Meet Karon Clerk | Storyboard Artist, illustrator & Fine Artist

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

Hi Karon, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think of risk as a vital ingredient for success for artist in general. I feel that risk are needed for us to elevate to the next level in both our craft and our personal growth.

All the risk I’ve taken as an artist has helped me grow so so much. Though in the moment it might’ve felt like I was going through hell but it always lead me to a better place.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Ehhhhhh, hmmmm what sets me apart… I think the thing that sets me apart is that I’m me. And everyone else is well… everyone else haha. We each have different experiences and outlooks on life so naturally that’s what makes us all special and makes our work special.

My fine art paintings are what I’d like to call,” visual dark R&b” hahaha. Music, life and past relationships from myself or even friends influence my paintings. I try to make you feel something with every fine art painting I make. I don’t aim for anyone specific emotion but as long as laying your eyes on my work made you feel something inside then I’d say that I was successful.

As for my animation work, man I just wanna make cool stuff and have my friends be apart of it. Anime is one of the biggest influences in my life and growing up you wouldn’t see many people that look like me or people that look like the people around me. So that’s what I want to create, cool stories with characters that look like people you’d see in real life with amazing soundtracks ugh. I get so hyped every time I think of it. That’s the goal to make cool animated shows with friends and have people from back home even do voices so you get authentic entertainment from these characters. I want to make stuff in English and stuff in Spanish man haha ugh it’s so much. It’s really ambitious but I know I can do it. I want the next generation to see my shows and feel seen especially the kids from where I’m from

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh this is easy. I just moved to LA a few months ago so I still don’t know all the goto spots. Hahaha. If anything I’d see if some of my friends out here are doing anything and we’d tag along with them. I’ve been slowly making friends out here and they’re really dope. They know all the cool chill spots out here so I’m just learning from them.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh my god yes, ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS & FAMILY BACK HOME!! My mom, she doesn’t really understand the art world or animation but she’d always tell me that if I can make a living doing what I love, go after that and that’s forever imprinted in my mind. Both of my best friends named Justin, Mariela, Johanna, Brigitte, Sharina, Shaya, Susan, my brother Chris, Antonio, Aw man my cousin Antonio is one of my BIGGEST influences and supporters. Terrence, Nay, Cat, and my other best friend Cat, my professors especially Professor Castro, he was extremely big on black and Hispanic kids knowing their places in art history and he’d also stress the importance of knowing how to paint your black or brown skin, I learned SO much from him. My fam Alexis always put me on game and the big sister I never wanted Althea. Aka Thea, She is one of THEE biggest influences on my life man, I’ve learn so much from her like how to better carry myself as a professional, she helped shaped my mindset with it comes to business and delivering an experience to customers and how to just be a great leader and she put me onto so much game. One of my old managers E, we both come from the same place Newark, Nj and he defies all barriers placed in front of him as a black man with so much finesse and he doesn’t let where he comes from define him, it’s just extra seasoning to who he is. Some of the most recent influences to my life and growth are my whole group of new animation friends Especially sensei aka Kaela and Chase. They’ve been extremely good friends and mentors to me but honestly the whole animation crew Im in has been so good to me. There’s toooooo many to name man. I have such a network of people especially back home In Jersey and New York that’s help me learn so so so much about myself, and the world we live in. My friends, especially my BEST FRIENDS the main group and their families have done so so so much for me. I just love them. Alright that’s enough I can talk about my friends all day long, there’s so many more ppl I can name. They’re all so great.

Website: www.kclerkartwork.com

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