Artist Spotlight: Nate Nettleton
We had the pleasure of getting to know Nate a little better when came to the gallery to help us open the show that he was in with Roma Osowo, Hillary Howorth and Emily Van Hoff. Get to know him a little better with us!
What are three things you cannot go a day without?
- My 2 kids.
- Hot cup of tea.
- Breath of fresh air (getting outside every day is a must).
When did you first consider yourself an artist?
I've been creating art for most of my life in one way or another, but it was shortly after I sold my first piece of artwork (for $60 if I recall correctly) that I knew I wanted to pursue art more seriously. It has escalated from there and become something just short of an obsession.
How did you start creating?
I was regularly filling 200-page sketch books from an early age, drawing the logos of my favorite bands and skateboard companies. Later on, I was influenced by my father's woodworking and I began to learn my way around his shop, experimenting with various projects and getting a few stitches along the way. Eventually I ended up gravitating towards creating abstract sculptural pieces and have been exploring various concepts within this style of work for the past 10 years.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I think that when you are passionate about something, everything you experience and interact with in life ends up relating back to your work in one way or another. I'm inspired by everything from my kids, to the color of a faded candy wrapper I noticed on the sidewalk, to a 5 second piece of music I heard on the radio. Inspiration is plentiful, and like most things in life, the best of it comes around when you aren't even looking for it.
What advice would you give yourself as a young artist?
Don't become too distracted by what other people are doing. Take risks, and be persistent.
We loved hosting Nate for a few days and getting to know him a little better in the process. Go hereto see all of his available work and hereto see the whole show.
