By Vanessa James From Jamaica Gleaner

Sebastian Elliot has achieved his goal, and has gone above and beyond what he hoped to attain for himself. As a locally and internationally acclaimed artist, Elliot has been a part of more than his fair share of art shows, and at the age of 35, he has a far way to go before he is ready to retire his paintbrushes.

According to Elliott, his current path is a dream that he is happy to see come true and expected that one day he would be here; travelling and showcasing his work throughout the different corners of the world.

“It has always been my desire to showcase my work all over the world. As a child, I had dreams of having my work exhibited in different countries and studying under the tutelage of a master, and Barrington Watson was the one who became my master teacher,” Elliot stated.

He went on to explain that he had the option of learning from a very famous American painter, but chose his own countryman; something he does not regret.

He believes that his hard work is the vehicle that got him to where he is in life and hopes that his work will be an inspiration and a history lesson for anyone who views his pieces.

“I want my work to be an inspiration; something that I do which shares the culture of Jamaica and the history of the Jamaican people, and that is why I worked thematically to highlight the aspects of Jamaican people and culture,” Elliott disclosed.

EARLY BEGINNING

Art was the only option for Elliott, something that he used even as a child as a means to express himself.

“That [art] was the only means that I found appropriate to express myself in a way that people could fully understand what I wanted to say,” he told The Gleaner. “As a child, sometimes in class you get the option of drawing or writing what is being depicted in a story, and most of the times I would find myself drawing instead and I would get better grades. The students and teachers would always admire what I do, and that encouraged me,” he said.

His belief is that artists are born but it is a trait that is embedded in each of our DNA because “art is a genetic code of conduct”.

“I believe art is something that I was born to do, and I have the philosophy that artists are born, they are not made; so you have to be born with a certain interest to explore and discover things and make statements,” Elliott shared. “But it is in all of us. It governs everything; all branches of creativity is governed by art. I also find art to be something that has therapeutic benefits, so for me, whenever I am tired or stressed I use art to get rid of the pressure.”

ART EXHIBITIONS

Elliott has participated in a number of local, regional and international art exhibitions in countries such as India, Italy, the United States, Canada, The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. He also has shows coming up in Turkey and has been invited by the Canadian Painters’ Association to participate in two exhibitions.

With these experiences under his belt, Elliott said that this path is not only about the money.

“It’s not all about the money, but if you are going to do something for the rest of your life, then you have to look at the financial gain but you don’t put it at the forefront,” he stated.

He further explained that the trick is to invest and work smart, and noted that the support from his wife and brother-in-law is what keeps him on top of all his endeavours as art can be absorbing.

Elliott’s works are a part of several private and corperate collections both locally and internationally, including the Bank of Jamaica, Scotiabank, Northern Caribbean University, and Symmetry, one of the world’s largest American based network marketing companies. He has also done many portraits for people locally and internationally.

For more on this story go to; http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20191005/sebastian-elliott-living-his-dream