Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ann Fry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ann, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
That’s a great question! I don’t believe in having a concrete purpose in life. Personally, I’ve found the future to never really be set in stone, and going with the current in life makes for a more active and engaged way to live. I’ve always found myself to be a curious person, so I suppose you could say that my purpose in life is to continue to be curious! How exciting!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m an illustrator currently living in Northern California, in a mountain town surrounded by tall cedar trees, though I’ve spent most of my life moving from place to place! I’ve spent time on the East Coast, in the South, and a majority of my life I’ve spent in the Great Plains area of the US! (I’ve also spent some time growing up in Germany, where some parts of my family is originally from.) I’ve gained a lot of experience from living in so many different places growing up, and I’ve found that experience has modeled me to be a curious and courageous artist! I love to explore different subjects and techniques, but what I found to have primarily express in my art is an interconnection between nature and people in a playful way.
Right now I’ve found myself drawn to mushrooms and local wild life in the Sierra Nevada’s, such as bears, foxes, and even quails. Though that may be because we’re getting closer to fall that I feel that way! I’m also drawn to creating characters with interesting shapes and colors; I can’t resist but to draw funky lil’ dudes.
As we begin this fall season, keep a look-out on my social pages! I have a lot of fun ideas in mind for this autumnal season.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, it was my desire to draw the things that I loved that really began my journey. From media and other creative works that I loved as a child (Like Naruto and Kingdom Hearts, for example) to friends and their own creations, and even animals and plants. If I cared about it, or was just curious about it, I wanted to explore how I can show that appreciation and care that I had towards it. So my advice to those starting their creative journey is; find something that you care about deeply, and have with with that love!
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My digital painting skills have drastically improved since getting Procreate. I feel like everyone sings praises about Procreate, and I have joined their choir. I used Photoshop for about 5 years prior and before that I used PaintTool Sai throughout High School, so I have a lot of experience with using digital painting programs. And honestly Procreate is one of my favorite programs of all time. Learning how to use Procreate has not only made me into a faster artist, but I love that I can paint anywhere! It’s allowed me to be more creative on the go since I can take it anywhere.
Outside of digital painting, I’ve been trying to use pens only in my sketchbook when I work in it. It’s challenged me to be more thoughtful with my line marking, but also how to incorporate my mistakes into the final piece.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.annfry.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annfryillu/
Image Credits
Ann Fry
