Victoria BC based photographer Shea Wyatt shares with us his love for wildlife.
AIP: How would you describe your style of work and what is your preferred medium to work in?
SW: I use photography to capture images of nature – wildlife, landscape, small details – that I feel compelled capture and preserve, and to share with others. I started shooting with film in the early 2000’s and gradually transitioned to a fully digital workflow at present. My style is best described as authentic, I try to capture the moment and feeling that I experience, and translate that to the viewer.
AIP: What were you first steps toward selling your art and what type of setting was this in, a gallery, art & crafts show, market, on-line or elsewhere?
SW: My first sales were in art shows in the Greater Victoria Area, and I now sell in art & craft shows, gift shops, galleries, privately, and on-line.
AIP: Why do you choose Art Ink to print your reproductions, and what products to you order from us?
SW: I choose Art Ink as I was looking for an environmentally responsible and local printer to aid in the design and production of art cards and calendars. I currently order calendars and a product brochure, but have also ordered art cards, post cards, and press prints in the past.
AIP: If you could look back in time and meet yourself when you first started making an income as an artist; what would be the most valuable piece of advice you would give yourself?
SW: I would tell myself to direct my energy more efficiently towards meeting my goals early in my career. I continue to struggle to achieve what I hope with my photography, due to balancing the varying demands of work, school, and parenting.
AIP: What are your favorite methods for marketing yourself as a self representing artist?
SW: I have relied mostly on in-person marketing and word of mouth. I am trying to develop a very simple social media account for people to follow, and to maintain an up-to-date website.
AIP: Can you tell us an event or occasion which excited you the most, with regards to getting your art ‘out there’ for people to see?
SW: The Moss Street Art-Walk a couple years back was an exciting event, however one of the best was the Port Hardy Holiday market, where I found my art had a real connection with many of the local First Nations, and I was engaged on a deeper level as they discussed the meaning of their familial and cultural connections to my work.
The Sanctuary by Shea Wyatt