Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva Pfaff.
Eva, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up in the Midwest, near the Illinois river, surrounded by tree covered hills and green fields of soy and corn. I am the oldest of 7 talented and passionate kids. One of my fondest childhood memories… when all nine of us lived in a tiny 2-bedroom house. My parents got one of the rooms, and we kid crammed in a long boxcar shaped bedroom with 3 dressers, 2 sets of bunk beds, and a mattress on the floor. If we choose who we end up with before we’re born, I’d say we chose really well!
Through school I was a terrible student, and didn’t care much about a subject if it wasn’t creative. I remember getting excited when one of my siblings had a school project they’d been procrastinating on because I might get to do the artsy part for them. 🙂 #strangechild #addiction
My incredibly creative momma noticed I had talent for the arts at a very young age. She was always helping the school theater, choir, and local ballets with costumes, sets, and props. She and I would paint murals and theater sets together. Soon, I was doing them on my own. There are roughly 25 of our murals hidden within residential homes of Peoria, IL and surrounding areas. Mom has been encouraging and inspiring me my whole life.
Throughout college I focused on painting and drawing. I went to Illinois Central College, where I got my AAS, and spent a semester at the Academy of Art University San Francisco before I realized it was just too expensive, and I missed home. So, I went home. The next couple of years I painted, worked, and fell in love.
Around 2007 my grandfather passed away, my heart was broken, and my family was going through divorce.
Again, I left home and everything I knew to San Diego. For 8 years, instead of oil on canvas, I was very interested in animation and took on learning digital art. My partner, at the time, and I worked together on a number of digital creative projects. One of which was shown at the 2011 San Diego Film Festival. I wore many different hats including FX makeup artist, storyboard artist, animator, 3D modeler, concept artist, production designer, game designer, and producer. It was during that time that I fell in love with collaborative art.
During the last few years my canvases and I have been unsettled, migrating around San Diego and Illinois a lot. Throughout my quest for home and purpose, I’ve kept busy solving creative problems, learning even more art-forms, and working with like minds to tell stories. I’ve been high on such luxuries, illustrating for Nita Bita Luna’s Francisco The Littlest Goat, and production designing for Halo Cinematic’s Daisy Belle. This lovable short film took home several awards at the San Diego Film Awards including Best Production Design and 5 Emmys at NATAS’s PSW Regional Awards. One of those for Art Direction and Set Design!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am an artist. 🙂 I create visual stories through illustration and production design. I love working with my hands building miniature sets and figurines. Finding the perfect material for each part of a project is like a game to me. Most of the freelance work I do on a Cintiq, which allows me to work remotely.
I hit a wall, a few years back, where I wanted to make more than pretty pictures or technically sound works of art. Since then, I have been learning how to create with purpose. My style is evolving into a mixture of expressionism, impressionism and surrealism; and focuses on stories, emotions, and perspectives. You can see hints of this in the work I’ve done for others, but the body of work that will demonstrate my current style best is still working its way out.
My passion has grown from learning art to learning people and finding ways of communicating to them visually. I’ve spent a lot of time alone, focused on my passions, trusting that the world is fine, that nobody needs me, and that any conflict was too great to be taken on by one spec of an artist in a giant world. Now, I believe it’s that mindset that facilitates a dysfunctional world. I believe we need to take care of ourselves and one another. My ultimate goal these days is to explore how my influence can make a difference. I want to help people feel, inspire them to strive, and to make the world a better place the best way I know how, through care and art.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I think San Diegans have a pretty good handle on encouraging and supporting each other as artists. Between weekly inexpensive life drawing workshops, sketch parties, the 48-hour film project, other creative meetups, and frequent local artist ensemble shows to enter, etc. there are so many opportunities for artists to collaborate, create, and promote their work.
From my perspective as a freelance artist with the support of my peers, access to the internet, quality digital tools, and a gumption for learning; the conditions for making a living by art are pretty good. Where you live makes a huge difference in the quality of life you are able to enjoy. In my experience the cost of living in San Diego is too high to enjoy a well-balanced life as a single freelance artist. I think one thing I would like to find more of in San Diego, is some form of creative community service.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can see some of my work and follow my art blog at evapfaff.com . Follow my personal blog on IG @a_simple_seeker
Facebook @evamariepfaff
I am starting an art mentorship and looking for creatives in need of a mentor. If that’s you, check out artwitheva.weebly.com. If you need a creative production designer, illustrator or fine artist like me, contact me with a description of your project and its purpose. Believe in yourself and understand your influence on our world. <3
Contact Info:
- Website: evapfaff.com
- Email: eva@evapfaff.com
- Instagram: a_simple_seeker
- Facebook: @evamariepfaff
- Twitter: @artwitheva
- Other: artwitheva.weebly.com
Image Credit:
Eva Pfaff, Anita Jo Loercher, Daisy Belle, A Sweet Success, Francisco The Littlest Goat, Oono.
Getting in touch: SDVoyager 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.
