Rising Stars: Meet Nathan Meister of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Meister.

Hi Nathan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a visual artist based in Columbus, and the creator behind The Anvil Bear. I’ve always wanted to make the world more interesting, magical, and fun. I have found a way to do that through my art. I have always been rather eccentric, and have enjoyed many different types of creating. I started taking photos when I was in highschool, and have every photo I’ve ever taken stored on my computer. I used to paint a lot in high school. After high school, I went to college for Psychology. I worked in the human services field, and ran a group home, was a job coach, helped people maintain their benefits. I decided to go back to school again for IT. Six months later, I worked in a call center. Over time, I found the call center work very demoralizing, and with the help of my husband, I was able to leave it to focus exclusively on creating. I have always done my art as a hobby, but with this opportunity I was able to go at it full-time.

I paint, metalcast, sew fabric, sew leather, and work with a laser-engraver/cutter. Currently, I work with leather making custom masks and I also make what I call shadowboxes, using my lasercutter, wood, and paints, to make 2D pictures into 3D dioramas. This allows me to bring my photography and digital art into the real world. They have been a big hit, and I am focusing heavily on this work.

I have also begun to focus more on erotic photography. As a gay man, there is a need for art that reflects your lifestyle. My erotic art helps fill that niche that I see missing in Columbus, OH.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It is very difficult to create on demand. I have found that I work best when I strike while the irons hot. I try to make sure that I keep note of ideas that come to me when I’m out and about because I likely will forget about it once I am back in the studio. You can’t force creativity. But with enough ideas on the back burner, you can have something to create usually.

Finding something that resonates with people. Just because you made it and it looks good does not mean that there will be anyone else who finds it interesting.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in leather work and laser cutting and engraving.

I make what I call Shadowboxes. They are 2D pictures that I separate into multiple layers to create a 3D diorama of the scene. The largest that I currently make are 12 inch by 12 inch. Since I can do this for any picture, I take commissions for this kind of work and create a new way for people to see their flat images brought to life. It can be a tedious process on the backend but it looks great once they are finished.

I also use the laser to engrave my erotic art into different materials.

I also make custom masks from full-grain leather that I then hand-dye or paint with acrylic. I’ve always found the idea of being able to put something on and be a different person (or animal) incredibly comforting. I like making something that is going to last a long time, and these definitely will.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I would say that my husband, Matt, deserves a ton of credit. Without his support, I never would have had the courage to try to make this studio a reality. He’s always been there for me, and I can’t thank him enough for helping me get to where I am now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theanvilbear.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/theanvilbear