Q: Originally from Winchester, Indiana, what are some of your favorite things about living and working not far from your old hometown?

A: I was born and raised on a small dairy farm an hour and a half east of Indianapolis, Indana. After Living in Cincinnati and then Los Angles, my wife and I landed back in Indiana 15 years ago to start a family. My humble garage studio is where I feel the most comfortable. Greenfield is a sleepy little town outside of Indianapolis where we are within walking or cycling distance to most of our kids’ activities. 

Q: Do you keep a sketchbook? What is the balance between art you create on paper [or other analog medium] versus in the computer?

A: I feel out of place if I don’t have my sketchbook or at least a pen and piece of paper in my pocket. I work solely analog in my sketching and fabrication until the photograph is transferred to the computer where I use the computer much like I was taught to use a darkroom. 

Q: What is the most important item in your studio?

A: That’s a tough one, but the old dental tools I use to sculpt facial expressions are pretty necessary. 

Q: How do you know when the art is finished?

A: The deadline tells me when to stop. 

Q: What was your favorite book as a child?

A: Hands down: Where the Sidewalk End, by Shel Silverstein.

Q: What is the best book you’ve recently read?

A: I recently finished Jupiter’s Travels by Ted Simon. I can’t say it’s my favorite read but I love the taste of the world that you get in that book. 

A: Q: If you had to choose one medium to work in for an entire year, eliminating all others, what medium would you choose?

A: I would like to have a torch and a welder and to be set loose in a junkyard. 

Q: What elements of daily life exert the most influence on your work practice?

A: Right now it is managing the family. My windows of work time are much shorter, which forces me to be more efficient, although sometimes things just take time. The kids help me see the world through fresh eyes as long as I take time to experience the world with them. 

Q: What was the [Thunderbolt] painting or drawing or film or otherwise that most affected your approach to art? 

A: My sophomore year at The Art Academy of Cincinnati an instructor (Paige Williams) brought in a documentary on Alexander Calder and his Circus. This was an absolute turning point—showing me that making art can be fun and didn’t have to follow all the pretentious B.S. that runs like a river through the art school system.

Q: Who was the [Thunderbolt] teacher or mentor or visiting artist who most influenced you early in your training or career?

A: I had a magical art teacher in Junior High and High School named Teri Martin. She instilled a solid foundation in art and pushed me to realize my potential. She personally would drive me to regional art schools for portfolio reviews and let me see that getting into a school with a scholarship was doable. Without her I would be digging ditches somewhere today. In college it was Brian Krueger who showed me that you have to cut through 95% of the mediocre work to get to the good stuff. 

Q: What would be your last supper?

A: An entire warm sugar cream pie from Mrs. Wicks Pies of Winchester, Indiana.

Top: spread from the children’s book: The Secret Subway; publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books; art direction: Lee Wade.
Middle, left: The Hero of Five Points; client: Tor.com; art direction: Irene Gallo
Middle, right: Fear Factor; client: Plansponsor; art direction: SooJin Buzelli
Bottom: The Blowing Bowler; client: MTA Arts&Design; art direction: Amy Hausmann and Yaling Chen

Chris Sickels, the creative force behind Red Nose Studio, creates an eccentric and inviting miniature world with puppets, textures and light. Red Nose Studio’s illustrations appear in advertising, magazines, books, newspapers, packaging, character development and animation. His work has been featured in HOW, Print, Creativity, Communication Arts, and American Illustration. The Society of Illustrators has awarded three golds and a silver medal for both illustrative and motion work.  His stop-motion animated films have screened at various festivals including Los Angeles International Short Film Festival and Montreal Stop-Motion Film Festival. He authored and illustrated The Look Book, and has illustrated the children's books Here Comes The Garbage Barge, The Beginner’s Guide to Running Away From Home, and The Secret Subway.
links:
http://www.rednosestudio.com/
https://www.instagram.com/rednosestudio/
https://twitter.com/rednosestudio
https://www.facebook.com/Red-Nose-Studio-864042933653621/
represented by: http://www.magnetreps.com/