Today we’d like to introduce you to Caleb Williamson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a freelance artist, with a focus on hand-drawn illustrations, watercolor painting, and concert posters. I have always been fascinated by the connection between visual arts and music, from early viewings of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine to wild visual light shows that dance behind a band on stage. There is a place where they meet, and as an artist, I’m very interested in exploring that space.
After noticing the vibrant “Shakedown Streets” of artist vendors at music festivals and concerts, I was inspired to pursue creating concert posters. This was a fantastic home for my organic and otherworldly drawings: concert posters are allowed to be bright, attention-grabbing, and psychedelic.
I was able to cut my teeth on Summer Tour stops from bands like Phish & Widespread Panic, making unofficial posters, strategically keeping the band’s name and likeness out of the design to steer clear of any kind of copyright issues. Fanart, if you will, but it was a great way to get my artwork out there and to get fun feedback from festive concertgoers.
For a number of years, the Savannah Stopover Music Festival held an annual contest for poster art. I entered almost every year and ended up winning first prize twice (2015 and 2017). This is when things began to snowball, I was receiving emails from numerous bands I had loved since high school.
I have had the opportunity to work for a musical hero, Trey Anastasio of Phish, and one of my favorite charities, Conscious Alliance. And locally in Savannah, I have designed 3 labels for limited brews from Southbound Brewery.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The greatest struggles I found in my artistic progression were in the process of turning a carefree hobby into a full-time job.
It meant staying on top of tight deadlines, constant correspondence with clients and customers, and ordering shipping supplies in bulk. I try to reach out to as many emerging artists as I can to offer any kind of assistance or guidance as they venture into the world of freelance artwork and concert poster production.
In the art world, there is no clear path to follow for success, finding the path that’s right for you can be a momentous and scary challenge.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Early on in my poster design career, I was studying artists’ work I admire.
Unfortunately, I was finding too much of their style or formula was making its way into my early work. In a direct attempt to distance my style from others’, I was able to further define my own drawing style.
Now, when clients reach out for a gig, they ask me to “Caleb-ize it”. My name is a verb, and I couldn’t be prouder.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The best advice for artists trying to find their voice is to carry a pocket sketchbook to fill with abstract imagery.
Explore something new on each page, if a pattern or design works, carry it over to the next page and explore something new from there, and continue till it’s full. You might have some pages of work you’re not proud of, but you’ll have plenty you are.
Taking the pressure off a blank white page or canvas can be very liberating.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Calebsart.com
- Instagram: @calebsartwork
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/211581876124221
Image Credits
Jacob Wingo
