“I think social media is a great change for any kind of art form,” Watts said. “You don't have to leave your room and yet you can compete with anyone in the world.”
Pulling himself away from his art to promote himself is a challenge, as with many other independent artists in any genre. “I always want to be work, so when I have to step away to promote my work sometimes it throws it off,” he said.
But the challenges are not without reward. He learns from people’s opinions of his work and always strives to become a better artist. “I challenge myself by just trying to learn from anything I can,” he said. “Art comes from living. So I try to live.”
Watts recently married the love of his life and welcomed a baby boy into the world, again changing the way he goes about his art. “Right now I have two day jobs to pay the bills but I most definitely consider myself an artist and that's my dream - to become one full time.
Even if I don't reach that level, I'm still happy with just living the way I am now.”
If his son chooses to become an artist when he grows up, Watts said he would support him 100% if that was what he wanted to do. “I’d tell him to follow his dreams,” he said.
“Being a father has changed me in a lot of ways,” Watts says of his newest job. “I think it definitely made me grow up and take things way more serious than before. I cannot accept being a ‘starving artist’ anymore.”
Each of Watts’ pieces take him anywhere from 30-45 minutes. “There is always downtime but I think that's just as important as doing the work,” he said. “It's necessary in order to grow and expand your mind.”
Much like his paintings (which frequently look as though they are seen through a fish-eye lens) he occasionally shares self-portraits or pictures of his family on social media, though that is not an area he plan to explore professionally.
“I'm not really interested in photography,” he said. “Honestly I just like to capture myself in the moment of painting or just brainstorming.”
His unique artwork draws in a specific fan base, which he is grateful for. “Having fans definitely inspires me,” he said. “It shows (me) other people enjoy what I'm doing and I think that's enough to inspire anyone.”
Watts is not currently trying to get into any shows. Instead he is “more focused on improving my work at the moment. I update my Instagram accounts daily.”
For upcoming news and to see his work, follow him on Instagram @ink_watts_drawings.
In fact, if you like his style but don’t see something that already speaks to you, Watts will do some commission pieces, depending if they go along with his style or not.
Just message him for information. You can see more of his work and learn more about Nick on his webpage.
Turn the page to see more of Nick Watts Art.
THROUGH THE FISH EYE
IndieViews talks with artist
Nick Watts
Kiva Johns-Adkins
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