Today I am overjoyed to share some amazing words of wisdom from Andrew Frazer of ADF Designs! I contacted him in regard to a beautiful piece he did and asked if he'd mind sharing his story here today. I can't tell you how happy I am that he accepted the offer...you're SURE to be encouraged by his story and heart for God and other people. Enjoy!
Tell us a little about
your story...
Hello – my name is Andrew
Frazer.
I grew up in a small
coastal city called Bunbury on the South West coast of Western Australia &
I loved the lifestyle. There was a sense of freedom growing up close the ocean
- a gift that I hope to never take for granted. To be honest I never really had
the desire to travel abroad growing up but I was always inspired by stories
from my Mum (who is from England) & how she grew up in a different culture
to what I had experienced. When I was 18 the opportunity to move to South
Africa for 3 months as a full time volunteer presented itself & I just couldn't resist. This trip in many ways changed my life & caused my eyes to
begin looking beyond my own wants & start responding to the needs around me
both locally & internationally.
The years that followed were full of
travels, risk & raw adventure – something I wouldn't exchange for any
amount of money. Life isn't always full of adventure though & sometimes it
is a dark valley in which you would prefer to disappear. These are the stories
for another conversation, but what I can say is this – the valley only makes
the peaks all the more beautiful. I have spent the last two years living in
Canada with my beautiful wife – Drea & I have only just recently moved back
to my hometown of Bunbury where we are currently settling back into life close
to the ocean. God’s gift.
When did you decide to
become an artist and what kind of art do you do?
I can’t remember a
conscious moment where I decided to become an artist, but from a young age it
was always a desire & passion. It was an expression of who I was/am &
it felt natural to create. My medium growing up was predominately pen &
pencil on paper & years on that hasn't changed too much. I am an
illustrator who uses pen & pencil to create the foundation in which my
final art is developed & refined. The core foundation in all of my art is
imagination for without this functioning in my life, I easily become overly
structured & inevitably self-absorbed through the fear of copying.
What inspires your
illustration and design?
More than anything it is
relationship from the closest person in my life right through to the homeless
on the street. Everyone has a story & more often than not – a melting pot
of joy, pain, hope, disappointment, celebration, betrayal, forgiveness &
the desire to be forgiven. I have discovered that when I am willing to slow
down & actually listen then I allow my life to be shaped in a beautiful
way. I engage with those around me rather than becoming an observer making
assumptions about those around me. Judgment is replaced with inspiration &
my art is the beneficiary. My hope is that in turn my art would be vessel that
continues to share these stories & spark a dialogue of change in those who
viewing continuing to direct us to be outward focused.
I saw on your blog
that you've had many clients and collaborators...tell us about some of your
favorites!
I had the pleasure of
creating a show poster for USA based musician & creative – Josh Garrels. I
had been introduced to his music via a good mate of mine & was immediately
captivated by the emotions that were evoked within me through his beautiful
written lyrics & melodies. Josh is a humble & generous individual.
Another project was in
creating a mural on the side of a local Canadian café in Guelph, Ontario. I
created a fox holding a potted flower with hand lettering saying ‘He Knew She
Was Worth The Wait’ by the front door of the café. It was exciting to be
painting & having a group of small girls come & watch with their Mum.
When being asked what they thought of the fox – the girls said ‘…yeah, we like
it a lot’. For me that response is golden & it completely made my day.
Each design project has a
story & there are many to share, but perhaps we can save those for another
time.
What media do you use
to create?
I predominately use pen
& pencil on paper. My favourtie would be a 0.1 felt tip pen on some heavy
weight hot press cotton paper…hmmmmm. That being said – I am currently loving
the use of watercolour & watercolour pencils. The beauty of colour bleeding
into each other is such a great visual & certainly something that I want to
explore further as time unfolds. I am currently in talks about some potential
mural opportunities in Western Australia which I would use brushes, rollers
& exterior acrylic paint… the bigger the better!
How does your faith
play a part in your designs?
I am created in the image
of an infinitely creative God. Through His word I have been created to be
creative as an expression of who He is & in turn who I am. This is the
truth for everyone but unfortunately we tend to box creativity into known
mediums but what about… cooking, mechanics, butchering, plumbing, gardening?
These are all art forms in which the individual is responding to their God
given desires. Because this is the way that I view the world & everything
within it my art becomes an extension of this reality. I value relationship
because God has given them to us & so my art gives reflection of this
value. I use my imagination because God has created the brain to create imagery
in a beautiful medium that can barely be explained & yet undoubtedly
celebrated.
Do you ever get
discouraged or have a design that proves to be very challenging? How do you
keep going?
YES. This usually occurs
on each project at least once…ha ha ha. I would like to say that everything is
smooth sailing & that everything I attempt ‘works’ beautifully, but rarely
is this the case. I often need to walk away for a few minutes (thanks to my
wife’s encouragement), take a breath & return with some fresh eyes. I am
slowly learning to not run from this tension though, as it usually produces my
best art. Walking humbly is key & being willing to admit that I may not be
the best suited artists for a particular project has saved me (& the
client) a lot of heart ache. At the end of the day – it is all about taking
risk, not living in the fear of failure & remembering you are not the first
person to be challenged or discouraged.
You've done everything
from tattoo & logo design to wedding lettering and murals...what's next? Do
have big plans/goals for the future of your art?
I’m planning on some
large murals in Western Australia, which is very exciting! I also am planning a
solo exhibition, which is currently on the back burner for now, but hopefully
not too far away. In extension – I would be honoured to illustrate a children’s
book & so I am currently developing a collection of ideas & looking for
collaborators…keen?
For all past, current
& future art, please feel welcome to visit}
Thanks Andrew! So glad to have had you at Specs & Wings today!
Everyone be sure to check out his shops and ask him about custom designs too:
