Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Sanders.
Hi Bryan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My story is much like that of many creative adults. After a 30-year hiatus, I picked up a pencil one afternoon and needed to draw. It flowed out of me and spoke to me. It was everything I wasn’t saying. From this drawing, I kept pushing myself, and with encouragement from my now late husband Brad, I strive to do art every day. He enrolled me in our local university and helped me return to college at 50. I completed one semester before he died that same year. He never got to see me paint, but it is for him that I do what I do. Grief can be a great tool, and as artists, we have a channel to release and work through all that comes with it. My journey is a testament to the resilience that art can foster in us. My journey is a testament to the resilience that art can foster in us.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For most creatives, the road can be challenging. Some find the path of least resistance and flourish from the start. I began selling quickly once I was brave enough to share my work with the world. Social media has changed the lives of many, but it still can be a challenge to find yourself in the ‘art’ world. While a gallery at present does not represent me, I am blessed to have collectors in 13 countries. Most, if any, struggles I have are being ‘seen’ by enough eyes and letting go of self-doubt. ‘Imposter syndrome’ rears its ugly head occasionally and makes me question if I am good enough, talented enough, or deserve to be an artist. I also have to cross off the word’ motivation.’ While some people believe in motivation, we must choose to be ‘disciplined.’ I prefer a set time each day to make myself creative. I do not treat it as a job but rather as a time to stay in practice and experience growth.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us a bit more about your work.
My art practice covers many forms of media. From graphite to charcoal and aquarelle. Marker and collage, but primarily oil portraiture. Most compositions are of the male form or the face, but each tells a story or mood I face on my journey through grief. I first started painting in still life, but as I grew as an artist, I realized the face is composed of those same shapes and can convey so much more of what I feel in the present moment. While I have only been creating again for a short period, I am most easily recognized for my bold color and loose brushwork choice. I capture the essence of the subject in a minimal amount of strokes.
I want some definition, but mostly, the paintings (and drawings) are about the shapes. You ask what I am most proud of, which is hard to define. I have been in shows, featured in magazines, won awards, and taught classes, but I am most proud that I won’t give up. It’s hard being an artist! It is work, it is time, it is discipline, and it is perseverance. We make art to please ourselves in hopes it will please others. It hangs on our walls and fills closets, yet we still need to create. That is a dedication to our craft. This ‘gift’ came back to me after a long absence, so I am determined to have a creative life until the last breath leaves my body. My dedication to my craft is unwavering, and I am determined to continue creating until my last breath.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am not a surprising kind of guy. My twin brother isn’t creative but supports this artist’s life. I have other creative interests, such as interior design and gardening, but the biggest surprise to most people is I still feel ‘broken.’ Grief changes you. It never goes away; we get further from the event. Brad was my one, and he was creative his whole life. I want to continue being more assertive and braver and exploring what has returned to me. Every piece I create holds a piece of me and my grief. While it may not go away, each makes it easier for me to breathe and face the future. I hope to face it with courage.
Pricing:
- Blue Billy 18″ x 24″ 750.00
- Flowers 24″ x 24″ 750.00
- Secret Agent Man 12″ x 12″ 450.00
- Old Hollywood 18″ x 24″ 750.00
- Secret Agent Man 2 12″ x 12″ 450.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.butchandmanny.com
- Instagram: www.butch_and_manny/instagram.com
- Facebook: bryansanders0726/facebook.com
