During my time in boot camp in October, I found myself having somewhat of an identity crisis. I needed to review what I already had and what I needed to change with Wild at Heart. I had to do some soul searching as an artist. I even considered changing the name of my business.
I tossed around Wild at Heart Studio for a few days until I found out its actually a permanent makeup studio in Arizona. I went back to see why I even picked Wild at Heart Illustration to begin with.
Why Wild at Heart Illustration?
The phrase "wild at heart" is commonly used to describe an individual who is unconventional, daring, someone who believes deeply in what their hearts guide them to do. They are called free spirits. They pursue what sparks a fire in their soul. A person who is wild at heart may have a flash of fearless in their eyes when they are challenged. Someone who is wild at heart is faithful and often criticized for being foolish for their optimism. They nurture and celebrate others and the world needs more of them.
Art lights that soul spark in me.
I recognize the wild in other people. I recognize the beauty of nature and the connected energy of us with animals and all living things. This is why I primarily create pieces featuring animals. I love to see them come to life on paper from my imagination.
When I had my 1 on 1 consultation with Bruce Adams during the Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp, both he and I got stumped when trying to define my portraits and illustrations. I have my own particular style and have to find a way to accurately communicate it in terms of marketing and writing.
The words that kept coming to my mind on a repetitive loop is
illustrative and
vibrant.
These were the main images referenced:
So I got a panel of people that could help me describe my work that are also creative and artistic. I got more than I expected.
Darrel Fedchak: Published author of
Monster Spray, prank mastermind, pirate enthusiast, and wise friend.
"Its a unique blend of expressionism, realism and fauvism, with a dash of pop thrown in for fun. In a word, fantastic."
Kimberly Boulden: Best friend and often my second set of eyes while finishing pieces. She has seen me on this journey from the very beginning and totally gets all the things I don't say.
"I'd say the epitome of you and your work is
whimsical. It's not entirely realism: you don't show sea horses and lions like they'd look in a National Geographic-you're not going for the detail of the spit in their fur. Rather,
your pieces invoke not how the lion IS or the fox IS but how we imagine and dream them to be. The fur is soft, the expressions are kind, bold fierce, or playful. It's as if the animals are our old friends or neighbors. To me, they're magical, but not in a mystic or out of this world kind of way, they're magical in a light, whimsy, way that reminds us of being kids or being carefree.
Like when we used to play with stuffed animals and we'd imagine their personalities: 'this one is wise' and his friend 'is mischievous and playful.' There's a lot of imagination and play in your pieces: your colors are bold and your subjects are the stars of the piece."
Jennifer Comstock: Published author of horror short story
Twelve. She is also a past coworker and has one heck of a sense of humor and vocabulary.
"A beautiful collection of multifarious styles that range from reality to fantasy. Each piece captures the iridescent beauty of color and creativity."
I can always count on Jenn to also come up with sales pitches.
"Gaze into the ominous eyes of the Cheshire Cat. Fondly admire a beloved pet. Add that brilliant splash of color to any room in your house."
She really digs the Cheshire Cat-prints will be available in about two weeks. I will blog about that piece next week.
David Fehrman: David Fehrman
Photography, coworker, lover of birds, and friend.
Please contact him if you like any of his work to purchase prints.
"When I look at your artwork, I see several things and all of them are pleasing. Sometimes I notice color, other times shape. Often, especially with the charcoal and graphite selections, the
detail and shadow vs. light stand out beautifully. There is depth, as the longer I look, the more things I see. But very importantly, there is a little bit of whimsy in some, and
joy in all. I simply enjoy looking at your artwork because it relaxes me and makes me happy when I see what you have been able to produce and share."
"While there may be, in some pieces, a small homage to the artists and craftsmen we have learned of, it is clearly your own. Your personality comes through and we see a bit of you in the things you enjoy and share with us."
Wild at Heart Illustration is my name and its not going anywhere.
I am touched and humbled by these summaries. I definitely have material to get my style statement written for 2017.
Thank you, as always, for your support and stay tuned. This was just the tip of the ice burg for next year.
