Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Pitts
Hi Stephen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I discovered that I liked to draw when I was about 8 years old. I drew castles, fortresses, spacecraft. Over the next couple of decades, I drew sporadically, without a special focus. During high school, I began to put more energy into my drawing projects. During my first year in college, I took a class in mineralogy and crystallography. It was during these classes that I learned about the complexity and intricacy of crystallographic symmetry axes. It was at this time that I became fascinated with drawing symmetrical shapes and forms. My earliest formal symmetrical drawings were made in 1980. During this period I started using Rapidograph pens for all of my artwork. Over the next several decades, I made several series of mechanical, space-themed, and symmetrical improvisational drawings on 14″ x 17″ paper. This became my preferred paper size. In 2021, I started a new series called “Real Places and Structures”. The drawings in this series are drawings based on blueprints or photographs I have found in various sources. My blueprint drawings are drawings of engine blueprints. My drawings based on photographs are drawings of amazing apartment complexes in Hong Kong, and drawings of the interior of the London Museum of Natural History. Three years ago, I started renting a studio space at Lowe Mill, which is the largest artist cooperative in the United States. I create most of my artwork at my studio at Lowe Mill. Having this brick and mortar site allows my artwork to gain exposure to the public. Also, visitors at Lowe Mill can see my art in person and they can see my artistic processes underway. I have had a website for many years. I also have participated in lots of regional art shows, but the vast majority of my art sales is done at my studio. The primary art product that I sell is art reproductions, but I now have high resolution T-shirts with my designs printed on them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, my artistic career has not been a smooth road. In the beginning I believed that if I sold enough artwork at various shows, that my business have enough momentum to become self-sustaining. For some reason, this never happened. I now find, more than ever, that selling art requires constant effort. If I loose momentum in this effort, my sales will drop. I have never developed much of an on-line business, so to sell my art I have to go to a lot of shows, maintain a lot of physical presence in my studio and promote myself on social media. Promoting sales of my art through my website has never worked. I would much rather work on my art that advertising and promotional tasks. Having a brick-and-mortar studio location where people can find my art and see it in person has been a reasonable compromise.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My artwork is handmade pen and ink drawings. I use fine point Rapidograph pens and traditional drafting tools to make my art. My specialty is meticulous and highly detailed drawings of geometry, mechanical structures, and architectural renderings made form photographs. My art is known for it’s fine details and precise structures. I am most proud of my
cityscape drawings and my architectural interior drawings. Not many other artists make art with fine point pens. Sometimes I am the only artist at an art show with that medium.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Engage with other artists. Find out what experience they have had at art shows and what problems they have encountered in their careers. Find out what methods they use for promoting themselves. It can be really helpful to share experiences with other artists. Frequently, I have found other artists have similar experiences and difficulties in their careers. I also follow a lot of artists on their social media accounts and try to learn from their successes.
Pricing:
- I like to have products that span a large price range.
- I have a lot of inexpensive products.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://symmetricaluniverse.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symmetricaluniverse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/symmetrical.universe.art
Image Credits
All images are mine.
