Insect Artwork
Are you a fan of mixed-media art? Prepare to be amazed by the captivating works of artist Sharden Killmore.
Killmore uses ethically sourced flies, butterflies, and beetles in combination with acrylic and oil paints to create some of the most stunning images you’ll ever see!
In addition to a visual tour, we will also take a peak into the mind behind the artist.
Enjoy!
How Long Have You Been Making Art?
I’ve been painting as a full-time artist for 10 years.
What Inspired You to Become an Artist?
My family collected classical art and frequently took me to art museums, but I wasn’t inspired to create until I saw the TV show Ink Masters. I really connected with images that stand alone without a landscape background.
What Inspired You to Create Art with Insects?
I’ve always been fascinated with bugs. The first book I ever checked out from the library as a kindergartener was a book on insects. I grew up on a farm with no TV and I spent a lot of time playing with grasshoppers, spiders, dragonflies, ants, and water skipping bugs.
I remember finding a giant moth on the wall next to the porch light very vividly.
I was an insect farmer for the reptile industry for 15 years. I had the largest cockroach farm in the world for a while. I also farmed black widows, mealworms, flies, and three different species of crickets. I called the flies my bluebirds because of their metallic blue, iridescent thoraxes.
I made one piece of art for fun with flies, and the requests for more art were instant and snowballed into a painting career.
Who Are Your Favorite Artists?
Some of my favorite artists are Michael Hussar, Zdzislaw Beksinski, and Goya’s dark art.
What Advice Can You Share With Aspiring Artists?
If people ask me how to make it in art, I tell them it’s like any other career; typically it’s 10 years or 10,000 hours at 40 hours a week, like any other job.
Paint what people want. The internet is pretty much beautiful women and pets. That’s what people want. Also, be consistent in style so that it’s recognizable and investable, and so people purchase multiple pieces at once.
How Would You Describe Your Artistic Style?
If you went to an art gallery that had 1,000 paintings and only one of the paintings was mine, would you be able to find my art? It would be easy. I always have thick, white, radiating strokes. I paint in black and white with very strong shadows and highlights and of course, you might even find some bugs.
If you walked into someone’s home and saw one of my paintings on their wall, you could immediately recognize it and say, “Is that a Sharden Killmore painting?” Having that type of consistent style and recognizability makes art more investable for collectors.
What Else Makes Art Valuable?
Having a story makes any item more valuable.
A pair of old worn-out shoes is only worth $5. With a good story, they could be priceless. Perhaps they were owned by a famous historical. Art is no different. Sometimes it’s the story that the art is telling that makes it valuable.
This is why I have been working on a book for 5 years now. Many of the paintings are illustrations for the book.
When Can We Expect Your Book To Come Out?
It will probably be a year before the book is published.
Want to See More of Sharden Killmore's Incredible Insect Art?
Follow him on Instagram.
Click here to see what pieces he has for sale! (This is NOT an affiliate link. If you purchase art from this link I will NOT receive a commission. I just wanted to share these gorgeous creations with you!)
Thanks for Reading!
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