Welcome to another edition of our Artist Spotlight series! We're excited to feature @isabella.drawsss this week. With over 2M followers, Isa is a talented content creator and artist. She's also passionate about art education, currently studying Art Education & TESOL at Miami University. Below, gain insights from her experience and don't forget to check out her work on Instagram!
How long have you been creating art? When did you start using art markers?
I have been creating art throughout my entire life, but I got more "serious" about it at around age 13, which is when I created my Instagram account. That's about 7 years ago! Seeing the work that everyone on the platform was creating was so inspiring! I started using art markers at around that time, too.
What does art mean to you personally?
Art is not only a way to express the things you cannot find the words for, but it is also therapy. Art is also advocacy, resistance, and perseverance, all in one. My art and my artistic journey is proof that I am a person with a breadth of experiences who is trying to convey what I have learned in one of the most universal ways I can communicate it.
untitled by @isabella.drawsss
Do you have any favorite artists?
I admire so many incredible artists- I've been very inspired by the work of @sin.xline, @daixykaren, @naydeity, @sashaagordon, @vitakari, and @laresian lately. The ways that they are all pushing me to think about ways to explore my artmaking process from different perspectives from me simply seeing their work as they post has been very inspiring.
How long does one work of art typically take you?
Oh, it has certainly been a while since I have sat down to make a full piece, so I'm not sure! I've been dabbling in areas I'm more unfamiliar with lately, such as textiles, so the learning process definitely increases the amount of time it takes to make something. I wouldn't say there's a set time anymore for how long it takes me on average, I guess since I'm trying so many new things lately, I feel as though it would be unfair to quantify that in hours.
untitled by @isabella.drawsss
What's one work that you're particularly proud of?
My piece "I was too old to cry when I was eight" that I made fairly recently is one of the largest pieces I have ever made that also explores some trauma that I have just begun to unpack in the last year or so. It's about 3 by 4 feet and mostly marker- there's some crayon and glitter and ribbon and colored pencil, but I really just pushed myself to create something BIG and meaningful to me and my growth with that one.
I was too old to cry when I was eight by @isabella.drawsss
What inspires you? Where do you look for inspiration?
I'm inspired by my experiences, my memories, the world around me, and my interactions with all of those, in addition to new techniques and processes I pick up in my coursework and on the internet.
What’s the most important advice you could give to an aspiring artist?
Your worth is not defined by the grade you receive on a piece, nor the amount of likes it gets on social media. Choosing to create work by hand in this age of profit-driven and automated creation processes is inherently powerful, and has value in itself.
nostalgia.jpeg by @isabella.drawsss
What is your favorite Ohuhu series?
I will always love my 320 set of Ohuhu alcohol-based markers , but my Ohuhu acrylic paint markers have been superstars lately!
If you could only keep 5 colors from your Ohuhu collection, which would they be & why?
I'm not sure I could ever pick only 5! I use so many different colors across the whole range of hues that Ohuhu has to offer far too much to pick only five.
Acceptance by @isabella.drawsss
What advice would you give newer artists that have just begun using art markers?
Having the most expensive or "nicest" markers isn't magically going to transform your art into what you've been dreaming of creating- you must put in the work to practice your skills! With enough dedication and repetition, you will be able to translate what you hope to create into what you are creating. You can make beautiful work with any materials, so try not to worry too much about having super fancy supplies at first!
Fragility by @isabella.drawsss
