Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Naylor.
Paul, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I have lived in San Diego my whole life, and developed a love of art at a very young age. I started drawing at three and am lucky enough to have a very supportive and encouraging family, so I knew from early on that I would be an artist of some kind eventually. Music and film started to become big interests as well, and still play into my visual art quite a bit. As I got older, I started playing in bands and making movies with friends, which I still try to do as much as possible. Being very drawn to things like movie posters and album covers, I got a Bachelor’s in graphic design at the AI San Diego, but ended up doing more illustration than anything once I graduated, focusing on acrylic painting. I spent a lot of time performing speed-paintings shows at places like the San Diego Zoo and doing other forms of live art, and have focused on getting my work up at shows, galleries, and out to the public in recent years. In addition, I have been teaching classes on pet painting, mainly at the San Diego Museum of Man. I live in Normal Heights with my wife, Kristin, my dog, Penny, and our Skinny Pigs, Squealy Dan and Timmy Pig.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I primarily make acrylic on canvas paintings. I have been illustrating with pencil or pen since I was young, but started to focus on painting about ten years ago. I was quickly drawn to how it opened a lot of opportunities with light and color that had always interested me but that I hadn’t really explored too much. I start the vast majority of the paintings by putting on a black background. I always liked working like this when I could, and the black canvases used in speed-painting performances helped solidify that. It really lets you do intense things with lighting and color. I try not to shy away from bright, psychedelic colors and heavily contrasted light sources. A long love of old sci-fi and horror imagery is probably pretty evident in my pieces, and I really like applying a surreal or bizarre aesthetic to different subject matters. A love of nature and the outdoors is also utilized a lot. With my art, I’m usually trying to give people a different perspective on things by finding a balance between something humorous and something creepy or uncomfortable, and also by applying a look that can change the tone of an otherwise familiar thing. Despite the initial intensity of some of the images, I like to make the tone very subtle when I can, as if you caught just a small moment from some strange scenario, and you have to try and figure out what’s going on. I love for people to come away from one of my pieces with a sense that they saw something eye-catching or funny, but that it might not quite be what it initially seems. I want there to be some sort of mystery or wonder behind the absurdism.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
I think it’s important to look at the difference in being an artist vs. being a professional or working artist. You will be a success as an artist as long as you’re honest with yourself and keep creating. Just keep going, you will be a successful artist. Making it a job is tricky because of the logistics of paying your bills, and how you balance that with creative integrity. I think everyone draws their own line, but if you are making art as a job and don’t feel like you’re damaging or devaluing yourself as an artist then that’s definitely a success, especially when art seems to be under appreciated so much of the time.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My website paulnaylorart.com have a good amount of work on it, including info about custom commissions, originals, prints, and contacting me. I do all sorts of custom pieces, but mainly end up painting dogs (which I love). I usually put up new stuff on my Instagram paul_naylor. I have pieces up for sale at Creative Crossroads, a very cool store in Hillcrest, and I also often participate in art shows around town at places like Bar Basic downtown. There are a lot of cool galleries like Thumbprint and La Bodega that I’m lucky to keep working with. The best way to support, besides making a purchase, is to just come hang out at the shows and try to get more art in your life, make it a normal and important part of our world.
Contact Info:
- Website: paulnaylorart.com
- Email: paulnaylorart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_naylor/
Image Credit:
Paul Naylor
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