Meet Stephen McNeely of @stephenmcneelyart in Echo Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen McNeely.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was a teenager, I used to do a lot of graffiti in Colorado. I’d say it’s what spawned my marriage with art. I was broke and in college when I started taking my art seriously. One day, I was rushing home from class to get stoned before a four-hour drawing class.

While waiting at a red light and feeling impatient, I looked to my rearview mirror to see how bad traffic was behind me. I saw a city bus approaching me from behind at an alarming speed — when SLAM! A settlement check and thirteen stitches later, I was on the phone with my sister who lived in LA. She and I would always talk about me moving here when I could afford it.

Two months later, I was packing a U-haul with everything I owned and moved to California. After living in LA for a few years, I was working odd jobs and slowly reintroducing music back into my daily routine. I had stopped making art and was focusing on music production.

One day I met Cathy Cooper, now my bandmate and best friend for life. We started a band called The Great Sadness. While out together, we’d notice how bad show flyers had become. I decided I would hand draw ours and began to develop my own style of pointillism.

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?
Making ends meet has been a constant struggle for me. It was no question to me whether I wanted a life of art and happiness or a boring job that pays a lot. Deciding to focus on art and music hasn’t paid off yet, but I say that with an emphasis on “yet.”

@stephenmcneelyart – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’ve been known to make darker artwork. “H.R. Giger meets Georgia O’Keefe” if you would. Many would throw my art into the “Heavy Metal illustrator” category – which is okay because I love metal music, but I would like for my art to be seen by a broader audience.

The vagina is often the focal point of my pieces. I would say this sets me apart from most Heavy Metal illustration. Sight of a vagina may anger some.

I am proud to visually confront the conservative mindset with my art. In a sense, my art proudly has no home because it caters one hundred percent to no one in my eyes. It’s fun to watch people be offended or intrigued by my art.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Truthfully, I am still searching for what I will define as “success.” I don’t want it to be necessarily materialistic, but hey – paying bills on time and getting paid feels real good!

An hour of any individual’s time is worth more than money, especially when that hour is spent doing something that you don’t love. Being raised in America, I feel I’m consciously fighting against the beliefs of what most people my age define as success: independence, a home, money, a good job.

I know these things do not truly define a person, but we are popularly expected to want these things, to pursue them. Society is evolving, gender roles are dissolving, and success is now measured differently. I was raised by a long line of strong, independent women who brought me up right and taught me to speak up when things are wrong. I am very proud of the fact.

Contact Info:

• Website: stephenmcneely1.wixsite.com/mysite
• Phone: 720 329 1751
• Email: stephenmcneely1@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Todd Weaver, Ryan Kevin

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.