By Admin, BuyLocalBG.com, BuyLocalBg@gmail.com/
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 7:00 AM CST
Another great artist coming to The SoKomics Expo 2014 is “Art by Anz” Ansley McDaniel. Here is a short bio from her website:
I began my life as an artist at an early age. Throughout my
childhood, I was always considered as being creative. I could
almost always be found doodling, sketching dinosaurs or
other animals.
It wasn’t until my preteens that I was first recognized for
my talents, when I entered a local Lions Club contest and
won second place for an acrylic painting of some fish. For
the next decade, I stepped in and out of the limelight,
occasionally competing in school competitions but keeping
to myself for the most part.
During high school, I became immensely fascinated with
fantasy artwork and started to focus a lot of my talents on that genre. I was told by multiple people that fantasy art would take me nowhere, but at that point in my life, I wasn’t worried about pursuing a life as an artist. I mostly worked with pen and ink, occasionally trying out colored pencils and watercolor. I received my first Wacom tablet at 16, but I initially put it aside. Digital art seemed too daunting.
After high school, I went through a period between 2004-2009 where I hardly created anything. My home life, personal relationship and overall stress kept me from my art. I still consider the few pieces I did create as some of the best examples of my work. I attended online college courses through the AI of Pittsburgh for graphic design, with the intent to continue into game art, but I eventually had to drop out due to financial reasons.
My personal life took a turn for the better in 2009–a complete 180 from what it had been. I slowly got back into my work, experimenting with new mediums and honing my skills with old ones.
I began to work more heavily with digital media around 2010, but still preferred traditional means. I was beginning to get a small audience of people who appreciated my work, and I started doing a few commissions. I stepped out of my comfort zone and worked with portraiture, but never strayed far from the fantasy artwork I loved.
In 2011, after learning confidence from my significant other, I decided to enter my acrylic painting “Transcending the Gods” into a local art contest. I wasn’t expecting to win anything at all. When I learned I had won second place in their amateur field, I was ecstatic.
From that moment, I realized what I wanted to do with my life. Make art. I picked up more commission work and continued to create and experiment. Eventually I reached a point with digital mediums where I was solely creating art through my computer. In late 2011, I decided to make videos of my work. I posted the results on YouTube, and with the collaborative efforts of a fellow artist, I gained a small following.
In 2012, I had another confidence boost, when I won first place in the same contest I had entered in 2011. The winning painting was my watercolor piece “Fading”. An art appreciator bought the piece the same day I received my award for it, and shortly after, I sold a few other originals.
Shortly after my little successes, I decided to broaden my audience with a more professional outlet, and launched my website in August of 2012.
For all the changes and accomplishments I’ve had in my life, I can definitely thank my friends, family and fans for helping me to realize my potential. You all have been the supporting drive I needed to push myself. I would not have taken all these steps to get where I am, and to where I’m going, without you all.
The Work:
“Mermaid”
“Killer Croc”
Check out The SoKomics Expo 2014! The SoKomics Expo is a multi-genre convention highlighting the works of local talents of every variety, including artists, comic creators, authors and musicians. Come join us April 19, 2014 at the Carroll Knicely Center, located in Bowling Green, KY!