Carlsbad Art and Culture

How old were you when you had Bryan? Where was he born and what number is he of all your children?
I was 22 years old when I had Bryan. He was born in La Jolla, Ca and is the eldest of my 3 children.

What artistic interests did you have before and after the birth of Bryan?
I am not very artistic, I just recently started doing some water colors and find it very relaxing. I have never really had the time and now that I do, I just might look into investing in some materials.

Was his father artistic? Were there any other artistic people his his family? Grandparents?
No not his father, his Grandfather for sure. My Dad is the artist in the family and it runs very strong. I have cousins and my Aunts who are artists. My cousin Julie in Santa Rosa is very talented and very passionate about her work just like Bryan.

As a parent, did you introduce Bryan to any forms of artistic expression as a toddler and/or young boy?
Not really, Bryan came out of the womb drawing, he has always been such a natural. I saw it at a very young age. I think my youth and my curiosity of people watching influenced bryan; we were always out doing something… exploring.

Was he around any other artistic people as a young boy? If so, how do you think it may have influenced him?
School was a big influence. There was an artists who used to come to the schools named Mark Kistler. He basically taught Bryan to draw. Bryan would use his books and draw for hours.

What early interests did Bryan have as a young boy? Did art come later or could you tell he had an interest at a young age?
Yes Bryan showed a lot a art interest at a young age. I could always tell he was different, but in a good way. He was very very observant, kind of a trippy kid and very serious at the same time. I had a friend that used to call him serious Bryan, but I think because he was so intense it seemed serious. Bryan loved to draw and take things apart. He would sit for hours in his room… he really was such an easy kid. Being an artist really keeps a kid occupied:) One time he made me a necklace at a really young age and it was paper that he rolled up into beads. He colored each one and made the necklace. When he gave it to me the first thing i said was, “did you make this?” Kind of a silly question of course he did. I will wear it to his art show. The amount of skill and patience it took… I knew right there he was special.

How was Bryan as a toddler and young boy? Was he a typical boy? Did he have any oddities or anything that made him unique?
Bryan was very special, sweet, intense, smart and athletic. I used to call him my little athletic nerd. He was kind of a funny and unique combination. He also had a lot of friends and teachers LOVED him.

Was he an emotional kid? Any stories? Did he have any nicknames?
Bryan was Bobby. It came from his step sister Ciara. She couldn’t say Bryan and to this day I still call him that… I love it.

Bryan really wasn’t very emotional, he is just like me that way. We are really emotional, we just don’t show it much. It is there and when it shines it is beautiful. Bryan always loved praise. He was always seeking it and because he was the eldest, I was so busy, but I am making up for that now. I am so proud of him.

At what age can you remember Bryan beginning to really be interested in art?
Probably by the time he was in school. That is where the journals started….oh the journals. That is a story in itself. My husband and I would eagerly wait for Friday when the journals would come home. They were filled with his artwork and little stories and they were hysterical…not only was he a good drawer, he was an amazing and imaginative writer. At age 6 is when his journals started and they kept coming for several years.

Did he show you his early drawings often? What was your reaction and what did you do with them?
I hung all his artwork up and I loved his work, but doesn’t every mother do that. I still have all of them. Bryan has been an artist for a very long time. I have an entire trunk of all his artwork, his journals and his report cards. A lot of things have come and gone in my life, but not this stuff. These are my prized possessions… kind of my report cards too.

Bryan has not changed a bit. He is still that little boy; he just has a beard (sometimes)… He is the end result of a lot of love and hard work and endless amounts of exploring, and yes horror movies. He is a talented artist now and sells his work to people who really appreciate it as much as i did when he came running across the lawn with a new piece of art for me to hang up and tell him how amazing it was. people inspire Bryan and being in love inspires Bryan and as long as he has that in his life he is at his happiest.

Can you describe his early drawings? Did he bring home work from his early years in school? Any favorites?
His early drawings were the cute kid drawings, the usual holiday stuff. I have them all….Santa and the Reindeers… sleigh and all. The Halloween pumpkins etc. They were always grand in size and imagination. I hung them everywhere, he was so proud of his work and loved binging them home to me. They are all my favorites.

How has Bryan changed from a kid to a professional artist? How is he the same? What inspires him today?
As he got older, somewhere around 8, things started getting a little darker. The drawings and the journals got a little more descriptive. His dark side came out. He was into, how do i say it, death or a kind of violence. You know… the blood and guts stuff kids draw. I didn’t think it was weird or a sign of bad to come; it was Bryan. He had such a huge imagination. I am a horror movie buff and Bryan got to watch them all. Chucky, Freddie… you name it, we watched it.

How was raising a family in Carlsbad? What things did you enjoy doing your kids? How might growing up in Carlsbad influenced the person Bryan is today?
Raising kids in Carlsbad was easy and cheap. Carlsbad is the best place on earth to raise kids. It easy because everything was close… schools, entertainment, shopping etc. Cheap because we had the beach. The best place on earth because my kids stayed close by . We went to the beach, the mountains, the desert. We went to amusement parks. Magic Mountain was our favorite. We are a beach family and will always be, and now grand kids are coming and being raised on the beaches of Carlsbad…speaking of grand kids, I can not wait to see Bryan become a dad. He’ll be an amazing dad, had to throw that in there:)

Carlsbad influences Bryan by its simplicity and its growth. I always though that Bryan would be the one that would go off to a big city and get lost in its cracks and crevices. He has leaned that direction, but there is something about Carlsbad that has kept his interest, or he has made it interesting!

You have taken many photos over the years and archived most of Bryan’s early years including birthday cards, report cards and drawings, why were you so thorough when it came to recording and archiving everything?
I save everything, because I wanted to always remember my kids and their early years. These are my riches and my greatest accomplishments….my kids. I often go into my spare room and sit for hours reading and laughing and sometimes crying. If i didn’t save them i might forget that Bryan “licked to cooch cukies!” I know it sounds silly and some might not understand, but I have the most amazing kids. Bryan never ceases to amaze me he always has and always will.

A career in the arts can be an unstable journey, do you support his career choice? If so, have you always been supportive?
I do support his career in art. Did i always… not completely. I always knew what ever he did he would be successful. Bryan could have done anything. What is important is that he is doing what he loves and that is the only path for Bryan because he is so passionate about his art. I finally get it, there was a time when I thought he would sit in a cubicle, oh my gosh was I wrong.

Bryan and I have raised each other, he allowed me to stay young and brought out the kid in me. One time we were at the park and I was playing with him on the merry go round and this little kid yanked on my sweater and asked me if i was Bryan’s babysitter and Bryan said very quickly and sternly “No, she is my mom!” and the kid responded, I wish I had a mom like you have. So going back to young at art, thank you Bryan for keeping me young at heart….

Click HERE for Bryan’s Childhood doodles!

www.snyderart2010.com