@_utopian_slur | www.utopianslur.storenvy.com
We are are extremely excited to have, Tori a.k.a Utopian Slur, as our Featured Artist, she is a spectacular painter and has such an excellent use of color, these colors will brighten your day! So go over and support a fellow artist!
How long have you been an artist? What is your specialty? Where do u find inspiration?
I have been painting and drawing my whole life, but I’ve only come out to the public as an artist for abut a year now. My specialty is smooth, flowing work with acrylic paints. The inspirations for my pieces all come from my personal life experiences and emotions. My work is very autobiographical.
Do you have a job in the art industry? If So, what’s one thing you don’t like about it? If no, where would your dream job be?
At the moment, my main job is being an artist. I paint, make prints of my work, promote myself, apply for live painting gigs and festivals where I sell my work and other merchandise I make based on my original pieces. I’m part of an art collective that I love and work very closely with (called METAnoia Art Galaxy), we travel the country together and support each other endlessly. Without a doubt, I’m living in my dream job.
Do you have a favorite Artist?
There are MANY artists I claim are my favorite, it is so hard to choose just one. Some of the most inspiring include: Moxie Saturday, Small Moon, Alex Grey, Chris Dyer, Ralph Steadman, Purple Flerp, John Speaker, Salvador Dali, Android Jones, Phil Hansen, and many many many more!
What is one accomplishment you’ve had in your life? Does not need to be art related.
One of the biggest accomplishments of my life would be having a painting of mine displayed at the Frist Center in downtown Nashville, which is the biggest art center of middle Tennessee.
If you could meet and talk to any person in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
I’ll give you one dead and one alive…John Lennon, because I have so many questions to ask him. As for alive, I would talk to Donald Trump for the same reason. I want to figure out how some twit like that thinks.
How is one way you make money with your art?
Recreating vinyl stickers of your artwork is a great way to make a few extra bucks. People love stickers, especially unique ones, and while it does cost some money to have them made, you can sell them each for $3-$5, then both you and the customer will walk away happy.
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
If I could go anywhere, I would go everywhere.
What is your favorite brand of art supply? Whether it’s a brand of pencils or brand of camera or software
Urban Artist’s Acrylics are a really nice brand of paint in my opinion. They arent the most expensive, but they aren’t the cheapest either, and I find that for the price, the texture exceeds expectations. Very opaque and heavy bodied, so it doesn’t leave you putting 3 layers of paint down just to get the vibrancy you want.
Any advice for young artists?
Practice. Every day. It doesn’t matter if what you draw is good or not, just draw or paint every day. That is how you build skill. Don’t get that “I don’t wanna mess up this perfect page in my sketchbook” feeling. Mess up every page in the sketchbook. That’s what they’re meant for. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism. Practice. Every day.
