What began as a student looking for ways to fund her college education has now blossomed into a popular online art platform that brings awareness and recognition to smaller artists.
Adalea Howell, a resident of Bryan College Station, says she never planned to make a career in art but found herself selling artwork on eBay to make money. When one of her clients turned out to be a nationally renowned arts and entertainment lawyer, this opened the door for larger art commissions. In turn, this led her to the idea of creating the sharing and buying platform now known as The Sandbar Art Studio, affording small artists opportunity for exposure.
“You can be the best artist in the world, but if you don’t have anyone to look at it, it doesn’t matter,” Howell says. “Vice versa: you can be an ‘okay’ artist, but if you have everyone looking at you, someone’s going to like it and someone’s going to buy it.”
However, the true impetus for her platform’s establishment came when Howell connected over social media with her now-partnering artist, Kevork Kestkjian, whom she affectionately refers to as “Koko,” towards the beginning of this past summer.
“Once I met Koko, I started talking with him and realized, ‘You live in Canada, and I am able to see your work, and you’re able to see mine and support it,’” Howell says. “From there, we had the idea of creating a space for everybody else to do the same thing. Right now, we’re doing it all online until I get a physical studio, but doing it online has allowed me to reach not only locally but everywhere else.”
With submissions flooding in daily from across the globe, Howell’s site has quickly gained traction and accumulated a regular following of 2,000 people per week. Even celebrities are beginning to turn their heads: the studio’s upcoming Halloween competition, Afraid of the Art, features Emily Roeske from Halloweentown as a guest judge.
In addition to seasonal competitions, Howell says she has made it a goal to amplify the reach of smaller artists and showcase their work as much as possible. Each week, a spotlight artist is chosen to be featured on the website’s home page, and art is consistently available to be purchased under the “Shop Art” tab.
“We accept all mediums of art, but we judge [submissions] on the exact same criteria: does it reflect originality/creativity; does it reflect your own personal style; how well is it done?” Howell explains. “Art is so subjective; so many people like so many different things.”
This subjectivity of art is not only a concept Howell recognizes but one she also teaches in her award-winning art lessons.
“I always first start off by telling everyone, whether they choose me as an instructor or not, ‘Choose somebody that you admire their work,’ so they can come to find their own style in the process,” says Howell. “From there, I will go on to get to know them: what they are trying to do with their art or if they are trying to work on a certain thing about themselves.”
Although maintaining The Sandbar Art Studio and conducting lessons occupies much of her time, Howell says she consistently sets aside time to explore her own style and build her own brand as an acrylic artist.
“Personally, I love the human form — I think the lines are so fun and it varies all across the board,” Howell explains. “I am very much so inspired by the human vigor. Ultimately, in each painting, I would say that the main focus is either a person going through something or representing a specific time period.”
Moving forward, Howell says she continues to take on projects from individuals around the world, including the band Ballyhoo!, entertainment lawyer Kirk Schroeder, and actress Kimberly J. Brown. All money received for her art continues to fund her degree in special education, while she also plans to get her therapy license, in hopes that she will be able to begin offering art therapy lessons through The Sandbar Art Studio.
