We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bryant Shields a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Bryant, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
In the relationship between dreams and art I’ve always looked forward to the possibilities that can be created. In dreams you create your own space without limits in the literal or obscure. My work ethic is fueled by my goal to recreate how emotions are equipped in dreams and the physicality involved. In my working time I typically craft two to three pieces at a time. Starting from a main focal point or figure I begin sketching and drawing out from the main area to distinguish areas that provide the piece with balance. To ensure that a piece is where I want it to become, my average work time depending on the medium, size, and theme can take up to 8 – 25+ hours.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Growing up art has been a passion of mine beginning from the time I was in elementary school to where I am today. This passion grew when I began reading comic books by the age of ten being drawn into the world building stories and art. During this time I began creating my own small comic books and panel art, though they were simplistic stick figures as the character designs. By the time I began college in 2020, I wanted to continue to create but didn’t know what avenue I wanted to take myself through. So beginning out of boredom and spare time I began creating 8×10 inch acrylic pieces in the summer of 2020 which became the basis for my aesthetic. Utilizing the most of the space I have available on a surface, I craft stories and areas together using lines, shapes, and colors. By the beginning of 2021, I began my art business as SomeBSArt. Selling art and prints through Etsy, as well as creating commissions such as album covers, logos, and personal pieces, I discovered my way of showing myself through my work. As of currently, I attend local art shows, conventions, and collaborate with artists, musicians, and businesses alike.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Continually challenging yourself or perseverance.
My first few works hardly resemble what I create today, but laid the foundation for what I aim towards. In 2020 my visual goals were to create what catches my eye, personifying dreams, and creating colorful works. During that time I went forward in improving my work by adding a new idea and taking away or simplifying areas that took up the piece. For instance, in early works I tended to put patterns in certain areas by foreground objects. In the following painting I would use less patterns and add more objects or details to designs. I would challenge myself by adding new perspectives, techniques, and ideas with new pieces as to not continue creating the same idea with different colors. With these additions I find myself looking forward to exploring new techniques and improving on my skills by taking ideas that didn’t work out or molding them into a better design.
2. Finding your Groove (Time management, satisfaction)
Finding a groove within the art world has its rewarding and overwhelming moments. For me, it took a while to find my artistic personality and even still have trouble showcasing what I have to offer. What I find that helps in creating quality art is time management, health, and a support network. Having my oen ups and downs with time management, I can safely say that creating a schedule that facilitates a good balance of work, health, and social life leads to creating better work. When I’m anxious or thinking about other tasks, it will take away from the creative process and my satisfaction of the piece. All artists are different, but by finding your groove and managing time, many great and wonderful works of art and be created.
3. Not giving up
One of my goals in life is to one day create a comic book of my own. Whenever I think of a storyline idea, I jot it down in my notebook or phone. Even though I have yet to create a script or artwork it’s something that I plan to do one day. Having going through college Inver saw myself as an artist, as I didn’t believe myself to have those qualities I thought an artist should have. As I continued creating and challenging myself I find the artists side of me ever clearer. By not giving up on my work I found myself and what the world means to me. The most challenging piece in my art career the Archangel Michael took nearly 8n months to complete. Having drawn and painted on a 22 x 28 inch canvas I spent at least 120 to 150 hours using scripture from the Bible to describe the Book of Revelation. There were many times throughout the process I had thought of putting aside to work on other pieces, but by determination I completed the piece in a way that taught me much about art.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
After completing the Archangel Michael painting I went on a hiatus for a time to focus on my health and completing college. Having graduated in May of 2023 with a degree in business administration I had wandered what my future in art really meant to me. I knew then that I wanted art to be my full time career but how will I get to that place? Presently I find myself continuing to explore new mediums and creating pieces that allow myself to share my emotion in endless spirit. My anxiety tends to challenge me in ways that can affect my work, but by staying true to my family, friends, and self I realize that the future is what you make of it whether you do or not. My skills in art were not developed until I began to believe that I can create what I want to. Find what makes you happy and gives you a drive for that satisfaction. It’s scary to create something for others to see, and it’s a special part of you that is endless, boundless.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SomeBSArt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/some.bs.art/?hl=en (some.bs.art)
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryant-shields-4a249a222
Image Credits
Image Credits, Bryant Shields
Comic Con Photo/Personal Photo: Taylor C. Bowen
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
