Artist Interview: Sean January

I'm so lucky to have so many amazing, artistic people in my life.  My best friend Miranda and her fiancé, Sean, have been together for close to ten years.  During this time,  I’ve observed Sean’s art become bigger (literally!) and better, more eye catching and unique.  What started out as spray painted space paintings has grown into visually stunning layered works of art.  Think space travel  - meets street art - meets glitter!! 

I’ve always known Sean to be a deep thinker, a philosopher of sorts, constantly pondering life’s biggest questions and mysteries.  I was really blow away by one of his pieces featuring Jimmy Hendrix and I decided to chat a bit with him to find out a bit more about his creative process. 
Have you always been the creative artsy type?

Yes, I've always been artistic.  As a child I had a fetish for drawing old antique cars, carriages and then as I got a bit older, I moved on to drawing elaborate forests with detailed trees, old rickety barns dilapidated with rotten wood, and old nail holes.  Even a rusty old barb wire fence.   Due to socialism and video games my art was put aside and not practiced for years.

How would you describe yourself as an artist?

I’m basically an artist that is learning how to incorporate sacred geometry, spirituality, shamanism, quantum mechanics, and glitter (bling!) to attract viewers into asking why is it beautiful?  What does it mean?  And perhaps enlightening them to see how most are controlled by ego on a daily basis and that it's been a plan for many, many centuries.

Can you describe the process you use from start to finish and how long it takes?

I draw my image on polished wood and then I start in the center working my way around and outward by painting the first area of a color, then with glue I sprinkle glitter on that perfectly tight area.  After drying I can match up closely the next patch of glue and glitter and so on.  Staying within the lines is crucial to having a perfect piece.  The glitter soaks deep into the glue and the glue soaks into the wood creating a concrete like effect.  A casual brushing with a hand brush allows all the lose top flakes of glitter to come off so only the strong embedded flakes of glitter are left.  Depending on size and detail, a painting can take weeks.  Lately I’ve been trying to use just paint and no glitter which is obviously faster but no bling. 

What influenced you to start the type of paintings that define your work now?

Whew!  Well, there were a number of factors that really influenced me.  The not-so-short answer is I went back to school for environmental science around 2007/2008.  I learned about space and the cosmos - one of the few topics I find absolutely amazing – and started painting them.  However, space paintings got old.  I didn’t feel that they expressed the feeling that I knew I had inside that I wanted to express, something really big.  What?  I wasn't even sure of yet.  However, I felt that truth was a big part of it.  To paint something that impressed the viewer with truth(s) that perhaps had fallen to the way side of the everyday average person.

Then I took an environmental class where I learned about researching corporation degradation on the environment and even humanity.  I started digging further back into history, found lots of suppressed history, connected the dots and saw a crazy pattern.  For example, every ancient civilization from different continents and time eras all knew many valuable facts of nature and the cosmos.  They knew all the planets, yet we just found Pluto in the 30's.  So where and when did the knowledge fall off from humans?

One of my favorite heroes Galileo Gallilee studied for years Capornicus' idea which stated that we were not the center of the universe but that we evolve around the sun, contradicting the Church who said that the Earth was the center of everything and everything revolved around us. The Church threatened to kill Galileo if he perpetuated this notion to the masses because it would cause the Church to lose control of them.

It got me thinking, if truth was suppressed back then, what things are being suppressed in today's world?  Hint --- 9/11, vaccinations, geoengineering, big pharmacy, secret societies, alien contact with several elitists.  The list goes on.  I think people are starting to question things in a way they never did.  They are waking up.  It’s a heavy subject and most don't want to believe or even discuss it. The average human resists change and so to change their entire view of life and purpose is too heavy.  Cognitive dissonance is the correct term.

So how does one keep moving forward with seeking truth but not get overwhelmed with fear, being ostracized by friends and family who don’t care or think you’re crazy?  Plato said it best, "those that are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood let alone, believed by the masses."  Boy is this true.

