I fell in love with Ananda's dreamy art style when I found her account this fall on Instagram, be sure to check out her work here!
We met up at Granville Island with photographer Maia Antesey. We had a lovely Fall afternoon getting to know each other a bit more and met her gorgeous baby! See our interview below.
J: Do you have a favourite subject when creating your art? A favourite medium/ application?
A: I have many favourites! I try to experience my whole life as a creative process, so my mediums vary greatly, from how I adorn myself and my spaces, to how I prepare meals and now even how I parent. But as far as visual art goes, it’s mostly been about drawing and painting.
My favourite subject is a little challenging to define but it orbits in the field of divinity and magick, through the lens of the feminine. My paintings are often self-reflective, so as a woman with a strong spiritual nature, the majority of my works live in that realm.
I really enjoy playing with expressive figures and postures, and love to bridge in elements of flora, fauna and the cosmos, as Nature is the place where I personally feel my most divine.
J: I love everything about it! The movement captured in your characters especially, they tell such a dreamy story. When did you discover art and how did you learn?
A: Creativity has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have memories from elementary school of being elated by the opportunity to create cover pages for research projects. In even younger years, my mom used to hunt out colouring contests from newspapers; I even won a few, and would be ecstatic to be gifted new pencil crayons and art supplies as my prize.
In that respect, I guess you could say I’m self taught, though I feel like I’m always learning. It took me years to feel worthy of calling myself an “artist” and like everything, the feeling is that mastery comes with experience, so my continued work is to release old patterns of perfectionism and just create, as often as I can.
J: Where do you draw most of your inspiration from?
A: I often draw upon memorable feelings from my life’s experience...usually the really blissfulI ones that I want to savour, like the freedom in dancing, discovering the intricacies of a flower, or meditating on my gratitude. Sometimes my art is an outlet to move through uncomfortable feelings like anger and grief but most often I use it as a tool to express my love.
I really thrive when I’m in Nature; so much of my inspiration comes from her seasons and the elements. I also love working with certain plant and mushroom medicines, which support me in breaking out of self limiting patterns and expand into deeper states of consciousness. There’s so much magick in the natural world!
Another major player in providing inspiration, is colour. I love the visual miracle of rainbows and am really turned on by bright saturated palettes. Some of my most cherished travels have been around South and Central America, where colour is so richly incorporated into culture.
J: What’s your favourite pastime?
A: How I spend my time looks very different between seasons. I absolutely worship the Sun and my utmost favourite times are spent deep in Nature, preferably on a quiet beach or somewhere where I have access to water so I can swim. That’s when I feel my most vibrant, creative and connected.
I’m quite an introverted person, and for the other three seasons of the year, I really value having flexible time at home, flowing with my rituals and self care practices. On any one day you could find me between my yoga mat and the bath tub, with a few favourite crystals, my tarot, my journal and a cup of tea. Having a sacred space is critical for my well being. It’s also fun for me to curate and cultivate the energy of the space; creating a beautiful and inspiring place to thrive, is such a joy.
J: If you could be doing anything anywhere right now, what would it be!?
A: Oh I love this game! Mmmm...definitely in the tropics! I’d love to be livin la buena vida in Belize; snorkelling, eating fresh papayas; with some key members of our tribe for good company ...and to help with our 4 month old, August. This is actually a vision that I’ve been actively inviting into actualization! May it manifest swiftly and easily! ;)
Ananda is wearing our naturally dyed Oversized hoodie in first photo and the Tiger Lily Top and Calico Pant in hand dyed emerald charmeuse silk.
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