Meet Andrew Introna | Illustrator

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

Hi Andrew, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued an artistic career because I wanted to do what makes me happy. I couldn’t picture myself in a career that didn’t allow me to collaborate and express myself with a community of people. Art allows me to be part of something bigger than myself and share my interests with a community of people who have similar passions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m still in the early stages of my career, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far professionally. I’ve done a lot of commission work that pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me create art that I wouldn’t have made if it weren’t for that push. I’ve also been working toward a master’s in art education. It hasn’t been easy balancing the two, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My art allows me to express myself, and my teaching allows me to help others do the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m from Staten Island, and we don’t have much going on here. The most we have here is beaches and parks, so I’d immediately take them to the city. They’d probably want to do all the tourist stuff first, but after that, I’d take them to all my favorite places. For food places, I’m thinking Italian. Il Melograno is top tier, but I recently went to Pepe Giallo, and it’s become a close second. Maybe take them to my favorite galleries Fotografiska is my current favorite at the moment, but I do like the classics. MoMA and the MET are always an option. I never have a plan when it comes to showing people around; it’s usually aimless walking, and we’ll eventually run into something interesting.

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 really can’t pick just one person. There were a lot of pessimistic people in my life who told me I was making the wrong decision because I was pursuing a path in the arts. They would tell me things like, There’s no money in it, I’m going to be a starving artist, and that I would never be talented enough to succeed. I’m glad I didn’t listen to these people. I was able to ignore all that because I had many other people in my life who were so encouraging of my choices, and I took the positive over the negative. Without the encouragement of all those people, I’d probably be on a path I don’t belong on.

Website: https://andrewintrona.co/

Instagram: andy.introna