About the Art: SSF 2024
The 4th Annual Solento Surf Festival is almost here and in the spirit of all things art, surf, and culture, we wanted to spotlight this year's artist: Schuyler Beecroft. In our chat with Schuyler, we dove into his creative inspirations, his artistic process and how he unwinds and takes things slow.
Solento: Schuyler, tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, where are you now, and how do you spend your days?
Schuyler: I’m from Virginia Beach, went to Savannah College of Art & Design, and now live in the Outer Sunset area of San Francisco where I’ve lived for the last 10 years.
Solento: Your work is incredible, the use of repetition in the lines, waves, dots, and curves was what drew us to your art. How would you say your work has evolved over time?
Schuyler: If we were to take a look at what I was making straight out of art school, it’s quite the drastic shift. There are still some identifiable traits here and there, but there’s always been a curious progression that funnels down to pattern and texture. I find that making a minimal, contemplative image is far more challenging than creating a chaotic, complex image.
Solento: Can you explain a little more about the mediums you play in? And how they play together?
Schuyler: I don’t really limit myself to any specific mediums, but I would say a common denominator across every project I work on is a digital toolkit, regardless of if I’m making a digital illustration or a 30ft mural. Recently I’ve been creating a lot of paintings using ink transfer techniques in combination with acrylics and acrylic mediums. Really excited about the possibilities.
Solento: Can you tell us a little about what your process looked like when you started to dive into the SSF design?
Schuyler: I have a bit of a wandering eye and I like to build libraries of visual research, whether that’s patterns, textures, photos, books, magazines, infographics, etc. I don’t give myself any rules, and I like to sift through the research until a lightbulb clicks. I usually experiment along that tangent until a crossroad is met, and if I think a successful image can be created, I dive into a more focused and efficient design process. I don’t like to sketch out concepts. I usually just get straight to work.
Solento: Life gets pretty busy sometimes, where do you find your 'slow'?
Schuyler: I live a block from one of my favorite beach breaks on the planet, so I spend a lot of my free time in the water. I’m also a big fan of the food scene in the Bay Area, so I like to ride the train into city and explore all the tasty nooks. I find the train one of the only places I’m least distracted, so I get a lot of reading done en route as well :)
Solento: What are some other recent pieces you are proud of and want to share?
Schuyler: Like I said above, I’ve been experimenting with a new style of painting using some new techniques. I haven’t shown many people yet. Still working out a few kinks in the process, but I’ll be showing a few of them at the Solento Festival in a few weeks.
