Fearless creation

Paintings of nature line the walls of the Creston Art Depot. Each painting, all done by multifaceted artist Chad Elliott, incorporates different techniques he’s picked up throughout his life. It’s where the title of the exhibit comes from.

“It’s part of the theme, this “Old Current,” it’s because of the current of inspiration, always pushing.”

Elliott, who grew up in Lamoni, has added different practices to art throughout his life, finding new ways to express himself and create.

“I’ve been in the arts all my life,” he said. “I feel like I’ve never let one of them go, I just kept growing... I’ve never been able to focus on one thing at one time for very long, so this was a way to make a through-line in my creative realm.”

The exhibit has no titles or descriptions to the paintings, which was deliberate. Elliott says the way the paintings are presented have a “rhythm,” which also lead back to Elliott’s creative process during his sessions in his art studio in Jefferson.

“There’s a rhythm as I create these,” he said. “I’m thinking, I need a new technique here, I’ll paint one way, heavy on the brush one day, watercolors the next, that keeps me interested. They all fit together in their own weird way.”

The title “Old Current” has multiple meanings, seen visually as a pushing river, or reflective on the techniques used to paint, with Elliott using old and new techniques.

“It’s a play on words,” he said. “Some have these older styles that I’ve used for years, and some with newer explorations. I’m constantly trying new techniques, never leaning too long on the old ways.”

Elliott says some paintings in the exhibit only took a few hours, while some took upward of a week. He says the varying time depends on how concrete the idea is before he starts painting, describing how painting can be comprised of “what feels like thousands of decisions.”

Besides painting, Elliott has released acoustic music, written poetry and created a children’s book, titled “Wilderman’s Treetop Tales,” he wrote and illustrated himself with an accompanying music album with lyrics from the book. Whatever his current project is, Elliott wants to keep the excitement he feels while creating.

“When you’re first creating something, that excitement, that thrill, that’s kind of my thing,” he said. “It’s what I’m after, and it’s seasonal. There are certain things that spark, catching lightning in a bottle.”

Most of Elliott’s work depicts nature, serving as a massive source of inspiration. In Creston previously, Elliott has held sessions in Green Valley State Park, where he has painted the landscape and held a concert to play his folk tunes.

“Any time I’m empty on inspiration or ideas, I look to nature,” he said. “If nothing else, it cleans my slate, I can start fresh. It’s a deep well that I can keep looking into.”

Elliott also holds workshops with local schools, helping inspire children to develop their ideas for creation, and in return he develops a few of his own ideas.

“I just did a kid’s concert yesterday, and we wrote a song right there,” he said. “They’re fearless because of their ideas. I get a lot from that.”

With how Elliott teaches, he says it’s important to teach children to create and indulge in their ideas, to keep finding new inspiration. Elliott himself holds rituals to keep himself moving through his creative processes, like writing a song once a day.

Teaching others, no matter the age, to fearlessly create is a major goal for Elliott. He said it took three years to finish his first song, but he doesn’t hold back anymore. To him, it doesn’t matter if what he creates is good or bad, the excitement from creating pushes him forward.

“Quiet the inner critic,” he said. “Creativity is an ongoing exploration, it just takes a little bit of courage to start.”

Chad Elliott’s exhibit “Old Currents” will be available for viewing in the Creston Arts Depot throughout the month of September.