We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stefan Talian. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stefan below.

Stefan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Trying to be a professional or full-time artist is a constant struggle between heart and mind. My heart is fully in, content, and there’s no doubt about whether what I’m doing is right.

For me, the best proof of this was when the pandemic hit in 2021, and everything closed. Every day, I woke up in the morning and was an artist until I went to bed in the evening. There was nothing else to do, or in other words, there was nothing else that I felt I was supposed to be doing besides making art. There was no guilt whatsoever. My creative soul was happier than ever!

It’s my brain that gives me a hard time. It attacks me, telling me that I need to grow up and do something more practical, something more secure. I’ve done many things in my life and taken some very sharp turns when a new calling appeared… but that’s what’s different now. There’s no other calling, no other option diverting me from my art. Art *is* the calling, and I will keep doing everything I can to keep this dream alive!

Stefan, 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’m a self-taught artist, a figurative painter.

When I started painting, I leaned towards realism. It was very fulfilling—I had an image in my head, and, with a lot of struggle and frustration, I transferred that image onto my canvas. It felt like a bit of magic!

Later on, I started to feel boxed in, confined by the lines my brushstrokes created. I began searching for a way out, for more airiness, movement, and freedom.

Around that time, I met Master Artist Hyacinthe Baron. She freed my hands and brought me closer to my canvas. I developed a technique where I stopped using brushes altogether and began painting mostly with my bare hands, using palette knives for the finishing touches. I believe this technique added extra depth and much more emotional value to my work.

Emotions are my favorite thing to express in my paintings. My creative process is very different now; it’s much slower. I have to wait after every layer for the impulse to add the next one.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I have always been a creative person, and in school, I often had my creations on display, which gave me a very special, comforting feeling. But later, as a teenager and a closeted young man, I felt the need to keep that creative part of me hidden and covered, because I was afraid it would make me look weird and weak, making me a target for suspicion. All I cared about was looking and acting as ‘manly and normal’ as possible.

Later, when I was advised to use art as a healing tool, I took that advice, and it worked. Art changed my life; art saved my life. It became a new language that helped me express myself, giving me the freedom to be who I am without fear of judgment.

My art studio is my temple, a place where I can freely follow what my heart tells me to do. When I sell a painting, I feel like a big part of that healing energy goes with it to its new home, sharing it with the souls around it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I love sharing my art with the world. When a finished piece leaves my studio, I feel like a very proud parent sending a child off to college. My biggest dream is to be recognized one day and to develop my style to a level where emerging artists will want to learn from me, allowing a piece of my spirit to live on through them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.StefanTalian.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefantalian
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefan.talian

Image Credits

Val Dostalek