Rogue Gorilla: Life is short, Make art at Wayzgoose Kitsap!

🔦 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap Artist Spotlight

Our 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap artist lineup includes twelve local artists and groups of creatives. They're participating by designing large-scale artowrk, transferring it to 3' square sheets of linoleum, and carving it out for relief-printing by a steamroller. Working with teams of volunteers, the artwork comes to life on June 7th at the 8th annual Wayzgoose Kitsap Art Festival at Sheridan Park Community Center.

This series of artist spotlights gives a behind-the-scenes look at each artist and their process.

Rogue Gorilla, at home in his studio. (Photo courtesy the artist)

Rogue Gorilla is a death-themed visual artist blending iconography like skulls, skateboards, and graves in an effort to confront mortality. Dark yet cartoony, Rogue Gorilla reminds us that life is fleeting, life is sweet, and life is worth living on your own terms. "You only live once. Live Rogue!" He is participating as a 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap artist.

Rogue Gorilla, 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap artist, working on his linoleum block carving.

Rogue Gorilla, 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap artist, working on his linoleum block carving.

Rogue Gorilla, 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap artist, working on his linoleum block carving.

Rogue Gorilla, 2025 Wayzgoose Kitsap artist, working on his linoleum block carving.

In his own words:

MB: Thank you for participating as a linoluem artist at this year's Wayzgoose Kitsap art festival! We're excited to get to know more about you. Tell us about your journey as a creative person. 

RG: How many of us have our lives journey start out with a safe mapped out plan that suddenly slams into terrifying twists, perilous turns, deadly booby-traps and into unknown parts of the map that read, “Here there be dragons”?

Rogue Gorilla began in earnest as a way to be creative after feeling stifled for years. I have always been an artist, I always drew and created art constantly, but when life called me in a different direction I went and unexpectedly left art behind. I genuinely loved where it took me, and I was able to be creative in other avenues, but life is unpredictable, and after a few tumultuous years of job changes and cross country moves and losses of friends and tearing of faith I found that the person who started this journey was not the same as the person I was at this point of my journey. 

Mandy, my best friend/wife, got me back into drawing as a way to express myself, and Rogue Gorilla was born. My favorite part of coming back to art was finding my new voice, this one informed by being so battered and bruised. 

Generally in black and white only. I aim to use as few lines as possible to convey as much as possible. I want my art to be instantly recognizable and iconic, and also, intriguing. 

Best of all, I am excited because I wanted to convey a message to myself and everyone else on life journey. “Life is short. Live rogue.”  Too many of us miss out on being creative, or having fun, or doing what we want to do simply because of , “(Insert lame reason here)”. We all do it! Rogue Gorilla is intended to not only look cool, but to remind you that life is short, to have fun, and to do what you want to do, not what others tell you or expect of you. It’s your life!

I did not know where my creative journey was going to take me, and it has been a lot more painful than I anticipated. But if that is what it took to get me to appreciate it, and to help me help others get excited to live their one life…it was worth it!  

MB: What led you to apply as a Wayzgoose Kitsap artist this year?

RG: Honestly, I just love Wayzegoose Kitsap! I have always heard of this art festival where they USE A STEAMROLLER TO PRESS THE ART!!! 

How rad is that? I knew I wanted to be a part of it as soon as I heard of it!

On top of that, I have always noticed how much Wayzgoose Kitsap means to the community. I see the art printed and hung with incredible pride all over Kitsap. It is not just cool art, the weight of what it represents to those who display it is evident…just ask them, they cannot wait to tell you about it!

To be honest, I applied because being a Wayzegoose Kitsap artist is an enormous life goal for me. I do not take it lightly! People are VERY proud of Wayzegoose Kitsap, it is such an important tradition…it’s more than "I got to contribute some cool art to a cool festival." I feel like I get to be a part of a team of local Kitsap creatives who are supporting each other and representing our community and creating a better KItsap! I genuinely could not be more honored!  

MB: What are you most excited about in terms of this experience?

RG: I am a big believer in community. I am an extravert and yet I create art in isolation (even when I draw in a crowded coffee shop its just me and my pen). Wayzgoose Kitsap necessitates community. We are in community as we plan out and discuss our designs, we will be in community as we steamroll, we will be a part of the event staff…as someone who talks to everyone, this is a lot of fun! 

Beyond that, what is really amazing to me, is that art will be created in community and then displayed in the community. Former Wayzgoose Kitsap art is proudly displayed all over Kitsap and adding inspiration to others in our community daily. To think that I get to be a part of that conversation and interaction with other people in Kitsap is just an incredible opportunity! 

MB: What is your long-term vision for Arts in our community? 

RG: Kitsap is such a treasure trove of artists and creative community that I am really doing my best to help bring that treasure out into the light where it can sparkle instead of being hidden away as if by pirates!

I am very outgoing and I am hoping not only to get my art out and into the community more, but to help encourage others to do so as well. 

Kitsap is better when we all encourage each other and work together! I am honored to be a part of this project, and I am hoping to see what the future has for us if we all continue to foster the creative spark in our community!

MB: Can you give us a little sneak-peak description about your artwork as you prepare to be a steamroller artist at the 8th Annual WK Art Festival coming up in June? Anything you can share about the work itself, or the process so far? 

RG: What does “Cultivate” mean to you? Usually when I create designs I know right away what I want to draw and I can get right too it. This one, however, took me a minute to figure out what that word meant to me and how to express it…but I finally found it! 

I spent a few years being blessed with the honor of working with people in hospice, listening to their stories and holding hands of people as they pass and comforting their loved ones. What struck me through that experience is that the memories others have of you are directly related to what you cultivated in life. 

Did you love those around you? In the end, that is literally all that any one will care about when they remember you. 

Will that get conveyed by the design that finally came together as I was doodling and searching for something to convey all of that? I hope so! I think it will look pretty cool if nothing else.

MB: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? 

RG: “San Dimas High School Football rules!!!”

Or, 

“Drink coffee. Listen to punk rock. Live rogue.” 

MB: Thank you Rogue Gorilla! You rock. We are so honored to have your enthusiasm behind the festival this year. And we're all looking forward to seeing your artwork come to life on June 7th!