Mike Meares Art - Music, Color, Character
How do you turn a house into a home? We all realize the need for furniture, appliances, flooring, paint for the walls…but how many pieces of art do you have hanging in your home? How many of those were purchased from an artist you met in person and had the chance to hear their passion for what they do?
Finding art that reflects who you are is always challenging. At Shop Different Midwest, we hope we can help by featuring artists that live close to you and can provide something that you will feel a connection to every time you see it in your home.
Today, we would like to introduce you to Mike Meares. Mike has been an artist his entire adult life, beginning when he earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Art 20 years ago. Like many artists and makers, this was a passion that was only pursued during free time around a full time job and raising a family. Like all the artists we have met, this lack of dedicated time to his craft did not stifle his passion or his continued pursuit in finding his unique style. As the years have gone by, Mike has been able to dedicate more time to art, culminating in going full time a year ago. We first met Mike at the Feast of Lanterns Festival in Indianapolis last year and were immediately drawn into his booth due to the use of vibrant colors, abstract visuals, and a focus on music.
Finding a supportive community is the step that prevents many artists from truly pursuing their art. Mike was fortunate in his move to Indianapolis to immediately discover a thriving art festival scene. Indianapolis currently hosts multiple art fairs/festivals with the best known being the Broad Ripple Art Fair, Talbot Street Art Fair, and Penrod Art Fair; alongside other festivals taking place in the suburbs around Indianapolis. These fairs are well attended and bring in a large group of potential customers for artists to share their work with. Mike was also fortunate to meet fellow artists, including Travis Owens, that helped him explore ways to use his art to produce consistent income.
At Shop Different Midwest, we always keep some space to talk about quality. From a quality perspective, expectations of art differ from those for a pair of jeans. Of course. the quality of the base materials is important. Only by using quality materials will an artist be able to create the piece they had in mind. But in the art world, it goes much further. The artist’s job is to allow you, the consumer, to connect with the art in a way that lasts forever. Did you grow up with posters on your walls of celebrities? If you didn’t hang them, you likely knew someone who did. What became of those pieces? They likely ended up in the trash! There is no connection with the artist on those (not that the original photographer lacked ability, but you never met him/her). Posters make you focus on a celebrity while art makes you focus internally on yourself. What do you feel? What thoughts go through your mind? Where does a certain painting take you? Having true art on your wall is an investment in yourself (and also the amazing artist who created it).
For more information about Mike, see the link below. We will continue featuring artists of all mediums and continue to encourage you to #shopsmall #shoplocal #shopquality and of course #shopdifferent
