Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Stephens.
Hi Christopher, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
i am a natural born artist. i have had a a strong desire to draw and create since the age of 5, My Grannie was also an artist and she was very supportive and encouraging during my childhood years. She also constantly urged my Mother to enroll me into any and every art class available year round. I showed exceptional skill during middle school and High school and was enrolled into advanced art classes throughout my attendance and i had the opportunity to be instructed by Judy Ingram, Artist and Instructor from Brooklyn, NY. I had much admiration and appreciation for her knowledge, teaching style, and relevence to the art industry. She inspired and encouraged me to pursue nothing short of my very best work and even strive beyond that. I received several awards and honorable mentions for my art that was exhibited in district and regional art shows as well as City of Houston sponsored events. After graduating i enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent my time learning Anti Submarine Warfare. During bootcamp I was requested by the Chief Commanding officer to design our company “Go To Hell” flag, which was a flag which represented the pride and integrity of our recruits. I hand painted the two sided flag and my fellow recruits and the Chief officer were very impressed with my accomplishment and contribution.
After the Navy i ended up in Indiana where i met the mother of my Son and i attended Ivy tech Vocational/Technical College in a 2 yr Graphic Design program and completed and graduated from this, earning my Associates Degree in Graphic Design.
I started out after school by designing and printing some business cards for myself as a freelance graphic artist/Designer. I accepted various requests from local businesses doing assorted projects from window and sign lettering, murals and logo design. I also had the opportunity to design several template designs for a t shirt business which did airbrushed t shirts for patrons during the vacation season in Myrtle Beach, S.C. I worked as a fine dining server in a private dinner club atop one of the modest high rises in Evansville,Indiana called Petroleum Club where I was commisioned to design several placards and hand designed playbills for wine tastings, Chefs Private expo, and a formal tribute dinner and champagne toast to the large impressionist painting in the main bar by Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec I subsequently moved back to Texas, my home and landed in the DFW area in the earlly 90’s. I worked as a barback in a Bar in Hurst,Texas called Vino’s Italian Grill.. I was commisioned by the owner to design new logos for the Bar, T shirt designs for the billiards team, Menu designs and personal requests of the Owner for bootlegged T shirt designs of famous cartoon characters.
I started designing some flash art sheets for tattooing and went around to tattoo shops in the area and sold the sheets to tattoo shop owners and their artists.
In 2000 I landed my first gig as a entry level Tattoo artist and was offered an apprenticeship which lasted till 2003. I completed my training and relocated to Austin and began working on 6th street in downtown Austin, Texas. I designed lots of custom tattoo designs as well as tattoo flash sheets and t shirt designs of tattoo style neo-traditional artwork. I attended many tattoo conventions where i designed custom tattoo designs and also sold tattoo flash sheets sets, art prints, stickers and t shirts designed by myself. I began to make t shirt designs and worked with my brother who screen printed t shirts and also owned a Grind-Core record label. I designed the logo and website artwork for my brothers record label and I also designed many record sleeves for 7” vinyls, and stickers and patches as well.
In 2012 I started my own art business initially named Manifesto Art Company and i procured a Registered Trademark as well. I started sellimg art prints online as well as at art shows and events..
In 2013 I showcased with RAWartists International In Austin with which i was awarded ‘Best in Show’ and also Jerrys Artarama Artist of the Month for June 2013.
I spent the next several years as a fulltime Freelance Artist working under my business name. i sold Hi Resolution art prints and Original works and Custom commissions as well. During the Covid Pandemic I entered various online art shows and won several art contests sponsored by makers of art supplies.
After Covid the art world was a very fragile industry and had taken crippling hits which costs many artists their lives and others their livelihood. I changed the name of my business to Mephisto Visual Creations, to symbolize a fresh new start being reborn of its ashes of the failed former business during Covid.
I have since then exhibited my art in digital exhibitions in Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain and Dubai U.A.E.
This presented me with the opportunity of becoming an Internationally Accredited Artist and one of my proudest moments in my art career to this point.
I am currently in the process of building an all new website and webstore on social media as well as introducing a new line of custom designed merch from Mephisto Visual Creations, including T shirts, Hoodies, Hats, Skateboard decks, stickers, patches and other.
i plan to open 2025 with a fresh and bold new approach and new possibilities from Mephisto Visual Designs..
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some of the obstacles i have been faced with along the way have been my lack of knowledge in relation to marketing, marketing strategies, accurately initiating SEO Optimization for products on website, the lack of having enough capitol to invest to purchase more equipment to press vinyl stickers and screen print /DTG T shirt printing, lack of sufficient capitol to travel extinsively across the entire country in order to grow exposure and fan base, as well as earning potential/AGI.. i also havent been able to find reliable assistance in running business side of things as so I can concentrate solely on the art production aspect,,and the quality of the art doe not become compromised.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
i specialize in photo realistic/ graphic style hybridized portraits, also I create Original and ‘One of a Kind’ Biomechanical and android/robot oriehted artworks. my personal’favorites are as follows.. Dark Art and the Macabre as im also a huge horror fan. Im also a huge music fan and that aspect of my life often finds its way into many of my pieces.. I also contribute most of my time to acheiving ‘Beyond Perfection’ as much as possible.. ALL ORGANIC/ ALL ANALOG thats my Motto!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
yes that would be to attain online proficiency and knowledge of marketing, strategies and promoting with impact..
Pricing:
- custom commissions ; Once quoted: 50% down
- Custom photo realistic portraits; $500-$2000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mephisto-visual-creations.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/1texaswarlok
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manifestoartcompany
