Catching up with honorary member of the artists collective Space 1026 and life-long skateboarder

Self-taught Philadelphia painter Jim Houser combines words and storytelling with cartoony renditions of recurring motifs, everything from ten-gallon hats to snakes. An honorary member of the artists collective Space 1026 and a life-long skateboarder, Houser had a busy year in 2009. “I moved out of and back into my house, put in a new kitchen, got married, had hip surgery, got Jessica pregnant, and did three shows.” It’s a wonder that his paintings, sculptures, and installations don’t show the same frenetic pace – instead, they’re the near opposite: purposeful, considered, and peaceful. Incredibly peaceful.

The Sound of a Drum.

Jim has a vocabulary of images that he draws on continually, among them vines, cowboy hats, hands, scalloped patterns, octopuses, and wallabee-like shoes. Throughout his paintings, he combines his imagery with lines of text, rarely with a line longer than a few words. Such text is planned, but only to a point. “Whatever it is I write down usually changes or is changed by the time I paint it on a painting. I carry as much of the stuff around in my head as possible at one time, and whatever order it comes out in usually is about 35% governed by my conscious and the rest just is what it is.”

Two Face.

Among Jim’s friends, he has a reputation as a homebody, and he agrees. “I like being home more than anywhere,” he says, “I am half-heartedly looking for a studio right now, since once the baby comes, I need to get out of the house. My studio is the whole 3rd floor of the house, and I need to clear out room.” Does that mean he’ll be looking for a studio in its typical form? “Rather than a dirty warehouse-y place, I'll probably rent an apartment. I need a comfortable place with cable and a sofa, or I will never go there to work. I don't think i have the personality to share a space with another artist.”

The Hit Taker.

At the moment, Jim is putting finishing touches on a February solo show at Monster Children in Sydney, and on return, plans to paint a bedroom in his house for his and Jessica’s lil’ player to be named later. “A couple other shows after that, a lot of diaper changing and baby singing, in the near future, I think. Can't wait.”

The Barrage.

Like a lot of artists, I like to collect art, and like a lot of collectors, I find that each piece on my wall develops a bit of a role in my daily life. The small piece of Jim’s lives by my door, and when I see it, I’m reminded to take a long, slow breath and find my center. That baby room will be a wonderful place. –Caleb Neelon / Hurley Art