Spring 2024 Cover Story: Hunter Blaze Pearson
An aura exists throughout the room when exploring an art gallery. Whether you visit Paris and explore the Louvre or briefly commute to a local museum, the energy remains the same. A sweet harmony of calm, curiosity and confusion.
You’ve witnessed and felt the harmony in real-time. It’s that moment of awe as you slowly advance towards the painting that covers the whole wall or circling a sculpture sparking a new perspective on the concept at hand. Observing and articulating your perception of another artist’s work is always interesting.
However, the experience of the art gallery or museum is vastly different for the artist. After many attempts at submitting their work for the validation of the gallery’s curators, many artists feel a genuine sigh of relief for even being included.
Once that finally fades, the new fear of public acceptance or approval can start filling the psyche of the person who poured their heart and soul into the work. It can’t be fun, but that’s the life of an artist.
Of course, art is subjective. No matter your confidence in the work or ability to shut out the noise of anyone outside of yourself, the challenges of artists positioning themselves in the gallery scene and artistic marketplace can be daunting. Often leaving those with the ability and talent to continue their artistic journey reluctantly.
You can’t blame them either. The fine art scene is competitive and without borders with no true path to enter the space. There’s a common understanding for most that without a true co-sign or foot-in-the-door moment you’re left to fend for yourself and take control of your destiny. That, or you pivot the love and talent in your given art form into a hobby more than a career.
Artist Hunter Blaze Pearson is no stranger to the predicament. After building an audience via social media and locally with his hand-drawn portraits and custom footwear, you began to see the concerted effort of entering the fine-art landscape. While also finding his rhythm and brand as the art started to be made and delivered. Slowly, the placements became more common and the momentum has launched him towards a bright future in a business and creative outlet that has birthed icons and visionaries into our inspirations and textbooks.
In this Interview, I sat with Pearson [Hunter Blaze Pearson] in his home studio and discussed his artistic journey. We expanded on the ups and downs of the industry and some of the key reference points to his creative abilities and desires. All while exploring some lessons learned on the way towards the present. Though far from the end, the journey includes moments of personal growth, professional frustration and curiosity about other mediums that can be used as a form of expression.
Photo of Hunter Blaze Pearson taken by @tuffskii_flics
Our goal for the reader/artist, no matter where they may fall in their quest for finding their version of success in their creative journey, is to find gems and knowledge from Pearson. The stories are shared and the contents of this conversation can serve as a beautiful representation of what the creative process is all about.
As we sit here at the top of 2024, what are some of your goals when you think about your creative output for the year?
I have a bunch of paintings lined up for sure. I start digitally when making my paintings as I’m mapping out how I go about creating them. So I have about 6-7 paintings ready to get started on the physical canvas right now that I haven’t started yet. I’m also looking to work in the set design/building world using my art ability and building skills to make some money for future projects and pieces.
I want to work with other artists in doing a show/pop-up for my art and work on producing my first feature film. Which I have written, I’m just in the process of raising money to produce it on my own. So it’s a bunch of stuff essentially.
Is it a concerted effort to venture into other mediums of art right now? We’ve seen the paintings and other visual work but is doing something new/different a priority?
It’s a thing of wanting to do something new. One thing I find limiting in the art that I’ve been making is that you’re limited in your storytelling. I can only tell so much of a story through one painting or piece. Also, something that I’m working on is a series of paintings that can tell a bit of an overarching story.
But with film, I find it a great mix of visual art and storytelling where you can create great compositions with singular shots throughout a film while having the ability to tell a better story. It’s also a faster process of creating and telling a story.
Would you say that storytelling is the central purpose of your art no matter the medium? Or is there a different draw that you find an objective in conveying through your work?
I’d say that I’m definitely into storytelling. I do think that I often fall short of developing a whole story in my paintings. Which I’m working on getting better at currently. The main thing for me when creating is making things that I want to look at. Creating the things I enjoy viewing.
