Today we’d like to introduce you to Chandler Cariaga.
Hi Chandler, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Ever since grade school, I remember I would always be sketching or doodling something in the margins of my notebook pages during class. Whether it be my own name in a cool font or graffiti cartoon characters, drawing helped me keep myself entertained and busy during class. I started taking art more seriously once I entered high school, taking my first ever art class as an elective, and from that point on, my love for art grew rapidly as well as my artistic skills and abilities.
I always had an interest in art growing up, but I would say what initiated my passion was seeing my older brother draw cool characters and me wanting to copy and be cool like him. Also, I was never too good at sports like many of my peers, therefore art became my outlet to express myself as well as an enjoyable leisure activity. In order to get to where I am at currently with art, I pushed myself to be consistent and practiced at my own pace. I also learned to love the trial and error aspect of art as it helped me figure out my identity as an artist.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Once I began creating art for customers and not just myself, there was definitely more pressure than usual, causing me to have a love-hate relationship with art. In addition, in my earlier stages of developing myself as an artist, I ran into some negative feedback and critiques from time to time which discouraged me and caused me to lose confidence in myself as an artist for a small-time period. A challenge I faced in the past and still currently is finding my exact style as an artist. Because art has so many possibilities and aesthetics, I struggle with finding one that fits my taste and best represents me as an artist. A major struggle I had when beginning my digital art journey was the lack of resources such as a proper drawing tablet and stylus, which resulted in a majority of my earlier works to be created with just my iPhone 8 and finger. Although I overcame these challenges, from time to time, I still face artist burnout due to the consistent creating process, which results in a decline in motivation and drive.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a freelance visual artist based in Paradise Hills. I enjoy creating both traditional and digital art through numerous mediums. In particular, I specialize in digital art where I create custom portraits, logos, and various graphic designs. My art style is inspired by cartoons I grew up watching as a child, today’s pop culture, and everyday street art. Within my work, I believe I am known for my original cartoon character designs, the majority of which happen to be inspired by women. Ever since I was little, I always admired female cartoon characters because of their aesthetics and overall eye-catching designs, therefore explaining the main influence behind my art.
In addition to character designs, I am also known for creating unique logos for a handful of local small businesses based in San Diego. If I were to choose something to be most proud of in regard to my art, it would have to be my pick up skills when learning a new medium to create with. For example, I recently got into digital art back in July of this year and within five months, I’ve made proficient progress with my digital art skills. I guess you can say I’m proud of the growth I’ve made in my art journey as I’ve experimented with mediums I never thought I would touch base on. Although there are many talented visual artists within San Diego, I believe my cartoon-based art style sets me apart from others as it gives my work a unique and personalized look that is recognized as art by Chands.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
With the current circumstances of living during a pandemic, I’ve learned numerous lessons, two of which I personally found to be most significant among the others. The first lesson being be productive while having all this free time at home. Not only does being productive take your mind off all the craziness going on in our world, but it benefits you in terms of striving to accomplish a goal or even simply keeping yourself occupied when you have nothing else to do. I’ve definitely seen an increase in my productivity this year compared to previous years due to limiting my social life and having more time at home.
In regard to my art, this has probably been one of my most productive years as I have begun making a profit through my art by selling original prints as well as custom commissions. With that said, the second lesson I learned that’s even more important is that it is okay to take a break and do absolutely nothing from time to time. The COVID-19 crisis has put an unexpected yet enormous amount of stress on everyone, affecting us both physically and mentally. Therefore I believe time off to just relax, get some rest, or having a treat-yourself day is well deserved and crucial for your sanity.
Contact Info:
- Email: chandlerceee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chandlercee/
