We have a creative piece hanging in our studio that blows our minds on a daily basis. We’ve had it up for about two weeks now, and we are still mesmerized every time we come into the room. It’s not just our opinion, either; everyone who walks in the door stops mid-sentence and stares because it’s just. that. cool. And, in our humble opinion, so are the guys who made it.
This one-of-a-kind exclusive collaboration between Pure7 Studio’s 30A photographer Ryan Manthey and nationally-known 30A mixed media artist Andy Saczynski is literally a dream come true for both creative professionals. They rolled the dice on something neither had done before, and no one could believe how it turned out.
Creating any type of art for a living is a risk that goes beyond the bottom line all the way to your soul.
Having a friend who truly gets what you do is a gift, especially when what you do is make art. As other creatives know, releasing a special piece for the world to see is akin to holding up your minutes-old naked newborn to a crowd of strangers and asking, “So, what do you think?” If they love it, you are elated and inspired. If they don’t like it, well, it can take some time to recover from that.
Andy’s and Ryan’s family relationships date back to high school. Though both had realized their dreams of breaking out of the 9-to-5 world and running their own studios full time, neither had ever seriously discussed working together. Ryan’s respect for Andy’s work grew as he watched not only his creative skills develop, but also the values by which he lived and operated his business. When Ryan finally decided to approach Andy with a painted photography concept that had been tucked away in the back of his mind for nearly 10 years, he was astounded to find that Andy had the same idea. So Ryan took one of his favorite 40×60 canvases to Andy’s gallery, as well as a family portrait that would be a Christmas gift for Ryan’s wife and studio co-owner, Erica. The final piece that emerged weeks later was beyond everyone’s expectation.
Shot in downtown New Orleans, the wedding photo of Lily and Matt was bright and colorful, a fun cityscape amidst the beach portraits that line our walls. Already a favorite of friends and clients alike, Andy’s paint style on this photograph made it come alive. The colors are even more vibrant; the buildings look 3D. Flowers in red, blue, yellow, and white add to the festive mood of the moment captured and, honestly, we’ve never seen bridesmaids dresses look this good!
Painted photography is not a new concept, as no ideas are truly original. Artist and author Austin Kleon says, “All creative work builds on what came before. Every new idea is a remix, a mashup of one or two previous ideas.” However, inspiration from other ideas can bring forth something new that is original, which is exactly what Andy and Ryan have created. Neither Andy’s nor Ryan’s styles can be replicated, which takes the originality of these pieces to a whole new level. We are beyond thrilled to be able to share this unique photo art with our friends and clients.
For more details on painted photography and this specific process, check out Andy’s blog post on this project. To commission your own custom painted photo art piece, contact us and let’s get started!
