Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Connors

Hi Dennis, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Ever since I was young I knew that art was going to be a constant in my life. Growing up I would watch a lot of cartoons on Cartoon Network and would be enamored with the shows that would come on. The art and the styles that I saw made me realize very early that art was something I wanted to do. I wanted to crate for these shows. I wanted to design characters. I would find myself drawing every day. Copying what I saw and creating my own characters. This persisted for a number of years until I turned 16. This was a pivot point to how I would approach the way I created.
Art school seems to make the most amount of sense. To go and to hone my skills and to meet other artists sounded like a dream. The monetary element was daunting. The idea of debt didn’t appeal to me and the power of the internet as a self teaching tool felt like the most obvious direction to take. I would hone my skills and continue to create for a number of years.
Through my character design education I came across a number of other artists and art forms that would form the basis of my style. The likes of children’s books, mid century design, and simple shapes would be the driver for my creative expression. Through this established foundation, I would come across a copy of The New Yorker magazine and be further inspired by what I found inside. Illustrations that led articles and the spot illustrations that danced in the pages led me to my new desire to show my work.
Further inspiration has come from brand illustration and the way that other artists present their work to push the idea of a product forward. The act of creativity knows no bounds, and the clever ways in which an idea is communicated is what I chase every time I sit down to create.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The road has been one that has posed a number of challenges, but without these to overcome I feel like I wouldn’t be the artist that I am today. The journey has been winding and the things that I’ve wanted to accomplish have changed a number of times. The field of character design was my calling for a long time, but interests and other goals became the priority. This is never a bad thing. I wouldn’t possess the skill set I have today if it wasn’t for the desire to create for feature animation and television.
Being self taught also posed a number of challenges, the primary being motivation. To be where I am now has taken a lot of discipline, and to be frank it’s still something that I struggle with to this day. I can only imagine those who’re also freelancers have a similar mindset on most days. You are your own boss and your success rides on your ability to stay focused and to build yourself from the ground up. Your portfolio, your book of business, your online presence, your brand. You hold the reins and sometimes it can feel overwhelming.
Blocking your time out and realizing that you can’t do everything in one day is an important mindset to have when it comes to building your own business. Also understanding that some days are going to look better than others. You won’t get everything done and that’s okay. So long as there’s forward movement of some kind it’s better than none at all.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I am an artist and illustrator with a specialization on editorial illustration. I also desire to branch into brand design for those wishing to bring their vision to life. My body of work is whimsical, childlike, and simple. Bold colors, wavy lines, and compelling shapes form the basis of my expression. I am proud of the way that my style has developed and the possibility of taking it in any number of directions. I feel that my work is very flexible and can be slotted in any number of ways, which does a lot to set myself apart from other artists.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?

I feel that luck is something that plays a role in most if not all experiences. It’s a very tricky subject and plays a role in so much. One would argue that your work ethic plays a part in how lucky you are. The more work you do, the luckier you are. The opposite can be said. Some people get to where they want to be by being at the right place at the right time with little to no work involved. The journey looks different for all those who chose to take it. The ideal is the balance. A tenacious work ethic that lands you in the right place at the right time. How can one be in the right place if they don’t have the work to show for it?
As for myself, luck has done little to impact my business. I feel like I’ve arrived where I am due to the natural flow of life and the ways that it’s carried me. I am where I am based off of the work I’ve done, and should luck present itself, I believe that I’ll have to the tools to take it whether it’s good or bad.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dennispconnors.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennispconnors3/

Image Credits

Title photo by Alyssa Gaston