Meet Annie Dunn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Dunn.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up across the street from an old small-town cemetery in northwestern Iowa. It made a convenient refuge, covered by shady trees, green grass, old stone monuments, and yes, dead people.

I walked down its gravel paths. I sat on its grass covered graves. I admired its old weathered headstones. I could even see the cemetery through the windows at night.

The dead became my friendly neighborhood skeletons, always there as a backdrop during my formative years. While they watched and waited, I fell in love with cats, and books, and did a fair amount of doodling during school. Those first loves have always stayed with me, and when I finally returned to drawing, the skeletons started to come back to life. The cats, for their part, never left.

Please tell us about your art.
I create artwork with freehand digital painting. This means that I use a drawing tablet and stylus connected to a workstation. The classification of style can get murky, but with my emphasis on color, light, and humor, I usually describe my style as Dia de los Muertos crossed with a copy of the Sunday funnies.

My favorite topics are curiously cognizant cats and skeletons, most often residing in shadowy forests, lively graveyards, or under starry night skies. When indoors, they are likely to have stacks of books and dripping candles. Basically, it’s an introvert’s paradise.

The characters in my paintings are self-aware but not the least bit self-conscious. They go about their business with no apologies to anyone who thinks they might be strange. I myself haven’t mastered that skill yet. The really useful thing about skeletons though is that they can represent pretty much anyone, including oneself. That makes it incredibly easy for people to find their own meaning in my artwork.

Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Artists take on such a wide range of roles, I find it nearly impossible to define. So, I wouldn’t say that our roles have changed from one thing to another, but rather that artists have a part in almost everything.

I do have one particular cause though that drives my work, and that’s to stop the killing of cats and kittens in shelters. I donate work to cat rescue fundraisers whenever possible, and also try to keep cats out of shelters by promoting online adoptions through CowCats.com.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
At Chaos in Color I have art prints for sale in the form of limited edition wall art, metal bookmarks, note cards, and clothing. Find your favorite piece at https://chaosincolor.com/.

I also post new artwork every week at Patreon. This is a great way to show support because the artwork is all digital, which is about as eco-friendly as you can get. Become a patron at http://catsofchaos.com.

Announcements for live shows go out through email. You can subscribe at http://eepurl.com/bHsfZf (that’s a Mailchimp url).

You can also follow my work on social media at https://www.facebook.com/chaosincolor/ and https://www.instagram.com/chaosincolor/.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chaosincolor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaosincolor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chaosincolor/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChaosInColor
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/CatsOfChaos

Image Credit:
vanAnnies

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