This CCO Splits His Studio Time Between Campaigns and Fine Art

Eighteen years ago, Carter Weitz spent an idyllic Christmas morning with his family. After all the presents had been opened, his wife brought out one last gift. “It was a box of paints,” he recalled. “I looked up at her because I was confused, and she just said, ‘I think you need to learn to relax.’” Art is already Weitz’s career as chairman and chief creative officer of independent ad agency Bailey Lauerman. But the notion of art for enjoyment hadn’t really entered his mind since graduating from Iowa State University. The paints sat in a closet for a month before he picked up a brush. “I started pushing paint around on the canvas, and I realized that painting is just, you put the color where the color goes,” he said. To refine his technique, the Omaha, Nebraska native turned to fine art books and prominent local artists he’d met in the course of his agency work. His home soon became a studio and gallery, with paintings covering the living room walls and projects overtaking the dining table. “I just went nuts,” he said bluntly. “So we had to move.” Their current home has a dedicated studio space, where Weitz splits his time between his job and his art. Having his own studio allows for the inherent chaos of the creative process, whether it’s creating an ad campaign or a painting. “The messy part of the creative process is the period where you’re close, but not quite there yet,” he said. “Some paintings are like that too, where you think you’re onto something but there’s some tension: ‘I’m close, but am I going to get there?’” Like a campaign with multiple phases, Weitz’s works have recurring themes and motifs. He’s painted in various styles including representational, geometric abstract, and pop art, and admires artists like Gerhard Richter who don’t stick to a single style. “There’s pressure in the art world to create a style and stick with it for commercial reasons by galleries,” he explained. “I can get away [with not doing that] because I’m not reliant on art for an income. It makes it more fun. I’m more afraid of getting bored than I am of jumping into a new style.” To keep his paintings from taking over his house, Weitz has representation in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arizona to get his work into galleries. He also enters national shows and juried exhibitions, recently making the top 10 in the MvVO Ad Art Show, which showcases the after-hours work of artists in advertising careers. Besides satisfying the creative urge, Weitz loves the quiet and solitude of painting, a contrast to the “noisy” ad industry. And there’s one more way his hobby differs from his day job. “When you have a good idea, and you bring it to life as an oil painting, it’s going to last a long time,” he said. “The reality is that advertising is all disposable, but oil paintings last for centuries.” DON'T OVERTHINK IT “Really, painting is easier than what people think,” Weitz said. “You just put the color where the color goes—that’s it.” Having a reference can be a great way to start out, as it tells the artist not just what to paint but also its colors. “It’s paint by number but without the numbers,” he added. Don’t know where to start? Weitz recommends tackling the big shapes first, sketching the scene “really fast, without even thinking,” and then working on the details. With oils, “I learned from just looking at paintings in museums that you go from dark to light. Your underpainting is dark, and then you build the light on top of that.” Off the Clock chronicles the hobbies, sports, and side hustles of people in the advertising and marketing industries. To nominate someone, email eva.kis@adweek.com.

Off the Clock

This CCO Splits His Studio Time Between Campaigns and Fine Art

Bailey Lauerman's Carter Weitz is an accomplished painter across a range of styles, from landscapes to abstracts

Eva Kis

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications