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

Sunni, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

As an artist of fifteen years with an affliction for cars, one of my biggest regrets is not sharing my art with the world earlier. My public debut as an artist only began in early 2023, as I did not carry the confidence to post my artwork prior. Although I am still in this position, I had maintained focus on building a software project with my business partner. Provided that we brought on a lovely team to execute the project I’d had in mind, an immense amount of free time opened up in order to form a secondary career. Within this time, I began painting realism portraits of Porsches with the purpose of reconnecting with my combined passion. It seemed that many other automotive artists had entered social media around the time that I had gained the confidence to post my own paintings. Of course, I immediately realized how much more impactful my artwork would have been if I had chosen to share it earlier than I had. I likely would have gained a much higher number of commission clients, partnerships, and other related opportunities. Luckily, my career as an automotive realism artist has grown substantially more in the past year than I could have ever imagined regardless.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As an artist within the niche of the automotive world, I began painting Porsches due to my personal passion for them. Not only do I admire their aesthetics, I enjoy the experience of a truly connected drive. Provided that Porsche exceeds my expectations when it comes to personal vehicles, they were my sole inspiration for turning my hobby into a full fledged career. Between inquiring with owners at local Cars and Coffee events and posting daily instagram content featuring the progress of my paintings, I chose to build my business based on creating custom acrylic paintings for car collectors and enthusiasts. Vehicles are constrained to the garage in most cases, so I wanted to create the feeling of “bringing the car you love inside from the garage.” Enthusiasts do not view cars as vehicles of transportation, they invoke a feeling of freedom and blissful solitude. I had the desire to capture this feeling within my paintings, even in the case of a still shot of the owner’s beloved car.

Over time, I have developed a particular style, not often seen within acrylic paint on canvas. My paintings are fluid and blended to the appearance of an oil painting. With the best known works often include rolling shots of cars, as the seamless motion blur effectively captures the essence of being a car enthusiast. Still shots are surrounded by lush landscapes while carrying the eye to the prized subject.

Though I do not offer works for public sale frequently, I thoroughly enjoy seeing my commission clients’ personal reactions to their complete paintings. Many say they can feel the true admiration I have for automotive design while viewing my work, which is something I openly strive for. Further from this point, I have begun to collaborate with car manufacturers and dealerships in order to provide their clients with the same unique service.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building a social media audience is a truly daunting task, riddled with trial and error. Although I primarily lean on Instagram to support my business, I have learned just how valuable exposure to the masses will be within a creative career. I immediately hit the ground running by posting reels featuring every aspect of my artistic process. The sheer amount of content being posted each weekday allowed a broad audience to begin to see my work. I would say the most “viral” content consisted of painting reveals. Providing a short moment of suspense, followed with a finished painting is a formula I have continued to add into my social media content. All in all, Instagram reels have allowed my account to grow exponentially in a short amount of time; exposing myself to both followers and prospective clients.

For those interested in growing their audience via social media, I would highly suggest utilizing Instagram reels while creating content that is uniquely “you.” Though you may see many formulas for creating viral content, I have personally learned the importance of individuality over simply sharing content that carries a high likelihood to succeed within the algorithm. Your viewers want to get to know you, so allow them to see your true self and follow your personal journey.

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

I feel immense joy from two things, seeing my clients’ personal reactions to their paintings throughout the process; and hearing that people have been inspired by my work. Many clients have sent “first look” unboxing videos of their pieces. Being able to see the admiration for the work firsthand has been an absolute pleasure. On the other end, many young women have reached out to me, stating that they feel more comfortable with their passion for cars, or want to begin their journey within automotive artwork. I truly had not expected myself to become an inspiration for the younger generations, but I am immensely grateful to be in that position.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sunnidrivez.com
• Instagram: @sunnidrivez
• Linkedin: Solana Combs

Image Credits

Alex Sczudlo (@automotive_alex on Instagram)