Today we’d like to introduce you to Sterling West.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born with a passionate love to create. As a kid I was always found making some sort of action video, woodworking in our garage, playing guitar with my buddies or tending to our garden. I loved trying new things and improvising solutions (this made my piano teacher very angry because I just wanted to play what I felt rather than learn boring sheet music).
As a 7th grader I took a drawing class that taught me basic shading techniques and how to sketch basic elements like buildings and faces. Midway through college I was inspired by my brother who started painting in the evenings to relieve some of his stress. All it took was him handing over the brush, a blank canvas and I loved it! Well not really… at first I felt like I was incapable of unleashing what I felt onto canvas. Everything I painted looked like garbage (to me). Almost every piece I painted was painted over again, and again, and again. And again.
A light finally turned on just a few years ago: you love to create, but your creation can only go as far as your skills allow it to. I thought about those days playing piano and guitar and started to wish that I had focused on learning more of the basic fundamentals; not to limit or impair my creative nature but to unleash and improve my talents. I made a decision to start learning from the masters so that I could paint visibly pleasing art according to what I was feeling. Ever since I started to dedicate more time to improving my skill, I feel like the creative nature inside of me has opened a whole new door.
Please tell us about your art.
I am always learning, always experimenting and always trying something that challenges me. Some of my greatest influences have been Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Voka and various other Pop Artists. I have been influenced to adopt more colorful patterns, bolder brushstrokes and imagery to give the impression of simplicity. My goal is to remind others to take time to think, to feel, and to appreciate the art that I have created. I wish to influence more people to appreciate art and its meaning to the artist that created it.
The ability to take basic objects like a canvas, a brush, and paint and create something out of it is one of the most empowering ways I can express my inner creativity. I have a hard time expressing my emotions and feelings through talking or writing, but my art is an outlet for this expression. When I begin to paint, I try to let every thought and feeling come through on the canvas so that my brain can release what it’s trying to say. I don’t always know what every piece of art I have created subliminally means, however, I do know that it’s a visual journal of my emotion. My mind needs a venue to free its thoughts; I feel like what’s inside me can’t always get out, so I paint as a release and then reflect on what I create.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
I think that part of being an artist is the sacrifice of time and energy. Only you can put forward that energy and time to get the results you wish for. I think (and I am still learning how to do this) it takes finding balance with life and art. Sometimes art becomes everything that matters, and just like everything else in life, balance and harmony are important to living a healthy and quality lifestyle. I understand that some artists are so busy that they never really have a moment to take a break from their craft. I have found however that those intermittent breaks really help me enjoy what I am doing, collect my thoughts and feelings to get fresh ideas, and take a step back to observe where my art is trending.
One of my favorite activities is when I see a beautiful piece of art I like to investigate who the artist is and find them on social media or through their website. I send them a nice note telling them how much their art has inspired me. Immediately I have a new friend and connection.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Outside of the usual social media outlets like Instagram (primary), Facebook and YouTube, you can find me alongside a highway, painting in Sedona on the weekends or some other beautiful location that Arizona has to offer. I have some of my work scattered at various locations, businesses and restaurants in the valley. In particular I showcase a lot of my art at Razz’s Restaurant near the SE corner of Shea and Scottsdale Rd. I attend art galleries a couple times a year that I post on my website: https://sterlingwestart.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sterlingwestart.com/
- Phone: 480-204-6886
- Email: sterlingwestart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlingwestart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sterling-West-379429725722219/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh_Tm8e10PzW_xKQydxV31A
Image Credit:
All photos and works of art are mine.
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