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Meet the Artist
Clayt J. Lennox is an artist based near the scenic Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, where he draws inspiration for his vivid acrylic paintings and bronze sculptures. With over 30 years of experience in painting and sculpting, Clayt is passionate about creating art that isn’t just visually captivating but also a valuable investment for collectors. His focus is to continually refine his craft while evolving his personal brand to enhance the value and appeal of his work, ensuring that each piece is not only a representation of artistic expression but also a strategic addition to any collection.
Northern Beginnings
I was born in Winnipeg, Canada—a city as famous for its bone-chilling winters as it is for its sprawling prairies and endless skies. My dad, a good-natured traveling forklift salesman, often brought me (and occasionally a sibling or two) along on his business trips during school breaks. My mom, needing a bit of peace and quiet, was always more than happy to foist us onto my dad’s itinerary. While he focused on forklifts, I was glued to the car window, scanning the boreal forests of eastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario for wildlife—an eagle soaring overhead or, if I was really lucky, a bear.
Occasionally, he’d pull over to humor my curiosity, and we’d stop at scenic vistas or clamber up rocky outcrops to see what lay beyond. These impromptu adventures often revealed breathtaking views that sparked my imagination and left a lasting impression. It was during those long drives and roadside explorations that my fascination with nature truly began to take root.
Back home, I was the kid everyone knew as “pretty good at drawing.” I spent countless hours sketching NHL team logos, NHL goalies (I loved detailing their equipment), and even the occasional insulting caricature of someone who had recently offended me. 🙂 I gifted my creations to friends, who probably appreciated them more for the novelty than the artistry. Still, those early drawings gave me a sense of identity and planted the seed for a lifelong love of creating.
Musical Interlude
As a teenager, a shift in my father’s business territory brought our family to Regina, Saskatchewan, where my creative focus shifted from drawing to music. I threw myself into mastering the guitar, piano, and drums, channeling the raw energy of Led Zeppelin and the soulful brilliance of blues greats like B.B. King. My drum solos were particularly inspired (though I suspect our neighbors didn’t share my enthusiasm). Music became my creative outlet, teaching me the discipline of practice and the thrill of making a hell of a lot of noise.
Sculpting a Path
In my late teens, after graduating, I moved back to Winnipeg and embarked on a brief and utterly uninspiring stint as a commercial door serviceman through a family connection—an experience I’d rather not relive. It left me searching for a more creative challenge. That’s when a chance encounter with an old friend changed everything. He owned a garden statuary business and was hiring sculptors to create original designs for concrete ornaments.
I’ll admit, I was initially drawn to the idea for one reason: the potential earnings. The rates he was paying his artists were enough to make me dive headfirst into sculpting. Over the next decade, I dedicated myself to mastering this craft, creating original pieces for the garden statuary industry, public monuments, and later, landscape paintings that were reproduced for the home décor market.
Creative Evolution
The liquidation of a major sculpting client due to economic pressures and offshore competition forced me to rethink my career. Always eager for a challenge, I shifted gears, diving into the fast emerging world of computer graphics and commercial marketing. Over the next 20 years, I built a successful advertising agency, (np2 – click here to visit my website) combining photography, videography, and storytelling to help businesses and entrepreneurs bring their visions to life and importantly, increase their bottom lines.
Return to Roots
Tragedy struck with the loss of my brother, mother, and father over three years, profoundly affecting my outlook on life. These losses, combined with the frenetic pace of the advertising world, rekindled a yearning for a simpler, more fulfilling life. Yearning for tranquility and to be closer to my family, I returned to fine art, focusing on painting and sculpting wildlife—a tribute to the inspirations of my youth and the works of artists like Bob Kuhn, Frederic Remington, and Kent Ullberg.
Today
Today, I try to create art that resonates with a deep appreciation for nature and a commitment to providing value to my collectors. The works are meant to be a testament to a life fully lived through creative expression, each piece a chapter of an ongoing story of resilience and dedication.
