Arena Artist Spotlight ~ November ~ Celebrating YOU!

[Griffin]

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the MLP Arena and our wonderful community of pony fans, we’re introducing a monthly artist spotlight! The idea is to showcase the variety of artistic talent and craftsmanship our members bring to this board for our enjoyment, and to get to know the artists behind their work. We hope you enjoy these features!


For this month, I decided to try something different - I want to feature YOU!

(This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I failed to ask someone early enough )


That's right, please post your artwork in this thread. Anything goes, old, new, pony, non-pony. Of course, I would love to see pieces that you are particularly proud of, and maybe say a few words about them. Feel free to also tell something about your artistic journey. If you like, you can fill in the interview questionnaire, or pick your own selection of questions to answer:

What kind of art and/or crafts do you do? {Pony / non-pony? Materials, media, crafts?}
When did you first become interested in art and/or crafts? What brought you into MLP art in particular?
Has your style, preferred media etc. changed along the way?
In what ways has your art improved over time? Where do you still see room for improvement?
What is your goal for this year (or 12 months from now)? {For example, are you planning to try a new medium or craft, participate in a swap/trade, improve a particular skill, make art more regularly, start taking commissions, etc.}
What would you like to say to new, aspiring pony artists or someone who is still looking for encouragement to share their artwork?

Thank you for showcasing your work!

[BlackCurtains]

Neat. I'll do this

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Some of my pony customs. I've made a lot over the years. These three are some of my favorites.
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Some needle felted sheep!
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I make miniatures too.
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And the occasional sculpture.

What kind of art and/or crafts do you do?
Customizing ponies has been my main thing for a long time now. I've also been making miniatures for several years and picked up needle felting about 3 years ago. I also like to paint and have made some large paintings for my mom. I usually paint landscapes or animals. I've dabbled a bit with digital art in Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint. Crafting things; cards, decorations, DIY kits, etc. is something else I like to do.

When did you first become interested in art and/or crafts? I was drawing before I could talk. When I learned how to read and write I loved making stories with animals and I was heavily influenced by Aesop's Fables. I also loved PlayDoh and started my sculpting journey very early. What brought you into MLP art in particular? It was a custom Pyramid Head pony from the game Silent Hill. I thought it was awesome and started researching pony customs. I found the MLP Arena that way and my very first post was asking about rare ponies that shouldn't be customized. Not long after that I made my first custom from a fakie baby.

Has your style, preferred media etc. changed along the way? I learned that I much prefer working with polymer clay than epoxy clays. When I first started pony customs, I made mostly dark or creepy ponies. Over the years I have opened up to doing more elegant designs. The way I paint has changed. I basically unlearned what I knew and started looking at professional tutorials and following along. I'd like to do the same with pencil drawings but haven't started yet.

In what ways has your art improved over time? Well, learning from experience for one. I really like to experiment and try new techniques. There have been a lot of failures As I mentioned above, watching tutorials from experts has helped me improve almost everything I do. It never stops, learning how to be better. Where do you still see room for improvement? Honestly? Everything. I know I can be a better customizer, a better painter, a better sculptor. I'm never entirely happy with the things I make, the perfectionist's curse. I'm always striving to do better with every new thing I make.

What is your goal for this year (or 12 months from now)? I want to take a break from ponies and focus on miniatures again. I'd like to open an Etsy shop with my minis. I want to practice sculpting realistic mini animals and start making furniture.

What would you like to say to new, aspiring pony artists or someone who is still looking for encouragement to share their artwork? Just go for it! Learn by doing. The old practice makes perfect is still the best advice. Never be too scared or ashamed to share your artwork. Will everyone love it? No. But someone will

[Griffin]

Thanks, BC - I love how versatile your work is! And loved reading your replies to the questions, too.

Let's see more, please! Don't hesitate to join in, everyone, even if you consider yourself a beginner