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CARBONDALE — Stanley Bell doesn’t know where his art comes from. No matter — it’s still been there for him almost all his life.
Now a painter and metal sculptor, he grew up exploring his creativity in Dallas. After attending an arts high school, he went on to graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Then, instead of taking off to New York or Los Angeles, he headed to the mountains, and worked for Missouri Heights artist James Surls for a short while. At first, Bell thought he’d be in and out of the area, but he soon realized something about the Roaring Fork Valley was calling to him. Now, several years later, he works in Aspen and creates his dreamy, colorful cityscapes at the Studio for Art and Works in Carbondale.
Recently, as he hung pieces at SAW, he spoke about his inspirations and hopes, and what those billowy, urban-inspired pieces are all about, anyway.
Why art? “It’s just something I’ve always loved to do for myself. People have journals. People have outlets. And this is the outlet for me. But, also I’m trying to do something with it too … like have a show (laughing).”
So, what else are you trying to do with your art? “Well, I just want to get it out there, get it shown.”
“I really like the idea of people getting interested in something you do. … People will have reactions to it; whether it’s positive or negative, it’s good.”
“You can work on it (art) your whole life. You can always have this. You can always make art.”
Describe your style. What are you trying to say? “These are my interpretation of landscapes, really.”
“I don’t know if I miss being in the city. I don’t know if that’s what they mean. I’m trying to figure that out for myself.”
“With all of these, there are so many stories people can create. I want people to go on a journey with them.”
What inspires you? At first, the question caught him off guard, and he smiled and paced as he searched for answers. Later, when it came to him, he responded by e-mail:
“Cy Twombly’s art inspires me because it is something I have never seen before, and I get this exciting feeling from it, just like a live band that, when you are checking them out, you really feel this vibe that you are seeing something special. There is no explanation other than the feeling that you get is positive.”
“And the sculptures of James Surls, who I was lucky enough to work with in his studio for that short period of time. His work is so inspirational because it is like he is speaking his own language with his pieces. They exist in their own world. All of this inspires because it is one-of-a-kind.”
What do you want for your future as an artist? “I just want to continue to have places to show my work, and I want to do that for the rest of my life.”
“Deep down, I really enjoy doing it. It’s therapeutic. The fact that people like it, that makes me happy. You’re throwing yourself out there. You’re sharing all this stuff, and, who knows?”
What is the most important thing in your life? “Really, to be happy. Do it on my own terms, though, not what I’m supposed to do.”
He described the pressure he sometimes feels to follow convention. Being in rural Colorado, he said, is sort of his chance to let that all go.
“Here, especially, you learn to go on your own path. It’s nice to go on your own path — and it’s working.”
“I feel like there are no rules. I just want to find my own way to be happy.”
Now a painter and metal sculptor, he grew up exploring his creativity in Dallas. After attending an arts high school, he went on to graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Then, instead of taking off to New York or Los Angeles, he headed to the mountains, and worked for Missouri Heights artist James Surls for a short while. At first, Bell thought he’d be in and out of the area, but he soon realized something about the Roaring Fork Valley was calling to him. Now, several years later, he works in Aspen and creates his dreamy, colorful cityscapes at the Studio for Art and Works in Carbondale.
Recently, as he hung pieces at SAW, he spoke about his inspirations and hopes, and what those billowy, urban-inspired pieces are all about, anyway.
Why art? “It’s just something I’ve always loved to do for myself. People have journals. People have outlets. And this is the outlet for me. But, also I’m trying to do something with it too … like have a show (laughing).”
So, what else are you trying to do with your art? “Well, I just want to get it out there, get it shown.”
“I really like the idea of people getting interested in something you do. … People will have reactions to it; whether it’s positive or negative, it’s good.”
“You can work on it (art) your whole life. You can always have this. You can always make art.”
Describe your style. What are you trying to say? “These are my interpretation of landscapes, really.”
“I don’t know if I miss being in the city. I don’t know if that’s what they mean. I’m trying to figure that out for myself.”
“With all of these, there are so many stories people can create. I want people to go on a journey with them.”
What inspires you? At first, the question caught him off guard, and he smiled and paced as he searched for answers. Later, when it came to him, he responded by e-mail:
“Cy Twombly’s art inspires me because it is something I have never seen before, and I get this exciting feeling from it, just like a live band that, when you are checking them out, you really feel this vibe that you are seeing something special. There is no explanation other than the feeling that you get is positive.”
“And the sculptures of James Surls, who I was lucky enough to work with in his studio for that short period of time. His work is so inspirational because it is like he is speaking his own language with his pieces. They exist in their own world. All of this inspires because it is one-of-a-kind.”
What do you want for your future as an artist? “I just want to continue to have places to show my work, and I want to do that for the rest of my life.”
“Deep down, I really enjoy doing it. It’s therapeutic. The fact that people like it, that makes me happy. You’re throwing yourself out there. You’re sharing all this stuff, and, who knows?”
What is the most important thing in your life? “Really, to be happy. Do it on my own terms, though, not what I’m supposed to do.”
He described the pressure he sometimes feels to follow convention. Being in rural Colorado, he said, is sort of his chance to let that all go.
“Here, especially, you learn to go on your own path. It’s nice to go on your own path — and it’s working.”
“I feel like there are no rules. I just want to find my own way to be happy.”
Stanley Bell exhibit
WHAT: Opening reception for “Up/Down,” a collection of new paintings by Stanley BellWHEN: 6-9 tonight
WHERE: Studio for Arts and Works, 978 Euclid Ave., near the corner of Highway 133 and Euclid in Carbondale
WHY? Be surrounded by images of the city — without any of the traffic.
