We were lucky to catch up with Drake Arnold recently and have shared our conversation below.
Drake, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I’ve always been interested in pursuing creativity and artistic endeavors. I was influenced at an early age by my brother, who is seven years older than me and was always interested in drawing comics when we were kids. I really looked up to him and wanted to be just like him when we were growing up. And so, although he eventually lost interest in drawing comics, my interest in art has only continued to grow over the years.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Drake Arnold, I create public art installations using a combination of my skills as a mural painter and as an augmented reality developer. I love to make site specific works that engage the local community in new and exciting ways through the use of modern technologies. My most recent augmented reality mural installation was for Wynwood Mural Festival during Miami Art Basel 2023. I am looking to setup more interactive public art projects nationally and abroad in 2024, let’s work together to bring my unique blend of art and technology to your city or organization next!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
As a self employed artist, it is amazing how many different jobs and roles you have to occupy in order to be successful, and how many corresponding skills you need to have. In general, it is obvious that as a professional artist, I need the fundamental skill set of a traditional artist. This includes areas of knowledge such as line, value, color. composition, etc. In todays modern world you also need the skills of a digital artist, including areas of knowledge such as photo manipulation, web design, video editing, 3d modeling, animation, etc… As a third skill that is vital for the successful artist, I would argue learning about business would be the most useful. As a professional artist, this can include areas of knowledge such as budgeting finances, building spread sheets to track data, marketing and social media, product development, coordinating retail vending and sales etc… To be honest, this only scratches the surface of what you really need but i think these three broad categories are enough to get anybody started down the right path.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking to collaborate with people. In my line of work as a muralist and creator of public artworks, I am always seeking new opportunities to work with groups I find fascinating, such as supporting the work of non-profits and charitable organizations, or partnering with select brands and companies for private commissions. I often work with local governments, municipalities and community redevelopment areas to create unique public artworks based on the local flora and fauna or iconic elements of the area. I love working with people to achieve a community vision for public art. I have collaborated with local high school kids to paint a high school, and have participated in many collaborative projects. Please contact me directly and let’s talk about how we can work together to create a unique work of art for your unique context.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.DrakeArnold.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Drake_Arnold_Art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrakeArnoldArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drakearnold/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DrakeArnoldArt
