Meet AVA WANG | illustrations

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

Hi AVA, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Drawing has always been a happy activity for me since my childhood. When my family discovered my interest, my mother enrolled me in a children’s art class, where I had a lot of fun. I enjoy transforming ideas into artwork on paper using various materials, and attending art exhibitions has become a source of joy for me. Despite the academic pressures and burden of schoolwork, I am grateful that I still have this creative outlet. I even turned my textbooks into art, although I apologize to my teachers for that.

Eventually, I made it to college, where I was introduced to commercial design and the software, “Flash.” This opened up a new world for me, and I learned how to take pictures, create videos, and tell stories through animation. It was an exciting journey, and now I work as a full-time video editor, animator, and motion designer in the beauty industry. Although my career has shifted, drawing remains my passion, and I have created an illustration character, “Miss Owl Rosa,” through which I can express my ideas and share my voice with the world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
“Miss Owl Rosa” is the main character in my illustrated world. She is a single woman in her mid-thirties who lives alone in Moon Yellow Village. Rosa’s job involves astronomy, and she works with the moon team. The topics covered in the illustrations will include women, life, romance, friendships, social issues, cosmology, occultism, and self-love. I have started by introducing Miss Owl Rosa and publishing the first series collection, “Lonely? I Perfectly Love Myself More”. The series is about Rosa’s life, her joys, happiness, and self-love. I want to inspire my audience with this self-love spirit. The next topic will be “Some Little Things About Moon Yellow Village”. Stay tuned for more!

Initially, it was hard for me to discover my preferred artistic style. I prefer working with a pencil to create black and white sketches that convey either space or stories. However, I often wondered about incorporating colors into my artwork. After some exploration, I came across the shiny watercolor from Lisi https://www.instagram.com/lisilinka, and when I combined it with my pencil sketches, the result was fantastic. I absolutely love it!

Miss Owl Rosa is entering her third year and the biggest challenge is to maintain a consistent posting schedule every week. While I often come up with ideas, but sometimes struggle to find the time to bring them to life. Other times, I create something but don’t feel satisfied with the end result, causing me to abandon the project. Then have received some valuable advice from my artist friend, wwwanyu | https://www.instagram.com/wwwanyu.doodle, who told me not to get stuck on perfection. Instead, should publish the work and refine it later if needed. This advice has motivated me to keep going this year and never give up.

As an artist, it can be difficult to showcase your artwork to the world. That’s why it’s truly amazing to be interviewed by Shoutout LA. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to share my ideas, life, art, and Miss Owl Rosa with the world. Thank you for including me in this community. I hope that my story can inspire others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Great! Welcome to New York, friends. Let’s kickstart our day with a delicious croissant and coffee.

For the croissant, I suggest visiting Miss Madeleine, a French bakery located in the Upper East Side. They offer a range of flavors such as pain, almond, Nutella, peach, bacon egg & cheese, ham cheese, and more. Don’t forget to try their Canelé as well!

When it comes to coffee, my personal favorites are Ote latte and Sweet mint latte from KAFF NEO, a cozy Greek-inspired coffee shop also located in the Upper East Side.

Now, let’s take our croissant and coffee and head to Carl Schurz Park by the river. Here, you can delight in people-watching and the beautiful view of the East River while enjoying your Tiffany breakfast. If you’re a fan of pickleball, this is a great place to play too.

Day activity:

The best way to get to know New York is by taking a walk on the streets. The vibe in Manhattan differs from neighborhood to neighborhood, whether it’s Harlem or Financial District. Along the way, you can also witness numerous historical buildings. For instance, the James Bailey House at St Nicholas Pl in Harlem and Alwyn Court at W 58th street and 7th Ave are two of my favorite buildings in NYC. It’s always breathtaking to see them on the street. So take a stroll around and find the buildings that you like.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City are well-known museums. However, I would like to introduce you to another great art museum – Neue Galerie New York. This museum has a specific focus on German and Austrian art and design. If you’re a fan of Klimt, then this is the perfect place for you to visit. Additionally, you can enjoy a delicious German-style lunch while you’re there.

