Blaine Prescott

Blaine has not only scorched the Augusta area with 
great music, but dynamic and vibrant art.  He’s been a
prominent figure with live performances of art & music
as described here as we crawl into the dark corners of
his mind.

What medium do you tend to use for your paintings?

I use acrylic paint in combination with colored pencil and spray paint. I started using these
items early on because they were easy to find in my house as a child.

What inspires you to create the apparition like images you use in your paintings?

I've always been a fan of the supernatural and unexplained. The monster under the bed
was something that sparked my curiosity, and nightmares were playgrounds for my
imagination. My dreams have always been vivid. Being asleep can be more stimulating
than being awake in a world of banality. I draw most of my inspiration from the darker side of the human psyche. It's quite therapeutic.

Who inspires your visual art lately?

Local artists. The painters in Artzilla are very inspiring. We are also loosely called AVA (Augusta Visual Arts) but we're still working on code names to carve into our switchblade handles.

Do you think the live painting atmosphere has change your perspective as an artist?

I think it's made me better at talking to people about my work. I never really thought that much about it before, I just made art. At a live event, people want to know why or how. I never want to tell them what it means, because that can completely spoil the experience. I want them to tell me what it means to them.

If given the freedom to do anything, what would you love to paint right now?

Something satisfyingly romantic and scary. The feeling of falling in love while being terrified of it. Angels and demons embracing. What forever feels like.

What artist (music or visual) did you fall in love with first? Which one, if any, broke your heart?

Olivia Newton John broke my heart when she left me for John Travolta. Heavy metal
artists were the ones I identified with most growing up. I liked fast music, so thrash metal was very important to me in my teenage years. If I had to pick an artist that broke my heart it would probably be Metallica when they released the Black album.

I've known you to be in dieAgnostic and Artemia, what other bands have you been a part of, or like to talk about?

I was in a thrash metal band called Cremation. I played guitar in a band called Distal. I played drums in an all girl punk band called Fluff in NYC. I did a rap project called Just Brain. I sang and played guitar in an eighties cover band called the Haeighties. I also played guitar and rapped in an experimental band called Venger. 

Toughest question ever, who's your favorite Kiss member?

Oh man, I'd have to splice Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons together to make a demonic space alien.

What can you tell us about the scene in Augusta during the early days of dieAgnostic and the positive things done then you’d like to see now?

Unity. Different musical genres and people from all walks of life made it interesting. Back then, everyone went to shows and supported whoever played whether they liked the music or not. Just being there to hang out with other crazies was enough. Diverse people made the scene, not bands. Flyers, human interaction, and word of mouth helped spread the word and build the scene, rather than being lost in a sea of social media. Today people seem to have settled into their stereotypical molds, often supporting their particular fashion and corresponding music genre. Innovation is scarcely found in emulation. Open yourself up to supporting all types of art and music, and you may find something new that turns you on.

What shows or exhibits of your work do you have planned or looking forward to in the future?

I'm working on a secret music project right now. I'm not sure if we'll be playing out or only recording, but that's all I can say for now. As far as having an art show, I'm sure
something will pop up sometime this year. I have some new paintings in the works, and I'm continuing to pursue what I'm passionate about. I urge everyone reading this to do the same. Do what you love.

You can catch Blaine at live painting events like Art Bomba or ArtZilla, hanging out at music and art gallery shows, or jamming with friends.  To see more of his work, you'll have to convince him to let you into his Facebook circle.