We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sparky LeBold. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sparky below.
Hi Sparky, 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.
As long as my memory doesn’t fail me, I’ve always wanted to be an Artist…drawing in the afternoons in the family room…setting up dinosaur models and re-creating a scene from long ago as I imaged the dinosaurs eating or fighting with each other…the Brontasauros was always my favorite….the “Teddy Roosevelt of Dinosaurs….walking softly and carrying a big stick….I would imagine that I was the Brontasauros, too big for anything surprising to happen to me. Making a faster or more progressive pathway for my learning process and/or creative experience is a “mute” point, I think…the process has to be intractable from the product. The “process” and the time it takes to come to fruition as an Artist is non-scalable…it takes the time it takes and there is no standard…one may get there quicker with more understanding than another, or one may truly never get there at all…it does not matter as long as the process is “honest” and not based on “false” perception of sales or unwarranted admirers. As you travel on an Artistic path, you need to constantly ask yourself if your striving for your vocation…and as seems to always be present, self-doubt is present and whispers to you all the time…listen to keep humble, but don’t ever believe you can’t make a full and beautifully creative existence…it is only your feet in front of you and only your footprints behind you in the sand. God is your guide and your heart is true if you believe that he gave you this gift of the Greatest Vocation anyone could hope for.
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 was drawn to Art without much thought…it was a natural step like breathing or sleeping…it happened without question or thought….I knew what I was, even as child and all I wanted was to be an Artist 🎨 I was fortunate to receive the best education on the planet by being exposed and graduating from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena…by far, the best instructors and guides in the field of Fine Art…many wonderful teachers…rigorous and fulfilling…one of many tutors was Michael Spooner…one of the best Artists and guides anyone could hope for…after all these many years of being a working Artist, I still harbor many of his thoughts and trail markers for my career…almost 40 years of work and I still hear his voice and light at the never-ending end of the tunnel. I always loved Plein Air work and I’ve tried to convey the places I’ve lived and traveled to…really tried to show honesty in life in my work…letting people feel and maybe see what experiences I’ve been so very blessed to have…I never want to hide the fact that it is a painting, but I do want the viewer to feel the “realness” of the moment…I’ll admit that I do not understand nor agree with photo realism or when painters try and hide the fact that it’s a painting…what’s the point of reproducing something that is already represented in a photo…no interpretation, no soul, no reason except for the Act of being a “good wrist” and wanting praise for something a monkey could do with enough time and error. It’s pointless and “maddening” from an Artistic perspective…useless! I don’t know how different I am from other Artists, but I do know it is my work and voice…individual and apart from someone who might merely copy someone else’s work and try to pass it off as creative…it is nothing but small thoughts and plagiarized practices…if you have no voice of your own, then find it!
I’m fulfilled being an Artist…rarely rich, or even comfortable in financial situations, but fulfilled none the less…I give everything I have in every painting I present…that’s not bad as far as it’s worth…value is not money, it is what you are and how honest you are with what God wants from your existence and soul…”and that’s all I have to say about that”…
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
NFT’s are the latest biggest SCAM to hit the Art market…nonsense of “minting” your work for future fake money, when it is simply a commission scam for the NFT parties…don’t fall for it. Client direct relationships are still the ONLY true path to pass on a experience and moment from Artist to Client…do not be fooled by this “paper tiger” nonsense…it’s a lie…Real work from your heart to the world is the only way to travel!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Being an Artist is a lonely path…there is always social aspects like Shows, Classes and comrades, but the act of painting in itself, if it is real, is completely you “saying” something important…whether it is for you alone or for the world on a whole…it is a path of destiny, disregarded of pitfalls and cliffs. It is your voice to the world with NO apology or compromise…you have to be honest, not just an arrogant hot-head about what YOU think is important…keep the cannons blaring, but be receptive enough to know when change is needed…be yourself, but don’t be a “dick” about how you interact with the world…as Artists, we are privileged to be able to work at something creative and wonderful…be grateful and accept how blessed it is to present your true spirit…trust your path, trust your soul, trust your heart to say what you need to say with NO regrets…
Contact Info:
- Instagram: sparkyinportugal
- Facebook: Sparky LeBold
- Other: E-mail is sparkyinportugal@yahoo.com Phone is (719) 217-9588