Today we’d like to introduce you to Avery Houser.
Hi Avery, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Throughout my life, I’ve enjoyed making art but never thought of it as a possible career path. I didn’t trust in my own abilities and also, I fully bought into that silly concept of the starving artist. I didn’t want to starve, so I pursued other things. My current career path has been mostly accidental, as I’ve since learned to trust what the world is telling me. I started painting nurseries and kids’ rooms for friends and acquaintances during a short period as a stay-at-home mom. It was an excuse to get out of the house for stretches of time and make a little extra money. I realized how much I loved it and soon afterwards opened my business, Avery O Design. I worked as a painter for a number of years before I was actually able to call myself an artist and trust that what I was making was good. I’ve learned to listen to my audience when developing my artistic style and new bodies of work and walk through the doors that open for me.
I have a fairly clean, modern illustrative style based on line work and patterns. All of the places I’ve lived have subconsciously influenced this style. I grew up overseas, in Singapore and Dubai, then moved to Louisiana and Texas for my middle and high school years. I claim New Orleans as home, as that’s where my family roots are. The patterns of Arabic art, line work of batik fabrics, and vibrancy and joy of New Orleans as a whole have inspired the style and feeling of my work. I’ve been in Austin for sixteen years and have a pretty fantastic South Austin life with my husband and our two somewhat feral and hilarious sons.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I really started out quite backwards. I love art and wanted to create, but by nature, I am not a hobby person. I know that in order to make the time for art, I would have to make it more of a commitment, so I started a business first. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing artistically, knew nothing about mural painting specifically and had no idea how to run a business. It was trial and error (lots of error) for the first three or four years. I was learning how to be an artist throughout the process of starting an art business. Basically, I was terrible at the beginning. But, somehow I kept getting hired, had a ton of practice through my early, very low-paid projects, and eventually got to the point where I felt confident in the art that I was producing. Over the years, I’ve developed a style that is distinctive and recognizable and have grown my client base and portfolio into something I am very proud of.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Avery O Design is a mural design and installation studio. Whether clients have a specific theme or general concept — “Keep Austin Weird,” “ice cream eating ice cream,” “something with an armadillo” — or just a blank wall and an open invitation, my team and I work to bring the space to life through creative design. My hand-painted and hand-drawn graphics utilize clean linework, strong color combos and repeating patterns to create intricate but simple art pieces with a deep story potential. Characters and scenery are often layered into my work. Many of my murals start as simple illustrations that morph into full-scale mural concepts as the process and positive energy take over the narrative as the driving force. My ultimate goal in all of my work is to express joy and the playful spirit of my community.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a shy and quiet kid who could get lost for hours in a book or playing outside by myself. No one who knows me today believes it since I’m an extreme introvert who shrivels up without constant interaction. A few things have stayed the same I have always loved art, music, dancing, and the outdoors.
Contact Info:
- Email: averyodesign@gmail.com
- Website: www.averyodesign.com
- Instagram: @AveryODesign
- Facebook: Facebook.com/AveryODesign
