I was born and live in Carmichael, CA. As an artist, I'm mostly self taught,
but over the years I've taken classes at Sacramento City College and
American River College. I studied painting, design, sculpture, and welding.
Over the last 15 years I've shown work in solo and group shows across
California, including South Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, as well as two
successful shows in Arizona. My work has won awards at the California
State Fair, KVIE Art Auctions, Northern California Arts, Inc., and the Tubac
Center for the Arts in Tubac, AZ.
As far back as I can remember, I've felt a need to make things. I never
questioned it, I just kept on making things.....paintings, sculptures, music,
whatever. I believe the drive to make art is one of the most important
elements in an artist's life, because at the end of the day, however talented
you are, it's work. As much as anything I've ever done, it's work. Some
people think of it as a gift, and maybe it is, but sometimes that gift feels
like a neat looking fly buzzing around your face, distracting you from the
rest of the world and needing constant attention.
Being purposeful in my work is something I strive for. I like the work to feel
deliberate and thoughtful. I'm not as concerned as I used to be with trying
to make everything close to perfect...I like showing the work within the
work, even if that includes small flaws that come about while it's being
made. It's also exciting when an idea transforms into another, and
improvisation leads me in a new direction. Improv is a big part of my
creative process. I'm not worried about trying something new, potentially
messing it up, if the piece feels like it needs something. Frank Zappa said,
"Without deviation, progress is not possible." I try to remember that idea
when I'm working, it helps me try new things. I also like to start some of
my work by setting limitations for myself. Narrowing the options before
starting a piece can free up certain aspects of my creativity and bring a
cohesive quality to the work.
It seems I've spent most of my adult life switching between making visual
art and playing drums. I've always felt that making music and visual art are
pretty much the same, so for better or worse, I've approached everything
I've made in the same way. I think it's mostly problem solving, adding or
subtracting elements, learning from the experience....and most importantly,
being in the moment and trying to enjoy the process.
"Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and
growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the
sincere and honest development of one's potential."
-Bruce Lee
"Press my type on others? Dreadful. Is not my happiness precisely the
sight of many who are different?"
-Friedrich Nietzsche
Those two ideas can change the world.
Sean Royal, 2017









