Meet Ben Schmanke | Artist and Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Schmanke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
I would love to be given the opportunity to design/engineer some massive art installations down the road in my career. Murals, sculptures, architectural installments, etc. Who doesn’t love big art? I’ve had a privileged life that has allowed me to learn and grow in the areas necessary to pursue this goal. I received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2017, and since then I’ve been working in the custom fabrication/architecture industry. I am thankful for all of my talented coworkers along the way that have taught me so much about design and fabrication. And in my personal art career, I contine to strech my boundaries on new painting techniques and canvas sizes. It really excites me to collect knowledge that unlocks new possibilities in my creative life. I’ll always continue challenging myself, so stay tuned! Hopefully something big is on the horizon.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Painting is not what pays the bills for me, but it does make me really happy. Around 6 years ago I started messing around with acrylics on canvas and fell in love with it. For a time I was mostly painting cartoonish stuff that makes me laugh, which I still do from time to time. The artistic style of ‘SpongeBob’ clearly had a pretty big influence on me. In the last few years I’ve enjoyed turning more often into abstract geometric painting. I bought a vinyl plotter, and I’ve been obsessed with getting better at using custom stencils to paint really crisp lines. It’s a very planned and procedural artistic process that speaks to the engineer in me. I’m excited about how good I’m getting at the process, and I’m always coming up with ways to push the limits of what I think is possible with vinyl stencils. I was really pleased with the outcome of my first mural a few months ago, and I hopefully have another one lined up for the near future. If you’re in need of a muralist, hit me up and maybe we can get something beautiful made!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Anyone who knows me would already know that I’m going to say Kate Sessions Park is such a gem. Good vibes, cute dogs, an amazing view. What more do you need?

I also have almost an obsession with Kobey’s swap meet. It’s my new Amazon, you can find anything you need there. And it’s fun to go hunting for that perfect pair of corduroys, or whatever tool I’m trying to find for my next project.

For coffee snobs, it’s hard to beat Coffee Cycle in PB. They just started roasting their own beans, and are getting some really delicious results. Plus, they have very friendly and well trained baristas. Your pour-over is in good hands.

I had food from Las Cuatro Milpas for the first time a couple months ago, and I now understand why that place has such a line for lunch. I’d go there just to eat tortillas, the hype is real.

I think my favorite beer in San Diego is the Pizza Port Chronic Amber Ale. Their location in OB has turned into one of my usual haunts.

I also encourage people to bike around while they’re here, it’s a blast! On the bay, Cabrillo monument, the Rose creek bike path, there are so many great rides.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I gotta give love to my current employer, Tecture! They are a really rad little design/fabrication studio in Barrio Logan. In the year I have been there I have had the opportunity to work on some very fun and challenging architectural installations. It’s a place full of creative people that do a good job of supporting and teaching each other. They took a chance on hiring me while I was failing to make ends meet as a freelance artist, and I am very thankful for that.

Website: Schmankeworks.com

Instagram: SchmankeWorks