We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Silas Quinn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Silas thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of my favorite things about art is its ability to uplift and unify people. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, your journey through life- you can find art that brightens your soul. One of my favorite projects seeks to uplift our lgbtq siblings by doing stylized portraits of clients, allowing them to see themselves on paper as they do in their hearts. Often times people perceive you in a way that you know isn’t who you are inside, and I seek to bridge that gap through art.

Silas, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am trained in drawing, painting, and watercolor, and I am currently in an apprenticeship to be a tattoo artist. Portraits and nature, including fusing the two, have always been my passions. I love to see the beauty of the world work within people and bringing that to life on the page is important to me. From realism to expressionism, portraits have always been, for me, a gateway to the soul. Being able to portray the internal beauty of a person through an image is a challenge that I love.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think that the most rewarding part of being an artist is the impact you have on other people. In tattooing, you are making a permanent mark on someone, you’re fulfilling a need that they had to have a lasting reminder of something important to them (however frivolous it may seem). Even someone just being spontaneous and picking a flash tattoo on Friday the 13th is a story for that person, something that they can look back on fondly and know that in that moment they were living their truth and being authentic to themselves. That to me is so impactful, knowing that in years to come I’ll be remembered by so many people and the experience we shared is something unique and meaningful.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

As a society we can stand with artists and listen to them. So often I see comments online that read, “this is way too expensive” or “I can’t believe you’d charge that much.” People don’t think it through when they’re saying things like this. Prices are set so that artists can afford their supplies and make a deserved profit for their time and energy. If I’m creating a painting, I have to purchase the canvas, I have to replace brushes that wear out, I have to buy more paint, and I have to pour hours of emotional and intellectual labor into a piece, and so often in this world of “buy today, get it tomorrow” and fast fashion we forget that art takes more than mass produced items. This also goes for other creatives, supporting actors and writers during strikes, not crossing picket lines, buying directly from the source as opposed to big companies. Listen and believe in artists, they want to make you feel and we want to entertain you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Androsaurus
• Other: Threads is also androsaurus

Image Credits
Silas Quinn