To Dylan Waddell, inspiration strikes not before you work on an art project, but after. He's a proponent of simply starting when it comes to his pieces, assembled into abstract collages and made by using oil paints, respectively. 

Waddell's collage works are displayed inside Carnelian Art Gallery as part of his solo exhibition, titled "Trial and Error," which touches on the process of experimentation. His works will adorn the walls of our gallery until the end of August, so be sure to check us out during our regular hours, or by scheduling an appointment. You can schedule an appointment by emailing carnelianartgallery@gmail.com, or myself, at eheidemanncag@gmail.com. 

I had the pleasure of visiting Waddell earlier this week at his downtown Madison home slash studio. During the visit, Waddell went over how he moved from elaborate oil paintings to abstract collage-making. 

"I feel like I generally my process is collage-like in and of itself," he said. "The goal with the collages was to scale it down and make it a little bit more simple. I feel more free with making decisions ... being not afraid to make mistakes."

Waddell also discussed how he starts and finishes a collage piece. 

"I get this .. board, which is really cheap, from (places like) Menards," he said. "I work with lasers in my job everyday. So, I'll go in there and I'll cut (materials) out with the laser. (On the board) I usually lay down a big layer of white. 

"My friend gave me a bunch of these magazines to try to find some old school stuff. I have a bunch of 1960s avante garde art magazines. I really wanted a matte finish with most of this stuff."

He starts cutting pieces from magazines out and lays it out on the board. 

"It doesn't even really matter how I start, because I know even if I am three or four hours in, it's not going to look anything like that (when its finished)," Waddell said. 

For his oil paintings, Waddell gets boards and initially paints them black. He then "maps things out" with colord pencils, subsequently adding a base of acrylic paint. He then "starts attacking" the piece with oil paints, prettying and dirtying it up until he deems it finished. 

Waddell originally grew up in Columbus, Wisconsin, with what he called a blue collar family. He had always had an affinity for art as a young child, but didn't start maximizing on those skills until high school, when a few of his art teachers encouraged him to puruse art as a career. Before then, Waddell considered himself a sports fanatic. 

The artist ended up attending the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to study graphic design, graduating from there in 2008. Since then, Waddell has worked day jobs while purusing his art career on the side. He does it more for fun than anything, he said. 

"I would say people always tell my my art stands out a lot," he said. "I don't follow trends."

Waddell said he's excited to be in a show at Carnelian Art Gallery. 

"If we don't get out and support galleries, they won't be there," he said.