Featured Illustrator

We're delighted to feature Avery Jepsen-Minyard this month. She has been our host this year for the in-person Portland Draw Together gatherings. Her illustrations are surprising, delightful, quirky, beautifully patterned and . . . bring out that wondering little one in all of us. Click the link below to view her Instagram site and then scroll through it - it's inspiring to see all the ideas she's generated by playing!

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How did you get started in illustration?

I credit Portland’s incredible IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) with reigniting my interest in narrative art. I completed their comics certificate program in 2015, which was one of the best decisions I ever made for my art practice! Drawing and inking comics by hand taught me so much about visual storytelling, drawing, and design - not to mention the value of a deadline! I delved into watercolor after finishing the comics program, which has been my medium of choice ever since. 

What is your background?

I grew up in Corvallis, Oregon, then moved to Portland for college and never left! I was lucky enough to be born to two artist parents, so there was no shortage of creative encouragement in my house growing up, but somewhere along the way my perfectionism got in the way of art-making and it took many years for me to return to it. One of the best parts of my day job at a mental health clinic is that I get to facilitate art sessions for patients in the intensive outpatient program, which often means reintroducing kids and adults to an imperfect and playful art practice!

What have you learned along the way? What tips can you share?

I feel like I’ll never stop learning about illustration - there is always more to be explored and attempted! I have also been known to get up on my soapbox during my art classes about good creative habits, so I’ll include a couple suggestions here:

1. You must be kind to yourself while making art, which is often easier said than done! As a perfectionist myself, I understand the temptation to let your inner critic in on the process too early (heaven forbid we make an imperfect sketch that no one will ever see - disaster!), but this can be so damaging to all the tender little ideas sprouting in your mind. So much of the illustration process happens in isolation, too, so you have to learn to keep yourself company in a supportive, not punitive, way.
2. Keep a sketchbook just for yourself, a really messy sketchbook that you can fill with scribbles and paint splatters just like you did when you were a kid. Play is really important for humans of every age, and if you tend to your more childish impulses and inclinations, that will absolutely shine through in your public-facing, finished work. 

How did your style and technique develop?

I like to say that watercolor is my collaborator, because I never quite know how my paint will behave! I've spent many years creating an illustration approach that is full of the things that bring me the most joy when I see them in the artwork of others: rich colors, strange textures, translucent layers, imaginary creatures, and soft lines. My love of fine art paintings (especially abstract expressionism) is matched only by my love of cartoons (Adventure Time!), so I think I'm always striving to make work that honors both of these worlds. 

What do you do when you get stuck or lose motivation to 'get back' to what you're working on?

One trick I’ve learned from working with watercolor is that I need to keep my momentum going while waiting for layers to dry! For this reason, I always have more than one painting going at a time, and if I need to loosen up I always return to my sketchbook. Looking at old sketchbook work, especially when I’m feeling uninspired, helps remind me that I have had compelling or funny art ideas before, and I’ll have them again!

Visit our past Featured Illustrators by clicking the member cards below.