Featured Art Student: Joel Cockrell
It’s time for our next Featured Student! This month we are featuring:
Joel Cockrell
Website: joellaneart.com
Instagram: @joel_cockrell
Below is an awesome Q&A that our friend Katy Adebayo, conducted with Joel.
When an artist can call themselves both a teacher and a student, they are probably making great progress. In this interview, illustrator and arts professor Joel Cockrell shares how much can be learned from being immersed in art from both perspectives. A gem of a story finishes this one off as Joel describes what sparked his love of words and images as a small child.
Hi! Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Joel. I am almost 30 and I am an Illustrator and a Studio and Digital Art professor at a university. I have been teaching at the college level for 5 years. I live in central Virginia with my wife (who is also an amazing artist) and our 7-year-old Vizsla. Apart from art, my hobbies include anything in the outdoors (backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, trail running) and hanging out with my best friend (that’s my wife).
What stage are you at in your career? Do you see that shifting at all in the future?
I would describe myself as being in an intermediate stage of freelancing. I have been doing freelance jobs for the last few years since most of my time has gone to teaching, however, I do see that shifting! In the last two years, I have illustrated my first two children’s books, been to my first book launch, and have begun sending out postcards/promotional materials for the first time. I am hoping to illustrate more, pick up more book deals, and teach less moving forward. This positive shift has been influenced greatly by SVS.
Could we see some of your art? What do you see as a strength in your work?
Line work is a strength of mine. I have always had a love for lines in illustration. The fluidity, the emotion, and the style that line can have. I often saw that as a disadvantage in the past since I am not as strong of a painter. However, I now see it as a strength, realizing that some artists can paint and render beautifully, but struggle to draw. Whether clean, rough, textured, smooth, creating interesting lines that show character movement and emotions is a strength I continue to hone.
This is the cover for my second Children’s Book “Adventure Ted: Dancing on the Moon” that recently wrapped up and will be printed soon.
Artwork by Joel Cockrell
This is an interior page from the book “Adventure Ted: Dancing on the Moon” where Ted the Teddy Bear takes Ella on an inspiring adventure to the moon.
Artwork by Joel Cockrell
These scenes were all created in the last couple of months as personal portfolio pieces, and to experiment with some custom crayon brushes I created.
Artwork by Joel Cockrell
Artwork by Joel Cockrell
Artwork by Artwork by Joel Cockrell
What inspires your art? And what role does nature and exploring the world play in your life?
Watching others create inspires me. I love being a teacher because I have to opportunity to show others how to create, and in turn, watching them create fills up my inspiration tank. It makes me want to produce more work as well.
Exploring the world is a big part of my life, both personally, and artistically. I believe anyone who is going to stare at a screen all day creating, should get outside and exercise. It is good for the body, the mind, and the spirit. Some of the most inspirational moments in my life, that have directly influenced my artwork, have taken place on cold rivers, in hot canyons, on windy mountain tops, and quiet walks around my neighborhood. If you ever find yourself creatively stuck, just take a quick walk around your house or apartment - it works for me.
From an art perspective, what has been the hardest challenge you’ve faced in the last year or so, and how did you tackle it?
The hardest challenge I have faced has been prioritizing my time and setting boundaries between too much and too little. As a professor, my schedule can quickly jump from very busy and working constantly, to totally free with nothing to do. Because of this, in the slow times (especially now in the summer) I get this stifling feeling that I am not doing enough. I feel, and I must assume other artists do as well, a deep sense of dread when I am not creating. My brain tells me that when I am not drawing, someone else is, and that they will soon pass me with superior skills. However, I have many more responsibilities in life than just practicing art. We all should put at least some pressure on ourselves to create, but at a slow steady climb, not all at once. I have been implementing a schedule that allows me to create in certain time frames, so I don’t feel guilty for not creating in my “off time.”
You catch a glimpse into many artists’ lives as an art professor, so I’m curious, what patterns do you see among students who end up being the most “successful”? And what exactly does “success” mean to you? :)
That is a great question. It is a difficult question, since people measure success in different avenues. I see students who are successful in their careers, and students who are successful in their skills. Career success originates from the students who have genuine passion for their art. If I did not give them homework or projects, they would still go home and create. Not because someone asked them to, or told them to, but because of their internal motivation. When I was learning to draw, I would draw for 4-5 hours straight, I would stay awake until 3 am, and then I would get up the next day and do the same again. I had to draw; it wasn’t something someone expected of me. The same is the key for those who wish to be successful in their careers. They must have that drive. Some students don’t have that drive, nor do they want it. And that is okay! They might not be successful in a specific career, but if they are learning and growing, I still count it as successful. If you are growing as an artist, then you are a successful one.
As a final question, is there a story that comes to mind that exemplifies why you are an artist? For example, the effect your art has had on yourself or somebody else?
I didn’t want to read as a kid. I hated the idea of reading, and I was insecure because I didn’t think I was smart enough. One day, my mom took me to the library and told me to pick out a book to read. When she returned later, she found me in a remote corner of the room, reading Peanuts comics, and laughing to myself. She got excited, and said, “See, you can read!” I responded by saying “But these are just cartoons, this isn’t a book.” She empathetically responded to me by saying “Well, there are some words here. It’s a good place to start.” It was a simple moment, but it grew in me a love of words and images together. Two halves creating a whole. Telling a story that neither could do alone. Since that day, drawing “cartoons” has been a passion, and it has always taught me that I could learn any skill, even reading, if I put enough time and effort into it.
Thanks so much, Joel! Best wishes for the future!
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