Artist Spotlight: TheWhiteKenyon

Today I have the pleasure of presenting an artist spotlight on a fantastic artist, @TheWhiteKenyon. We met a couple of weeks back when Esther met the duckies. Since then, we clicked as we geek out over Esther, but little did I know that the @TheWhiteKenyon is an artist himself and a dope artist at that. The way he builds worlds through AI image composition has so much depth, and I'm honoured to have witnessed the process in this collaboration.

@TheWhiteKenyon is a full-time Teacher/Coach, an avid art collector, and an AI Digital Artist. Multi-talented is an understatement.

Without further ado, let's jump into the spotlight and get to know @TheWhiteKenyon.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?

In my day job, I am an American Football and Basketball coach from Texas. So I spend my days teaching Algebra 1 and then I am out in the Texas heat coaching.

I didn't start out creating art. I started as a collector because I appreciate the dedication and the hard work that goes into creating beautiful artwork. Then I was introduced to Midjourney, an AI digital art program that allowed me to creatively share myself like I never thought I could through art.

2. How do you get into your creative zone?

I don't do anything crazy here. Most of the time ideas come to me when sitting on the couch watching TV or playing video games, and I write them down.

3. When in the flow, what does your process look like?

Creating an AI digital art piece is not the most exciting, but it is very interesting. When I come up with an idea, I have to write a prompt for it. I then put the prompt into the program, giving me 4 pictures of what the program thinks I mean. After those 4, you have options, upscale one of them, make variations of a particular image, or get a new set of 4 completely new images. You can also change and edit the prompt, which requires you to start over completely.

There have been times when I've had to generate over 2000 images to find "the one". It can take time for me to find what I see in my mind because I'm at the mercy of the program/algorithm. The challenge is teaching it the emotions you're trying to display and being able to tell the story.

4. Tell us about your Esther piece?

I wanted to show Esther engaged in a new atmosphere. I originally came up with the idea because of the Mortuary inc collab, Esther's Mortuary Plunder. How can I set Esther in a sinister scene? So I put Esther in a dark and gloomy dungeon with a Mobster in the distance. Looming at the end of this dungeon area, creating a game-like feel, like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.

5. What are you most excited about in web3?

I initially got into Web3 to make money investing, but I stayed around for the tech. It intrigues me, and I think it has an important place in the future. I see Crypto/Web3 almost becoming like Star Wars credits.

6. What's the most significant learning experience you've had in web3?

Networking is the Key to Web3. The communities I've grown with and been a part of have helped me more than I could ever imagine. Famous Foxes, Grim Syndicate, Monster Friends, and Toughies are a few incredible communities. Alpha, Friendships and encouragement are just a tiny slice that networking/being in a community can help with.

I wanted to share a massive thank you to @TheWhiteKenyon for supporting Esther and me and putting up with our endless loops of feedback. We can be super picky, but we can all agree that this end result is worth it. To find @TheWhiteKenyon come along and say hello on Twitter.