Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I go by DROOLIO and I’m a mixed-media artist from Seattle. I’ve been making art since high school and since then always been making something. What started out as just doodles and little paintings on cardboard has turned into hundreds of pieces of all kinds of mediums such as canvases, found signs, clothing, stickers, books, zines, toys, street signs, and anything else I find that I can paint on. Since 2014 I’ve also taken my art outside and made thousands of stickers and painted countless bridges, tunnels, and culverts around the greater Seattle area. I enjoy making art and exploring nature and getting to combine the two if I can.
The way you paint outside often includes using paint markers and pens to fill in the extra space inside or around your letters. How did you start painting like this? Outside of Seattle, are there some cities that respond to your work better than others?
It definitely took some years to develop my own style and I’m still working on it all the time. Practice makes perfect for sure. Early on in my art I used a lot of repetition and patterns, filling in space evenly in almost a mathematical way. For example: if I do a dot, you can always draw a circle around said dot, and then do a dot inside all of the original dots and so forth. When I started painting bigger pieces outside I found that when I was “done” with a piece there was still so much more you could do with it. The pieces never felt fully complete to me unless I spent another couple of hours embellishing the spray paint I had already put down with all the different types of markers and pens available. Where some see graffiti as a fast rush, I see it as the opposite and will come back multiple times to pieces and keep adding until I deem it “done” I feel like I’ve become known for adding so much extra to all my pieces and I say “why not”? I have the time and resources for now and love being able to take my time and spend hours on pieces sometimes.
The pattern work I did when I started came from looking at ancient art and patterns from all sorts of cultures around the world. I was also super into Keith Haring’s work and always loved how he filled in as much space as he could without it being too overwhelming or obnoxious to look at. Outside of Seattle, I feel like Portland and other cities down the west coast respond to my work the most but there are pockets all over the country and world where people have been doing my “genre” of graff way before me. I feel like Kansas City, MO and some places in the midwest get down with the kind of graffiti I enjoy. I feel honored to be that guy that takes too long to finish his piece when I take friends places.
You’ve been busy outdoors across the Pacific Northwest this summer. Have you had a favorite spot to paint, whether that be for what you put up there or the spot itself? Is there a zine on the horizon?
I feel very lucky to have grown up in the PNW, the geography here is amazing. So many mountains, lakes, and rivers so close to such a big city. There’s even places in the city you can go to and feel like you’re in the wild. I made it a mission this summer to go out almost every day and find spots in Washington and a few trips down to Oregon. I’ll say any spot that’s far away from humans and the city was my favorite spot. More specifically I enjoyed bridge and tunnel-like spots along rivers and creeks. Its so peaceful and all you hear the sound the water rushing and whatever wildlife may be around the area. Luckily no run-ins with any dangerous animals. Highway 2 north of Seattle leads you to the mountains and those were some of my favorite places to retreat to. I found myself in some tunnels north of Portland, OR that I don’t think anyone will ever find. Love those kind of spots. I hope to go back to some spots 20 years from now and still see some of my work or even a sign or little white mark that proves I was there long ago.
There is a book I made chronicling every place I went from the first to the last day of Summer 2024. It’s a photo book showcasing the spots and not necessarily any of my art at said spots. It’s 192 pages and full-color print and will be out in November 2024. I may work on another smaller publication showing some of my favorite pieces. As Fall/Winter is starting to show itself I’m finding myself inside my room more and not leaving the city as much. I use that time to transition back to making pieces in my room and cannot wait til the cold, dark, and rain goes away and I can continue exploring.
As a seasonal painter who works outdoors when the weather permits and then heads back into the studio when it gets rainy in the Pacific Northwest, how do you think the way you paint outside influences what you paint inside?
I think a main thing is the size of pieces I paint outside versus inside. When I paint spots I paint usually as high as I can reach and then upwards of 40 feet long in some spots, so when I come home to work on a canvas that’s 5”x7” I feel like I’m able to finish smaller pieces so much faster. I have begun to try and paint more complicated pieces outside. Like trying new things and painting characters and pieces with themes more instead of just saying my name. Like Bob Ross but under a bridge or something idk.
