We recently connected with Anelia Lazaroff Torres and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anelia, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
My love of art and design began as a child. My parents were both artists who nurtured that interest. I went on to study art at California State University Long Beach and earned a BFA in sculpture. Shortly after graduating from college, I taught myself to use Adobe Illustrator. At the time I was creating sculptures from flat cutouts assembled into 3 dimensional forms. They were hand cut from various sheet materials such as acrylic, steel and wood. My pieces looked handmade and imperfect. This certainly had its own charm but I wanted then to have a cleaner, sleeker look. In order to achieve the look I was after I would need to have the material I was working with machine cut, using processes such as laser or water jet cutting which require a digital file to work from. Although I initially learned Illustrator to enhance my work as a sculptor, I quickly fell in love with the program and all its possibilities. I branched out into illustration, surface pattern design, and jewelry design. I realized more and more that I like working across various disciplines and that drawing is the most essential skill tying my work together. Sometimes your work can take unexpected twists and turns. I don’t know that it’s always possible or necessary to speed up the learning process. I’m always looking to develop new skills as an artist and designer. The one obstacle that makes this challenging is finding the time to so. Aside from my work, my seven year old son keeps me very busy!
Anelia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a Los Angeles based artist and designer. I began working as an artist and fabricator at my family’s ceramic studio as a senior in high school. For over 25 years I have worked as a creative professional on a wide variety of projects in various disciplines. As well, I have been showing my personal artwork throughout Los Angeles and beyond since the early 2000s. I sell my art and design work on my website and I’m also available for commissions, collaborations, and licensing.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I’m very passionate about art and design and it makes me very happy to spend time on something that is truly meaningful to me.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I love art that is uplifting and communicates on an abstract, emotive, and sensual level. I always strive to achieve those things in my own work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aneliatorres.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anelialazarofftorres/
- Other: https://www.behance.net/aneliatorres
