We recently connected with Christopher LeBeau and have shared our conversation below.
Christopher , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I enjoy collaboration with other artists and makers in the art community. I am currently in talks with a company who is making solar powered, mobile 3d printers that can be deployed in the field by the military.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I started Soda City Art many years ago as a graphic artist, and a traditional artist. Sharing my drawings, paintings, and graphic art with the world is something that I have always done, since I was a child, but the mediums have evolved through the years. Soda City Art started out as me just selling my drawings and paintings on canvas, but when I started getting into large format printing, it evolved into stickers and prints, and eventually became more of a print shop… where aside from my artwork, I also did signage, banners, business cards, vehicle wraps, and all manner of printing. For years Soda City Art was a mobile business, but in 2019 I opened the brick and mortar location, and that’s when I bought the first of many 3d printers. That is when everything changed, and 3d printing really took off like a rocket. All my years of painting and digital design, working with computers, 3d modeling, cosplay, and being a maker, all came together in a perfect storm. Additive manufacturing gave me a new opportunity for my 3d modeling skills, and a 3d canvas for my paintings. Making cosplay and movie props is rewarding work, and making people’s dreams come true brings me joy. Soda City Art has become so much more than I ever dreamed it could be, from pen and ink drawings, to paintings…murals and vehicle wraps…signs and banners, stickers and prints, to Storm Trooper and Mandalorian armor, and other cosplay helmets, armor, weapons, and movie props…. the guy doing crazy collabs with other local artists, setting up at local events and comic cons…that’s me.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think for me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and a maker, is making those dreams come true. When people come to me and they have a dream of being this character that they love, and I can make that dream a reality for them. Sometimes, it can be very challenging, people come to Soda City Art when they want to cosplay something that they can’t really get anywhere else. It’s great seeing the pictures of my clients at Comicon as their dream becomes tangible, or they get to meet the celebrity who brought that character to life and get the thing I made autographed.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2022, someone crashed their car through the Soda City Art brick and mortar shop on Bush River rd. They smashed through the brick wall and caused extensive damage to my shop. This was a huge setback and something that I think I am still struggling to fully recover from. As a result of this tragic event, I ultimately had to vacate the premises, and I no longer have a retail location. I moved all my production to my property in Gaston, and all my business is now done online through the website, social media, and at shows. I still feel like I am playing catch up, but to qoute Elton John, I’m still standing.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.sodacityart.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/soda_city_art?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sodacityart?mibextid=9R9pXO