Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Sanford.
Adam, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I wanted to be an illustrator since I was in kindergarten. I spent almost 11 years in graphic design but finally decided to go back to school and pursue this lifelong dream that I thought for a long while was impossible. I enrolled in art school as a husband and a father with a fulltime job. I knew I had made the right decision because, in spite of the struggle balancing all my hats, I loved art school. I got my BFA in drawing and painting at the School of Art and Design at Kennesaw State University. Not everyone needs a degree to be a successful artist, but for me, it was the perfect way to hit the reset button and defibrillate my career. Things did not suddenly jump-start as soon as I was handed that magical piece of paper, but through continued effort and constant work, I have been able to build my career to this point where I can provide for my family using my art skills. I continue to reach, push, and work toward leveling up, meeting new people, and finding ways to achieve higher and higher goals.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Bumpy ride all the way! Nothing worth having comes easy, though. Someone told me a long time ago that everyone will end up working hard at something, and a lot of people end up working hard at things they don’t like or care little about. It’s better to work hard at what you love. I think that there is this misconception that an artist is just born with some special talent and that their work is all fun and easy. Many people have no idea how much work an artist has done to learn their craft or how much work goes into an individual artwork. There is a quote by Michelangelo that I love, “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” Now I’m no Michelangelo, but the point is that he knew the struggle better than most.
I remember a time when I was commuting an hour every day from home to art school; I was driving my old Volvo station wagon with no air-conditioning (which was why I showed up every day sweaty looking like someone who didn’t have a shower) down a back road where I had no cellphone signal for miles. One of my tires blew out, my spare was flat, and I had to walk to the closest house to ask to use their phone to call for help. I started wondering if it was all worth it. Every all-nighter I had to pull to get my art assignments finished because I had worked all day and I couldn’t do homework until my boys were in bed, every time someone asked me what exactly I was going to do with an art degree, and each and every time I had to sell something I owned so I wouldn’t have to borrow any more money for tuition and art supplies I questioned what I was doing.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I am primarily an illustrator. I’ve done designs for t-shirts and other products, promotional illustrations for performers and conventions, cartoon portraiture, and children’s book illustration. I also teach digital art.
I’m most proud of my children’s book illustration work because I am a big believer in the influence books can have on children. I enjoy working on anything that has a fun concept behind it, and that presents a fulfilling creative challenge.
My work is very much inspired by my children and my own childhood. I gravitate toward concepts that I found interesting as a kid and sometimes things that scared me as a kid, so I do a lot of cute and silly and a little bit of creepy. Selling my work at conventions and art festivals has proven worthwhile as well.
What were you like growing up?
When I was a kid, my personality was somewhat different depending on the environment I was in. I could be very loud and silly, but I could just as easily be quiet and reserved. I loved climbing trees and building bedsheet tents in the back yard. I loved movies and pretty much spoke in movie quotes. I once strapped myself to the top of my bunk bed with a pair of suspenders and preceded to reenact the scarecrow scene from the Wizard of OZ. The suspenders let go at the perfect time to send me crashing to the ground right at the exact line in the scene. I had not planned for that to happen, so I was genuinely terrified, but I have always been willing to suffer for my art! I grew up drawing and making movies with my siblings and cousins. We had a very creative childhood and parents that were nurturing of our messy, noisy projects. I don’t know that I ever actually grew up. Just because I have responsibilities doesn’t mean I can’t still be a child at heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: adamsanford.com
- Email: sanford_adam@ymail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/adamsanfordart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamsanfordart/
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