Learn More about Intuitive Abstract Artist Preston Zeller

Simply put, my artistry is driven by the desire to connect to other humans through real stories and the emotion behind those stories.

But it wasn’t always so simple. 

I believe it’s not uncommon for artists to be able to create, but not exactly understand why they’re creating or where it’s coming from. In fact, this is one of the biggest questions an artist must ask of themselves is why they do what they do. The clearer one answers that, the more intentional their craft becomes.

Finding your “why” can be as elegant as an epiphany or as blunt as a sledgehammer. The ladder was how I came to mine.

In February of 2019, I lost my only brother, Colin, from an unexpected overdose of fentanyl. This became my reason for painting, but not in the ways I expected.

In the Summer following his death, I held an art show which prominently displayed works centering around the death and grieving process of losing my brother. Keep in mind, these are all abstract works, so most didn’t understand my true approach to the paintings until I shared their meaning.

One after another, I fell into deep conversations where other people began relating to my own experience.  Eyes welled up as attendees began sharing their stories of loss and heartache. It was then that I made the distinct connection between art and finding my “why”.

In a way, painting is still a way I connect to the loss of my brother, but bigger than that is creating an open dialogue with others about the subject of loss, grieving, and a return to joy.