Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Lee.
Ariel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Ever since I was young I drew. I remember as a kid I would finish my homework and then start drawing icons that associated with the assignment – just for fun. My parents saw my interest and were quite supportive. When I was eleven, my dad took me to a local oil painter where I began learning how to paint. Since then, I knew I wanted to do this long term.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Currently, I’ve been really into painting landscapes. In the past four years, I’ve started backpacking and rock climbing. I was instantly in LOVE. I also started to take photographs and it just made sense to paint the photographs of my time outside.
When I paint I try to play and have fun. I want my work to feel human. I think mistakes and imperfection can be quite beautiful. As for inspiration, David Hockney, Georgia O’Keeffe, WPA posters, shadow shapes, topo maps, the alpine glow on mountains are among a few that I constantly look at.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Oh, that’s a good question. To me, success as an artist is connecting to what you make. There have been times where I’ve made work that wasn’t really my voice. Whether or not people liked it, it didn’t matter much because it didn’t mean anything to me. I think having a thick skin and persistence are pretty essential. I should also add that being business savvy really helps.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can check out my work on my website (leeariel.com) or on Instagram (@lee_ariel_). I’m about to open up an online shop where I’ll be selling giclee prints and screen printed goodies. Stay tuned!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://leeariel.com/
- Phone: 562 688 8801
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lee_ariel_/
Image Credit:
Bio picture by Zac Fellows
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