Meet mike stanko | artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with mike stanko and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi mike, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Being an artist and selling my work for the last 30 years, I’ve been asked many times how do I come up with the price of a painting ? Is it the size of the piece? Is it how long it took me to make this piece? Or is it that I love the painting so much, if someone is willing to pay this price, it’s for sale, otherwise I want it for my own collection.
To tell you the truth, it’s basically all three. But artwork takes a lot of time. If you go to a service station to repair your car, it’s something like $110 an hour, excluding parts. So, an artist deserves the price they are asking. (in most cases. )

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always loved ‘everything about making art. From the love of color, the excitement of creating something that was never here before, to now, selling my work knowing that it has found a home for others to enjoy, hopefully as much as it was for me to make it. Was this easy , no. It took a lot of years to get to this point, but if you love what you do, as I have it makes it a lot easier to travel.
One lesson that I feel is true, about anything, love what you do, be passionate in what you do,, and be patient. Overnight success is a myth.
My story is a simple one. I loved making art since I was a small child, and kept at it till this day. When you have something that you love that much, it stays with you forever.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Karen and I live outside of the most alive city in the world, New York City. The world is theirs !! They’ll be entertained, trust me.
But besides the mass amount of eclectic people, the adventure of selecting what and where to visit in the city, can spin heads, in a great way !
I also have to recommend riding the Cyclone out in Luna Park in Coney Island, and then travel a bit east to one of the largest and beautiful beaches in this country, Jones Beach,

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife , Karen, who is an artist herself. We work off each other, encourage and inspire each other, and yes, sometimes criticize each others work also. ( and trust me, sometimes you don’t want to hear it . wink, wink)

Website: https://Stankoart.com

Instagram: Stankoart

Facebook: Mike Stanko

Image Credits
The painting where I am sitting in front of my easel :
Photo Credit : Rick Wenner