Made in St. Louis: Artists First supports and showcases a local talent

Another portrait by Speck

Artists First, an inclusive center for artists of all abilities, smells like Sharpies and glue. It’s cozy, just big enough for a few rectangular paint-splattered tables and a small room jammed with art supplies. Danny Speck sits at one table next to his friend Mele, surrounded by sheets of paper.

He’s drawing the Post-Dispatch's Weatherbird from a printed picture in front of him, sketching quick, precise lines with a black Sharpie. In five minutes, he has an outline; it’s nearly indistinguishable from the original.

Speck holds up his finished Weatherbird portrait.

Speck has been a regular at Artists First for over a decade, since it opened in 2013, but his mom, Judy Speck, says he's been drawing for much longer than that.

"As soon as he could hold a crayon," she says. "Maybe about 2 years of age? He hasn't stopped since."

Danny Speck comes to Artists First every Wednesday for a couple of hours, sometimes with a stack of printed photos off the internet for inspiration, sometimes with his own ideas of what he wants to create.

Speck captures expression and energy in his portraits.

Speck, who has a brain injury, is drawn to interesting facial expressions, animals and people. He takes commissions but also gifts portraits to people he admires.

His work is scattered all over St. Louis: Speck is a big fan of police officers and firefighters (he was a policeman for Halloween), and he’s drawn portraits for the Clayton and Maplewood police departments. In 2017, Speck won a MetroLink poster contest, and his drawing of a Metro train was displayed on their vehicles. A self-portrait hangs in the halls of Washington University, where his mom worked at the medical school.

Dolly Parton, as drawn by Danny Speck.

Speck has a unique, almost cartoonish style. Mouths and eyes are stretched wide and sometimes off-center, Picasso-like. Noses have pronounced, ovular nostrils. He gravitates toward bright colors, drawing out a liveliness from his subjects. In portraits, his work tends to focus on prominent features: he’ll emphasize the color of someone’s eyes, the shape of their hair and their expression from the photo he references.

One of the aims of Artists First is to allow artists to work toward financial independence. Macayli Hausmann, program manager, says that they hold exhibitions multiple times per year and participate in community markets to showcase and sell artists’ work. The prices will vary, but are typically set by the artists themselves with guidance from Artists First.

Speck has sold pieces either by commission or through sales. He’ll sometimes use the money to replace art supplies, but often just takes the check directly to the bank. Speck has attended some shows, but says other times he prioritizes his sleep.

Speck's attention to detail in facial expressions means that he'll sometimes skew proportions to express the energy in a portrait.

“Sometimes they’re too late, and I have to say ‘I’m sorry, I’d rather go to bed,’” he says.

Every time he comes to Artists First, Speck produces multiple pieces. He’s quick, churning out complete drawings in a half-hour. In fact, he’s created so much that he can’t always recall all the pieces he’s drawn or sold.

Artists First currently has a group show at the Sheldon, a nonprofit music and art venue. Speck, like a pop star that has played too many shows to remember, isn’t sure which piece of his is displayed there. Hausmann prompts him: “What about that stained glass piece you made?”

“Yeah…” Speck replies, unsure.

“He makes a lot of work every time he’s here,” Hausmann says as way of explanation.

And Speck is busy making more. Outside, it’s beginning to rain. Inside, it’s warm and colorful. Soft '80s music plays from a speaker. Speck, humming the Star Wars’ “Imperial Death March,” finishes shading in his sketch with blue, yellow and purple markers and holds it up.

“It looks just like the Weatherbird,” he remarks, satisfied.

Danny smiles at Artists First, where he goes to draw every Wednesday.

Danny Speck

Age • 35

Family • Speck’s family includes his mother, Judy; father, Randy; his brother, Joe; sister-in-law, Svet; and his therapy dog, Harvey.

Home • Clayton

What he makes • Stylized colored drawings of people, things and animals using a bright technicolor palette

Where to buy • Artists First "shop" tab at artistsfirststl.org and soon through social media.

How much • $25- $50

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