Self-Taught Artists You Haven’t Heard Of

• Bill Traylor started making art from discarded pieces of cardboard he found in his neighborhood when he was in his 80s.
• David Butler‘s artworks are more than just single pieces. His home was a vibrant collection of his pieces that shine in their context.
• David Butler created artworks from tin roofing panels that were flattened and shaped with tools as diverse as a meat cleaver, hammer, and more.
• Ethan Castillo started tabling at conventions when he was 9.
• Social media and online resources have made it possible for young artists to find mentors in a way that wasn’t possible before.
• LeSean Thomas got his foot in the door because he was sketching during his job at a shoe store. Someone who saw him sketching connected him to a sibling who worked in the animation industry.

• There are networking opportunities everywhere. They don’t have to be from other artists or even in an art context, keep your eyes open!
• Maria Sibylla Merian lived during a time period when women didn’t have access to enrolling in an art academy.
• Maria Sibylla Merian‘s artworks feel ahead of their time. Her botanical drawings have many narrative elements to them.
• Art school provides a small percentage of the experience and knowledge that you need as an artist.
• The time you spend as a working artist is extremely valuable, and cannot be learned within the context of art school.
• Emery Blagdon created 3D artworks that were “healing machines.”
• Emery Blagdon worked in relative isolation in Nebraska in his shed constructing these machines from found objects.

Artists Mentioned

• Ethan Castillo
• David Butler
• Bill Traylor
• LeSean Thomas
• Emery Blagdon
• Maria Sibylla Merian