Today we’d like to introduce you to Peyton, the Artist.
Peyton, the Artist, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in South Los Angeles, and have now been living in Inglewood for a little over 15 years. I’ve always been an extremely creative person. Since the moment I was able to write with a pencil, I was already drawing and painting. My parents, who are also some of the most creative individuals I’ve ever known, fostered freedom of expression through art in our household and never tried to quiet that artistic voice inside of me, or be a hindrance to my growth as an evolving creator. They always show me drawing and paintings that I created on scrap pieces of paper when I was little and videos of myself trying to dance on beat to Chaka Khan, rap to Lakeside and Grandmaster Flash, and running back and forth from the kitchen to get pots, pans, and spatulas to bang on and create music with (big kudos to my folks for choosing to deal with all the messes and horrible noises I made).
My dad, an architect and artist, and mom, an interior designer/event planner, also have extensive backgrounds in visual art and design. My dad’s paintings portray and celebrate Blackness and our regal history as a people and are the visual influences that inspired me as a child to start painting. My mom, who has a ridiculously amazing eye for detail and visual balance, is excellent at calligraphy and highlighting the little things that we normally wouldn’t see in an area or space. She also comes from a family of musicians and artists, which influenced me to learn how to play the piano, violin, and guitar. Music has definitely been one of those driving tools and sources of inspiration behind a lot of my artwork alongside others such as street art and other mediums displayed in the Los Angeles area.
I never in a million years thought when I was a kid that I would continue into my adulthood with painting let alone graduate to the point where I am today. My three biggest dreams as a child that I was adamant about achieving were becoming a fashion designer, architect, and musician. But life has a funny way of bringing you full-circle back to your roots where you started and somehow intertwining those dreams and talents together to shape who you will become in the future. With smart work ethic, tunnel vision, a strong support system, and perseverance, you can definitely make your childhood visions come to life.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’ve stumbled upon numerous obstacles and roadblocks along the path to reaching my goals, and am still making mistakes here and there to this day. There’s no rule book on how to be a “real” creative/artist. It’s either already in you, or not. It’s up to you to train and exercise the gifts and talents that God instilled in you. Yeah, you can look up and reach out to other people and outlets in your creative field for guidance and support on which directions to go in, but it really is all you at the end of the day. After all, it’s your journey, and no one else can embark on it for you.
I would have to say that the biggest roadblock that I have had to overcome on the journey to unlocking my imagination and finally allowing my senses, emotions, and life experiences to work together to speak through my artwork, was myself. I am very shy, can be a little timid, and am extremely critical of myself, especially when it comes to creating and sharing my art. For many years, due to a series of traumatizing events that I experienced outside of my household while growing up, I was very closed off and lived in a protective shell that I had created to block out anything and anyone that I might have suspected would try to hurt me, lower my self-esteem, or even scarier, truly want to get to know the real me. Like many artists, I have struggled with opening myself up and allowing what’s inside of me and what I have been through to come out and speak my truth.
When I say the “real me”; I am referring to the high spiritual and moral standard that I have always had for myself and the bucket-load of knowledge I’ve acquired in regards to the history of the Black community, which has shaped who I am today. These foundations were planted firmly in me as a result of living in a household that placed Yah (God) and our history at the head and center of everything. You would be surprised at how much that could intimidate people. And for the longest time, I use to think that if I shared those core parts of me – my standard in God and being Black – with my peers that it would drive them away. But little do many of us think to ourselves, that it is the truth that will speak to the hearts and minds of other people who could be struggling with the same things; trying to discover their own uniqueness; or, simply searching for the truth in a world where everything has been masked and disguised. As my mom always tells me, “It’s not all about you, Peyton. Your art is for other people to discover the truth more than it is for you. So, don’t hold back.” And that is my message to anyone out there who is looking for that reassurance or sign that it’s it okay to be yourself, make mistakes along the way, and unapologetically speak the truth. Don’t hold back.
Please tell us more about your art.
The name, Peyton, the Artist, was created by my friends and family who called me this in reference to my oil paintings. Though I am still currently developing my voice and personality as an artist, my style of artwork currently ranges between expressive and political and surrounds the theme of Blackness.
In my portraits, I like to highlight the internal characteristics that make my subjects stound out the most along with their exterior features. My most recent work has involved raw materials such as gold dust, pigments, and gold foil, which not only fits aesthetically into my work but enhances the regality that already lives in each of my subjects. My political pieces, on the other hand, express and educate people about the truth of the times that we live in with regards to the Black community in America, and bring to the forefront our hard, but rich history. To be a person of color is to be royal, fearless, and resilient. That is the message that I try to exude through all my artwork no matter who or what the subject is. That is my job as a Black artist.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t really believe in luck. Everything happens for a reason, and at the time that it is supposed to happen. I do not think in the slightest that my becoming a visual artist was because of luck and that the levels of recognition that my art has been gaining was purely by chance or accident. I believe in purpose, on purpose, and in strong work ethic. No matter what anyone decides to do in their life, whether it be big or small, they will never achieve their goals if they are not willing to put in the work to get there. One of the main reasons why I believe that my art speaks to people is because they can see the amount of detail and thought that I put into it. When I discovered my purpose as a creator, I chose to move forward with my gift by working day in and day out to build up, exercise, and fine tune it so that audiences could truly feel and internalize the message that I was trying to get across in each piece. I want to give people, especially in my community, the best of Peyton, the Artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: thecodestudiosofficial.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peytontheartist_/ and https://www.instagram.com/thecodestudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecodestudiosofficial/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Image Credit:
Big shoutout to the homegirl, Skyler Caruso, (instagram: @skyybleuu) for capturing these photos of me in my element. This is what it looks like when creatives get together.
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