Niall Wingate, Lompoc
Member Since February 2009
Artist Statement I’ve never been very good at writing down my life, but everybody has a story. I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My childhood was fairly normal, and growing up in southwest was all that I new at the time. New Mexico is very rich in art tradition and was quite noticeable in all aspects of life. I grew up with a lot of Native American art, Spanish influenced art, and modern art. When I reached elementary school my parents noticed that I had inherited my grandfather’s gift of art. He was a WWII veteran, and a career man in the gas company. He was well known in his home town for giving his paintings away. My grandpa mostly worked in oils, painting landscapes in a tiny shed in his backyard. Every time I would visit he would teach me different styles of art, especially cartooning. His favorite was Pepe La Peoo (I’m not sure the exact spelling). I was hooked, and so, there began the journey of self-expression. My parents put me in art class, after art class. Years went on and I learned as much as I could from each experience. I, like millions of other kids, couldn’t escape the horrible D word. Yes I know, and when the time came I moved with my mother to the west coast. California is a dream come true for artists that want to express themselves. I had a fresh start and didn’t look back. My art was a strong outlet for all kinds of emotions. I had the opportunity to be my school’s student art director for 3 years. I was active in prop making, murals around school, and decorations for dances. I even won a Congressional Art Contest my junior year, where my art was hung in the White House for a year. After high school I wanted to see the world, and like my father, and his father before him, I joined the military. The navy was a great place to work on independence of one self. I was stationed in Japan for a couple of years where I got kind of hooked on there culture. Japan is full of art and artists with great vision.
Now a days I’ve been getting very serious about putting my art out there for everyone to see. I’ve never considered myself a person that would sell my work. I guess I ended up getting more than just one thing from my grandfather, and that was giving my art away. It’s easier than looking at it all day, knowing it would be better appreciated on someone else’s wall. With the economy the way it is though, and a new baby girl to care for I’m putting my artwork out there for people to buy. Wish me luck, and the same to you..........
Click to save as artist's preferred kit 
