Artist Spotlight No. 5: Sanjay Patel

1. Who is your favourite artist?
I enjoy all kinds of art, and don't really rank them.  It makes me very happy to see work from artists in the first 10 years of their careers.  There's a certain energy around the emerging artist scene.  An all time favourite is next to impossible to pick, but if I had to, it would be Picasso…. The range in his body of work never ceases to amaze me… and he was quite the character.  

2. What were you like as a child?
Overly imaginative.  Shy at times… and out there in others.  Over the top with ideas… and quite bossy with the transformers… just ask my brother...

3. What inspires you the most?
Abstracting nature is what really interests me.  Creating a recognizable style has been something I've been focused on for the last 4 years.  My commissioned work is partially inspired by my clients.  I'm primarily a commissioned artist, so the pieces are being made for a very specific space.  I like to ask them questions about colour, size and style… and try to get to know a bit about their personalities.  It's important to get a good feeling from a person before creating a piece of art for them.  It's a much more personal approach to buying art, and being inspired by the client and their space gives each piece something unique.  I've created this format/style, and it's up to the client to fill in the blanks almost to help create their one of a kind piece.  

4. Do you have any rituals for creating your art?
The same everyday rituals everyone has.  Wake up… brush teeth… put on pants.. go to work… my work is just art related...

5. What impact do you hope your art has on others?
The same impact all art should have.  To create a conversation.  To start some sort of thought reaction to the work. That's all you can ask for.  Good or bad, I just want to start people thinking.

6. Do you think you are ever misunderstood as an artist?
As an artist, we're all misunderstood.  That's almost the point… for people to come up with their own interpretations for the work… So I would say you aren't pushing the artist limits in some way if people completely understand you. 

7. Where do your ideas come from?My original idea came from abstracted images in nature… almost closeup blurred images.  It's slowly changed over the years and that is what makes it interesting.  Art is about progression, and without progress things get stagnant.  I want people to relate to the image in someway, without giving them a defined subject matter.  Finding out what others see in my work is the most interesting part about being an abstract artist,    

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