I would like to recommend visiting the Dia Beacon, which is an art museum that is worth going to. It takes around two hours by train, during which you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Hudson River. This museum is well-known for its use of natural light, which creates a different atmosphere depending on whether it is a sunny or cloudy day, or what time it is. This effect brings out different moods in the artworks. Sometimes, I find myself staring at a single artwork for a long time.

Central Park is truly a miraculous park, located in the heart of New York City. It’s hard to believe that this vast expanse of greenery is man-made. The park is a testament to the importance of nature in our society. If you take the time to sit in the park, you will be pleasantly surprised to find a diverse range of birds, each unique to the four different seasons. Additionally, if you join a fungus tour, be prepared to be blown away by the variety of fungi that can be found in the park.

Fun Place suggestion:

Desert Island is one of my favorite bookstores in Brooklyn. It specializes in unique comic books and the owner is a passionate enthusiast of different drawing styles. Whenever I visit, I feel inspired by the creativity on display. This bookstore is full of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. One of my goals for 2024 is to sell my prints here. Wish me luck!

Rockwood Music Hall and Mercury Lounge are my top two music venues to go to. Here, you can hear a special type of music and discover underground music bands. For me, this is what makes New York City so charming. You never know who you’ll meet here, so keep an open mind and have fun!

I found a great place to play pickleball at Roosevelt Island. The courts are open until 10 pm and you can get there by taking a ferry or cable car. You can have as much fun as you want playing, and then head over to a rooftop bar nearby to enjoy the sunset with a view of Manhattan or the new development in Long Island City. Afterwards, you can choose to have dinner at either Midtown or Astoria. How nice!

Restaurant select by AVA WANG:

NR
http://nr-nyc.com

Ama Raw Bar
https://amarawbar.com

Sweet Rehab
https://www.sweetrehabnyc.com

Osteria 57

Home

Frenchman’s Dough
https://www.tinbuilding.com/restaurants-and-bars/the-frenchmans-dough

Don Angie
https://www.donangie.com

Tomi Jazz
https://www.tomijazz.com

Apotheke NoMad
https://www.apothekemixology.com

Win Son
https://winsonbrooklyn.com/restaurant

Wen Wen
https://wenwenbrooklyn.com

Clinton Street Baking Company
https://clintonstreetbaking.com

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?
To start with, I would like to express my gratitude to my parents for giving birth to me and helping me discover my passion for art. During my time at the National Taichung University of Science and Technology and Lehman College, CUNY, I learned various skills such as design, photoshop, video editing, motion design, animation, and 3D, turning my ideas into visual works.

I would also like to thank my colleagues for supporting me in pursuing my artistic career alongside my work. Moreover, I express my gratitude to my support team, including:
Bochun Cheng | https://photographer-nyc.square.site
A PIECE of LIFE | https://www.instagram.com/apieceoflife.shop
fu. ceramics | https://www.instagram.com/fu.ceramics
soft spot | https://www.instagram.com/softspot_fy
ACCENTT | https://www.instagram.com/accenttnyc
Tzu Ching Chen | https://www.instagram.com/tzucc0201
IVANA MALEIA | https://www.instagram.com/ivanamaleia
Sean Gallagher | https://www.instagram.com/mrseang
Magda Love | https://www.instagram.com/magdaloveart
who have been a great source of motivation and support for me.

As an artist, it is challenging to thrive alone, and I feel blessed to have artist friends who have joined the business market with me. They have provided valuable suggestions and advice for my art career, and together we have grown stronger.

Lastly, I am thrilled to announce my partnership with Nanae Itoi | https://www.instagram.com/nanae.itoi, and we are planning to organize an event this summer. I am looking forward to it and excited about what the future holds.

Website: https://peijungwang.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avawang_illustrations/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avamedia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AVAWANGillustration

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC60uFWotTcLQXS0JNGReJBw

Etsy: https://avawangillustration.etsy.com/

Other: VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/avawang

Image Credits
Portrait photo by Bochun Cheng | https://photographer-nyc.square.site