Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Lupien.
Craig, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Growing up, I was always into one form of art or another. I really enjoyed visual art as a kid, then once I reached the age where I was forced to draw and paint things I was not interested in, I couldn’t understand the point. It was due to the fact that I no longer found it fun. After some time, and a tiny bit of maturing, I came back around to visual art in college. I decided to switch schools and go to Mass Art, I was home, art was my purpose and pleasure. Day in and day out.
When I started at Mass Art, I had a lot of transfer credits from other schools. This allowed me to dabble in all different types of mediums and really explore creating art in ways I had never imagined. After graduating, there didn’t seem to be an open position for a famous artist readily available. So, I simply continued making art as it fit into my life. I’ve shown in numerous galleries and was a member of a gallery for a while. But I find I like to make art on my terms, when I’m inspired, for the pleasure and possibility of surprising myself.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I make mixed media paintings. Color and line are treated as concept, as I am working on a piece color and line are the story of that moment. The moment is mostly of a mood, but it can also provoke a feeling of character. I have a rough idea of what I want to paint before I start, I usually work from a sketch. I never hold myself to the idea that is in my head, as there are too many possibilities that arise along the way. I find every painting to be a challenge that needs to be visually solved. It’s a way of marking a moment in time. I hope that each person that looks at it can feel that moment, and bring their own perspective to what it evokes in them. My art is a way to express non-verbal.
The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
Certainly, get a job that doesn’t suck all the energy out of you at the end of the day. Something that you find can fuel your creativity. Personally, I do antique, art and furniture restoration as my main source of income (www.newenglandartisanrestoration.com). It is creative in a sense, but you are not just making whatever you like. It takes focus and relates to art making. In many ways, my art is reactionary to having to adhere to traditional methods and imitating what already exists. It propels me to really let loose when the work day is over.
It’s different for everybody though, so it takes some exploring to figure out a good balance. Don’t worry if there are times when it seems like you’ll never have time to make art. Just get down to it when the time is there, do your best to not make excuses. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can see some of my work on my website (www.craiglupien.org), I’m not great at keeping it up to date.
I also post on Instagram under @craiglupien. I sell my work privately and also through Eirdreich White Fine Art (www.eirdreichwhitefineart.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.craiglupien.org
- Email: craiglupien@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/craiglupien
- Other: https://eirdreichwhitefineart.com
Image Credit:
Craig Lupien
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