Meet Clay Stapleford in Virginia Highlands

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clay Stapleford.

Clay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always been drawn to the arts… first as a singer and actor at a young age. My passion for painting happened completely by surprise for the first time just a few years ago and I instantly knew it was something I was created to do. I was living on the Atlanta BeltLine and was constantly on it taking pictures. I was wanting some attractive frames for some of the shots to make it more artful and ended up painting some small frames, and in the actual painted frames I could see I had something I wanted to explore. I painted it bigger and kept painting, allowed the energy to move me.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I’m showing now and have been in some magazines and and on some podcasts and my art sells in galleries, there were some lean times. I had the work to do and friends were supportive, plus I got exposure and feedback on my stuff by putting it up online. I had been a successful salesperson at the time and put that away and threw myself into this full bore. Obviously, I had to downgrade and minimize my lifestyle in many ways but still have fun. I try to paint from a space of open mind, and doing the work itself is so rewarding and beneficial to me that I haven’t needed that much else. Sure, I always strive for more and nobody really does it all alone.

Please tell us about Clay Stapleford.
“Clay Stapleford’ as a brand is my paintings. I work in vivid abstract expression and am empowered but also humbled to be able to create and live this art. I’m a painter who’s excited to keep getting the work to a wider audience. In Atlanta, I currently have work available at Gallery 7 and Buckhead Art & Co. I also have an New York City group show I’m in called The Subconscious Canvas, opening Feb. 22nd at Contra Galleries in Chelsea of Manhattan. Folks can also email serious inquiries and opportunities to clay@claystapleford.com.

Who has helped you along the way?
I’ve had so much help along the way! I am fortunate to have a core group of amazing people around me both professionally and personally. Just home in Atlanta, my friend Tommy Breedlove, a master motivator and professional thought leader, has helped me with my personal visioning and mental wholeness. Galleriest and framer, Gerardo Reyes has been a mentor and creative consultant providing me invaluable wisdom from the beginning. Margeau Bull, owner of Made Again Gallery in Inman Park, gave me my first solo show. Culture Writer Han Vance has given me some solid art business consulting and we continue to meet to this day, on-and-off, to talk art in a collaborative, group-think sort of way. And, I have a Master Mind Group where we sling shot each other forward and hold one another accountable to who we are and where we want to go. Yet another benefit of living in our amazing city. Lots of helpful high energy people in Atlanta. And, my number one always of course is mom, in North Carolina.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.claystapleford.com
• Phone: 404.210.3479
• Email: clay@claystapleford.com
• Other:  http://garethjyoung.com/clay-stapleford-art-as-meditation/  ||   http://mindfulnessmode.com/?s=clay

Image Credit:
Michelle Rose – www.mrosecreative.com

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