Today we’d like to introduce you to Dwayne Mitchell.
Hi Dwayne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Let’s see, it all started when I was very young, I think around the age of five and growing up in McClellanville, SC, just outside of Charleston. One of me and my brother (Brian Stelfreeze, also an artist) favorite things to do was draw in the sand. We did this practically every day until we discovered or shall I say, given a pencil and paper, then the fun really started. We were drawing everywhere. Our biggest supporter at this time was our Mother (Albertha Mitchell). She would purchase us comic books to read, and it wasn’t too long before we were making our own comic books. Because she worked in a Library, she would take our comic books to the Library with her.
I was always fascinated with the human face, so every chance I got, I was drawing family and friends. In school, art was my favorite class. We would draw everything, but the best moments were when we were drawing each other. It was my teacher “Nancy Taylor-Gilman” who encouraged me to enter the county’s art contest. I received my 1st art award from that contest. The Scholastic Gold Key Award, my drawing was showcased at the Gibbs Art Gallery in Charleston, SC. She also encouraged me to go to the Art Institute of Atlanta.
After Graduating from AIA, working as a freelance artist for companies like the Crown Diamond Center, Caldwell Banker and JC Enterprises. I then pursued my dream to be a Portrait Artist. My paintings can be found at institutions like Morehouse College and the Morehouse School of Medicine, Soka Gakkai International in Japan, as well as the Tennessee Hamilton County Courthouse, Emory Hospital and soon-to-be Hartsfield Jackson Airport and in the houses of numerous private owners throughout the East Coast.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had many great times, and this journey still continues to amaze me, but yes, there were some struggles along the way. The 1st was which path to take as an artist? I decided to go into ad work, creating ad layouts and product designs. However, my love for drawing people was always tugging at me, so I left that world. Second, I had no clue on how to really sustain a living drawing people. That’s when I met an amazing artist (Master Portrait Artist “Hoeun Chung”) who was doing exactly what I wanted to do. He later became my mentor and taught me everything I needed to know to make it as a Portrait Artist. In 2011 God called him home.
The things he taught me gave me the confidence to showcase my work out there more. By doing this, doors were opened and are still opening.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Fine Art Portrait Artist, I specialize in creating fine art oil portraits, I don’t just paint people. I go a little deeper with my paintings, I want you to feel the presence of the individual being painted, their personality, their joy, that twinkle in their eyes. I am happy when the client is filled with so much joy that tears begin to fall from their eyes.
As a way to honor God for the gift and talent, he has bestowed upon me. All my paintings are signed with three dots after my signature, which represents “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The moment I’m most proud of is when I was chosen as the winning candidate out of 125 artists for the Missing and Murdered Children’s project, set in motion by The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs to Honor the parents and family of the victims for what was considered Atlanta’s darkest moment. The 30 paintings of the children will be displayed at Hartsfield Jackson Airport on June 30th.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Be true to your gift, nourish it constantly and don’t ever take it for granted. By doing this, you will always be happy and you will make others around you happy as well. “A man’s gift opens doors for him and brings him before great men” (proverbs 18:16)
Pricing:
- Portrait fees begin at $1000, please contact the artist for details.
Contact Info:
- Email: dartportraits@outlook.com
- Website: www.dwaynemitchellart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dartportraits/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmitch213/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/wSL0O–Y48I
