Portraits: Joel Gotta

"The first time I made one, I said, 'Did I just make that with spray paint?' " Joel Gotta asked himself in a shocked and surprised manner. By using about a half-dozen different colors of common cans of spray paint, he creates fantasy landscapes with moons and stars or mountains and detailed trees with a waterfall alongside. Details include reflections on the water. He started working on this form of expression last spring. He watched some how-to videos on the Internet to learn different techniques. "You develop your own style and what you like to do," says the North Dakota State University student who is majoring in construction management. "It's unlike any other art form. It's contemporary, fun and easy to do. I like that," he adds. "Not a lot of people do this. It's not as difficult as it looks. You just have to try it," he says as other students stop and are amazed as they watch him work outside his dormitory where he is a resident assistant. "Just start with a general idea and then play it by ear as the painting progresses," he says, adding, "If you make a mistake and don't like it, just spray over it." His paintings take anywhere from a few minutes up to 20 minutes to create, depending on the amount of detail.