Today we’d like to introduce you to Celia Sutton.
Celia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up surrounded by creative individuals. Most people in my family are artists of some type. So, from a young age, I was taught that you should do what you love. Our walls were always covered with paintings and posters. My father is a huge film buff, so I was raised watching the classics. I found myself drawn to horror. I was obsessed with the macabre and how it was visually portrayed.
Once I got to college, I had found my love of printmaking. The technical side of printing was fascinating to me. I focused on textile screen printing and started printing small runs of tee shirts for local companies in my spare time. From there I got hired by my friend and teacher, John Miner, to work at a fine art printing studio. I got to print for many famous and influential street artists there.
I’m a huge graffiti fan, so I was beyond thrilled. I worked many late nights and rush jobs. I mixed hundreds of colors, cleaned screens all day, and lost lots of sleep. It was extremely satisfying, but I eventually quit because of the stress. During that time, I also had the pleasure of being the artist assistant to Kelly Reemtsen.
I mainly helped her with the nitty-gritty parts of being an artist, but on occasion, I got to model for her paintings. It was a breath of fresh air to be working for a female artist. Her art is feminine and tough, and that spoke to the artist in me.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Putting myself out there and working those jobs was very nerve-racking for me. I was constantly doubting my skill and would never label myself an artist. While working as a printer, I found that the world of screen printing is mostly male-dominated. I was constantly having to prove my skill and worth.
I was often called “sassy” or “stubborn.” It was good an exercise on how to speak up for myself. This just inspired me to use my anger productively and create art. Thankfully, I also made lots of amazing friends in the art world who pushed me to continue with my art. Now I create art everyday in my garage.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Though I spent most of my creative journey screen printing, now I focus on painting. I paint on large wooden cutouts. I create shapes like bottles and knives and splatter them with bright, fluorescent paint. These pieces are then coated in resin. My work can have dark themes, so I like the cartoony flat feel as a contrast. My art is aggressively feminine and cute, a backlash from the idea that girly is synonymous with weak.
I’m inspired by punk rock and classic horror. My art is about boys, heartbreak, and assault. I like to think of it as a middle school girl’s emo diary. I open up vaguely about my experiences with love and trauma, and I find people can really connect with that.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I create every day. No matter how I feel. It doesn’t have to be good, I don’t always have to enjoy it, but I have to sit down and create. It can be painful, but it’s always rewarding. If I can just be in the zone, and not care what anyone thinks, I will always be successful.
That drive and ability to pick myself up has been helpful in expressing my artistic vision.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/infinitewynn
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