We were lucky to catch up with D.D. Seaton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi D.D., thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

My first steps as an artist were pretty natural and not forced at all. I was just having fun, trying to imitate Bob Ross, or draw something out of a comic, or just mindless doodling. I went through a spell where I read every book on art and technique, and picked up a few fundamentals like perspective and color harmony that got me started. I am completely self taught, so a lot of my techniques are me just doing things that made sense at the time. I tried every art medium out there, and one day I read that oil paintings sold for more money than all other mediums so I started using them all the time. I was trying save myself money by thinning down the paint with turpentine and it became part of my style. I use thin layers of paint to this day, rather than big painterly strokes you see in most oil painters work. For the longest time it seemed every time I was starting to get bored with art I would learn a new trick that I could use as a toy to entertain myself. I’ve always had to have something in my hands to play with, so art just happened every day. Looking back on those years where I was just getting started, I would tell someone to learn actual techniques that are tested and true. So many people think that art is all trial and error, but there are many ways to fail at making a painting. If you know tried and true processes you speed up your growth .Once you learn all of that ,you can do whatever you want ,but those basics are important. I never went to art school so I had to learn that the hard way. It was also essential for me to learn newer ways of making art, like computer design and digital drawing to keep up with all that was happening around me. There really are no obstacles to becoming a better artist, every resource you need is readily available. Just make art a priority, and be yourself, and watch how much it grows.

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

I am a painter based in Denver Colorado ,and I have showing my work for many years. When I was young I was drawn to music, and learned many different instruments .I was always playing gigs and practicing my guitar or drums, pretty much anything I could get my hands on .Having a creative outlet at a young age helped me develop discipline ,but I was always looking for something new. I wanted my music to be artistic and creative, and eventually starting meditating and studying anything that led to inspiration. I read all kinds of books on theology and the human mind, basically art as therapy. I started painting as a way to become more creative in music ,but very quickly ,I was doing more art shows than musical gigs. Doing an art show was pretty stress free compared to playing for huge crowds, I remember thinking that I didn’t even have to worry about breaking a guitar string. My very first art pieces were quick pencil or ink sketches of landscapes ,where I wasn’t drawing from life ,or using references, but just making up trees or clouds .One day I decided to try drawing a face and I’ve been doing just that for many years .Looking at all of my work over the years ,you will see eyes, hair, wrinkles and expressions done in many different ways. I Think of my style as a pendulum that swings from realism to almost abstraction. Most of the pieces I sell have a Pop Art ,Rock and Roll vibe to them .I try to have as much fun with my work as I can, and I hope my style reflects that.

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

The rewards of being an artist can be endless . There are many sacrifices to be made for sure, but having your paintings hanging in someone’s home is very fulfilling. You are very open to criticism as an artist, so when people compliment your art, or are even very impressed with what you do ,it can be transformational. When you make art you are becoming more and more of yourself.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There are many times in my journey as an artist that look back on and think I can’t believe I did that! I painted for ten years before I even showed my work to anyone! I bought a digital camera one day and took some pictures of my work and showed to some of my coworkers. Their response was “why do you work here?” I was working as a Chef and playing gigs at night, but I wasn’t even signing my artwork at the time. People were telling me that I could sell this stuff out of nowhere, so I guess all of my hard work and patience paid off.

Contact Info:

• Website: DDSeaton.com
• Instagram: ddseatontheartist
• Facebook: D.D. Seaton

Image Credits
D.D. Seaton