About me:

My name is Aika Anderson, and I am thankful for the time you are taking to get to know me. As an aspiring visual artist, it is exciting and a privilege to have you check in and see what I am about.

Like many artists, my artistic path began as a child, illustrating imaginative worlds and characters that inspired me and filled my life with fantastical adventures. This habit of drawing and painting environments and people continued during my adolescent years, where I discovered that art was a healthy outlet for venting my emotions and exploring my ethnic and spiritual identity. By the time I was 18, art was my mirror and visual confessional, addressing questions and desires that I could not comfortably discuss nor explain. This self-introspection through art inspired me to attend art school and develop my craft as an artist.

I graduated in 2014 with a BA in Visual Art Studies, and Japanese Language and Literature from the University of Florida. Since then, I have done several art exhibitions and shows in New York and Gainesville and have worked as a professional caricature artist at Busch Gardens. However, I had not fully committed my time doing freelance artwork and art had become more of a hobby than a livable source of income.

This had changed when I moved back to Gainesville in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time to myself and the space to draw and paint for my own interests reminded me of my skills and passion for art and gave me the chance to reprioritize my career and personal goals. I have realized that life is too short to spend on occupations that are not fulfilling and if I have an affinity towards art then I should devote myself to it. As such, my goal now is to work as a freelance visual artist, creating drawings, paintings and caricatures that would express my experiences as well as others'.

My Art and Methodology:

I believe Visual Art is a conduit of the soul and can be used as a medium to convey life experiences.

I have created artwork that relates to memories and moments in my life that I wanted to capture and express. As such, my artwork can depict phases of my life, from exploring my ethnic identity as a half Japanese American to exploring my identity as an artist.

In recent years, my artwork has been geared towards expressing my faith in Christ and in rendering fun and goofy caricatures or realistic and meaningful portraits of people. I love to try and learn new methods of drawing and painting. I am eager to use new skills and experiences to communicate fresh moments and impressions.

Mediums

I have primarily worked in acrylic paint, graphite pencils, charcoal, ink, and watercolor paints. For my caricature work I have done primarily ink pens and color pencils. I have also ventured into the world of digital arts and have illustrated tattoos, caricatures, and portraits through Clip Art Studio.