Every artist was once an amateur, but with the right skill development and a supportive, those who wish to can make the transition to showing their work professionally. Perhaps no one knows this more than Sterling Koller of Centerbrook, who, after years of sketching and drawing for himself, is beginning to not only share his pieces with his friends, but pursue public showings.

Koller, who is largely self-taught, noted that art runs in his family; one grandmother is an oil painter based in Santa Fe, the other runs an art gallery in California. Despite the family history, it wasn’t until Ivoryton resident and frequenter of Essex Coffee and Tea Nancy Simonds caught sight of his sketchbook that he seriously began considering showing his work.

Simonds and Koller met a few years ago at the coffee shop. One day, said Simonds, she caught a glimpse of his sketchbook.

“I saw them and I just thought, ‘Well, these are extraordinary,’” said Simonds. “They’re abstract, to say the least, but since then, I’ve been kicking his butt all over town sharing his sketchbook with other people. And he has other people impressed as well. Sometimes people with great talent who are also very shy just need that push, and well, I thought, I can do that for him. I believe he can do something great with his art.”

Simonds’s nudging seems to have had an impact; Koller will be contributing a piece to a New Year’s Eve auction at the Hygienic Gallery in New London, a gallery known for showing more abstract pieces. His donated canvas will help raise funds for improvements to the gallery, and also help to raise his profile as an artist. Koller said that if he can produce a completed series, 15 to 20 pieces that are thematically related, there might be the potential for a show in this space in the future.

“I never imagined ever participating in something like this,” said Koller. “I always thought about showing my work, but I never considered it finished. I like sharing my work with people, but I never thought it was something people would buy.”

The 22 year-old grew up in Oakland, California, and now, in addition to working on his art, he has been a firefighter for the Town of Essex for about five years, and also works at Essex Coffee and Tea. His distinctive pen and ink, stipple, and sketch work with an abstract, surrealist touch was influenced by artists on both coasts, as well as his journeys across the country. He works on a piece for about three to four hours at a time, with the more complex pieces sometimes taking 15 to 20 hours.

“It’s something I’ve always done since I was a little kid,” said Koller. “I started with hatching [using parallel lines to create shading] because I’m left–handed, but the brain works from left to right, and I hated smearing everything. I began with blue ballpoint pens, and then eventually moved to using micro-points. I picked up the stippling from a friend of mine.”

“I liked doing shading work with pencils, but not the smearing. Using the white charcoal and experimenting with different paper brought some of that back,” he continued, referencing a recent transition in his art.

Everything he does is free-hand with no tools for assistance.

Asked if he thought his job or his travels influenced his drawings, Koller said that he never draws anything intentionally, but it could also been seen as an autobiographical, organic, subconsciously driven process.

“It might work itself into the pieces, but what comes out when I draw is whatever my mental state is,” he said. “If I ever begin with a concept, that’s not how the piece ends.”

Geographically speaking, his many trips through different national parks while traveling cross-country have given him a love for mountains, especially Glacier National Park, which can be seen in his sketches.

“When you’re in a region with extreme peaks, you’re sort of pulled away from everything,” said Koller. “It’s the only place in the world where you can get lost anymore, and there is a deep importance to being able to be lost and disconnect from everything.”

A few of his sketches are paired with text, as well, which also taps into a sense of disconnecting from everyday perceptions of the world and looking at life from an outside perspective.

“I don’t quite know where it comes from,” he said. “I have a lot of friends in the art community, and I pick up things from them and from movies. I try to mimic what I see, like capturing the different ways shadows are shown on people’s faces.”

Reaching a Wider Audience

Koller did acknowledge that one of the challenges he faced was feeling like there weren’t many opportunities to show his kind of art locally, which led him to reach out to the New London gallery. However, Essex Coffee and Tea has become a supportive environment for Koller, according to Simonds.

“A lot of people have appreciated the work and really encouraged him to continue. We see him drawing a lot more recently,” said Simonds.

