Katy Tanis is an illustrator, surface designer and wildlife conservationist, working for her brand Daughter Earth, as well as for the Forest Foundry. Katy is the founder of Daughter Earth, a company which raises money for conservation organizations by selling fashion items and home decor products adorned with cute and whimsical designs of endangered animals. Katy is also a founding member of the Forest Foundry. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Katy Tanis.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
Colorful. Storytelling. Inspired by nature. I usually go either bold & graphic or intricate & painterly. I want to see the hand in the work; nothing should be too perfect.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
Collect all my inspiration. Sketch with color pencils on crappy paper (I do my best work when I don't feel any pressure to make it good), and a lot of scanning
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
I had a painting teacher in college, Clayton Merell, who decided he was sick of all the talking about art and was going to grade us solely on the square footage of paintings we created. This was the best lesson for a young artist. It forced you to just paint and produce artwork. My work grew more in that semester than in the rest of my college career.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
Inspiration is the easy part! Picking what inspiration to focus on is where it gets tricky.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
Failing over and over again. When you stop being afraid of failure and rejection your work will get better and better.
