Artists, the art teacher and their dreams.

Funny caption, eh?

But it is true.

Everyone dreams about living a relevant life, a life that means something to people other than ourselves.

In a recent interview with the-dm3drev-studeos.blogspot.com.ng , we tackle these issues.

Here are excerpts from the interview. Enjoy!

Tolu

 

DMSB: What inspired starting up your creative venture?

PnB: We started Pencils n Brushes artworks and The Hive for two purposes only. The first was to beautify the world with the most spectacular visual art and design to be made by Man. You see, Art and Design are very remarkable, in that they are tools that can be used to communicate and to entertain in a way that no other tool could. They go beyond portraiture and fan art. They are our default means of expression, a way that our befuddled minds try to make sense of the world we live in and the world we carry in our minds. That’s why as kids, we all loved art. We all wanted to draw, paint, mold, carve, trace, you name it.

The second reason we had for starting was to correct the negative stereotype attached to visual art and artists. Art currently isn’t regarded by many as a valid profession. At best, it’s seen as a talent, a hobby for the less intelligent or the bored. The worst part is that many artists and designers have come to see themselves and their craft in this negative light. We want to correct this issue and let everyone, starting with the artists and designers themselves, and see that their abilities are valid and necessary. That the world needs what we have to offer because they can create beauty out of nothing.

                                              Pencil portrait of M.I, Nigerian rap artist

DMSB: PnB Artworks offers a diverse range of services. Please kindly take us through what is offered.

PnB: OK, this should be fun! (Chuckles). Like I said earlier, our products and services either pass a message across or they entertain. In the category of products and services that communicate, we have pencil art, paintings, digital art and visual communication (Logo design and corporate identity).

As for entertainment, there is a package we introduced last year called “A PnB Event”. It’s for events like birthdays and weddings. The products and services in this category are Live paintings (where we paint things happening live at an event), Live sketches (we draw people and places at events), Designs (we design Invitation cards, banners, table top cards, caricature guest boards etc.) and Glitter paintings. The glitter paintings are awesome man, you should see them!

                                        Live Painting Commission at a Wedding Event

DMSB: A campaign for the Hive Academy is currently online on Facebook and Instagram. What necessitated giving the training service more visibility with an identity of its own?

PnB: A lot of artists and designers do not know what they have and as such, abuse is inevitable. An artist does an artwork of a celebrity, gives it to the celebrity for free and without the celebrity asking for it, then the artist goes on social media and thanks the celebrity for giving him the honour of accepting the artwork. You see, this is an example of abuse that results from a poor knowledge of the potential he/she possesses.  Art and design are exhaustible. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. And yet, it seems we have made the least progress of all the sectors.

The Hive looks to correct this and many more mistakes in our interaction with clients, while also helping creative people make a living out of their crafts. The Hive is a school for artists and designers. Currently, we run courses in Pencil art and Visual communication.

DMSB: You just finished with the 1^st batch of students for 2017. We see they are also part of the current campaign. What was your experience with them?

PnB: The last batch of students was a very interesting one. We had lots of fun with them. They were very talented and creative too. We learned a lot from them. Many of them had issues with the fundamentals of visual art and it had limited their progress. In the end, they each discovered their weaknesses and worked to get better at them.

 

They embodied the spirit of The Hive: An energetic set of people who aren’t afraid to push their limits and have fun while doing so.

DMSB: Most Nigerian artists are not so business savvy. How do you address this problem at the Hive?

PnB: The one thing that people want is Freedom. Freedom to experiment, freedom to travel, meet new people, do what they really want to do. Money plays an important role in this, because money gives you the opportunity and the means to explore. To me, that is one of the reasons why every Artist should make money doing what they love to do. At the Hive, we explore ways to be profitable, how to make money and what to do to multiply this money once it is made. Money is important, very important. That is why we must learn how to make more of it, legally.

DMSB: Your social media presence is impressive from Facebook to Twitter and Instagram. How do you keep it lively with engaging content?

PnB: We do not try to be like anyone else. Since our aim has always been to be all about the client, they are a big part of what we do. The typical artist shows his journey through his craft. We like to show our clients through what we do. I think that is what makes people like us the way they do.

DMSB: Any plans to venture into the largely untapped market of online educational videos via video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo; free and premium?

PnB: Yes, yes, yes! Watch out for this!!!