Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Olstrup.
Hi Abigail, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My name is Abigail Olstrup, and I’m a 19-year-old portrait and pet portrait artist based in DFW. Art has truly become my whole life; from working as a freelance artist to teaching after-school art and offering private art lessons to kids, everything I do somehow revolves around art.
I’ve had a passion for art for as long as I can remember. I can recall the many times at a young age that my dad would sit me down and encourage me to draw random pictures, have me fill it in with color, or replicate a sketch of his. Following this, I would draw whatever seemed to be on my mind at the time, whether that be a drawing of a scene from a Lady Gaga music video to a portrait of a client visiting my parents’ office. After it became quite apparent to my parents and I that this was something I enjoyed and wanted to continue working on, I was enrolled in an after-school art class at a local studio where I was able to learn more about art and discover which medium of art I gravitate towards. I eventually parted ways with this studio and began on my own artistic journey.
Since starting on this journey, I have focused on taking commissions, setting up at local events, and creating artwork that I am passionate about. I have been fortunate enough to have met so many incredible creatives at these events and have worked with amazing clients to create unique pieces for them. The local markets I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of have truly created such a welcoming environment for me, and really encourage the idea of “shopping small” from the local artisans set up at their events. Two markets in particular that I have worked with that have truly gone out of their way to spotlight local artists are Midcities Community Market and Horror Freak/Little Plank Vintage Markets. Midcities Community Market really does bring the community together with their markets/themed events and truly want to see their vendors succeed. Horror Freak/Little Plank Vintage Markets allow artists to be themselves and display all forms of art while creating a tight-knit community of customers and creatives.
Outside of selling and creating my own art, I also teach an after-school art class for kids, as well as offer private art lessons on the weekends. Working with kids as young as 4 offers me a glimpse of what I was like as a young artist and what creativity looks like at that age. I hope to teach these kids that art is an outlet for them, no matter what they choose to do in life, at the end of the day, they can always sit down with a pen, pencil, or paintbrush and express their emotions on a piece of paper rather than have to bottle it up within themselves. I want these kids to know that art is a judgment-free zone; it has no right or wrong, there is only what you choose to create and how you choose to create it. I like to say that everyone has their own unique style, even if that style is a stick figure, that is YOUR style.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say I’ve been pretty fortunate in my journey with art and have had a relatively smooth road, but as with most artists, I struggle with the occasional bout of burn out. It’s not always easy to create new pieces and remain passionate about my artwork. It’s truly defeating when you feel as though you have nothing to draw inspiration from, and “starting” new pieces of art never gets past the stage of being a blank sheet of paper. I have often compared myself to other artists and wondered how they are consistently able to create new, unique pieces of art seemingly without being burnt out. I have since come to the realization that everyone’s artistic journey is different, and everyone experiences burnout in a different way.
In my opinion, there is no magic solution to burn out, you kinda just have to ride through the cycle and eventually there will be something that’ll inspire you enough to want to create. I have learned that forcing myself to be creative leads to pieces that I am not proud of, whereas accepting and allowing any form of creativity to strike me ends in pieces of art that I am proud of and relate to my life at the time in one way or another.
For any artist that is struggling with burnout, know that it is ok to experience this. Accept that you are having a period in your journey with art where you need to take a breath and evaluate what creativity means to you and what it is around you that inspires you and your art daily. We all have a reason for why we paint or why we create what we create; although we might not have the answer to this “why,” we all have a reason to do it. I don’t think the answer should be seeked out, instead, I believe that as long as we realize that there is a purpose to what we are doing we will be able to continue to create, and at some point in time the answer of “why” might just become clear.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After trying out many art forms, styles, and mediums, I have decided to focus my artwork on watercolor portraits and pet portraits. I refer to my artwork as being “pop culture influenced,” as most of my art is inspired by current events and people. A goal of mine when creating artwork is making it as close to realistic as possible. I know I have accomplished my goal when people are able to easily recognize who or what I have painted.
I most commonly get commissioned to paint pet portraits, usually of pets who have crossed over the rainbow bridge. I feel extremely honored that people trust me to paint this memorial piece for themselves or a friend of such an important family member. I love capturing the pet’s personality while creating a soft, flowing background to allow all of the focus to be placed on the pet.
In the past year, I have worked to expand the items in which my artwork can be painted and printed on. I have partnered with Moose and Weasel, a local printing company, who has worked with me to print my art on mugs, bags, earrings, and keychains. For the holiday season, I hand painted on ornaments, this included scenes and characters from classic holiday films as well as custom pet portraits. I plan to continue experimenting with new items to print and paint on.
I am at a point in my creative career where I am proud of the work I create, and I am able to paint pieces of art without being told how to do it or that I need to do it a certain way. Though my artwork might not be to everyone’s taste, I have come to realize that not everyone is going to be a fan of my work, and that is ok. Going back to what I said earlier, everyone has their own unique style, and there will always be someone out there who will enjoy this unique style.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I don’t believe that I learned any interesting or important lessons about my art due to the Covid-19 crisis, I rather learned more about myself during this time of isolation
As with most people during this crisis, while being stuck at home alone with my thoughts was a dark and lonely place, it was also a time for self-reflection. With minimal distractions, the things I had previously pushed down and bottled within myself were brought to the forefront of my mind. Though these thoughts are not fun to think about, they are important to be aware of. By becoming aware of these thoughts, I was able to discover things about myself that have allowed me to grow as a person. I view myself, others, and the world around me in a new way. I realized that I thrive on social connection and that I need socialization to feel content while also being cautious of who I bring into my life.
I truly don’t remember who I was before the Covid-19 crisis, but what I do know is that I am a vastly different person now than I was then.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083048056423
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/apopofcolors_
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@apopofcolors_
