Meet Wendy Chou | food & fashion illustrator, craft artisan

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

Hi Wendy, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For me, working on art-related projects at school was the only thing I enjoyed. And post-school, I realized I only got into “the zone” when I was exploring my creative side. It’s a blessing that “the zone” is also layered with happiness when I’m creating. When I was younger, I didn’t know many routes, excuse me— “lucrative” routes that one can take in art but now that the age of the internet has expanded and created limitless opportunities, I feel that there’s no reason to not give it a shot. Feeling envious that someone has done something “innovative” to make money only means that there’s room for us to do it too!

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.
I love to tell others that I just paint what I like! What *I* personally enjoy! There’s no way you can tell me that I’m wrong about that, so it’s safe and also exciting since there’s always something new to discover. Sometimes I am the lone enjoyer of my art, sometimes it isn’t wildly received and all I can say to myself is that it’s fine. I’m not pitching to others that I will be 100% what they enjoy, but what I am is completely me and hopefully there are some parts there that resonate with them as well.

I am also not alone in my journey. Sometimes good food is just good food, good design is just good design and someone out there will feel the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wake up! We are getting breakfast sandwiches from Claremont’s SomeCrust where the egg sliders are made fresh, they are ‘build your own’ (with many healthy options to choose from) and the eggs are never over cooked creating a 100% delicious experience every time. We are pairing breakfast with coffee from Klatch because they house-make their own syrups and since we’re on vacation, yes, we’re allowed something sweet! Next we are going hiking in San Dimas at the Michael D. Antonovich Trail because the path is shaded by big trees and is filled with lush greenery unlike other nearby hikes that are like trekking through a desert.

For the foreseeable future we alternate between eating in DTLA arts district restaurants and SGV’s Chinese restaurants. And if we can’t decide, Anaheim’s Packing House is a vibrant food hall with lots of options to choose from.
I want to talk about music and shows but what are those? Are we out of the pandemic yet?

Are things opened up? If they like whiskey I rave about Lost Spirits Distillery, a whiskey tasting experience that I dub “amusement park whiskey” because that’s how fun, wacky, and entertaining (and educational…) the tasting tour can be!
What is this weekend I just made up? I have never done this all in one go before, it sounds great, maybe I’ll take myself.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Credit and recognition? Teachers. Different teachers throughout my different life stages. My Saturday childhood art teacher who praised everything I did (even though it needed more foundation building) but made me think I was actually good at something in my life. My high school AP art teacher who liked to give me B grades on my assignments: she acknowledged that I had more room to grow, but also that I wasn’t that terrible at it either. My Journalism teacher who taught me about the world and its various cultures – in general how much bigger life was in comparison to my then-teenage bubble understanding. Every person whom I’ve encountered who has dropped me a compliment – and when I refused to acknowledge its sincerity, became even more adamant in their love for my art. Though but a few words, they encourage me every step of the way.

Website: www.craftywendycrafts.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/craftywendycrafts