Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Nienhuser.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My artistic career took off from a very young age, I’d always loved making things with my hands. My father would let me paint with him in our garage, make things with spare wood, and garden with him in the fair weather. My family was always a strong driving force for my art. My brothers and I were competitive, my grandmother and parents were patient. I was supplied with plenty of outlets to create. Whatever I did as a kid, I was working on creating.
I tried to communicate visually constantly, I suppose images came to me more easily than words. I was always moving as I was growing up, and from that came an introspection and isolation that made it really easy to explore creative endeavors. By the end of my high school era (Through the help of a few caring mentors) I knew I wanted to create art, but I didn’t really know what the real-world application was. I took some time off and began working various jobs to gather my thoughts.
In the end, I decided to go to art school. I went to Florida to attend Ringling College of Art and Design where I studied Illustration for four years. While there I met many mentors and friends that gave me guidance, it took a village really. I don’t think I ever came to the answer of my initial question of how to apply my love of art to a career.
However, I think my time spent there allowed me to ask important questions of what I wanted to make, what kind of images I felt were important to produce, and what kind of designs I felt were important for people to see. I sharpened my skills through four years of diligent study, but I also sharpened my ideas. While in school I began to explore the commercial applications of my work, I did freelance for video games, merchandising, and I even did work for galleries.
After school, I continued to freelance full-time for about a year. I worked obsessively to figure out how my love for drawing, painting, and storytelling could be a product that people would want to buy. (Company, consumer, or otherwise) I dipped my hand into several pots, I worked for Hasbro, RustyQuillGaming, and many more companies doing work for everything from concept art to illustration. While working for these companies, however, I constantly explored my own voice.
During the day, I’d send emails and work on client work, but at night I’d pursue my love of painting. It was always a balance of working for clients and working for myself. Now, I work as a concept artist at a studio here in North Texas, and when that’s done, I still pursue working for myself or for select clients. I spend my nights bent over my easel making paintings that I feel deeply for, my only hope is that others will feel that love in my work and that it will resonate with them in some way.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think there are very many smooth roads in life, most are covered in rocks and cow shit. I don’t know that I care to enumerate my struggles, but I guess the overarching theme has been a sense of isolation. I’ve always struggled with mental disorders. That coupled with constant moving and having very little money growing up I somehow felt very alone and very small.
But I think flowers do best growing in manure, so from this growing sense of isolation and lack of power I learned to find solace in myself and in my work. Now, there have been times where it’s been unbearable. I’ve been homeless, I’ve been without friends and family, and struggled very deeply with depression (so much so that I spent a period plagued by suicidal thoughts). No matter how abysmal my situation became though, I always had a desire to make art.
When everything else was gone, I still had my love of drawing and painting. I threw myself into my art wholeheartedly, and in my worst moments, I made work that fed on that sorrow. I extrude meaning and beauty from any pain that I feel so I don’t really feel self-pity or remorse for any tragedies that have occurred in my life.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Broadly, I work as a visual artist. Under that general term, I wear many hats. I paint, I do concept art and illustration as well as design. I specialize in visual storytelling and communication. Those themes are present whether it’s in my client work or the work I do for my personal paintings.
No matter the problem, I can come up with a visual solution. My passion and love of what I do is my biggest point of pride. I consider every aspect of my final image deeply when making work, and I believe that sets me apart from other artists.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the diversity. It’s odd because I feel like “Texas” is almost a loaded word, but I don’t think anyone outside of Dallas really understands Dallas.
It’s got so much to offer and every day can bring new and diverse experiences if you’re open to them! I can spend my morning on Lake Lewisville and then shortly be in The West End at any number of museums for the day, then end my night in Denton at a cozy bar.
I really do love the whole of DFW, and I still feel I have so much to explore. The only thing I have to complain about is the constant construction on I-35.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.zachnien.com/
- Phone: 2146620570
- Email: zachnien@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachnien/
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