We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andy Arens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andy below.

Andy, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

It a crisp winter day in 1995, my younger sister and I were enjoying our time playing in the snow, sledding and having the kind of fun you can only have when you are 6 years old; not a care in the world. Inside, after an afternoon of playing, the TV was on while we warmed ourselves with blankets. As I was watching, a commercial came on, a new Disney movie was coming out, it vaguely interested me. I enjoyed Disney movies as a 6year old – the classics, Aladdin, Lion King, Fox and the Hound, but this one was different. this one LOOKED different, I had never seen animation like that and I was captivated. This new computer animated movie was amazing to me as a young kid, seeing the (at the time) realistic toys coming to life and the environment they had created for these characters to live in was enthralling, exciting and i was hooked. Around the same time, the Spider-Man TV show was currently running, this show was also pioneering the world of animation by combining traditional animation into a sometimes 3D animated environment. both of these revolutions fueled the fire inside me even more, it brought me joy and had such an influence that it altered the course of my life. It also introduced me to a whole new world, the world of comic books. By the time the new millennium came around, at 11 years old, I was determined that I was going to create and build towards a life where I am creating art for a living.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I would classify myself as an Abstract Expressionist with some Neoplasticism thrown in the mix. My influences include comic artists such as Todd Mcfarlane and Jack Kirby. Leonardo Da Vinci, Salvador Dali, and M.C. Escher have also had a big influence on my art. I am Colorado born and raised, the natural beauty of this state has inspired my art since childhood as I have explored all the wonderful sites across this state. My art is as close of a representation of me as I have been able to achieve up until this point in my career. My mission is to bring the viewer out of their small place and fleeting life in our world and connect them to the cosmic beyond, evoking that connection within and through the self, unlocking the realization that we are luminous beings, interconnected, on our journey back to the Source. Through my art, I hope to convey the connectivity between all aspects of life. Nature, Humanity, Mathematics, Physics, Art, the Cosmos, our Past, our Future are an interconnected web that brings us together in a beautiful harmony. Throughout my career, commissions I have done include everything from large landscape paintings, wildlife paintings, to human and pet portraits and a mural. Pieces currently have taken on a more abstract emotional tone, hoping to bring the viewer into my world and my perspective. I think what sets me apart is my voice and what I have to say – and how my art translates that message. The art takes cues from Abstract expressionism and Neoplasticism with the emotional response pulling the viewer into with the cosmic colors and structures, then pulling them back into themselves and grounding them in a familiar layout of viewing a comic panel, as it is ripped right out of a mysterious universal comic book. Bold white lines and boxes of texts simultaneously break up and bring together the painting.
I think the thing I am most proud of is the fact that i have ben able to make a living off of my creativity. I have had many individual showcases along with group ones. I have had a children book, Wash Up Buttercup, published that I did the illustrations for in the past year, i have murals up on walls that are seen by hundreds of people everyday, and now that I am a father, I am most proud to be able to show my daughter that you can work hard and accomplish a life that you dream of AND make you happy and fulfilled

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

i think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is just the seemingly different perspective on the world that I have. I’d almost say it is an innate ability to see the world as it is – beautiful, raw, scary, wonderful. The brilliance and grace of life, the darkness ad fallibility of humans, as well as the joy and beauty in every connection make for an endless treasure trove of art to be created, at least for me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The thing that I struggled with that I think non-creatives, or anybody, would struggle with is the fact that it is possible to chase that dream you had when you were a kid and make a life for yourself doing what makes you happy. Taking the leap of faith to become the person you are, not the person others wan you to be. It takes a level courage, I think is in everyone, to believe in yourself deeply enough to go for it, it just needs to be discovered and nurtured with unwavering faith.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @freshpaintsinc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshpaintsinc/
• Twitter: @freshpaintsinc

Image Credits
Andy Arens