Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Ellen Western.
Hi Mary, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started drawing when I was a child, just like everybody else. I drew cats and my favorite characters such as the power puff girls and continued creating art from there. When I was in High School, we were planning the careers we would follow for our life, I was unsure if art was something I would want to do as work. I never wanted my passion to turn into something routine and mundane. Regardless of my efforts to look into something else to fund my very livelihood, I knew art was truly what I wanted to do.
I was the Sterling Scholar of Visual Arts in my High School, and with the scholarship granted to me through that program, I attended Southern Utah University’s Visual Arts program. I graduated with my BFA in Illustration from Southern Utah University in 2021. The cliché image of the “starving artist” has been something everyone has warned me about through the years. Many people have told me that I would be unable to find work and should do something more reliable, like Engineering. I have nothing against the field of engineering, but I know a few people who took up that field since it was a “sure job” and have become “starving engineers” themselves.
I looked at other artists who were where I wanted to be and asked myself, “Why not me?” There are many jobs and resources available to artists; I can fund my living off of my art because I have diligently sought them out. I’m finding more opportunities all the time allowing me to live more comfortably from creating my art. After graduating college, I have spent my time seeking out as many art opportunities as possible. Applying to many studios, freelance commission work, contract work, and selling original art at Art Fairs/Markets.
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?
Choosing to do art as a career has not been so much of a “smooth road” but more of a road trip. It’s scenic and smooth at times and rocky at others, but ultimately it’s quite long. When I started doing freelance Illustration I would spend hours on a piece of work that was only $15.
Many things contribute to the trials of choosing art as a career, but that’s just life. It’s important that even when it gets rough you continue onwards because it can always get better. I know I’ve had moments where I’ve considered changing to another profession because it was hard to see a way to live off of my art, but I’m glad that I didn’t.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do freelance Digital/Traditional Illustration. I cover many different styles and mediums, some of my favorites outside of digital art are gouache and ink.
I’m proud that I can make a living off of my art and I’m excited to see where it takes me. I’m not that different from any other talented artist out there. I wake up every day, work on art, and get to make great connections by doing so.
My motto is “You can make excuses, or you can make art.”
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
100 rejections and 1 yes pay more than not trying. The best advice I can give you for networking is just to reach out. It can become daunting to reach out to studios, businesses, and the like; but you’ve got to do it. The more I have reached out the easier it has become.
You really can be your worst enemy by not reaching out and making connections. Opportunities hardly ever seek you out, you need to be the one who makes the first move. Be sure not to wear your heart on your sleeve, just because someone has rejected you or your art doesn’t make it bad or make you a bad artist.
There are endless opportunities out there for networking, seek them out.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marzipan__art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-ellen-western-b58520212/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marzipan_art
- Other: https://maryellenart.carrd.co/
