Husband and wife team Tyson Anthony Roberts & Joana Chavez's mixed media work is featured this week on Buy Some Damn Art. The couple's Q/A follows:
Where are you from and where do you live currently?
We are both from Sacramento, CA and we recently moved back to the area after a stint in Seattle, WA.
When did you first collaborate as a couple?
Our first collaborative project was OCTOCHAIR! In 2008 we bought an IKEA lounge chair to experiment on. We painted it a coral red and stitched the cushions with octopus tentacles.

Are these works still based on specific landscapes as your older work did or do they come from inside your head?
Yes, all of these works are based on photographs of landscapes taken during recent travels. It helps to have something to reference to keep the composition grounded. Once certain elements of the piece have been established, it then makes it easier to have fun by playing around with hues and textures.


Name five things that inspire your work.
Traveling. Photographs. Vibrant colors. Patterns. Working with our hands. Listening to Andrew Bird.
Tell us a bit about your studio space and work habits.
Our current studio is a room in our living space. When we are home together, we enjoy spending time working on collaborative pieces mixed in with playing Bananagrams. Tyson also works out of different studios for his larger works on canvas.
What can't you live without?
Each other.