Like when you go to a museum or gallery there will always be that piece that draws your attention immediately upon entering. That painting that makes you go “Ooh, I want to go look at that”. Creating that moment for myself is my main objective when making the paintings that I create.
But lately, I have been working on adding more story amid the beauty visually.
What would be some of those triggers or inspirations for creating art in the first place? Is it that “Ooh'' moment in the gallery or something else that inspires your creative expression? What is the start of your creative process?
Often it will be a riff on something that I’ve seen or heard. Whether it be music that I listen to or a scene in a movie, oftentimes those moments will trigger the creative response.
Especially with music, I get a ton of strong visuals when listening. Like when I did a music video for my friend Julian. When I heard the song I immediately saw scenes of what the video would look like that went exactly with what the song was about.
Like this piece that I made that is based on the horror film, “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, which I love. It’s this idea of the kid moving around this dark place and trying to depict the child’s imagination during this scary scene for him.
Photo of Hunter Blaze Pearson with his piece titled “Do you see that?” taken by @tuffskii_flics
So I try to riff off that moment and tell that story of the specific moment in the film and try to create something out of an inspirational moment at the time. Essentially ingesting certain mediums of art and making them my own.
Because that’s all we really can do, I know in the past I’d beat myself up on trying to come up with the most original piece that I could at the time. After listening to Rick Rubin on The Huberman Lab podcast, he talked about how we’re essentially antennas for ideas. The original thing you can create is based on the influence of these outside inspirations and filtering it through your perception.
Your ability and perception are the only thing you can truly use to create what you want and enjoy yourself.
Before we began the interview, you explained how your work takes a long time to complete. Do you have an average timeframe of how long a piece can take to complete?
I let it take as long as I need it to. I only work one piece at a time. I can’t work on multiple things at once. Usually, the more realistic stuff will take between 2 weeks to a couple of months.
Certain paintings have different intricacies that can take forever. It can take a fairly long amount of time. My first piece that features a riot police officer took about 8 months and it was a grind. But it varies, and once I start I work til it's done. I don’t move on to anything else.
Photo Hunter Blaze Pearson @ Tracy Park Gallery in Malibu, CA taken by @tuffskii_flics
You explained that moment of entering a gallery and having that “Ooh” moment at something that catches your eye. What are the characteristics of those pieces that create moments like that?
Oh man, that's a tough one. (Laughs)
I mean it usually starts with color. I love vibrant colors and the use of neon. I’m a huge fan of open composition for sure. Simplicity and color are the things that draw those “ooh” moments out of me.
Which is funny because my pieces are never simple and often far more complex than some of the art I find intriguing to look at. I’ll add different patterns and stuff because I’m self-conscious of an open space on the canvas. But when I see it in other people's work I admire it.
Tell me about your upbringing. What are some of those memories or reference points of your creative gifts? Were there any specific moments when you found your love for making art was a passion/hobby?
Well, I grew up around here in Malibu. My mom was always super super supportive of my creative habits and gifts. She has a bachelor's degree in art and growing up she was just as interested in art as I was.
So when I ever wanted/needed a sketchbook or whatever tools, she would always be supportive in getting those for me. So that was super great.
I can look back now and see tons of parallels between my art with her artistic aesthetic growing up. Which is funny because growing up it's like “This is such a mom thing” and I’d try to pivot away from it just being a kid. But now I’m like “This is kind of cool”. (Laughs)
She loved moons and dragons when I was younger, and I’ve started to incorporate more moons into my work as of late.
But yeah, she would take me to different museums and galleries. I got to consume a lot of other people's work from an early age. Way more than a parent who might not be so gung-ho on the whole art/creative wave I suppose.
Do you remember a specific moment in an art class or a thing that you made that made you think, “This is pretty cool” or “I'm pretty good at this”?
It’s pretty much been since day 1. It was never a question because I loved doing it so much. I loved creating things from an early age and I was pretty good at it early.
I always heard, “Hunter is so great at painting” and I just went with it.
