$85,000 PAINTING UP CLOSE. HANGING OUT In Austria WITH The ARTIST: VOKA

I arrived in a small town in Austria in the summer of 2018, to meet with and learn from one of my favorite artists, Voka. 

I found Voka back in college while watching some Youtube videos on the internet. His videos were popular, gaining hundreds of thousands and even millions of views. As a painter, Voka has had tremendous success, and has his work displayed in galleries all over the world. The Jimi Hendrix painting featured on the cover of this post even sold for $85,000.

After a little bit of work making some connections, I was given an opportunity to visit Voka’s studio and meet with him. I wasn't sure exactly what I was trying to gain by visiting, but I felt like if I didn't go when I had the opportunity, it would be something I would always regret. So, I took the trip, 5,125 miles east, to his gallery in Austria.

The city it was in was beautiful and quaint. The whole town is surrounded by large mountains on every side. While walking through the city I could hear the sounds of birds chirping, and steams of water flowing everywhere. It was very picturesque.

Meeting Voka was great. I learned a lot in the bit of time I got to spend with him. The one thing I learned most though, is to be yourself. Don't try to copy anyone else. Don't try to copy him or her or whoever. To stand out in art, and in life as well, you have to be different. You have to write your own story. You have to make your own decisions. There is no magic answer or one small thing you do to achieve success, but rather a series of decisions and a lifetime of growth that can lead to success in a career.

Viewing Voka’s work in person, you can really see the speed and confidence at which he works. But in meeting with Voka and talking with him, you can understand the years of diligence and commitment to his craft it took to create his unique style and then to master it.

I also learned from Voka and his work, that you don't have to control every little detail. If you choose to just go with the flow and work out the process, a lot of times you'll surprise yourself at the outcome. The beauty is in mastering that process. 

As someone that I respect and admire in the art world, Voka's advice is something I value greatly, but it's also helped show me that I am my own person and my own artistic growth will have it's own story. Why waste your time trying to follow someone else's path, when you can make your own. 

I was lucky to be given the opportunity of to visit. This trip was 100% worth it.