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

Anthony, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I felt like I was trapped in a cage. It was very overwhelming feeling stuck living the same life day by day without a change of scenery. This was a sign that I had outgrown my environment and needed to make a change. As a 21 year old artist from Connecticut at the time, it had always been my dream to visit California. It made sense considering my artwork featured colorful sunsets and palm trees. I wanted to experience the life I was painting. That morning I decided to go all in on this dream. There was absolutely nothing stopping me from making this dream a reality. Except one problem. I looked at my bank account and there was only a few hundred dollars in there. Instantly, an idea came to mind! “Sell every personal belonging of yours so you can afford to get to California,” I told myself. I felt so inspired that I didn’t even give this idea a second thought. The first thing I listed was my car! and to my surprise, a few hours later I received a message from someone who was interested. That day I sold my old 2004 Honda Accord for $4200. I was so excited because again, this was a sign that my crazy idea was working! I was meant to go to California. My idea wasn’t so crazy after all. Everything was aligning perfectly. That same night I purchased my ticket to Los Angeles. From that day on I started going with the flow knowing that life was on my side. I continued to sell all my belongings that no longer served a purpose in my life. The few weeks I spent in California were the best weeks of my life. I created lots of amazing memories with new friends I made out there, got the chance to make art with other creatives, visited lots of art galleries, and even had the chance to walk all the way up to the Hollywood Sign, where I was able to experience the most beautiful view of the city. It was cloudy and grey on my evening flight home from this trip. As I was watching the wings of the plane fly straight through these clouds, the most magical thing happened. All of a sudden these clouds broke apart and the sun rays began peaking right through them. I was experiencing the most beautiful colored sunset I had ever seen! In this moment I felt so grateful to have taken this risk. This sunset I was witnessing was a symbol of hope and optimism. This moment needed to be captured. From all the inspiration I gathered on this trip, this magical moment was the scene I was most excited about recreating on canvas the moment I got back home. That following day I got started and worked nonstop on the painting. One month later, the painting titled, “Travel The World” was complete. Out of all the paintings I have made in my career, “Travel The World” is my most meaningful project.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Anthony Sal and I have a passion for storytelling. From a young age I knew I had a creative imagination. The fantasy movies and books I read as a kid up until now have led me towards wanting to create stories of my own. The only difference was, I wanted to express these ideas through paintings. I create colorful, nature adventure, acrylic canvas paintings using wooden manikin figures as my characters. I use wooden manikins because they are neutral. I want people from all over the world of all different ages, races, and genders to be able to relate, connect and feel like they are accepted in these worlds I’m creating. I am proud to have built a large body of artwork for the world to see. My goal is to keep this collection of stories growing forever. I love having these wooden manikin experience new adventures. My goal is to visit more places around the world where I can gain new inspiration to use for these upcoming paintings. It makes me happy hearing my clients tell me how these sunsets, mountains, and nature paintings connect them with adventure memories of their own. Art is like a time machine if you stare at it long enough. You either go back into the past to memories you’ve experienced, or you go ahead in time to visualize yourself experiencing moments like this. To all of my collectors and future collectors, I’m happy to have you be apart of this journey!

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

Big believer in NFTs and I know they are the future. Artists can finally sell their work for 100% profit and receive royalties for secondary sales made. These are digital assets that can also provide utility. This is a huge opportunity for artists and collectors. We always see people around the world collecting things such as art, shoes, clothes, cars, sports cards, but yet those collections can never really be showed off unless you have company over your house to see them. With NFTs, you now have the ability to have your collections be seen through your digital wallet. The blockchain allows this space to be more transparent and honest about what you own. Unlike the real world right now where someone can pose in front of a fancy car and tell everyone on social media its theirs, the blockchain allows you to see whether a person owns an asset or not in a matter of seconds. Now obviously some NFTs will be more valuable than others. It all depends on the founder of the project and how hard they work to make it worthy for holders to invest in. I like to include the matching physical original canvas painting along with my NFTs. I am very excited for the future of web3.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building a community as an artist or business is important. I’ve learned the best way to do this is to give more than you take. I enjoy creating content that provides value. I remember when I first began painting and not knowing where to start or which materials to use. I want to be the person I always needed when I searched for guidance. Sharing tips, art experiences, advice, and painting tutorials is how I provide value to my audience. I also engage with other creators and build friendships through the people I speak with on social media. Never underestimate how far a connection with someone can take you. I have met some really great people through social media who have been kind enough to mention my name in a room full of opportunities. The best advice I can give someone who is starting to build an online presence is to be a great listener. Find out how you can help people. See how you can provide value and before you know it you’ll build an audience who can rely and trust you.

Contact Info:

• Website: AnthonySal.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthony.sal/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/paintingsbysal
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@anthony_sal