Today we’d like to introduce you to Mickey Ardell.
Mickey, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always loved art and design and when I was young I was relatively good at drawing, however I never thought there was any future in it. As a result I went into web design and marketing which is comfortable but not very rewarding. Also due to a serious eye condition called Keratoconus I never had the ability to improve my skills and eventually had to take time off from work as my eyes deteriorated more and more.
However after four successful operations, the last being three years ago I felt like I had a new lease on life and started to really try and make a living as an illustrator and digital artist. This was a massive motivator as life was a lot easier and also I felt like I needed to make up for lost time.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My primary inspiration is the NBA and the sneaker inspired culture surrounding it. So I started making digital manipulations and more recently illustrations and posting to my Instagram account to try and drum up some interest. I don’t try to make anything too deep and just hope people like what I put out.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
I have a very supportive fiancée and try to keep in touch with friends when possible which helps to smother out the extrovert in me, so I don’t feel very lonely, but the nature of the work is very lonely so a good support base is important.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
The best way to support is to follow me on my Instagram account @mickeyardell. And if people like my stuff show it to other people.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickeyardell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickeyardell/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mickeyardell?lang=en
- Other: https://www.behance.net/mickeyardell
Image Credit:
Various illustrations and photo-manipulations.
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
