…and by that I mean Klondike Kat’s nemesis in the ’60s cartoon. Chad Elliott is everywhere.

Chad tours with Katheryn Severing Fox along a spiral that emanates from Des Moines, Iowa. The pair have been known to play soulful, heart-stabbing songs they wrote together “at 3:30 today…we were just taking in some of the scenery…parked illegally…” You get the idea.

me: How do you know whether an inspiration wants to be born into art or song? Is the process different for each? What are the similarities, if any?

CE: It is such an elusive and mysterious process to me. I can feel it in my gut the moment it’s happening. I get a curious or gnawing thought that needs to be said in words and melody, and it sort of rushes in, that’s when I know it’s a song. In painting, inspiration is found in the process of making art. I will begin with washes and lines, and play around with imagery. In many respects, my songwriting and painting are similar, thematically. In both practices, I am trying to be a catalyst for the ineffable.

me:  What medium do you find the most difficult? Anything you refuse to work with?

CE: I tend to stay away from tedious mediums. I love the look and feel of oil paints, but they require more of a process just to create with them and I tend to lean on immediacy with materials. That being said, I could carve on a ceramic vase for months…but that becomes more of a meditative experience.

me: When/how did you first get the idea to show your art onstage? I think that’s brilliant, by the way. When is it practical or not? How do you approach the venues with the idea?

CE:  I began my performance career in an art gallery that I worked in. I feel like I’ve always tried to merge my passion for art and music.

I have created entire exhibitions based on the lyrics to my songs, as well as a children’s book based on my children’s songs, with my original illustrations. They have always gone hand in hand. There are times I cannot bring as much to my shows…but mostly, I have artwork with me all of the time. I’m lucky to lean on several creative endeavors, so when one of them feels empty I can turn to another to find continual inspiration.

Typically, venues love the idea of bringing more creative energy to the space. There are times it’s relegated to my merch table, but sometimes a venue will commission me to paint something for their stage, which is amazing! It means I’ll have a long-standing gig, built in.

Cribbed from his website: Chad Elliott painted and installed the Woody Guthrie Mural in 2018. It can be viewed at the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center in Pampa, TX. The mural depicts scenes from the life of the legendary songwriter, Woody Guthrie.

Opening Night and Curtain Call are two large painting installations inside the Spencer Community Theater lobby in Spencer, IA. Chad Elliott completed these acrylic on canvas murals on site in 2011.

Three Cairns is the largest installation in the western hemisphere by British artist Andy Goldsworthy. Chad Elliott was on the crew that created the limestone sculptures at the direction of Goldsworthy outside the Des Moines Art Center in Des Moines, IA. They were completed in 2002. Learn more about Three Cairns here.

Second Star to the Right and Straight on ’til Morning – This dreamy painting of a girl drifting into the night sky was commissioned by the Sanford Museum & Planetarium. Visitors are welcomed to view the painting. Chad Elliott created it in 2019.

me: Do you sell your art/prints at the merch table? If no, do you anticipate doing so one day?

CE: I have smaller canvases and easels set up at my table, but no prints. I find that it is difficult to afford keeping enough prints on hand. So I just have them available online. Someday, I’d like to have enough overhead to afford keeping a collection for sale.

me: You write music with Kathryn Severing Fox and tour with her. Does she get to put 2 cents into your painting, too?

CE: Kathryn and I have been a good partnership on the road. Sometimes I ask her for input on a painting I’m working on when on the road. She has a good eye, and so we may be exchanging lessons on art and fiddle. I’ve always wanted to play fiddle more and she’s always wanted to paint more, so it’s a good trade!

Chad’s about to make his footprint bigger: he and his family have moved to Jefferson, Iowa, and he’s secured an empty shell to become Elliott Art Studio.

CE: For quite some time I’ve been wanting a space big enough to work on all of my creative endeavors. I finally found one! I hope to use this space to work on paintings, ceramics, sculptures and music! The community of Jefferson, IA has been dedicated to making the arts a main part of their focus in the downtown area…and I hope to add to that with workshops, concerts and gatherings. I am so excited for this next big step in my art/music career!