I stumbled upon an image that was found on every continent and every civilization 1000's of years apart.  This image was etched into granite with laser precision unexplainable by today's scientists.  This image is known as the "flower of life".  Ureka!!!  This was the epiphany I needed.  Classified as sacred geometry because this flower and otherworldly information was not created by man.  However, it was a message to man but from who?  God?  Aliens?  A Devine creator was giving the answers in this image. Everything we know in this 3D realm we live in is in the flower of life.

The flower of life/sacred geometry is actuality in the blue prints of everything we can see, feel, and touch. The flower of life contains Metatrons cube, which also precisely contains all the 5 platonic solids which make up everything in the material world.  At this point I feel I've stumbled on a huge piece of suppressed truth that was once only shared with monks, masons, secret societies, but was intentionally leaked to the 

masses as a desperate attempt to allow humanity to gain back its’ spirituality. 

Are you always working on something or do you go through creative spurts?

I do paintings in spurts.  Life tugs on every part of me between work, family, etc.  After a while the hunger to create is present but the energy around me must be at least neutral in order to look into myself for what it is I'm supposed to paint. I may see an image or imagine combining several images to make a whole different image for painting.  The weather also factors in.  If it’s too cold or hot, my glue is either too thick to work with properly or thin from the heat and the water starts to separate from the glue.  My paintings are big, and bigger is better because the glitter is hypnotizing but too small it will look like a child's project or something grandma whipped up.  

What are you currently working on?

I just finished a 30x40 canvas (rare) of a Torus in orange, blue, white and black.  The image is like the inside of a hollow donut.  Look at it for a second only and it starts to spin.  Our earth's electromagnetic field which protects us from the Sun’s harsh solar flares is this shape.  Our hearts pump blood in this very same pattern, up the middle out over the curves, around the sides and under to repeat itself.   This painting was on canvas and used paint pens (fun)! 

Do you sell/display your work?

I've publicly displayed my art for a few months as a once a month art walk.  Sold 3 or 4 pieces but the time and costs of transporting a dozen pieces ranging from 2x4 to 4x4 in a U-haul was breaking even.  So I chalk it up to exposure and experience with talking to people as I have here today. 

Is there anything you want to make that you haven’t yet?

Bigger pieces for hotels, clubs, restaurants or anywhere there's a lot of traffic.  To be able to have enough paintings requested in order to be a full time artist or at least need to work less.

To contact Sean re what he currently has for sale or for commission pieces, he can be reached at Charlesseanjanuary@gmail.com

Instagram

When I worked in an office and was in front of the computer 24/7, I feel that I was a lot more tech savvy than I am these days.  I was definitely quicker to jump on the band wagon with new programs, gadgets and social media.  

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Facebook.  I have a page for my jewelry and shop, but I don't have a personal page at all.  I can see all the benefits of staying in touch with people and getting a bird's eye view of what they're up to, but I have gripes with FB as a company.  But, over the years what I've quickly learned is that if you're not using FB to keep up with everyone, you may as well be invisible. Since moving to Costa Rica 6+ years ago, I've lost touch with many a person.  Booo-hoo.

After some urging from a few friends, I decided to start using Instagram.  I'm happy to report, that I really like it!  I know, I know, I'm like crawling out of a cave in the dark ages!!  ((Shrugging)) -- what can I say?

It's really nudged me to document the creation process of what I make, something I haven't really done.  Until lately, I've only photographed the finished product.  It's fun for me see in photos the progression of a piece - and even more fun to share that process.

A sheet metal earring production in process.

It's inspired me to open up the doors of my studio space.

Painting the spiral background on my shop wall.

Manchita, the best shop assistant ever.

It's also been fun to give a glimpse at what life is like living here in Costa Rica.

Bull Ring at a local fiesta

Cow crossing.

Anyhow, I'm slowly catchin' up to everyone else.  Better late than never!