When It came to my attention that Martha Rich is in a 2-person show opening this week, I emailed to invite her to do a Q&A for DART. Here’s what happened:

Q: Martha, you seemed like such an LA girl before moving to the City of Brotherly Love. What do you like best about Philly? In what ways is it most different from LA? Is it easier to have a great place to live and work in Philly?

A: Well I am originally from Philly, but I think I may have been Californian in another life. In answer to your questions, I love Philly because it is a city. LA is not a city. I walk everywhere. I use public transportation! After 15 years of being in my car it is refreshing to walk. I like the dirt here, the loudness here. This is not a glossy place. People are real and gritty. I like that it is under the radar. There are cool people here doing cool things but people don't think of Philly that way. It is freeing. I wouldn't say it is easier, just different. I miss the hell of out LA too. I want to be bi-coastal at some point. This winter almost killed me.

Q: Your website is a feast of images, everything from assignments to personal work and projects—like your New York Times Magazine sketchbook. What is this and why did you start it?

A:  The life of a commercial artist is so up and down. Busy busy and then nothing. In the nothing times I give myself projects. I had a bunch of old New York Times Magazines lying around and had some extra paint from a job. I hate wasting paint so I started painting over the pages. Now I always have one standing by. I am constantly painting in them. There are no rules in my New York Times Magazine sketchbooks.

Q: I noticed that your analog internet project from last summer led to a recent New York Times Book Review assignment [Btw, I loved that article!]. Was this your first foray into visual narrative using text bubbles? How did the idea for this come to you?

A: It wasn't the first time. A while back Esther Pearl Watson asked me to be in a Lady Comix show at Webb Gallery in Waxahachie, TX. I am not an official comix person but she knew I was always writing stuff down and making little comix on my own. I decided to try something new and just do speech bubbles of the funny stuff I have overheard and written down. I used magazine pages as a base.

Q: It looks as though you have an active e-retail operation going. Do you plan special projects for sale or do you go on impulse?

A: In the beginning it was not planned. I just created projects out of necessity. But now I am planning on doing another round of 100 for $100 this spring/summer. I am going to make 100 paintings and sell them for $100. I am also planning on doing another limited edition print too.

Q: There doesn’t seem to be a medium you haven’t adopted or a surface you haven’t painted on, from tea towels to snowboards, never mind paper or glass. Is there anything you really want to paint on that has been beyond your reach so far?

A: Hmm? I haven't really thought about that. I don't know where I'd find the time to paint on something new.

Q: I heard that you’re teaching at FIT now—what do you like best about teaching?

A: I like teaching because it keeps me on my toes and it is great to be around young people and seeing what they do and how they think.

Q: It seems that you travel a lot. Are you restless or is it just that you have friends everywhere?

A: Both. I am a very restless person and being an artist has allowed me to meet awesome people all over the place.

Q: You paint a lot of food. What is your favorite road snack? What would you have for your last supper?

A:  I love sandwiches. Hands down a good sandwich is the best. That being said I would probably have several lobster rolls for my last meal. Lobster rolls and a couple glasses of chilled crisp Rose by the beach.

Nothing is Rather Do, featuring new work from Philadelphia artists Martha Rich and Keith Warren Greiman, opens at Space 1026 on April 5^th, 7-19 pm. 1026 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA. Information.