The Next Generation | Kyle Sims - Southwest Art Magazine

Kyle Sims, The Gathering, oil, 22 x 40.

How has your work evolved in recent years? The biggest thing that jumps out to me with my current work is more richness and depth of color. I’ve also been enjoying spending more time with each piece and figuring out ways to improve upon the initial round of painting. This was harder to see early in my career.

Where do you find inspiration? My biggest inspiration comes from getting outside and spending time in the field. After that, studying the work of a favorite artist can always be uplifting and motivating, but it reminds me how much better I want my own work to be.

What are you most proud of? My biggest pride comes from being a good husband and father. With my work, I’m happy that I’ve put in the time and effort to improve my draftsmanship.

Describe yourself in one word. Dedicated.

Tell us a little bit about your studio. It’s detached from the house and was built in 2010. It has plenty of space, with high ceilings to create a wide range of painting sizes as well as extra room for things like stretching canvases, carving frames, and building crates. It is my dream studio.

People would be surprised to learn that… I enjoy making lots of other things besides paintings. I know how to make beer. I enjoy growing hot peppers for hot sauce. I’ve made several pieces of furniture for our home. I enjoy home-remodeling projects as well as redesigning the landscape around our house that includes a fun water feature. I also make my own frames and have learned how to carve the design into them.

If your home or studio was on fire, what one thing would you save? After my family and pets are safe, my external hard drives would definitely be a top priority. They have about 16 years’ worth of photographs, videos, and information on them that would be devastating to lose.

How has the pandemic changed your art habits over the past year? It really hasn’t. Being an artist is an individual endeavor and requires you to be by yourself, lost in thought. This will always be the case.

What would you be if you weren’t an artist? Out of all my hobbies, I think I enjoy working with wood the most. But it would be neat to own a brewery, a small vegetable farm, and a Japanese-style furniture-making operation.

Favorite non-art-related thing to do? I enjoy lifting weights. We converted nearly half of our basement into a gym.

What galleries represent your work? Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY; Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs, CO; Montana Trails Gallery, Bozeman, MT; Paderewski Fine Art, Beaver Creek, CO.