Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Brynn Ross.
Hi Alison, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Charleston, SC and have been drawing and creating for as long as I can remember. From painting along with Bob Ross to making little wire and clay sculptures, I could never decide on just one thing to do. In my early 20s after a long stint in food & bev, I realized it was time to focus on the things that I loved to do. The best decision at that point was to go to school, I ended up getting a degree in Graphic Design. It gave me a great baseline for starting a business, marketing myself, but also understanding art and design principles without having to find a singular fine art focus (and without the fine art degree student loans.)
From there I began doing freelance design, working on illustrations, and eventually working part-time with Ink Meets Paper, a letterpress stationer now based in Greenville, SC. With Jamie & Allison, I learned about lettering, illustration, print design, and so much about what it takes to build and grow a brand and creative business. While working there, I also began working with wire again. It was a medium that had always made sense to me and is a great way to bring illustrative ideas to life in three dimensions.
It was during this time that I attended several Makers Summits in Greenville that were hosted by an incredible group of women, The Makers Collective. The conference was geared specifically toward creative entrepreneurs and finally gave me the confidence to set off on my own and start a business, Alison Brynn Ross Illustration & Design. From there I began creating Wire Taxidermy, wire sculptures inspired by the beauty and quirkiness of nature. As that grew I began traveling the east coast and participating in fine craft shows, as well as creating commissions for public and private collectors. Meanwhile, I continued to grow my freelance design business and expanded my love of illustration and lettering to painting signs and creating murals.
And so now I continue to do all of those things. It’s always a treat when a client discovers that not only can I illustrate their can labels, but also sculpt trophies for their annual event. I can help them create a brand and design their restaurant menus, and create a 14-foot wire installation for the dining space. For a long time, I struggled with the idea of thinking I was failing at a creative business because I didn’t focus on one specific thing, but I’ve realized that IS what set me apart from a lot of designers. So, I have become a creative problem solver. It makes for wildly different days, some are 30 feet up on a boom lift or twisting metal, and others are behind a desk creating designs for accounting software and I absolutely love it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is any road smooth? There are always hurdles, some days it’s difficult clients or raging imposter syndrome, others it’s tendonitis making it hurt to twist wire or weather making it nearly impossible to paint. Sometimes you just have to put things down, walk away and regroup, other times you just have to eat crow and start over. But you take something from every struggle and it makes you a better artist, a better business owner, and a better person.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Most people know me for my wire sculpture. I create illustrative and dimensional wire sculptures that pay homage to the beauty and quirkiness of nature using hand-twisted steel and reclaimed wood or original painted scenes. The menagerie ranges from the magical to mundane, unicorns and dinosaurs to moose and mice, no animal is too large or small and every piece is unique. And while I don’t do as many shows as I used to, I still love working in wire and traveling to shows, but I am also incredibly excited to work on murals. Creating public art has the ability to really build community and can really draw people together to invest in themselves and their neighborhoods.
I think the thing that sets me apart most is that, the real focus of all of it, is to create connection. From seeing kids light up at seeing their favorite dinosaur sculpted in wire or learning that art can be and actual job, to hearing community response to a public mural that brings a little color, art, and happiness to a person’s day.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As a kid I was always making and creating things, drawing on everything…paper, walls, jeans, myself. In high school, I was one of those people that was never in one clique but floated in between groups. Art, books, surfing, and music were my biggest priorities. Fortunately, I attended an incredible high school, that at the time we called the island of misfit toys. The school was very small and filled with brilliant and creative people, many of whom have remained lifelong friends and inspire me to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: AlisonBrynnRoss.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonbrynnross/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonbrynnross/
Image Credits
South Eastern Wildlife Expo
