Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was in 7th grade, I was randomly put into an art class at school. I had never considered myself as someone who was artistically inclined, I would always hide all my drawings in elementary school so no one could see them because I was so embarrassed. My new art teacher was extremely gracious and taught us the correct way to draw. From there, I kept signing up for her other art classes, and one semester she entered my drawing in a student art exhibition in Costa Mesa. She was the first person to believe in my art. I kept enrolling in art classes throughout high school and college. Even though my major was psychology, I liked keeping art as my fun little side hobby. One day, in early 2017, I had a mind-opening experience. I took out all my sketchbooks and laid them out in front of me. I felt like I was seeing my art from new eyes. My ego had been broken down and I could for once see how talented I actually was. I had never really believed in myself before that day. I knew I had to start taking my art seriously and started painting every day. Since then, I have thrown my own art show in downtown Los Angeles, participated in art shows in Orange County, Las Vegas, and New York, and started my own business selling prints and other merchandise with my art on it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. I’ve invested money in things for my business that never paid off, I’ve gone months at a time at some points with no sales, I’ve been scammed into paying for vendor fees for events that never happened. There have been several setbacks and moments of doubt, especially because the path I have chosen for myself is so unpredictable. However, I feel like for every set back there has been, there have also been five more doors that have opened for me. It has been hard remaining positive through COVID-19 because everything is so stagnant, but I know there are always new opportunities to be unlocked.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently do mixed media pieces on wood, using acrylic paint and colored pencil. I love the way that the smoothness of the paint contrasts against the fine details of colored pencils. I am known for using bright colors in my pieces, especially pink, but I have been straying away from that recently and opting for a more muted color palette. I am currently enjoying the calming feeling of neutral colors, they make my mind feel more at ease. I am most proud of my progress as an artist. I look at my earlier pieces, which had a more pop art feel to them, compared to my current drawings, which are more realistic in form and stylization. My new pieces are also more rich in depth, utilizing the contrast in light and dark (chiaroscuro) to draw in the eye. They have also gotten better because I took a figure drawing class last year, so I no longer have to do just forward-facing portraits. My characters are able to convey attitude and emotion through their bodies as well as their facial expression.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I think I was always a sweet kid. I definitely had a little bit of an attitude, and I always wanted to be independent. That was such a struggle for my parents and I because I was their first-born and a girl. I wanted so badly to do everything by myself, to go places without my mommy having to hold my hand, but my parents just wanted to protect me. I think that has translated into my adulthood because I still do have that strong need for independence. I just want to be free, to go wherever I want whenever I want, with no one holding me back. I like to think of myself as a bit of a wanderer. As far as interests go, I don’t think I had many other than art. I swam in high school and tried out a various number of other sports. I never stuck to any of them, because to be honest, I didn’t care. I think that had to do with my will to be free. I already hated having to spend 8 hours a day in school and then to have a more rigid structure after school was too much for me. I was always interested in fashion and makeup, but I think that kind of goes along with art and creative expression. I used to draw little outfits and pretend I was a fashion designer on project runway.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: lilangellu.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilangellu/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilangellu
Image Credits
Bryan La Katie Ann O’Keefe