When I entered High School, I had an independent study class with Mr. Hacker where I did a pencil drawing of an old man. It was the best thing I had done up to that point and I was like, “Whoa, I’m taking this to the next level now.”
To that point, I didn’t have a favorite medium because I was just doing a little bit of everything. But after doing that one, I knew that going forward that would be my path. Telling myself, “I’m gonna keep doing this pencil stuff. This is super fun”.
Fast-forward to High School, and you begin drawing on sneakers. Talk about what started that discovery and how it grew into a nice following while entering the artist marketplace.
That’s funny. I did my first pair for my friend Harry just to do something for a friend.
At the time, my mom told me I had to find a job and make some money myself. Or to find a path in general, whether that be higher education or work.
So I thought, “Well, people like the shoes”. So I began turning that into something that could put some money in my pocket and it started to snowball.
I did a few pairs for people in Malibu, and then some kids from my old middle school started to want some pairs done so I did that. Through that connection, I made a pair for Adam Levine and that’s where it took off. I just made it my thing for that time.
Once it took off, did you find yourself ever pigeonholed as “The Shoe Guy” at any point, or in the midst of it were you just enjoying it as a form of creative expression?
I felt stuck after a while which is why I backed away from it slowly but surely. Because it was a lot of fun to create, it was fulfilling and cool to see people's reactions to them and see them thoroughly enjoy the shoes themselves.
But, after my fifth Iron Man shoe, I was ready to do something else. (Laughs)
That experience became a sketchbook for me as a result. It pushed me to work on things and ideas that I might not have been interested in. I would’ve never drawn some of those things if the person hadn’t prompted it for me. So I learned a lot in that timeframe of drawing on shoes which spanned about 4 years or so.
Would you consider this your first crack at creative entrepreneurship?
Definitely.
With that first experience in the artistic marketplace and selling/commissioning art, what were some of the challenges you faced when trying to make good money off your art?
I got lucky early when I landed those big jobs, so I had a very unrealistic expectation of how hard it would be. I believed it would be smooth from then on. (Laughs)
But when that begins to die down a bit and you’re looking for jobs on your own, it gets a lot harder because it’s tough to find management/agency in the art world.
If you look up art agents online, often it’s strictly acting/modeling agencies looking for a completely different creative skillset and medium.
Even on the off chance you do find someone you like, often you have the suspicion of whether they’re taking advantage of you or not looking out for your best interest. There’s a lot of that in any artistic field.
This is where the blessings and curses of social media come into play. Because I have a pretty good amount of followers on Instagram, but the reach has been a struggle as of late. I’ve begun posting more and trying to enter my art and page into the algorithm and boost my interactions.
That’s been the main challenge. I’m more in the lane of fine art than design. It’s more about finding a group of collectors and building that core audience that will invest in and support your art—finding more people to add to your email list essentially. It’s hard to give an exact answer because I’m currently in it. It’s tough.
Would you say social media is the hardest part of the process right now?
Kind of. The main thing is getting my art out there in general. Because I know that the quality is there, and I have a lot of stuff to show off and a ton of stuff to sell. (Laughs)
It’s just getting it on the wall and finding the right group of people who like the art and can afford the art.
Because yes, you can get the interactions on Instagram and see the likes and view count, but it’s still a young person’s game. Who aren’t necessarily in the market to buy fine art stuff.
I can put the effort into making the content that can grow the following, but I really need 65-year-old dudes with a lot of money to join my email list and buy some of my work. (Laughs)
Finding the right market has been the ultimate challenge that I’m currently attacking head-on at the moment. But it’s coming together because every new show at a gallery opens your horizon to new people and networking.
On Instagram, you can see more visual content like reels to try and show off the work and get in the algorithm. Explain that process and some of the ways you’re using the content.
Everyone knows that making reels is where it’s at. Making short little videos and trying to get people to view the caption. It’s such a game, it’s so annoying. (Laughs)
I get it we're making reels for this. (Laughs)
Right! Like I said before, I enjoy filmmaking and videography. I’ve been making short films and wanting to get more into filmmaking so this is a way to practice some of those skills. Getting shots of me painting and shooting different things helps build the eye for when the larger projects happen.
