Bradley Sadler – Artist Top 5

CG (1/5): Can you sum up this show in a few words?

Sadler: “I think this show can be summed up as being a bright and colorful celebration of the day-to-day. A quiet blissful meditation on life here in Kansas.
Look, there’s a whole lot of darkness in the world. We all know that. We don’t need all of our art to remind us of that right now. Sadness and darkness and despair and anger and regret. At home, down the street, on the news - it’s everywhere. We all see it every day. I want to bring a little bit of happiness into this world, a rectangle of color to help fight off the darkness. These paintings are my way of saying, ‘Let’s be grateful for the little things. Let’s be grateful for these quiet afternoons. Let’s celebrate these sunsets and these sunflowers and these hours we get to spend playing with our dogs.’ In a dark world, these things – these bright colorful quiet moments - are certainly worthy of celebration if you ask me.”

CG (2/5): How did you become specifically interested in bright colors painted over the flatness of black?

Sadler: “To me, metaphorically, bright colors represent life and exuberance and black represents sadness and despair. Often times I will begin a painting by covering the surface in flat black acrylic paint. On top of the black I will paint a bright, light-hearted scene. A landscape or an abstract image or a figure. To me, it is nice to think that life and exuberance can dominate over sadness and despair. Colors over black. Every painting of mine has a little black in it. Peeking through the bright colors, or a little painted on top. Mostly exuberance, with just a little bit of sadness.”

CG (3/5): What do you hope viewers gain from your works of art?

Sadler: "I want viewers to connect with the joy of them. I want people to gain a bit of peace from seeing these paintings. If a person can see one of these paintings and experience a bit of joy – maybe they love these sunsets, or maybe their Great Dane at home looks a little bit like the Great Dane I painted, or maybe these aerial paintings remind them of flying off to some vacation somewhere – then maybe they will carry that bit of joy into their next interaction. Happiness feeds happiness. Maybe a little joy gained from one of my paintings will plant the seed of a good day. Then maybe a good week, and so on."

CG (4/5): Advice for aspiring artists/creators?

Sadler: “Well, I’m still looking for advice on just about everything, but I do have a tip for aspiring artists. You have to let people know that your work is for sale! I have learned this the slow way. If you want to sell your paintings, or get your paintings in a show, or up in a gallery, you need to make it absolutely clear that this is your intention. People need to know that you are an artist, and not just an accountant who painted a few pictures. Making art is a wonderful hobby, but if you want to make it more than just a hobby you need to actively promote your work. It’s like selling your car. You can’t just park your car in the garage and expect for someone to ring your doorbell and make you an offer. You need to put a sign on it and park it where people can see it! The same goes for art. If you want to sell your art, you have to make it known that it’s for sale, and you have to show it where people are going to see it.”

CG (5/5): Favorite reason to live in Lawrence?

Sadler: “There are a lot of beautiful people here in Lawrence. A lot of open hearts and open minds. The compassion and creativity in this town is rare, and it’s wonderful.

Bradley Sadler - Artist Top 5