FairyGuide Exclusive Giveaway & Savings! Update: Congrats to GratitudeGirls for winning! The right answer was French Fries, but she was the first to respond to our Twitter update promising the prize to the first response. Guess Christina Lynn Myer's favorite food in the comments section and win a Cupcake Fairy print! Plus, mention "fairyguide" in the notes section of your Hearts A-Flutter Etsy purchase for 10% off.

Christina Lynn Myers creates fantasy artwork so intricate, vivid, and exotic, I can't help but stare, trying to work out all the swirling lines and colors. Each piece visually assaults my eyes, demanding my attention. Wanting to learn more about the details of her work, I contacted Myers for an interview, to which Myers most kindly agreed, and which you can read below. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom for an exclusive discount and for a chance to win a free fairy print!

Interview

• Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Orlando, Florida in 1974. My family and I then moved to Ormond Beach, Florida when I was 13 years old. I stayed there until I left for college. I started drawing when I was just a little kid, I participated in art class in high school and from there went on to win a scholarship from the Daytona Beach Art League in order to study art at my local community college. After studying at my local college I wanted to further my study in art. I decided to apply to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga. I applied for another scholarship, since art school is very expensive and was lucky enough to be given the Presidential scholarship. This is given out to a few students each year by the President of the College.


Image © Christina Lynn Myers

After attending SCAD for a few years, I was feeling stifled by the course study. I needed a little more freedom available to maintain my creativity and found a different college to attend that was opening a small campus in Savannah at the time. I decided to transfer to the School of Visual Arts Savannah, their main campus is in New York City and they have been around for years. It is a highly respected art school and I loved every minute of attending. I studied there for right around a year and a half, as a fine arts major. School of Visual Arts was being forced out of town by SCAD and the President of the College decided that they would be shutting down the campus. All students that were attending would have to move up to NYC and attend classes at the main campus. Art schools cost thousands of dollars to attend, and I didn't think I would be able to afford NYC at the time. So at that point I decided to take everything that I learned and study on my own and I have been studying on my own ever since.

• What got you into drawing/painting? What happened? What sparked?

I have been drawing since I was small, I would draw on just about anything.. but I never drew on the walls. At home I would draw on paper or on a giant chalkboard that we had. On trips or in the car, I was addicted to my magna doodle. At my grandparents house, my grandfather would always color with me, we would work on the same picture together. He would color in circles not back and forth like most people do.

I remember that sparking the idea in me, that maybe there were several different ways to color things. I remember the first few things that I was really proud of that I drew. I was just starting to realize that I wasn't too bad at drawing, maybe around 7 years old or so. Before then I wasn't drawing to get better consciously, I was drawing only to have fun. One day I was at the after-school program in Elementary school and there was a boy much older then me, he was in six grade. He was sitting at the table drawing a giant very cute raccoon from one of the popular children's illustrations from the 70's/early 80's... the name escapes me.. I remember everyone looking at his work and saying how good it was.. I thought to myself I could draw that, and from that point on I still drew for fun, but tried a lot harder to get better and better. That was pretty much a turning point for me.


Image © Christina Lynn Myers
• What draws you to the fantasy genre? What draws you to fairies?

Fantasy is a love that I have had ever since I was a kid as well. One of the first drawings I was really proud of was a pencil drawn unicorn I did on notebook paper. I was so proud of it that I hung it on my wall right beside my door, so I could admire my hard work every time I walked out the door. As a kid I was really proud of that ;0) I am a huge winged creature fan. That includes angels as well. Fairies are fun, because they can easily be displayed with such a wide range of emotions ranging from hope to despair. I also love their whimsical quality... I am very into whimsy.

• You create such exotic and bright paintings. Where do you get your ideas
  from? What goes into the physical creation of your work?

Well, a lot of times an idea will just pop inside my head, I have no idea why. Then I just sketch out or research the details. Sometimes I will get a deliberate idea that I have consciously come up with and I plan it out piece by piece in a sketch. My motivation as an artist is to invoke a sense of happiness in each individual that sees one of my pieces. I put a lot of time, work and love into each one of my originals. A common theme in my work is Good and evil.. angels and devils. My work is based on the power that love can bring. That is why normally you will see elements that depict good overcoming evil. Popular culture is also a large influence in my art.


Image © Christina Lynn Myers

My work is often not followed as much by guys, but more often is followed by girls. My images are very girl-centric with bows, ribbons, hearts, and flowers and on occasion I throw in a nice pink bowed punk rock skull. These childlike elements that I include help me to remember why I started to draw as a kid, and include all the things that I love about being a girl. And, being happy with what God has made me. As for the color aspect of my work, I love color and I frequently hear the comment that my art is vibrant, colorful and rich. I think its all in the way that I see things, for some reason I prefer highly saturated, brightly colored art. I think you can still create a dark piece without muddying the colors.. I do mix my color but I try to minimize how much that I alter it, thus preserving the beauty of the color.. I use two different sorts of mediums when I paint. I either use watercolors, pen and ink, or liquid acrylics on canvas or any surface really. I enjoy the having the ability to switch back and forth in the mediums, so I never get bored.

• How would you describe your style?

My style is I would say one word. Eclectic.

My art is based on 70's/80's kid art with a girlie skate-punk/rock flair, a nod to pop culture with an outsider art/surrealist slant. As well as a whimsical respect for the work of the old Masters. I have been influenced in some form and look up to the following painters; Matisse, Bosch, Michelangelo, Dali, Dr. Seuss, Warhol, and the great creator himself, God..just to name a few.. all so different, but all very beautiful.


Image © Christina Lynn Myers
• Your pins are the cutest! Do you make them? How did you get the idea?

The first few batches I had made for me. I recently have bought my own button maker and will be making several of the items myself, instead of outsourcing. I got the idea when a few other artists I know decided to offer their art on pins. I thought it would be a good fit for my art, and so the rest is history.

• To what can we look forward in the future with your art?

Well, its always an evolving process, but most of all I just want to keep painting, creating new work. Really getting my art out there and becoming a little more well known and established, building my base, marketing, painting, building relationships. You can expect me to consistently be reaching to become the best me that I can be.. that goes for painting and for me internally. One definitely affects the other, it takes a lot of focus to be an artist and then to attempt to be successful at it. I will always be striving to hit the perfect balance.

Official site
http://www.christinalynnmyers.com

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/sunkitty7

Etsy
http://www.sunkitty7.etsy.com

Blog
http://www.sunkitty7.blogspot.com

Everybody wins! Enter to win a free print AND get 10% off!

Guess Christina Lynn Myer's favorite food in the comments section and win a Cupcake Fairy print! We'll even give you a hint about her favorite food. It's a true American favorite!

Plus, mention "fairyguide" in the notes section of your Hearts A-Flutter Etsy purchase for 10% off.