I’ve been doing it for 2 1/2 years and it’s so hit or miss. You never know which ones will pop and go crazy a bit. But it’s fun to do and for many when they first see the art they don’t know or believe them to be drawings, which has led to real debates in the comments or real life that they aren’t.
Now I can show you the whole process of drawing these pieces out. This can be hard for me at times because I love to work in secret and then release the work once it’s done. But people love the behind-the-scenes content and it's been good at building interest behind the work as a whole.
In that vein, what are some of the solutions you have found that you’re implementing that have been successful?
When the opportunity presents itself to get into a show, you must be present. Being in the room and having the audience meet the artist behind the canvas is super important.
Chit-chatting with people and handing out cards has been good practice for me.
For my business model, if you want to call it that, I’ve found that building the email list has been crucial to finding the right audience in the marketplace. It can seem like an old-fashioned method, but it’s the most guaranteed way to know that you’re reaching those specific people versus hoping an algorithm will place you directly to the person you’re hoping to reach.
With the email list, what does that include and what do you use it for?
Anytime I have a new piece, I send it to the email list before posting it on social media, allowing those to be the first ones to see it and build exclusivity with those supporters.
I also put out deals on prints and sell different versions of my art that anyone can consume. I’ve been recently making blankets out of my paintings and finding unique ways for people to buy and support my art rather than simply buying a painting.
It’s essentially a newsletter.
I can speak for myself that in the creative process whether with writing articles or developing ideas imposter syndrome can be a deterrent when making things. I’m sure others can relate as well. Has that been something you’ve had to deal with and if so what were some of the ways to combat it?
So I’ve come up with a system to kind of label creative people or artists. I think there are 4 different types of artists.
There are people with no inspiration and no ability and in this case, these people are not artists at all.
Then you have those artists that have the ability and no sort of inspiration and a lot of times I find myself in this boat. When I was younger, I knew I was gonna be an artist because I was good at it, and why not? But I don’t always have these big meanings behind the work I make or a backstory to the work. I just know I can draw better than most people.
The third group is those who don’t have all the talent in the world but have a ton of inspiration. I’d put Andy Warhol in this category. He couldn’t physically paint all that well but had so many incredible ideas that he ventured into different mediums and made some of the best work ever, which circumvented the lack of ability to get the idea out.
Then there are those people who have skill and inspiration where the sweet spot lies. That’s where the all-time greats live and that’s where I’m trying to be. And when you're not in it, the imposter syndrome lies when you ask yourself, "Am I really an artist or am I just good at drawing, etc?”.
Photo of Hunter Blaze Pearson taken by @tuffskii_flics
One thing that helps me is to never worry about whether I’m “really an artist” or not and just create. Because like my friend Armyan, he’s like a real artist. He’s weird, creates all kinds of art and is always working. Most artists are a bit crazy and in the back of your mind you think something is a little off but the art is good so you rock with it.
I feel more like a builder/maker than an artist in a sense. There’s a lot of those elements in my work. I build a lot of things, I make my canvases and everything. So I see myself more like a craftsman than anything. Which can eliminate those creative barriers of imposter syndrome.
As long as you’re making something whether due to inspiration or just doing it, that’s all that matters.
As you’ve stated, you’re still in the thick of your artist journey. But for the young artist who may be confused about their steps of getting into the art scene or taking their creative gifts seriously, what are some tips you have for those looking for clarity in those beginning stages?
First, if you’re not trying to make a career out of it, just make as much art as possible and claim the title of an artist because you are one.
But, if this is something that you would want to make a career then create as much as possible because it is important to hone in the craft at all times. Keep making new stuff and try to get it out the best you can.
