Check Out Curtis Stokes’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Curtis Stokes.

Hi Curtis, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Cool fact: The only job I’ve ever had working for anyone besides myself was back in the 90’s while I was in high school – I worked at Universal Studios, airbrushing t-shirts. It started when I got an airbrush for my birthday one year and had a lot of fun airbrushing overalls and jeans for classmates – they were my first clients, and the start of my entrepreneurial journey. I essentially started a business out of the extra bedroom in my parents house, taking on clients through word of mouth. As word grew, I moved on to offering my airbrushing skills at parties, then event decor – all the while, friends had started asking me to paint their rooms, which is where I first started to understand the power of murals. Because of the diverse mix of clients I was serving, I had a lot to play with, and found myself dabbling in new ways to create with different products. Even back then, when I discovered something new that piqued my interest, I would take my time with it and let myself really experiment with the possibilities of what I could create. That’s when I came across blacklight (UV) paint and lighting. Coincidentally, the premium paint company Wildfire had just developed invisible blacklight colors. The science of light and color fascinated me, and I was obsessed. It intrigued me that while murals are so impactful at setting the mood of a space, this new area of discovery could mean the ability to shift the experience of a single art piece completely – day to night, or otherwise – with the flick of a (light)switch. As I said I was obsessed with the potential, so the exploration quickly gave way to the development of new techniques and tricks that I continuously refine to this day, with each new project. I started a YouTube channel a while back, and that’s led to many private and commercial clients all over the country. This past year, I had the honor of creating a 750sq/ft dual-image mural for the new Tide Pool exhibit at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa which transitions from day to night under blacklight, and even passes through sunrise and sunset with the use of colored lights.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Totally smooth, no problems at all. Joking of course – I won’t get specific, but without fail everything that hasn’t been smooth has been an amazing lesson in personal growth, business, or relationships. Discipline is involved for sure, but it’s driven by soul-inspired perfectionism and genuine curiosity. Finding balance and flow in a given project is always different, and something I try to be patient with. Deadlines can present a challenge, but in general, I aim to love every moment I’m in – even if that’s at 4am – whether I woke up that early to get back to it, or I’m still up from the night before… There’s growth in every struggle and that’s where I like to keep my focus. And I do genuinely love the process and love the outcome. The satisfaction and accomplishment of seeing my creation come to life and the delight and awe on clients faces is unbeatable.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My first specialty was incredibly realistic sky murals – everyone wants beautiful clouds on their ceiling, so it came about organically for me to perfect this early on. Once blacklight came into the picture I became curious, and ended up doing my own living room with an invisible night sky – essentially an elaborate night sky emerged under blacklight, while during the day under normal lighting, it was totally invisible. I haven’t seen anyone else delivering this type of transformative day-to-night scene, so I quickly gained a following for these unique pieces, and began adding galaxies, nebulas, planets, etc. I pride myself most in my attention to detail and the very clean, realistic quality of my work – this is where obsession has served me well! In combination with skill, I believe in vibration, and that maintaining a perspective of love, abundance and joy in all areas of life attracts more of the same – I see this as my greatest strength as an artist and as a person. I’ve watched this philosophy bring inspiration through me, and really incredible clients and projects into my reality. Most notably, The Florida Aquarium project was almost immediately a career highlight for me. I had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most talented and genuine folks across many fields, all in the name of creating a stellar experience to support conservation of marine wildlife and oceans. A cool fact about that project is that because it was created to emulate the tide pools of Southern California, I visited my favorite childhood beach to shoot reference photos for the project. Some of the distinct rock formations found at Leo Carillo State Park are featured in the mural that now lives in the Aquarium in Tampa. It means so much to me to have contributed to a project that so many people invested in, to bring the mural and the exhibit to life – millions of visitors will be delighted and inspired for years to come.

Any big plans?
I’m excited to bring blacklight art into galleries in a new way. I’ve designed custom frames to really elevate how dynamic my blacklight pieces can be, which will further support collectors in displaying them in galleries, or privately. I’m also really excited to continue integrating more elements into my murals, which I’ve been fantasizing about for years. The Aquarium project was the first time I was able to incorporate color wash lighting, projected waves, and 3D rock work into my mural. In the near future, I’m looking forward to projects that build on this concept to include video screens, LED animations, video mapping, fiber optics, and more. Creating even larger scale installations feels right around the corner. Last, I look forward to sharing all of my experimentation, discovery, and the playful process of creation as it unfolds on my YouTube channel.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://curtistheartist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curtisstokes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtistheartist/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CurtisTheArtist
• Other: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1839892/sites/167730119534707728/yTsTiz

Image Credits
headshot by Marisa Leigh Photo