no one wants to see me without a beard.

 

P&CO: YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO MODEL P&CO’S LATEST RIDE OR DIE COLLECTION WITH THE STUNNINGLY BADASS KILEY GARCIA- DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TEE FROM THE RANGE?

SETH: That’s a hard question! I love everything the fellas and crew make at P&Co! From this particular range my fave tee the Bad Luck Club Tiger tee, also love the Death Rider hoodie and the Moto Inspired Goods jacket is a must have!