Today we’d like to introduce you to Anastasia Tillman
Hi Anastasia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Art has always been a part of who I am. I am a ballet dancer and visual artist.
I have always loved to draw. Some of my earliest memories were of me waking up in the morning and grabbing a pen and paper to draw what came to mind.
I’ve had many wonderful teachers along the way. My first art lessons were at age 6 with Anne Royer, who taught me the basics. I was introduced to multiple media like charcoal, pastels, and acrylic paint. As for genres, I studied mostly still life, abstract patterns, and impressionist art.
Kathryn Petroff taught me the importance of proportion, shading, and introduced me to oils. She is one of the most talented oil painters I know.
From there I chose to focus on pencil art to refine my skills in portraiture with Jason Kinney, who is a very skilled photorealistic pencil artist. He also gave me a taste of Dallas art show scene. I displayed my work at the ArtLoveMagic’s Girl Show and Art and Coffee shows.
Along my artistic journey, I discovered a love for colored pencils as well. Linda Lucas Hardy greatly expanded my knowledge of the world of colored pencil. Prior to her, I had very limited experience with the medium. Even now every time I work with colored pencils, I learn something new.
Lastly, I had the privilege of attending a few of the late Frank Covino’s Renaissance oil painting workshops where I learned all the intricate steps involved in producing an oil painting as a master during the renaissance period would. He had all the students create copies of famous paintings to hone our skills. I have a great admiration and appreciation for this style of art and hope to continue to create more oil paintings of that style.
Now I accept mostly graphite and colored pencil drawing commissions. I also enjoy collaborating with other artists in the area to incorporate my art. My dear friend Sophie Williams and I put my art on her ballet skirts for her dance wear line Aurora Skirts. My goal is to do more collaborations like that in the future.
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 can’t complain. I have had great support and guidance from my family and the many different teachers along my artistic journey.
Since I am also a professional ballet dancer, my art work has often been a secondary focus in my life and I regret not dedicating as much time and resources to my art as I did to ballet.
From a creative perspective, what I found to be difficult was choosing a direction I wanted my artistic vision to follow. I’m still trying to find my unique style. I like to mix different media together. That is something I’m experimenting with.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My primary vocation at the moment is dancing professionally with Texas Ballet Theater. I perform four main productions a season with the company as well as participate in guesting and freelance productions with other local companies in the DFW area.
For visual art, my main focus right now is private commissions. Most of my drawing orders are portraits of families or pets. I also have drawn cars, space ships, celebrities, and lately, graphic designs or logos for businesses. I really enjoy commission work because it broadens my experience in different types of art.
I would like to say when it comes to my drawing style, I’m most known for photo realistic portraiture. It is the type of drawing and painting I’m most proud of and enjoy creating.
I think what sets me apart from others is my multifaceted artistic skills. I’m a dancer as well as a visual artist. I would like to meld these two sides of myself together by doing more dance and art collaborations.
What are your plans for the future?
The art world is very interconnected. I love meeting new artists at different events and shows whether that be dance and musical performances or visual art shows.
My goal is to make more collaborations with other artists in the area.
I would like to attend more art shows in the future and hopefully one day display my art in a gallery and host my own show.
I may have another collaboration in the making with a fellow dancer that I’m excited for!
Pricing:
- 9×12 graphite drawing $300/ colored pencil drawing $375
- 11×14 graphite drawing $400/ colored pencil drawing $475
- 14×17 graphite drawing $500/ colored pencil drawing $575
- Larger sized drawings are considered custom orders with price negotiations
- Oil/acrylic/watercolor paintings are also considered custom orders and may range anywhere from $600-$2,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://givinggodglory.org/art/art-home
- Instagram: @stasiclaire
- Facebook: Anastasia Tillman
- Twitter: @StasiTillman
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lovesballet7?si=urN9q-pjNHA8mChO
Image Credits
Jason Kinney
Alfred Lockwood
