Greetings,
To those who've met me before, I'm delighted you're still here. Thank you for your ongoing support. If this is your first time hearing about me, welcome.
I am Shnazzy.
I’ve spent the last few years honing my craft, toiling countless hours sharpening my brushes, and applying myself to the art I make. If you want my backstory check out my first blog post. Right now, I want to talk about my newest project and the recent developments that brought it to fruition.
I am happy to announce that I'm releasing my new collection, Discernment, on Shape. Shape is an ETH L2 that offers a decentralized platform that rewards creators directly for their cultural impact, provides creative freedom without gatekeepers, and contributes to public goods through the Optimism Collective. From the first moment that Shape landed on my radar, I knew it had immense potential. The more that came out about it, the more I was convinced it was the perfect home for the art that I have been working on for over a year.
I’ve been minting NFTs since early 2021 across multiple blockchains, collaborating with countless peers in the space, and peeking behind corporate entities' curtains trying to find their digital footing here. From all of this, I can tell you that we’re still early. No one has figured it out yet, and “It” differs for everyone.
For me, “It” is finding the balance between fine art and blockchain tech. Physical paintings represented on the blockchain are tradeable and redeemable. Breaking through the fog of war that is traditional fine art, and deftly sidestepping the gatekeepers while holding a platter of delicious non-fungible tokens. Crashing the party to preach a gospel of harmony between the two worlds. I know I’m not the first, and others are out there championing it as well, but this is my contribution to the good fight.
Digital art isn’t my first love, I come from a background of paint smeared clothes, stained fingers, and blue tape keeping my canvas’ edges clean. My adoration for physical media took a back seat to digital art as I ventured out on this journey into NFTs. It wasn’t until a few years passed that the sirens’ song of my truest passion reached my ears and set me on yet another new journey. Oil Painting.
This is the moment that I entered into a chrysalis and began a transformative experience that has left me no other option but to adapt, improve, and overcome the things that have held me back in my art career. I’ve had to look deep into the reflective surface of my previous works and truly assess my strengths and weaknesses in order to grow into the best version of myself, both on and off the canvas. Here is what I found.
At a certain point during my normal online posts where I showcase my art, I asked my peers and collectors for feedback. I got some good advice and criticism, but the one that stood out the most came from one of my frequent public (and private) critics,
“You need to learn about art history.”
So I did.
My local bookstores went through a sudden drought of material both general and niche of art history as well as any artist whose story or style stood out to me. Collecting the books was easy enough, but what waited for me behind each cover enthralled me and re-ignited my passion for art. The story of modern man passed down through images, symbols, personal letters and public musings from some of the worlds greatest minds. Each one interprets the world that they lived in, and pushed themselves to seek fulfillment and purpose through their crafts.
With this fuel in the tank, I went to work and started back at square one, the fundamentals. Anyone who has put in ten-thousand hours into something and attained mastery will tell you the same thing, the fundamentals are the most overlooked aspect of any trade or craft. I won’t bore you with the finer details of what exactly I worked on, as I trust that what you see will speak for itself. I will instead tell you about the biggest level-up moment I had during that time.
The symbols that surround us carry far more meaning behind them than we give credit for. Looking back through the ages it becomes plain to see that all of the best artists had a deep understanding and connection to intentional usage of common symbols, poses, and themes. As you go back further and further, symbolism is the lingua-franca of art that connects those in the past to those in the future.
If you’re rolling your eyes right now, thinking of how obvious that should seem, I urge you to start paying more attention to the things that seem obvious or “a given.” When things become so obvious they tend to fall to the wayside, causing the best advice to be sidelined by relentless grinding.
Tell me, what happens when you grind a stone down too much?
You get nothing but dust.
This was the outcome I wanted to avoid for my art career, so I dove back down the rabbit hole to figure out what these symbols meant, and boy did I find it. Now, there's a healthy amount of debate over where symbols and parables originate from but there is one source that is one of the most highly revered and referenced, The Bible.
My own religious past is something of a sore spot for me, and thus I will opt to expand upon that at a later date. However, as I delved into symbolism and stories held within the Bible I found myself thirsty for its teachings. Each parable quenched a bit of my soul, offering a sip of cool refreshing faith, simultaneously healing me and lighting new flames of ambition. Shining bright beacons of light as I steer my life toward the destination of my own choosing with fervor and purpose.
Immersed in religious imagery from many of the greats, a certain trope caught my fancy. Small winged cherubs that lounged about in the background, either as onlookers of the scenes unfolding on canvas, or the direct participants. Sweet, angelic, pure. Symbols of the lost innocence of man, while simultaneously a reminder that good can still exist as long as you are of great faith.
Studies of cherubs and angels illuminated the stories of the fallen angels and of the duality of humanity. Good versus evil, the classic trope, a timeless theme. So vintage that we even attribute the imagery of having an angel and devil on each shoulder during times of decision.
Is the devil truly only capable of evil, and the angel only of good? Don’t we all make mistakes?
That idea took form as two cherubs, one an angel and the other a devil. However, there is no third party for them to influence, just the two of them and their journeys as they figure out themselves just as we must. These are the subjects of my newest collection, exploring these ideas and showcasing a small piece of my journey and growth. These cherubs have healed my heart and soul immensely, and have granted me the opportunity to grow in every way that one can.
It is with great pride that I release my new collection of both digital and physical oil paintings on Shape, and I pray that you enjoy exploring the world with my cherubs as much as I did.
With ever-enduring love,
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