This interview was curated by START Shows.

We sat down with Self-Taught American Contemporary Artist Leia Sands.

How did you get your Artist name?

Leia is my middle name and since I grew up near Fort Myers Beach, FL I wanted a last name to reflect where I came from so I chose Sands for beach sand.

How did you get into creating?

My parents tell me I’ve been creating art since I was a toddler and started drawing on the walls in my house… my parents didn’t like that at all. They encouraged me to keep creating by giving me crayons & plain paper to draw on whenever I wanted.

Where are you from?

I was born in Florida and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. In my 20’s I decided on a whim to sell my car, quit my job, sold most of my big apartment furnishings, overpacked 2 suitcases with necessities & 1 suitcase with art supplies, and took a 1-way flight to NYC to become an Artist.

How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?

I grew up in a middle class neighborhood with some of the coolest neighborhood kids & School kids who are still my friends today. After my dad Retired from the United States Army he became a Sea Captain on Fort Myers Beach, Florida that chartered deep sea fishing trips where I used to help the customers put bait on their hooks & when they caught a fish I would help take it off the hook for them to earn extra money So I was constantly in and around the Gulf Of Mexico Sea Life. With constant access to sea life it affected my art during that time in my life as my artwork reflected it with mermaids & beach theme type paintings & drawings. My other ways of Artistic Expression came from me being a Hip Hop dancer as a teenager & young adult. I used to back-up dance for many Artists in the music business… mostly Hip Hop & Freestyle. I used to watch movies about hip hop culture: MC’s , DJ’s, Graffiti, B-boy/B-girl dancing as young kid, naturally it was graffiti art that attracted me 1st to these movies… WildStyle, Beat Street, Krush Groove, Style Wars were movies based on some of the the early years of Hip Hop Culture & Aerosol Art (Graffiti: Some writers feel the word “Graffiti”is a derogatory term for their art form). After watching those movies at-least 87 times each I decided that when I was old enough to move out on my own I was going to move to New York City… and I did exactly that! By the time I was old enough to move to NYC there was no more “graffiti art” on the subway trains, instead they started putting their artwork on the walls of buildings and in Art Galleries. Walking around NYC with street art everywhere it has influenced my art to a more urbanized style of artwork with skylines, city scapes, and graffiti influences.

What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?

I paint or do some type of artwork everyday, I go to other Artists Art Shows not only to show them support but see their artwork, see what style / size artworks are selling, and to NETWORK!

What does your current setup look like?

I have an outdoor art studio & indoor art studio. I share these 2 spaces with my partner in life 1980’s Bronx Graffiti Artist Cose TDS (The Death Squad: graffiti crew from the Bronx, NY) The outdoor studio we use from Spring-Fall and paint large size canvases. Our indoor studio we use during inclement weather & winter months. During the winter I work on small paintings due to space limitations. I use mostly Golden brand professional acrylic & oil paints, 94 & Montana brand spray paints, Krink steel tops, and Pascal Paint Markers are the brand I use the most on canvas.

Who inspires you? 

Life inspires me… I don’t have one specific person who inspires me as everyone in my life has in one way or another contributed to my success and for that I’m truly grateful.

What is your goal when you create? 

My goal is to have my Artwork selling in Art Galleries worldwide not just the United States, I’m half way there with my Artwork installed in private collectors homes around the world.

Why do you create?

I create for myself … Art is very therapeutic to my well being and it’s my passion. I create art that not only makes you think but at the same time is beautiful with hidden symbolism & universal knowledge.

How has choosing your creative path affected your life?

My decision to become a Full Time Artist and leaving my secure job was one of the best life decisions I’ve made. It wasn’t easy as I focused, networked, and painted my ass off a couple year’s straight before I went back into the galleries and started making the money to make a great living at it. I’m am super grateful to everyone who has helped me & continues to support me on my artistic journey through life.

Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?

Let’s face it… in the beginning for 98% of Artists are working for peanuts, everyone wants you to do your artwork for almost free because they think creating images by hand is so easy & quick and part of that is Truth. The part people forget is it takes a great Artist years of creating art to get to that level of quickness & easiness. You’re paying not only for my art supplies (professional art supplies are not cheap), but also my talent, my 40+ yrs of artwork experience, and my name as a famous Artist to bring customers to your place of business, and prestige of the Artists work in the Artworld. Unfortunately, a few times I’ve had to stick up for myself and say to the client “you know that new $100k Land Rover you just bought? The moment you took it off the lot your car just became $50k cheaper…” MY ARTWORK ONLY APPRECIATES IN VALUE over the years from thousands to millions of dollars so if making art is so easy then why don’t you just do the work yourself? Once the client realizes their low balling on my price is ridiculous they call me back to do the job and now these same people are some of my biggest supporters!

What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?

I’m a huge lover of music in all genres from classical to rap. Lately my go to song to get pumped up is “Planet Rock” by Soul Sonic Force. Planet Rock is one of those iconic songs & beats that when played today still gets people of all ages dancing.

What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?

Some of my dreams have already come full circle when I get to meet the celebrities in the Entertainment business I created paintings for. I would like to take this moment to Shout Out MC G.L.O.B.E. of Soul Sonic Force, Grandmaster Caz from the Cold Crush Brothers & Mrs. Caz (Cora), and MC Coke La Rock for all the love & support they show me from buying my art, coming to my shows, and involving me in other business opportunities to build my brand & art business. While I’m on the subject of Hip Hop I want to pay homage to ALL the Pioneers of the Hip Hop movement for creating an entire culture from scratch… most of them were literally just teenagers then and now this year 2023 Hip Hop is celebrating its 50th Year Anniversary!

What would you tell someone else with a dream?

Never Let Anyone Talk You Out Of Pursuing Your Passion As A Career! Your talents are meant to be shared with the world.

Tell us about your most recent release

For 2023 Im working on a couple of new series of paintings in totally different styles of Art for Grandmaster Caz’s Show April 18 (Bronx,NY) and for my All Female Artist Show June 24-25, 2023 at the Blue Gallery in NYC.

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/leia_sands

Website: http://www.Leiasandsart.com

Photography credit: Artist Leia Sands, Artist Cose TDS, and Koz from Silver Tuna Studios

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