Meet Anne Byrd | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anne Byrd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anne, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose art really because nothing else ever satisfied me. I’m not the kind of person that can fake interest or love in something if it’s not there. And believe me I’ve tried, I’ve had all kinds of jobs. And while some of them were interesting or at the very least not terrible, I still just didn’t have my heart in them. I just couldn’t see you doing them for the rest of my life. Even now when I get frustrated with the hurdles in my career, quitting is never an option. I simply can’t imagine doing anything else.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a fine artist that works mainly with drawing materials like colored pencils, ink and wax pastels. I’ve spent years experimenting with drawing to perfect my technique. Still, I pride myself on my natural curiosity so I’m always exploring new ways to learn and improve. Success is really is not one point on the timeline. I have had highs and lows and in know way think that’s going to stop. This year has been especially hard of course and has really tested the mettle of many artists, myself included. But if there is one thing I’ve learned through the years it’s that persistence is the key. If you give up you’ll never know if the next attempt would have been the one!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh man. Okay, I’m assuming that this means in “normal times”. So we’d definitely have to hit up the MFA and the Natural History Museum. And the Menil, for sure. At some point we’d have to explore the park Buffalo Bayou and check out the skyline view on the Sabine Bridge. We could hit up El Teimpo or Brazil’s for dinner and then Poison Girl for drinks afterwards. Eventually I’d have to take them to 19th street in the heights for brunch at Alice Blue and then we could stroll around and check out the little shops and antique stores that line the street.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I mean there are so many people! But I’d have to say my parents first and foremost. They have supported my career in the arts whole heartedly. I know many people who chose a unconventional career path and were essentially rejected by their family and I am so thankful that that was not the case for me. I know I couldn’t have done it without their support.

Website: Annebyrdart.com
Instagram: @annebyrdart
Facebook: Facebook.com\annebyrdart