Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

My Unlikely Journey as an Artist

Hello artists, musicians, rock ‘n’ roll lovers, and the rest of you on the Interweb who are wondering what this online narrative will be about. If you are reading this you may know that I am an artist who specializes in rock ‘n’ roll art, as well as other iconic bad asses and rebels that fit the rock music persona. As a creative there are ample ways to express myself and while creating on canvas is truly my passion, there are times where other media are needed for me to share my voice. The written word is one of them and so I welcome you to my latest creative endeavour, Artist Confidential.

This is not my first online writing venture. I have been the lead visual arts writer for Niji magazine, an online publication out of the United Kingdom, for over four years. While I enjoy writing about other artists and helping to share their stories, I want to branch out, pull back the curtain and let you see the unfiltered art world through my eyes.

In Artist Confidential I want to share the story of my art journey, the backstory to some of my paintings and give you a sneak peek - behind the scenes and into the world of the art industry. I also hope to offer practical advice for art lovers, art enthusiasts, and those interested in expanding their knowledge of the art world, and if I can provide advice to hobby, emerging and mid-career artists; all the better!

For my introductory blog, I could not think of a better title then a song lyric from a British group you may have heard of – The Rolling Stones. There is something about rock music that captures the essence of who I am and what my art is all about - passion, rawness, mystery, energy, independence, and individuality.

The Early Years

My journey to becoming an artist was an unlikely one; it started as a pipe dream. I have always loved creating. As a child I loved drawing; my work could be seen in my parents’ house – not graffiti, but finished pieces proudly hung by my parents, on the walls. There was even a large painted piece on my sister’s door, to cover up damage I caused … but that is another story for another day.

The Formative Years

In my tweens I worked on an illustrated book with a friend, during a period of time where I enjoyed drawing in the fantasy realm. We never completed it. For a while I took art classes in high school, but along the way my passion for art faded, so I changed my focus to completing courses that complimented what I wanted to study in university.

Broken Dreams or Not the Right Time

Everyone has a childhood dream, but few of us get to experience it. At some point or another who doesn’t want to be an actor, a singer, an athlete, an artist? Why does growing up and getting a “real job” –a term I despise – have to take away from our dreams? Busy with my career, art was not a priority. I made time for interests that I enjoyed, but I lost my passion to create, as I struggled to find my footing as an artist.

The Rekindling of a Long-Lost Love

Sometimes during the most challenging of times, we find a silver lining in the storm clouds. That is what happened to me – I found my way back to art or maybe more accurately, art found its way back to me. During a stressful point in my life I started painting again as a way to find balance. The ability to escape the day, de-stress and lose myself for a few hours in the studio was life changing. The power of art really is incredible!

While I had no idea what the hell I wanted to paint, I played around with various subject matter. I experimented with what could be loosely termed surrealist abstract, I tried figurative painting but as with my earlier ventures into painting – nothing seemed to work. To be completely honest these early pieces were shit and thankfully there is no record of them (I hope!). However, from this mucking around original ideas started to form and suddenly two things I love intersected in my brain: rock music and painting. Going forward I knew what I had to do! What started out as rock star portraits evolved into capturing musical performances on canvas, transferring the energy of a concert to a painting.

Now four years later, I walked away from my successful, but stressful career to focus on me. I have gained the time, the freedom, a sense of peace and calm and independence and it is liberating. Instead of one intense career, I now have two “real jobs” I love. One allows me to help others while the other one, being an artist, allows me to connect with individuals on a creative level.

I hope that I have piqued your interest in my art, my story and my experiences. I look forward to sharing more of my art journey with you, with a focus on painting and rock and roll through Artist Confidential. If you have topics, you want to learn about, please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Thanks for reading. Stay creative! Rock your day with everything that you do!

Cheers,

Al