I’ve heard from others and I’ve been implementing this myself, it’s that you should submit your work to at least 100 galleries and the rule of thumb is you should get into 10%. I’ve found a similar percentage in a lesser amount but it’s all about getting your work out there.
The only way people will notice and take you seriously is if you are displaying your art to be seen by an audience. I thought it was about building a big following on Instagram and the buyers will follow, which can happen, but it’s all about getting into galleries and selling your work through word of mouth.
You can tell me if I’m wrong in this observation, but there’s a common look/vibe to your work. The branding is similar in the fact that I can look at a series of your paintings and know that at the very least they were made by the same artist. Talk about that aspect in your artistry and build a familiar look/brand to your work.
Growing up, the consistency and cohesion in my style were all over the place and I struggled with it due to my love of creating in various mediums. People could say that they saw it but I didn’t feel it.
I can say now that there is some cohesion with all of my pieces which has been something that I’ve wanted for a while. It’s definitely by design and I had that as a desire early in my artistry.
Photo of Hunter Blaze Pearson @ Tracy Park Gallery in Malibu, CA taken by @tuffskii_flics
I just love the vivid, “poppy” images and I take a lot of inspiration from film. Like the actual celluloid film and the qualities of that. I love the contrast and rich dark blacks mixed with these vibrant colors which I find a lot in older movies.
That contrast and mix of those two elements is something I figured out that I can replicate well and it’s become the catalyst for the cohesion you find in these more recent paintings.
Talk about being featured in this prestigious art catalog you explained to me in the past. What was that like?
Yeah, that was with Saatchi Art. Charles Saatchi is an art curator whose main gallery is in London. He started this online marketplace called Saatchi Art, where you submit your work and they decide if they accept you or not.
I got accepted a while ago and nothing happened. But it was another place to get my art out there so I was putting it all on the website. Recently I’d gotten on a few of their weekly articles highlighting some of the art and slowly starting to show more interest in my work.
Later, they reached out to me saying that they wanted to feature me in their 2024 campaign featuring 24 artists to collect in 2024. They did a thing on the website with all the artists and highlighted them through pictures in their studios and it was a big deal for me.
I’ve had a nice bit of success with design work whether working with Maroon 5 or Jack Daniels, but not in the fine art world. Besides getting into galleries which is still a big deal knowing how hard it is to get into them.
With this catalog, it was an international release that was a big deal for me. I sold the piece that they showed off in the article which shows people are seeing it and showed that I’m on the right track and that what I’m doing is working.
In the overarching theme of creative entrepreneurship, explain some of the ways you’re looking to find balance in your art and business. What are you looking to improve upon in 2024?
One of the big things is when I was younger I used to love bigger paintings. I always thought that the bigger the better in most cases.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that it would be more advantageous to do smaller paintings and work on smaller pieces in general. So for this year, I’m setting a cap of 30 inches in all directions.
I want to be more prolific and put out more work because I’ll often design these paintings and lose interest when designing the next ones virtually. My ideal goal is to make all of these paintings and sell them simply.
I’ve also been brainstorming ways to make things more affordable for those who may not be in the market for the main/bigger stuff. Which is a challenge and I’m in the development stages of that. I love stickers. (Laughs) So I want to make a bunch of those and see how people react to them.
I recently started making a few commemorative posters based on the main paintings. I love concert posters so they’ve been a way for those who may not be able to get the main one but want to support. They highlight different aspects of the pieces and can serve as an entry point into my work for those who want to support differently.
I also realize that my style is a bit bold and some of my art may not fit on the wall in a home. These posters can serve as a bit more reserved and in a lane that can fit amongst other things you already would want to hang up around the house.
You have to have creative confidence that your work is good whether being commissioned to do a piece or not. Where can artists build that confidence and for you what were those moments that left you like “I'm good at this”?
If you base your creative confidence on the perception of others, rather than making things you enjoy you will find yourself following trends and doing whatever everyone else is doing. The main thing we have in our favor is that we have a vision and if it’s not out there, even better.
