If you’ve ever watched The Voice, America’s Got Talent or any other reality show driven by those among us who have fantastic talent yet to be discovered, then you know that your next door neighbor just might be the next great vocalist, dance star or cupcake baker. One medium that hasn’t made it to reality TV yet but no less marketable is the world of art.
Christian Wells of West Caldwell, NJ is one such talent, quietly filling his time with a hobby that has turned into his true passion -- creating art that is as unique in its medium as it is fantastic to look at. One can’t help but look at Wells’ art and think that Andy Warhol, Peter Max and Picasso had a child together and this is their art! I realize that mentioning either of those three renown artists in the same sentence sets me up for a lot of criticism and perhaps claims of insanity but given that art is subjective, one look at the art Wells has created and I think you’ll see what I mean. I recently had an opportunity to speak with Christian and learn more about him and his paintings.
“As an artist, I am all over the place,” said Wells, “but I love creating different things. I like mixed media and using different techniques to create. Graffiti inspires me as does the use of many colors in my art. I am also very detail oriented and spend a lot of time on each piece.”
Like most of us, Wells works in the real world and is on the road a great deal for his job. “It really is an escape for me. I would say that I just love to create something from nothing. I don’t have to think about anything else and I can just get lost in creating. It’s like a whole other world.” Wells told me that he has always loved to paint. “When I was young I always used to draw or doodle. I have always just loved color, patterns/designs and creating. My wife Kristina was a fine arts major and is the one who really pushed me to start making actual pieces of art instead of just collecting doodles in my note pad. I’ve been doing this more seriously for the past four years or so and now it’s become a big part of my life.”
While many artists have specific inspirations, when Wells’ pen or paint brush hits the canvas he allows it to start taking shape and lead him to wherever his creativity travels. “Sometimes I draw what comes to mind, but it really isn’t anything in particular, like a bird or anything else. I basically start drawing a design and then step back and see if the design takes shape or starts to look like something and then I go from there. This may not be a term you’ve heard before, but I would describe my process as improv art. I also like creating random everyday objects with crazy backgrounds.”
With today’s digital platforms, painting and creating today is much different than it was years ago. According to Wells, he still enjoys putting pen and paint brush to canvas but technology certainly plays a part in his process. “Some of the samples I send out are ink drawings I did on paper and then scanned and worked on digitally through a Microsoft Surface Pro drawing program.” Some of them are drawings that I mod-podged (basically glued) on canvas and painted over. One technique that is new that I really love is like a mosaic, using small pieces of paint attached to a canvas. It’s great fun and I love the result, but it is definitely a painstaking process.
Wells has never had any of his work shown or displayed anywhere other than around his house. “I do send some of my art to a website and I’ve had a lot of good feedback,” says Wells. “I want to keep creating and growing. Currently I’m watching some of the reality TV tattoo shows for inspirations. Some of the tattoo artists are incredible!”
For more information on Wells' work you can contact him directly at tcravens717@gmail.com.
