Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Bugbee.
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?
I have always been interested in art, drawing all the time as a kid. I studied printmaking in college and loved it. I started at the University of Oregon and ended up transferring to NYU where I finished my undergrad degree. After college I got a job at a fine art screenprinting studio in Brooklyn, where I worked for three years. I learned so much about screenprinting there and gained a lot of valuable experience.
After living in New York City for six years, I took some time off to travel and participate as the studio assistant for different craft school workshops in Colorado, North Carolina and Maine. I ended up settling in Salt Lake City, where I worked at Red Butte Gardens, and as a landscape designer before transitioning into doing art full time.
Selling my work at the downtown farmer’s market at Pioneer Park is what really launched my business and enabled me to be a full time artist. I started selling my work there in 2021 and have been steadily growing since then!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest struggles has been finding good work/life balance and being a nice boss to myself. I was a mean boss in the beginning and it wasn’t fun. I had to learn how to set realistic expectations for myself and not overwork myself to avoid burnout. When you run your own business you don’t really get the feeling of “clocking out” at the end of the day and forgetting about work stressors. Your brain is always running overtime and thinking of what’s coming next. So it’s been a challenge to set boundaries for myself and allow time to rest and recharge in between busy seasons.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in illustration, screenprinting and textile dyeing. I also do some relief printing and cyanotypes. I make prints on paper and fabric- functional art to display in your home or bring on the trail with you.
I dye everything with fiber-reactive dye at home in my washing machine. I spend a lot of time choosing the colors that go well together and finessing formulas for the powdered dye to get just the ride shade. I do all of the screenprinting at Saltgrass printmakers, a member-based printmaking studio downtown.
My work features local wildflowers, pollinators, and mountain scenes inspired by my adventures in the Wasatch and beyond. I am inspired by geology, ecology, meteorology, and the intricate systems at play in our world. A lot of my work is educational, with the names of the plants, animals, clouds, or mountains included on the piece. I aim create accessible art that connects people with the nature around them.
I do my best to make all of my illustrations botanically and geographically accurate. I spend a lot of time choosing which species to draw and figuring out how to accurately represent them. I think one of the things that sets me apart from others is how locally specific my work is. People have a strong connection to the outdoors in Utah, there is so much beauty and biodiversity here, so finding something that speaks to that relationship is important. In a world that is becoming increasingly globalized and homogenous it’s meaningful to own something that has the exact same kind of flower or bird you have seen on your favorite hike.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://annabugbee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annabugbeestudio/
Image Credits
Lizzy Myers
