We are honored to have, Aodhan Gyory, as our Featured Artist, He makes awesome illustrations and is amazing at coming up with very cool characters, you can scroll for days on his Instagram and we can’t very well post all his images here so make sure you click his links and show him some love by giving him a follow!
Find Aodhan: Instagram – @angriest_baby / qooh.me/angrybaby
How old are you?
I’m 17 and soon to be 18.
Where are you from?
I was born in New Jersey but now I reside in the big ol’ state on Pennsylvania
How long have you been an artist? What is your specialty? Where do u find inspiration?
I’ve been an artist for 6 years seriously. When I was 11, I made the conscious choice to buckle down and actually take art seriously and here I am. My main specialty is making funky cartoon characters and illustrating them. A vast amount of my inspirations came from my days and nights being glued to the television screen and then the computer screen as a kid. Cartoons and bizarre video games are what motivated me to make art that was goofy, fun, and even very personally haunting.
Do you have a job in the art industry? If So, what’s one thing you don’t like about it? If no, where would your dream job be?
I don’t hold a formal job of any description, but I do commission work year round for those who are interested. If I had to pick a dream job, it would be something crazy like going around and painting empty and abandoned houses full of wacky characters and fun imagery and having people come and see it.
Do you have a favorite Artist?
It would be hard to pick a favorite, but currently the most influential artists that’s affected my work is Ralph Bakshi.
What is one accomplishment you’ve had in your life? Does not need to be art related.
My greatest accomplishment would have to be when I was approached to make comic for a published magazine known as Brainbug. It was a local science magazine created by two lovely college students from the area and it was such a blessing to contribute to a lot of their issues.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?
In five years time, I’ll be in more than half way through my college degree. I’m not there yet so I can’t say what degree and what school I’d be in. In 10 years I hope to be setting down more and more foundation for my career and growing a network of people who support my work. By then I hope to work in an advertising field or maybe even in an animation studio. In 20 years I hope to settled down with a family and work more on personal endeavors like illustrating books, writing, and even pitching my ideas to cartoon studios. But things might happen even faster than I expect them to.
If you could meet and talk to any person in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
If I could meet and talk to anyone, it would be Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. That man’s voice and his sense of humor is wonderful and the music he created with Walter Becker got me through many tough days and nights.
How is one way you make money with your art?
Right now I make money with my art through commissions.
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
I would go back to Arizona again. I took a trip there with my parents in maybe 2008-2009 and my mother attributes that place with being the reason I started doing art more seriously. The place itself for me is absolutely magical and if I remain in the U.S. for the rest of my adult life, I would live there.
What is your favorite brand of art supply? Whether it’s a brand of pencils or brand of camera or software
Crayola has to be my all time favorite brand. I’m a firm believer of finding your inner child when you draw and myself and many other associate crayola with just that. I want to become more skilled at using crayola markers as the years go on since they’re the most fun to use.
Any advice for young artists?
My advice to young artists is make art a personal endeavor you love. There’s many ways to do so, but the main key is that if you make art about subjects and concepts you’re passionate about, you will feel so much more satisfied and accomplished in your life. Art shouldn’t be about people pleasing because you will live the rest of your life living for others essentially. Making art that speaks to you will make you better at communicating in a nonverbal fashion with it. You will not regret this lifetime you have if you can reach people with your personal artistic message. And find the opportunities that foster your growth and push you forward. Don’t turn down opportunities just because you’re scared. Don’t ever let your fear own you.
