Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Starr.
Hi Sean, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been working as a commercial artist for over 35 years now. I got my start in my father’s shop, Starr Kustom Paint, which he started in San Antonio in 1977. In the early years we were focused on custom paint and pinstriping classic cars and vehicles of all kinds. Later, I went full-time into sign painting and later gold leafing, which all eventually led me into traditional gun engraving. It’s all basically the same process, with different tools for execution. You have to develop the skill to design and draw, and then you have to master the tools to execute those designs, such as a hand-painted sign, gold leaf lettering, or engraving onto a gun or knife.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The challenges of getting good at the work itself are really large for any artist or craftsman. It takes lots of hours and dedication to get your work up to a quality that you can compete in the marketplace. Another big challenge is just the day-to-day operation of having a business. I have found that most creative type people struggle with this. We tend to have tunnel vision about our work, and the paperwork and what is required to keep a business running can be a real challenge.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been doing this kind of work for so long that I have had the time to explore a lot of different things, which I am grateful for. After working for my father, I eventually started my own studio in 2005, which is the studio I operate today. My work as a traditional sign painter led to gold leafing, which has led me in recent years to traditional gun and knife engraving. All my work is done by hand, and the design elements in gold leafing on glass are very similar to traditional gun engraving. Growing up in Texas, guns are a big part of the culture here, and it was probably a natural progression to end up doing this kind of engraving. I am still in the early stages with engraving, but I am currently working with influences that blend some of the traditional scrollwork designs with Native American and Old West motifs. I have always loved Native American jewelry and Navajo blanket designs and that is influencing some of the pieces I am working on right now. Growing up working on classic cars and hot rods in my father’s shop is also a strong influence on the patina finishes I am developing. Some people love a pristine custom street rod, and that’s fine, but I really love the grit and grime of the original hot rod builders in the 40s and 50s. I am carrying over that aesthetic to my engraving work. I am currently working on a half dozen Japanese knives for Big D Speed Shop in Dallas that will have this same look and feel. The permanence of engraving has a very large appeal to me; to know that artwork I engrave can be handed down for generations is something I think is important to any artist.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think risk-taking is essential for artists and for all people in general. There is a real danger in seeking safety above all else. I don’t believe we were meant to live that way. We have to take chances and experience discomfort and risk to grow as human beings. I have no desire to sit on the sidelines. Some of the most rewarding experiences I have had in life and in business have involved taking risks. It’s the only way to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.seanstarr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starrstudiostx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starrstudiostx
Image Credits
Jennifer Moore
Starr and Cal Knapp
