Lum: Hi Sean! Congrats on being our featured artist for this exhibit! Tell us a little bit about yourself as an artist and how you got into what you are doing.

Sean: I've been doing art since I was a child. I would always draw the Titanic when I was little; I would draw the grand staircase, the ship sinking, and the details of the deck. I guess I was obsessed with the ship. From elementary to high school I was always involved in art, and I loved drawing spaceships and illustrations from my imagination. Later in high school I began to get challenged to do more independent artwork.

Lum: You seem to like a lot of different mediums, from digital to photography to traditional. But what really stands out to us is your style with traditional media, what is it about this form of art that you enjoy so much and what makes you keep not going digital 100%?

Sean: Traditional media were the tools I grew up with and come in various forms and colors. They can get so messy which is something you can't achieve with digital. They have texture and feeling and smell and it feels more real than digital. They're also really challenging compared to digital because they are not as forgiving and mixing a certain color is not as easy as finding it on Photoshop. I think that what's most important is how well you can use traditional since it'll give you more insight into digital. But sooner or later I will be making a change into digital more once I get into college :P

Lum: That's great, I think we all get lost in the digital world and forget the traditional medium of art, it can be much more intense being hands on. So are you going to to college for art?

Sean: Yes I will be attending Ringling School of Art and Design this Fall and I'm going for illustration.

Lum: So you are aiming to be an illustrator, you are already quite on your way I would say. I see a lot of animals and nature in your work. Can you talk a little about your techniques and where you get your references.

Sean: When I got into high school I aimed to have my own style of painting and so after much playing around and tryouts I was comfortable with watercolors and making splashy abstract art of it. Drawing realistically is important because those skills benefit your observational insight but sometimes realism is so boring, so I spice it up with a bit of abstract. Nature and animals have always caught my eye because they are full of life unlike non-living objects that are lifeless.



Lum: Aside from your great traditional art style, we also know you love photography, we love your photos that you have submitted in the group, like your other work they show some beautiful vibrant colors, what do you look for in your photography?

Sean: II look for composition and detail which I think are the two main components when it comes to macro. Macro is just awesome because you get to see details and things you'd never see with the naked eye. Later on, the post work changes the colors and makes the macro shots otherworldly.

Lum: Moving in a different direction, your artwork is quite unique but what inspires you to create art in the first place? And what pushes you to improve?

Sean: I like to show people what I feel so they may feel it as well. I push myself because I know settling for less will have drastic consequences. I once was in a comfortable zone with my art and the art I produced at that time was the same and boring. So pushing myself, trying new things, and being open will lead me to being a better artist.

Lum: I think that's the best attitude you can have as an artist. So you think, with this in mind, you will evolve and maybe try other forms of art in the future like sculpting or 3d?

Sean: Yes, in fact I did ceramics my senior year which was a lot of fun. But I'm sure in college I'll get the chance to do more advanced sculpting with metal and wood. I've tried several 3D programs and I used to have an older version of Maya but the complex interface has always confused me. I know that 3D is something I definitely have to study first before using it as an art medium. All the terminology is beyond me 'hehe'.

Lum: Well as we have said before, we really love your traditional art style, we think it really sets you apart from the other artists, where do you see yourself down the road from here, and what career choice do you want to go into?

Sean: Well I've always dreamed of doing concept art for video games and films like Ryan Church did for Star Wars. I see myself becoming more accustomed to conceptual art and landscape painting for video game industries. I'll be embarking on internships in the upcoming summers to help me find connections and stuff.

Lum: That sounds like a good goal, and something that is defiantly achievable with your skills and mindset. Finally before we go, do you have anything you would like to share with the readers?

Sean: Of course, keep pushing yourself no matter what. Art grows when you strive to find new things and try new things and never settle for less. And I'd like to thank you guys for choosing me as featured artist