Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Bennett.
Hi Devon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Absolutely! I’ve been doing art most of my life, off and on. Some of my earliest memories are drawing with my mom. I vividly remember taking a wide variety of art classes throughout my childhood and all the way through college, though I didn’t major in art. I’ve taken lots of different classes, including drawing, color theory, ceramics, colored pencil… so many styles. Then after college, I just stopped drawing. I thought I had to “grow up and get a real job” and so I did. Fast forward 7 years and I realized I’d lost sight of the things in life that I value most, especially colored pencil art. I spent most of 2021 reevaluating my career and near the end of the year made the leap to pursue art full time. Scary, but worth it so far!
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?
No, it’s taken me some time to uncover what I want my career path to be, although I’ve always loved art. I think what I struggle with the most right now is having left a good corporate job to pursue my drawing passion. But the thing is that we can’t always know “what we want to be when we grow up” when we leave high school or college. It takes time and effort, as well as passion and perseverance, to choose a career path. It doesn’t have to be a straight road. And who knows where my drawing career will take me? I feel like I’m at the beginning of this career and I’m excited to see where it leads.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a colored pencil and ink artist. Right now, I specialize in creating repeating patterns for fabric and creating art for merchandise (think t-shirts, home decor products, mugs, etc.).
My style is one thing that sets me apart from other artists. I think many colored pencil artists have a very photorealistic style, which is gorgeous, but I tend to work in a somewhat cartoon-inspired style. I’m highly influenced by newspaper comic strips and picture books from my childhood. Nature is my other big influence, especially since I grew up in Colorado and spent a lot of time outside. Embracing my not-entirely-realistic style has really set me on the path to loving my work, instead of feeling like it doesn’t measure up to a photograph.
Another thing that sets me apart from other artists, especially those creating repeating patterns, is that I don’t draw my work digitally. Instead, I draw everything using old-fashioned colored pencils, ink, and paper, then scan those drawings, digitally cut them out, and arrange the elements into a repeating pattern. I like working this way because I think I capture the pencil strokes and the handmade quality of the elements that make up the pattern better than if I drew the entire thing on the computer.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I don’t really have a mentor, but when it comes to networking, I think my best advice would be to be yourself. Be open about what you love to make and don’t be afraid to show pride in your work, even if you think you’re not a master at your craft yet. In my experience, art is a journey of continual improvement and trial and error. No matter where you are in your artist journey, you’re showing up, making art, and pushing your own boundaries. That makes you an artist. You should be proud of that and own your journey, especially in a networking setting.
Pricing:
- Classic T-shirt – $20.59
- Stickers – from $1.29
- 1 yard of cotton fabric – $19.00
- 1 yard of recycled canvas fabric – $34.00
- Patreon membership – from $3.00
Contact Info:
- Email: devon.wallis@gmail.com
- Website: Shop Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/pencilsnparsley/shop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pencilsnparsley/
- Patreon URL: Patreon URL: https://www.patreon.com/pencilsnparsley
- Other: Shop Spoonflower (fabric): https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/pencilsnparsley
Image Credits
Christopher Bennett
Devon Bennett