Describe your current studio or workspace.
I’ve never really had a traditional studio space. Any work I create happens in my bedroom. I’ll usually be hunched over in a chair next to my desk that has markers and random supplies and trinkets laid out all over it. I don’t usually listen to music when I make art but rather have a silly movie going or a YouTube video like Mythbusters or some shit. I suppose I’ve never really had a need to acquire a bigger space to make art and therefore bigger paintings. I tend to like working on a smaller scale and have multiple projects going on at once. My airbrush setup is super chill. I’ve had the same Airbrush and air compressor since I started using them in 2019. The only disadvantage to my room being my “studio” is if I have to use spray paint or fumes from the airbrush. Also trying my best to avoid paint and ink spills but it happens. I like having my entire life in one room and having It all be accessible right away. So much art and memories stored away. Stacks of paintings I’ve made lean against the wall. Closet filled with clothes I don’t need and pieces of clothing I’ve painted hanging, waiting for a home.
When it comes to my graffiti and paintings outside, my “studio” is pretty much any walls, bridges, tunnels, or spots that I’ve found and compiled over the years solo or with friends in the PNW. When I started I mainly did stickers. Printed and hand drawn. I’ve put them all over Seattle and def made a name for myself in that world here. That later evolved into other destructive forms of graffiti, like scribing windows and mirrors and hundreds upon hundreds of metro buses. Since getting my first car earlier this year I’ve been able to leave Seattle whenever I want. I seek spots that are outside of the city and usually in woody areas along rivers and creeks and bodies of water. I’ve found most of the cutty hidden spots inside the city and enjoy getting to explore way more now. There are endless places within a couple hours drive that I can disappear for a few hours and paint on concrete walls without any distractions or human intervention. Also, the spot allowing, I can paint bigger than I ever could inside my room.
A common surface for you to paint on are items of clothing like hats, tees, or hoodies. How did you start? What inspires the graphics that you make? Do you think of painting on clothing differently than on a canvas?
I had already been super fixated on becoming an artist in high school and community college and just started drawing and drawing and drawing, then I started painting pieces with a little more thought to it and started to gain some skill. When I started doing graff in 2013 I was still pretty much only painting on canvases and stickers and some other projects like skateboard graphics and drawing people’s dogs to make some cash. I started drawing a simple smiley face pyramid character in 2014 and I think that may have been the first time I started drawing on clothing, it wasn’t until 2017/18 that my best friend started to get into using an airbrush set up to paint on shirts hoodies and hats and any clothing for that matter. I started to notice how much more people would be willing to buy art if it was something they could wear, instead of something that might get hung up in their house or end up in a storage box. Around that same time I began helping a friend that screenprinted stickers. He also printed on clothing and 2018 was the year where that all came together. I got my first airbrush set up that summer and quickly got the hang of it and started painting anything I could think of on t-shirts. There was some Droolio going on as well but the clothing took over for a while and I painted hundreds of pieces with airbrush and fabric markers on shirts, hoodies, hats, bags, etc.
I enjoy painting bootleg shirts and obscure cutty pop culture references. Meme culture is very big now and sometimes I’ll just paint a meme because I find it funny. I definitely have a comedic side to my work. I want someone to see a shirt I made and have it take them back to a cartoon or commercial they saw as a kid in 1997 or something. Heavily into nostalgia and that feeling of wanting to return to the past.
Painting on clothing takes a little more effort and preparation. Using an airbrush is awesome but when you need to use multiple colors it takes some effort to keep the nozzle clean and prevent clogs and frustration.
What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing?
