Luke Ramsey is an artist who’s work can be found everywhere- whether its on the sidewalk or a tshirt, his nephews walls, album covers and even on zunes as well- literally everywhere ! A guy who truly loves what he does, he also started up Islands Fold: an artist residency, where fellow artists work together to “promote health and well being, and produce unique art and publish zines”. You can check out his art blog here. Also, here is a little interview to have a peek inside Ramsey’s brain.

-the concept behind Islands Fold and its beginning?

Islands Fold was influenced by a residency I had at The MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire. The original concept we had was about connecting my passion for art and Ange’s passion for food and nutrition. We moved from the city to a remote and beautiful island. It’s a special place to share with residents. Our ethos is about creating an experience, not just a product.

-artists which have influenced (or influence) you, and how?

Andy Goldsworthy influences me because he uses a pure source for art making. There’s so much art in nature and Andy Goldsworthy extracts it and brings attention to it. His work truly humbles me.  Another artist that humbles me is Chris Johanson. His work influences me because it so uninhibited. I am so moved by it. There’s allot of amazing art that I could want to mimic, but Chris Johanson’s is so far from that for me. You can touch it but you can’t copy it, it’s too pure. It’s the kind of art that inspires me to keep feeling truth in my art and make it come from a personal place.

-favorite medium?

Pen to paper.

-your art has a bit of a ‘cheeky’ side to it which I definitely enjoy. do you ever touch on a more serious side ?

I sometimes make art that can point fingers at serious “issues” or personal feelings, but try not to push the viewer away by being too blunt or harsh. I think being cheeky and using humor is a better way to “draw” people in. For example: I was so stoked on Sacha Baron Cohen’s approach with his film Brüno. He used humor as an art form to address homophobia. To me, it was brilliant. I’m sure allot of people don’t feel this way.

-besides creating art, what do you spend your time doing?

Allot of hiking in the forest. Eating and chilling out. I belong to a few local community groups, like a community garden we helped start. I party every few weeks. I also make music with friends in a band called Tuesday Night With Jaime.