Issue link: https://artandculture.epubxp.com/i/885315
art&culture; 31 those depicting the "creatures" that have been prevalent in his work since he first got serious about painting more than a decade ago. While recovering from two shoulder surgeries in 2004-2005, he couldn't play bass as hard as he'd like and instead turned to painting to channel his creativity. Unable to hold a brush well with an arm in a sling, he improvised, grab- bing whatever was around to splatter paint on canvas. It was a process derived out of necessity that aligned perfectly with his natural approach to music and art. "I learned very little music theory on purpose," he says. "I always want there to be won- derment in what I do. With painting, I don't ever have a plan; the subject chooses itself. I pour all this paint on, sand and all kinds of crazy [stuff], moving the canvas while it's wet. Then I stand back and let it reveal itself. When it shows up in front of me, it's like, that was inside me? Most cool songs happen the same way. If you do it too long, it's just enough time to ruin it." The creatures that have shown up on canvas are likely the byproduct of Newsted's background as a metal guitarist com- bined with images floating around in his head of some of the artists he admires—Basquiat, Picasso, Pollock, Joe Coleman.