Well money is a big thing haha. Some personal challenges that I think I and others face is getting fair prices for pieces and jobs. It’s really difficult letting a hoody I spend a month working on go for less than $50. I think artists need to have more self-worth and be upfront about pricing. People can be so stingy. Another challenge I mentioned before is getting exposure. It can be overwhelming thinking about how many others there are trying to make it as an artist and it gets too competitive. I think just focusing on the work and not the numbers is a good way to go. Just stay consistent and the people that matter will stick by your side.
What is your experience like as an artist based in Seattle?
My personal experience as a Seattle artist is that I just feel like I’m part of the underground. I’m not a very social person and while I may know so many friends and artists that are in the art world, I just feel like I’ve always been on the outside looking in. I’ve always embraced that and just see my art and exploring as an intense hobby and not something I’m trying to do to make a living. If I have the freedom and ability to make art each day, I’m going to. While it would be nice to have a show or be invited to be in a group show, I basically don’t give a shit.
Seattle has a lot of talented people and it’s just too overwhelming and almost pointless to “blow up” in the scene or something. I’m grateful I’m a creative person and met so many people through skateboarding and graffiti that are just wayyyyyy more cool and realer than 99% of the “artists” here. Also being a native Seattleite I’ve seen the tech boom completely ravage the city and I feel content not being a part of that world.
What is something you want to see more of in your world or in your community?
I’d like to see more little group shows more often. A friend of mine had an art show back in April and invited a ton of friends to show their art and it came out so awesome. I feel like a lot of the same artists and cliques keep getting all the attention and get to be in galleries in Pioneer Square every art walk and I just feel like there are a lot of real ones out there not getting any coverage or notoriety. I fucking hate cliques.
In the world idk it’s such a gnarly place. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the doom and gloom of the news and it seems to get crazier every year. It brings up feelings like anything I’m doing now doesn’t matter cause we are gonna blow each other up anyway in the future lol idk I try not to be pessimistic and just focus on Seattle.
What do you collect?
I mainly collect art and clothing. Whether it’s my art or others’ work I have a pretty big collection now of pieces from some of my favorite artists around the country. I like collecting nostalgic Seattle stuff like old Mariners merch or King County Metro bus items like old uniforms and rare pins. I have 20 years of little pieces and zines and books from artists and creators all over the world. I worked in the donations section of Goodwill for a couple years and would take stuff home every day. The thing is that most of it was to end up in a dumpster, so I took home many little toys, trinkets, and pieces of media. Since 2013 I’ve collected stickers and most of my collection has ended up in 1 black book that’s full now. I can’t stop burning a hole in my pocket and buying shoes and clothing I don’t need or don’t even wear haha. You could say that my spots are a collection. I’ve even written out a physical list of all the spots in chronological order I went to this year and it’s over 7 pages long now.
Do you have any rituals when you start a project?
I don’t really have any rituals when it comes to my work. Maybe if you count being stoned for the last decade. I’m not one of those types that sees weed as something that makes me more creative or anything, I’m just an addict now lol. I do have some supplies I use that I prefer over others so maybe that’s a ritual. Having all my fave supplies stocked up if I can so it makes getting started on things way easier.
This summer some routines formed that got me excited to go out and explore and paint during the day and then come back home and keep that creativity going and work on paintings in my room. Just always feeling like I need to be working on something or else I’m not doing enough haha.
Are there any influences that are core to your work?
When it comes to my paintings, style-wise, I always looked up to Keith Haring. Bold and simple lines and characters dancing around in his work. I definitely tried to emulate his style when I started getting into art.
I grew up skateboarding as a kid and all the different art that comes with deck graphics, clothing, and advertising was heavily influential to my early pieces. I used to draw all over the top of my grip tape which is a pretty common occurrence with skateboarders. One skateboarder who combined art with skateboarding in one of the most groundbreaking ways was Mark Gonzales.
Around 2013 I saw a documentary from 1983 on New York Subway graffiti culture called Style Wars and it for sure changed the trajectory of my work and pretty much my life as well.
Interview conducted by Luca Lotruglio.