An Interview with our featured Artist: Shay McAnally
Can you tell us a bit about your background, where you draw inspiration from and how culture weaves into your work?
I am from far west Texas and I come from a family of cattleman, ranchers, and grew up horseback. Upon finding my first arrowhead in the sand hills as a child, I realized that there were people that lived here before me, and I found that amazing. Being so close to Mexico in the southwest, I was greatly influenced by the aesthetic of Mexican culture though never formally studying it.
It wasn’t until I checked out a book from the library about Mesoamerica and the Mayans that I could see the odd parallels between Mayan art and pictographs and my own personal artwork. It’s really almost as if just by living here, I was subconsciously influenced by something more. There is definitely an undertone of sci-fi and fantasy in my work. In particular, spaceships, or any other vessels of travel.
Can you describe your process?
My process is very straightforward; freehand pen and paper. As I become more subjective, I try to plan my attack a bit more, but usually just start doodling anyway. It really is all about the process as opposed to the finished piece, as most artists will tell you. You can get lost (or found) in the process. It’s kind of a soul cleanser, a meditation.
Can you talk about why you chose to collaborate with Ethnotek and share any closing thoughts?
I chose to collaborate with Ethnotek because I believe they are good people with great ideas, values and ideals that are definitely in line with my own. I believe in what they are doing and feel that we will see more and more of these types of businesses and collaborations.
The world is waking up to the fact that our passions and interests are much more fulfilling when they are shared in a common thread. So much more can be accomplished when the bottom line is love and respect.
The human tribe is at a rather pivotal crossroads right now. It is a time for deep cleansing of the mind and spirit. Doing away with the old archetypes that keep us from moving forward and embracing the light and truth we all have within ourselves is a start. Oh, and we gotta get outside more!
We hope you dig shay's work on our collaboration on this Limited Edition Artist series! And if any of you are artists or know anyone who might like to collaborate with us on our next Limited Edition reach out to content[at]ethnotekbags.com, we'd love to hear from you!
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