March 01, 2021

Vanessa Stanger

Vanessa Stanger is a 21-year-old Filipina entrepreneur and creator based in Nevada. Vanessa is an aspiring artist who also runs successful small businesses in photography and jewelry in Nevada. She is a strong believer that true success only comes from doing what you love, and that is what she is here to do.

You can support Vanessa and her work by checking out her shop and following her social media:

Twitter: artbystanger

Instagram: artbystanger

Website: artbystanger.com

How would you describe your work to someone you just met?

Versatility runs through many aspects of my life, but it is most apparent in my artwork. I customize shoes, paint with oils and acrylics, draw with graphites, and create digital art. My art portfolio reflects my ability to easily adapt to different mediums and styles, however I would say that my true niche in art is realism; more specifically realistic portraiture. I have always been fascinated with the unique beauty that comes with ones’ face and I hope that this passion for creating realistic portraits will soon become my one and only focus in art.

Do you have a certain routine that you follow when creating?

I believe that I am a perfectionist and a routine is necessary for me in order to produce artwork that I am happy with. Most of my routine is mental preparation and planning. Other parts of my routine involve things like: eating before I begin, cleaning my room, cleaning my brushes and having them laid out to my right, letting the people in my household know that I'm going to be creating so they know that I do not wish to be bothered, making sure that my TV is off and my phone is on Do Not Disturb, I do not like having any distractions (this includes listening to music), and being dressed in comfortable clothing.

Who or what are your biggest influences?

I would say that one of my biggest influences is the idea of becoming successful. Like I mentioned in my introduction, true success comes from doing what you love. To me, being successful isn't necessarily about the money or materialistic aspects of things but also being happy with who I am and what I do. If I am able to spend the rest of my life creating art while living comfortable financially then I know I've hit success. This idea of success is what pushes me to work on developing my skill and step out of my comfort zones. Another big influence of mine is an artist who's Instagram page I came across named Bryce Cobbs. This was during my break from art and when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. He is also an artist who expresses his versatility through art, who I admire very much. I was awe-struck when I came across his page and saw all the beautiful artwork he created. It inspired me to start creating again and hope to eventually have the same effect on someone who comes across my work.

What boundaries are you currently trying to break for yourself in relations to art?

There is definitely one thing that I struggle with as an artist and that's trying not to overwork myself. Last year, I had a really hard time turning down potential customers which led to what felt like a never-ending commission list. I love working and staying busy but there have been times where I've had so many commissions and orders to work on that I didn't even have time to breathe. It eventually led to burnout and art block which I believe is still affecting me to this day. I've been doing a lot better at letting my customers know that my commissions are closed and I've definitely noticed a difference in my mental and emotional health. However, I feel like this might start up some laziness and procrastination so I do need to find a good balance between staying busy and having some time to myself.

Do you have any projects that you are excited about?

I recently decided that I wanted to create a “Black Beauty” digital art series and I'm currently working on the first piece. I'm honestly so excited to be working on this series because I will be able to focus on personal work like growing my skill in realistic portraiture while also exploring and experimenting with different forms of art that will allow me to create my own signature style. I want to be able to share my appreciation for the Black community through my art and try my best to portray the incomparable beauty that is their skin color.