We recently connected with Celeste Seitz and have shared our conversation below.

Celeste, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

My art career really started when my husband, Frank Pickrell, bought me a copy of The Heart of the Brush, by Kazuaki Tanahashi. During the global pandemic lockdown, I was forced to stop, breathe, and be still for the first time in a decade. After working in the fast-paced healthcare environment for so long, I was kind of a wreck when I was furloughed. I spent my formative years in Singapore, and the changes in the world made me nostalgic for that time in Asia. Frank knew I had started the meditative practice of Enso and East Asian Calligraphy to help in the stillness. He also knew that I had been geeking out over Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi, the Japanese calligraphy teacher and Global Peace Ambassador. So Frank bought the book for me, and that’s how I came to study and practice Enso and East Asian Calligraphy.

My first art lessons, however, were taught by my father, Jim Seitz. My dad is an internationally celebrated artist, but he’s so humble, he’d never say so. He paints tonal landscapes and abstracts on gold leaf, and I enjoy spending time with him in his studio. Rarely do I paint landscapes today. It’s something I can do, but not something I choose to do very often.

Interestingly, one of the more difficult skills for me to learn has been street art, you know, graffiti style. Think about it – I’m a 47 year old suburbanite. It’s not like I’m going to be writing or tossing up throwies at the local Costco. I’m no “legit vandal,” so I have to work on these skills at home, using trial and error. There’s lots and lots of error! I have a great respect for both calligraphers and talented graffiti writers.

Celeste, 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 a multidisciplinary artist who creates sumi-e, street art, murals, sculpture, and art installations. I am a curator, educator, public speaker, blogger, and coordinator for several area arts nonprofits.

I spent my formative years in Southeast Asia, and this experience has deeply influenced my aesthetic. I am the daughter of artist Jim Seitz and interior designer Connie Seitz, so art and design have been a part of my life forever.

I enjoy adding punchlines and puzzles to my street art and sculpture. There is definitely an air of irreverence in some of my work; sometimes playful, sometimes poignant. Conversely, my sumi-e style art focuses on brush strokes, contrast, and mood. At first glance, the two artistic styles seem unrelated, but there are elements in every piece that are quintessentially me. The collection I am currently creating marries street art and East Asian art, with some pleasant surprises sprinkled throughout!

My work has been juried into exhibits in Dallas, Chicago, the Bay Area (CA), UK, and Kyoto, Japan. This year I will be adding more classes and mentorships to my portfolio, I’m curating Art Meets Poetry, a collaborative ekphrastic event between Art Club of McKinney and the Mockingbird Poet Society, co-curating the Art Club of McKinney’s Annual Member Exhibit, painting live at McKinney’s Arts In Bloom Festival, and co-coordinating the annual Millhouse Mural Festival at the Historic Cotton Mill. Oh- and I will definitely be revamping my website.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Oh, man, in the past twenty-five years I’ve had to pivot so much my life could be a tango. But don’t worry – I’m only going to talk about one instance! I started my career focused solely on East Asian sumi art. Last year, there was a call for art to be hung during Dallas Fashion Week. The theme, of course was high fashion, and I really, really wanted to be a part of this exhibit. But I just didn’t think my sumi art translated well for this particular exhibit.
I have a constant feed of wild ideas running through my mind at all times, but thankfully, only about 10% of them come to fruition. One such idea resulted in my first collaboration with Aimee Louise Photography, and my first foray into street art.
For that particular piece, I had to really practice the street art style before committing it to our collaboration. Can I tell you that I fell in love? I completely understand why some people are willing to risk jail for this!
I wouldn’t say I pivoted to exclusively street art, but I have added it to my portfolio, and Aimee and I have more collaborations scheduled this year because we just vibe, it’s awesome.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yeah, definitely. I have a particular goal and a particular mission. As long as I am in Texas, my mission is to create opportunities for local artists to show their work. That can mean lending my skillset to area arts nonprofits, working with City Government on art tourism, and can be even as simple as putting artists in touch with collectors or venues. Happily, I am currently doing all of these! So I guess I just hope to “go bigger” in the future.

My personal goal is to exhibit in Tokyo, Osaka, and again in Kyoto, but to also be able to travel for an extended time to Japan for these events. I want to meet some of the calligraphers and sculptors I admire. I want to visit shrines and temples in the countryside. I want to visit Nara, Japan, where about 90% of all the world’s sumi ink is made. And I want to visit the Godzilla Museum at the theme park on Awaji Island! (I have an unhealthy obsession with Godzilla, by the way.)
“When I eat ramen in Japan, I will know I made it.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.celesteseitzartist.com
• Instagram: @celeste_seitz_artist
• Linkedin: Celeste Seitz
• Youtube: @CelesteSeitz
• Other: Podcast https://lnns.co/BkJAPOQstr6

Image Credits
All images are owned by the artist and copyrighted.