Today we’d like to introduce you to Abraham Mohler.
Hi Abraham, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was in the sculpture hall at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Standing in front of a couple marble carvings by Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, I was enthralled with how he turned stone into flesh. In that moment I knew I wanted to spend my life learning how to do that.
I actually got into art through baseball. I needed my grades to be high enough to keep my scholarship at Arizona State University while I focused on baseball, and I figured that choosing art as a major would allow for that. By the time I learned that baseball wasn’t going to be my long-term future, I was hooked on making art. It was a fairly easy to transfer the time and energy I was spending on baseball into making art. It helped a lot that I had grown up surrounded by the art of my grandfather, R. Brownell McGrew, a painter of the American Southwest and the Dinneh. In particular, it helped me by creating an atmosphere of what art should do, and a standard of how I should approach making art. Knowing he achieved success gave me the confidence that it was possible to make a living as an artist, even if difficult. One professor in particular, Tom Eckert, was deeply influential and encouraging to me, and he helped point me in the direction I’ve been pursuing.
My wife and I moved to Saint Louis shortly after graduating from college in 2004. I was determined to be an “Artist (with a capital A)” and I figured it would not work for me try to make art on the side. We stuck to our principles. I prioritized making art and serving customers. My wife prioritized making a home and raising the kids. It has been a challenging path, and it still feels tenuous, but month after month and year after year we have seen God’s provision for what we need when we need it. I was wrong about there being such a thing as an “Artist with a capital A,” but at the time that was a courageous decision that kept me on the path I’m on. One of the lessons that Tom Eckert shared comes to mind regularly. He began by asking the question, “How will you know when or if you’ve made it?” He then reflected on his life and career, and even after the success he has enjoyed, he still didn’t have the feeling that he’d “made it.” He suggested that maybe we shouldn’t concern ourselves with that question, but rather, focus on “making” the work that is in front of us today. Tomorrow would sort itself out. Now, 20+ years in, I see the wisdom in that. I can’t predict (or worry about) what tomorrow will bring, but I can be thankful for the great projects that I have been able to accomplish.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth or straight road. Cashflow is the biggest challenge. There is plenty of opportunity and market for what I do, but few examples of people doing it. Knowing how to price my work to find the sweet spot between selling the services I provide and having enough cashflow to do it well is one of the biggest challenges that I struggle with.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a sculptor. I specialize in stone carving and bronze sculpture, especially focusing on the human figure. There are very few stone carvers these days, and even fewer figurative stone carvers. I’m particularly proud of having stuck to my aspirations in figurative stone work, and the pieces I have been able to do so far.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Don’t be afraid to ask! When I get older and wiser I will be much better about asking for help with what I need. It has been my experience that people love to help. Whether it’s a sale, or a mentor, or a patron, the mantra, “You have not, because you ask not” seems to apply. To use a fishing analogy, I understand perfectly well that fish don’t typically jump into the boat, especially if the boat is not in the water. But being clear about that is not the same thing as doing it. I need to get better at casting my line, particularly into the pools where fish are likely to hang out. And in a more positive sense, I wish I would heed the advice, “Ask, and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock, and the door shall be opened to you.” My advice is to not be like me in that regard.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abrahammohler.com
- Instagram: studio_abraham_mohler
- Facebook: Studio of Abraham Mohler
