He's best known around these parts as the man who made the colorful geometric designs that infuse the SMoCA Lounge gallery and performance space at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. But James "Dalek" Marshall was making brownies with his 8- and 10-year-old sons the day we chatted, and looking ahead to his next Valley visit.

He'll arrive in the afternoon on Friday, November 7, then do a quick refresh at The Saguaro, which seems a fitting spot for Marshall given its big blocks of color. Next he'll bounce over to SMoCA, where his 2014 mural Shift spans an outdoor courtyard and retail space that visitors encounter right after entering the museum.

Marshall's three-day visit starts with an informal meet-and-greet-style event Friday night in the SMoCA Lounge, the site of his 2014 mural Radiate. The museum suggested a more formal presentation at first, he says. But waxing poetic on the ways of making art isn't really Marshall's thing. He's keen on genuine conversations that foster "meaningful questions and answers."