It’s simply focusing on yourself and remembering that if you have an inspiration for it and you think it’s cool, then follow that instinct. If you don’t, the work will suffer and ultimately you leave your whole creative expression to suffer as a result.
So what was that light bulb moment when you knew you had something?
The old man drawing was for sure one of them. I remember early when showing off my work to parents and other people they would always look and say “Wow what a nice sketch”. To me, I was like “This is way more than just a sketch but thanks I guess”. (Laughs)
I felt like involuntarily they were kind of demeaning my work and making it feel less than it was. These were finished pieces that I worked hard on. So at that point, I was left figuring out how to add more substance to my work. Trying to change the perception of it from just a “sketch” to a full painting.
That’s when I came up with the resin idea. Because how can I mount the paper to the canvas? I was building these canvases and they were warped in a way so I was trying to figure out how to make them stand out. So I thought, “Why don’t I paint on the canvas, put the paper on the canvas, and resin it all together as this final process?” When I did that first piece, it was a relief. I got all the layers together and didn’t mess up.
After that relief, I looked at it and thought, “I’m good at this. I think I got something good here.” So that was the big thing when I incorporated resin into the work. People loved the glossy finish to the pieces and it gave my work some heft because it was on an actual canvas and it has a nice finish to it. That was by far the most important change and that action of taking it to the next level.
During the pandemic around 2021-22, we saw a boom in NFTs. Some people made some money, others got got in the process and paid (and lost) a ton of money for these images.
Certain monkeys or whatever. (Laughs)
Yes, yes. As an artist today, how have you embraced the current trends in tech and what’s to come in the future? While not losing your love and desire for the physical art and that aspect of the marketplace.
It’s another place to get your stuff out there.
Funny story: I'm hanging with my friend Armyan in mid-late 2019. No one had been talking about NFTs at all and he and his friends were talking about this project they were working on with this guy out in Serbia explaining how he started this virtual gallery.
In the back of my mind, I thought, “This sounds illegal.” (Laughs)
But fast forward to the pandemic, NFTs were everywhere and to see him be so intuitive and early on the trend/marketplace was super impressive.
I ended up making some NFTs myself and they may still be out there I have no clue. (Laughs)
But that trend kind of died off so it’s not that big of a deal anymore. It for sure felt like a bubble at that moment, I’m not that big on it.
I do think that it opened the door for more digital viewing though. It’s possible more than ever to now find new art and buy it. Gaining the physical piece yourself and hanging it on the wall or whatever you want to do with it. Whereas before you had to physically go to the gallery and pick it out.
It gives people the ability that may not have those galleries or museums around them a chance to own or see art which is fascinating. There are probably tons of people in the midwest/middle America who don’t have access to some of the big-name art or even go see it because they are sitting in places in the bigger cities around the country.
Also, one thing that I did like about NFT is that I want to work with the physical art somehow, and you would need more people to agree on it, but the concept of royalties with your art. With NFTs, you could set a royalty rate so no matter who or when someone sells your art you can get a piece of that. Which I think is lacking in the physical fine art world. I’ve heard of other artists doing it and you have to work it into your contracts when selling.
But every artist's goal is to see their work appreciate, hopefully before they die. So it would be great if I sold this painting for let’s say, $3000, and I put a 2% royalty rate on it and say in the future it sells for $4000, I should get some of that you know? (Laughs)
That’s something I’ve been figuring out and when I have gallery backing it’s nice that they’ll help you with that. But when it’s not there it can suck that you sell your painting once and it’s left out of your hands when it trades hands or galleries and money is involved.
Fire! Thanks for the sit-down this was a dope conversation.
Anytime, I’m glad we got to do this.
Photo of Hunter Blaze Pearson & Co-Founder Canaan Wilson @ Tracy Park Gallery in Malibu, CA taken by @tuffskii_flics
Be sure to check out Hunter Blaze Pearson on his social media pages and look out for more art in 2024.
Also thanks to photographer @tuffskii_flics for his contributions to this Cover Story. More to come!
