Rising Stars: Meet Casey Cheuvront

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Casey Cheuvront.

Hi Casey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I studied drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics at CSUF California and have been influenced (and instructed) by current artists like Douglas Fryer, Bill Cramer, Dave Santillanes, Alan Wolton, Matt Smith, Stanley Kurth, Casey Klahn, Camille Przewodek; Alan Wolton has generously shared his studio methods and painting philosophy with me; my students are a never-ending source of inspiration. I suppose you could say I am “self-taught” if that means seeking out the most art classes available while pursuing my psych degree and subsequently taking as many workshops as I can afford.

My work is informed not only by formal study but also by an ongoing plein air habit and life-long appreciation of the natural world, established through a “feet-on-the-trail” connection over many years. My outdoor education began when I was very young when I accompanied my father on long treks, fishing, hiking, bow-hunting, archery exhibitions, and professional competitive archery shoots. Later, I backpacked my way across the Sierra and the Uinta mountains, flew California peaks in my hang glider, skied Utah powder, and mountain biked many happy trails in the Arizona desert.

Today, my pieces reveal an ongoing fascination with the Western and Southwestern wilderness, whether reflected in a local trail or a remote lake that is only reachable by a long backpack. That enthusiasm is translated into a vibrant, modern palette and energetic, dynamic brushwork. Look for studio and plein air works showcasing the Yosemite highlands and valley, the Sonoran desert, and the red rocks of Sedona.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, has it been easy, you ask? Hahahahahahahahaha. Noooooooooooooooo.

Working full time while trying to produce ceramics and later 2D artwork, trying to break into even the local art scene was challenging. Making enough from the work to keep doing it is an ongoing challenge, and we do not have AI convincing everyone that all they need to do to be an artist is type something cleverly enough. Not for me. Honing my skills is a lifelong endeavor.

I need to find the time while working and find places and ways to move the work when it becomes full-time (as it has been for many years now). The aggravation of falling short. The lack of success, especially in the earlier days, in being able to produce what my mind’s eye perceived… this is a common happening, but if you don’t know that it can be enough to stop progress, for some of us, for good. Don’t let it.

The art world can be a daunting one, even if you are just a little fishy in the local pond, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the swim.

Thanks. What else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I think my artist’s statement describes my work well. I love the Southwest, and I paint it every chance I get. I enjoy plein air but do see myself spending more time in the studio as I work on larger, more refined pieces. (I see a lot of enormous “plein air” these days that sure looks like there’s been some studio work to me, but unless you’re another Patrick Okrasinski, you probably haven’t got the chops to do that in the field. Pat, BTW, is astonishingly good – look him up and tell him I sent you).

Oils are my preferred medium, but my watercolor/mixed media/wash and line work has been very well received (surprisingly so, to me!) lately; I have been teaching that process and enjoy watching my students conquer the method.

As far as what sets me apart, well, many of the artists I know are hard-working, but I do hear “you are the hardest working artist I know” from so many people. My husband calls me “one-speed Casey” – I tend to get my teeth into something and tackle it until I feel I have at least a reasonable handle on it. So maybe it’s that: determination, a refusal to give up, and an appreciation for the results of hard work and study.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I have been fortunate to discover a love of teaching and have received kind appreciation from many students over the years. It’s wonderful to be able to open that door. My advice is this: If you have been thinking of taking art lessons, please DO IT.

If you can’t do it in person (real-time feedback is invaluable), find something online. We are all born creators, and stifling that instinct will not serve you in the long run. If you want to paint, paint. If you want to sculpt, sculpt. If you want to make dresses or suits, bake, build engines, garden, or decorate, do that. Do all the things that feel creative and maker-ish to you.

It will enrich your life and others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.caseycheuvront.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheuvrontcasey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.cheuvront

Image Credits
Charlie Alolkoy