Art & Life with Alicia VanNoy Call

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia VanNoy Call.

Alicia, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started painting professionally in 2001. I was self-taught, developing my brand locally while trying to figure out how to take advantage of the internet, which still felt relatively new. I worked with a lot of Phoenix animal rescues, and eventually more rescues outside of my area. I did a lot of adoption and pet-related events when the weather was nice. I would set up my booth and my easel and paint. Initially, my clientele were all local, but over time, as the internet became easier to use, by the majority of my clientele shifted to outside of the state. I went to Utah for art school starting in 2008 and graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Illustration in 2013. When I first started painting, I had young children and did it when I had time. Now, I work on DawgArt full time and also work with rescues and sanctuaries to help raise money for animals in need.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make animal-centric paintings on canvas, rendered in colors inspired by the Desert Southwest. I sketch the subject onto the canvas and then paint it traditionally in acrylics. I paint animals because they have such pure energy. They make people happy, and that’s the point of my work, to make people happy. There’s so much craziness in the world. I want my art to be a place where people can lose themselves in color and the dynamic wholesome energy of animals. I love having gallery shows and seeing people come into space with instant smiles, just overwhelmed with color and happiness. I take commissions for custom artwork, and I take it as a challenge with every painting, to capture the soul of the animal on canvas.

What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or art, regarding meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
Art can be a very solitary practice. We are at our easel or potter’s wheel or typewriter, building things that grow from our minds. I’m very isolated as an artist. I suffer from a mental illness and go through phases where I don’t want to be very social. But sometimes I want to be very social. I went to art school in Utah, and all of my art friends are still there, So that can be difficult. For me, the Internet has been a godsend. When I’m feeling lonely, I’ll do a live stream painting, and my followers on Facebook will come and watch and talk to me. But it would be really nice to find some artist friends here! My advice is not to be afraid to reach out to people, start conversations, and be yourself.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can see original pieces on display at Pete & Mac’s Pet Resort in Gilbert, Happy Pets’ Palace in Mesa, and Carefree Pet Resort.

The best way to support my work, besides purchasing a painting, is to follow me on social media, share with your friends, and engage with my accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.dawgart.com
• Phone: 801-360-1906 (text only)
• Email: dawgart.info@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dawgpainter
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/dawgart
• Twitter: Www.twitter.com/dawgpainter
• Other: Www.dawgpainter.etsy.com

Image Credit:
Photo of me hanging the paintings on the wall taken by Ally Hinton.

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