Featured Artist: NonaGallery
NonaGallery‘s designs are a window into “the diverse and beautiful forms [that] humans come in, and the stories they each create.” Her colorful designs reveal an intimate glance into a person’s life. Her art portays private moments like when a young girl dreams about becoming an astronaut, or a warrior quietly prepares for battle.
NonaGallery, or Nona, is from Liverpool, England and she jokes that in addition to painting, drawing, and traveling, she also considers “napping” one of her greatest pastimes. She believes that the purpose of art is “to make something that doesn't already exist” and then share it with the world. She looks to folk tales, myths, and cultural traditions for inspiration; her illustrations delve into the secret world of her characters.
Nona’s artistic career took a hiatus after she left school; she describes that her style is in its “infancy” and that she is still looking for “what works” best for her. She reminds fellow artists that they must not compare themselves with others and to always remember “you are improving and there are people out there who love what you create.”
She confesses that she is a "redoer" and that she often returns to an already completed work to “redo and improve it.” She admits that her desire to redo art can be stifling because it prevents her from moving on and working on something new. Nonetheless, she looks to the future and is excited to pursue new passions and artistic goals. In fact, she hopes to one day write a graphic novel and pair her art with one of her own stories. She also hopes to master oil painting and finish her “greatest accomplishment” or an oil painting for her family. However, her most fervent hope for the future is to be able to pursue art as a career.