Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Dunlavey.
Hi Andrew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been painting for forever. I moved to Austin six years ago to grow myself as an artist and to see how I could make a career out of art. When I first moved here, I was doing chalk signs for random bars and shops, I didn’t get paid much, most restaurants would hook it up with a free meal but it was my way in the door. After a while, I was able to get my own studio, there I started to produce the style I’m in right now. I started doing random side hustles, I sell my artwork on the weekends at various pop-up markets and while I had the tools, I was building and stretching canvases and frames for other artists in the city. One of my goals with that was to help lessen the cost of materials for artists. Now I’m here, still doing markets but trying to always encourage another person to chase their dreams.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, I think it has been pretty smooth. There’s always going to be a few bumps but if you’re not prepared, be ready to be humbled and if you’re not ready to be humbled just go home. I’ve heard “no” countless times when trying to put my work in shows or exhibits. I’ve been told my art doesn’t make sense. Sure, there have been the times where I want to throw in the towel or I feel burnt out creatively but for the most part, I’ve really enjoyed this ride. It’s allowed me to become a part of Austin, The community I have now is one of the greatest things I’ve ever held, I feel like I have a group of people who uplifts each other. I’ve luckily been blessed to meet so many people who have encouraged me throughout the years and I only hope I’ve done the same for them. One thing I would say is that your struggles today shape who you are in the future, so just because its rough now doesn’t mean it will always be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One of the things I’ll always tell a person is you need to work somewhere that benefits you, something that doesn’t just pay you but grows your mind. For the last few years, I’ve worked in print production/product design. It’s been an absolute blast, I have a degree in graphic design so I already knew that side but working where I have it has given me the ability to see more than just the artwork. I’ve learned how to build frames, this is probably my favorite skills. Knowing this is what allowed me to help other artists in town, one of the things people don’t understand is the cost of supplies. A large stretched canvas can run you a decent amount of money and for a lot of artists, especially those who are just starting, they might not have the confidence to charge what they should and in actuality, they sometimes lose money. I wanted to eliminate that and put more in the artist’s pocket. So I started to build frames and stretcher bars for a third of the price in store. Also working in print production has given me the ability to move outside of traditional paper and canvas mediums and to experiment with how to make the artwork more versatile. Being allowed to print on various substrates has helped unlock another way to visualize my art and how I see the final product.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Austin is great because the people will always support local and small business. I’ve seen so many people start at farmer’s markets or local pop-ups and are now owning a brick and mortar or in a process to expand their operations. What I’m hoping for is that the creatives now will get to a point where they can start building platforms to help the next group of entrepreneur. I also hope that with all this change the city can keep the weird.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dbunns.com
- Instagram: @dbunns
