- When we look back to the near past, we see that the visual artists were drawing, painting and creating all day. They were reading much more and trying hard to find some books to get inspired. Today, finding materials is very easy but as we are observing everyday, this is not only a big advantage. When you look at so many images, you lose concentration easily and today, there are millions of things to waste time, such as instant messaging software, Facebook and more...

From this point of view, how can we evaluate the future of visual arts? Do you think the rapid developments in digital technology ruin some valuable things in our lives while making them easier?

I think the resources available to us are changing the way we think as a whole. Our attention span is shorter, our patience thinner. It's becoming more difficult to come up with fresh thoughts and ideas wholly removed from what's already been done.  With the computing power and programs available to us now, it's easy to paint and draw more swiftly.  There are millions of color choices, thousands of textures, and the potential for so much intricacy.  And if you take that piece too far? Just back up a few steps or go back to a previous version.  In much of my commercial work, this is double-edged sword.  I can make changes quickly, but I also spend twice as much time picking colors and shifting things back and forth.  For this reason, I always find myself going back to the old hand drawn methods when I'm doing my own art.  The choices you must make throughout the process are so important to the outcome of the final piece. Each step becomes a new layer, and you can never go back to exactly the way it was before.  The imperfections are my favorite parts, and you can never mess up quite as well on a computer. I love the convenience of looking up a quick reference photo with a search engine, but it'll never be as valuable to me as a photo I took myself.  I think it's important to recognize that digital technology is just another tool, albeit a powerful one.

- If there was a country named Adam Haynes, what would it look like? What kind of flag would it have and what would be the most important law?

A country of my own design would be pretty rugged. High mountain peaks, deep forested valleys, and lot of rivers.  An ocean would be nice.  A few small, well designed, efficient cities would link vast tracts of wilderness.  Built tall with little sprawl.  Lots of culture, art, music.  Rooftop gardens and well designed recycling systems. Energy would come from wind turbines and solar panels, and the rivers would flow from the mountains to the sea.  No dams.  Plenty of open space to explore and enjoy. Good schools, great community.  We would be a small, neutral country, fostering good relations with the rest of the world.  The flag would be a white rectangle, probably with a small tree symbol on it.  The most important law? Love thy Neighbor .  What can I say, I'm a mellow guy, I like peaceful relations.

- You say you didn't have a TV until you were in high school. Do you think living without a TV is an advantage for a child, or a disadvantage? What do you see when you compare TV programs of today and of your childhood?

For me, growing up without TV was an advantage. It gave me a chance to develop my creative side at a young age. I spent more time hiking in the woods, fishing, devising projects, and drawing. It's not to say that I didn't want to watch TV. Any chance I had to play Excite Bike or watch TV at a friend's house was eagerly accepted.  To this day, TV has a mesmerizing affect on me.  If there is a TV on in the room, I am in a state of constant distraction. The main disadvantage I can see are the awkward social moments when someone pulls off a particularly good impression of a good scene from an old show and I'm the only one not in on the joke. I don't remember much of the few TV programs I saw back when I was a kid.  Even now, I rarely watch TV, it's usually just movies.  But it seems to me that the shows of today are grittier.  There's more violence, more drama.  

- Imagine that you have one chance to go back in time and have dinner with an artist from the art history. Who would you choose and what would you ask him/her first?

A very tough question.  As much as it would be interesting to speak with someone hundreds of years old, I'd most like to sit down with Robert Crumb.  And I'd like to think I'd have something insightful to say to start off the conversation, but in reality I'd probably ask him something senseless like "So, draw anything cool today?"  

- You have a very creative and tasty way of painting. What software do you prefer using for fine tuning and painting your pencil sketches?

I generally use Photoshop for most projects. Most of the time I try to color by hand, but if I'm in a hurry, Photoshop does the trick. If I'm going to be screen printing a piece, I'll use Illustrator.  

- One of your favorite artists, award winning Japanese animator Katsuhiro Otomo points Bonnie and Clyde, Five Easy Pieces and 2001: A Space Odyssey as the movies he mostly inspired from. What kind of movies and which movie directors do you find closer to yourself in terms of visual comprehension? Do the movies inspire you, too?

Movies like Pan's Labyrinth, Brazil and Hero inspire me through their great scope and depth.  The vast amounts of time and effort put into the creation of these movies is tremendous, and I'm a sucker for all the little details that create a believable reality. I'm not a huge movie buff, but I enjoy a well crafted film.  I love the work of Tarantino, Huston, Rodriguez, Jackson, and the Coen brothers.  Probably the most inspiring to me lately are some of the newer animated films such as Surf's Up, Ratatouille, and Wall-E.  These films are so visually rich and satisfying to watch.  Maybe not the most grown up story lines, but I love eye candy.

- What do you say for these words we picked from your life;
Oregon, Obama, Photoshop, Snowboarding, Nemo.

Oregon is home. I'm so pumped about Obama. I haven't been this excited about a politician, ever.  He represents a step in the right direction for this country, and I'm fully backing him.  Photoshop is a tool, a resource, a crutch sometimes.  Snowboarding is pure joy.  And Nemo is just a tremendous group of fine people.  I've got nothing but respect for them, although they're utter disregard for the eight hour day can be a little taxing.  

- Theme of our current issue is '2'. What does this number mean to you? What comes to your mind when you think about 'two'?

Movies like Pan's Labyrinth, Brazil and Hero inspire me through their great scope and depth.