The country is slowly starting to open up after having been on an almost 3 month pause due to the pandemic. It’s going to take a while for those businesses that do survive to slowly ramp up and figure out how to create safe environments for customers to feel comfortable in our new normal world.

NYC based visual artist, Brian (Butch) Schepel chats with us from his Hell’s Kitchen apartment/studio space on what his concerns are for making a strong comeback soon in his line of work. He’s been sheltering in place like so many of us, but he is in the heart of Manhattan in his tiny apartment with no escape except to venture out on the streets of the city for short excursions. Butch says the city just doesn’t feel like the city without the hustle & bustle. He’s still paying his typical NY expensive rent, but not getting any of the benefits you’d expect for being in the city with businesses closed. His day job is working for a company that designs, creates and builds items used for Broadway shows, company events, sets, window displays and all types of things that require large gatherings of people. He’s hoping his company survives and he’ll be able to be as busy as he was prior to all of this. Knowing that his line of work will probably be one of the last to come back fully is worrisome as it is for so many others. Butch is concerned and he shares his feelings on quelling those financial & mental fears, staying busy, and staying positive.

If after watching our virtual interview , you think his face looks a bit familiar, it’s because you may have seen him on the pilot episode of 2003, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy series . He underwent a huge make-over cutting his long locks, cleaning up his wardrobe and overall look. This was all done in preparation for his entry into the fine art world by having his first ever gallery exhibit featuring his signature pieces of mixed media work. He used that as a jumping off point to build his portfolio and today he continues to create new pieces based on nature, portraits, nudes, and abstracts. While he’s been home, he’s had plenty of time to continue expanding his growing catalog of art. Our video features one of his self-portraits and an explanation of how he creates his signature mixed media look.

You can view Butch’s artwork  by visiting his website https://blschepel.com/

In addition, during this time he’s also found an alternate way to distribute his art via prints of his pieces using https://society6.com/bsarts

Related Content:

Bronx Born Muralist, Adam Hernandez Turns Passion Into Successful Business [Photos]

Enrique Chiu: Dreams Without Borders

Viva la Vida – Sociedad de Camara [Video]