Simonds, a former executive assistant at the White House during JFK’s presidency, believes that a supportive and encouraging community can make all the difference in someone’s life, whether talking about Koller or anyone looking to take a chance on showcasing their skills.

“It is about getting it out there, getting people to see how unique his work is, having people genuinely take an interest and providing a support system that will also push them to try new things, especially if they tend to be shy,” she said.

Talent and support are not the only things needed, however, to transition from sketchbook to gallery show. According to Barbara Nair, director of Spectrum Gallery and Store in Centerbrook and executive director of Arts Center Killingworth, there are some practical skills that budding artists should develop if they want to go pro.

“New artists should really take a look at the various galleries on the shoreline, and further out in New Haven, Hartford, New London, and elsewhere,” said Nair. “This will let them see where their art fits, and what level they are realistically at. They will also begin to see what each gallery is looking for in terms of shows. For example, at Spectrum we do group shows, a lot of mixed media, and display photography, sculpture, and both representational and abstract art.

“Once they do that, a new artist should know each gallery’s process,” continued Nair. “This includes practical skills like, what kind, resolution, and size images should be attached to an email; how to take professional-looking photographs of their pieces; even how to frame their work so it is ready for display or knowing the difference between a concise biography and a statement on their art. These are all things that if not done right add up to time and cost on the side of the gallery, and do not let the artist represent themselves in a professional manner. Have these things ready before approaching a gallery. The director or curator will appreciate that display of professionalism.”

Artists who successfully connect with a gallery should also be flexible about pricing, as market rates will vary.

Nair also recommends that artists be realistic about their technical skills.

“It is not just about slapping paint on a canvas. Whether an artist can or can’t draw, it shows in their pieces.”

She recommends that those who have never taken a drawing class do so, or take the time to teach themselves to improve their skills. She also recommends taking classes when wanting to work in new mediums, or learning about color theory.

“The basics have to be there,” she said.

In terms of finding a support system, Nair recommends reaching out to art guilds or councils, which can be located through an Internet search or often by reaching out to the local chamber or checking the local newspaper. She also notes that community-based and small local art shows can be beneficial to those just starting to show, but that those who want to show professionally as artists or artisans should be cautious about having their work in multiple places in a locality.

“These can be a good booster step, but a gallery is going to want to be ‘the’ place to find an artist’s work. Use them to develop, but when ready to transition to galleries local artists should be read to pull back from the community-based outlets,” said Nair. “Too much too close also makes it harder, not easier, for artists and artisans to sell their work.”

Maple and Main Gallery Director Rachel Carlson in Chester concurs with Nair’s advice about finding the right space, and about common mistakes made by new artists.

“In today’s world there are many ways for an artist to show their work. They should first think how they might want to be defined as an artist and who they would like as their collectors. Do they want to do the artisan craft shows? Do they want to enter juried shows? Do they want gallery representation? All of which have their unique qualities. Many of our artists do a mix. There are many benefits to them all,” said Carlson. “From a gallery perspective, I would recommend seeing the artists they are already showing. There are many different types of galleries. There are those that will show non-living artists’ work;, those for mid-career artists, those for the emerging artists, and many in between. You also need to look at the type of work they show. Once you have seen who and what type of work they represent, then you can judge whether they would be a good fit for your art.

“Presentation is often a mistake we find. An artist can make the work and make it well, but when it comes to how to present it for the public, they fall flat. Often artists just starting out will try to find an economical way of presenting their work,” continued Carlson. “Your presentation choice is meant to highlight the piece. It is also one of the major criteria of galleries as well as collectors who are looking to put a piece in their home. The wrong choice will make the piece less attractive. The back of the piece also needs to look as good as the front. Using the right hardware to hold your piece is essential.”

Armed with not only his talent, but his demonstrable technical skills and a sense of what the professional art world looks like thanks to the exposure he received from his family, Koller’s next step is to finish his auction piece, and then continue working on series pieces.

“I need to move beyond my sketchbook, show my pieces more, see if I can’t sell something,” he said. “The auction is a huge step. It opens the door to having people see my work.

“I’m just trying to find my place, wherever that may be,” he said.