Annie Everingham is a painter, thinker, dreamer and the woman behind some of our most loved artworks.
In this interview we chat to Annie about evolving your own work, collaborating and engaging with other creatives and owning your feminine super power of being both assertive and kind
Q1: Hi Annie! Welcome to the Woman Of Series! Can you tell us what it is you create?
Hi! Thanks for having me. I create paintings and occasionally collaborate with other brands and creatives to create art-based products or design.
Q2: When did you start painting? What inspired you to go down this path?
I've always painted, sketched and made things since I was a child and was always really drawn to doing something creative or related to art growing up. I decided to study fashion and textile design at uni, because it seemed like a good mix of all my favourite things and creative interests.
I never quite mastered the technical side of fashion design - and found that getting tactile with art and illustration was really what I loved most about the design process. I did internships and toyed with the idea of heading into the print design for fashion industry, but still found the technical component really frustrating.
I have always really wanted to work for myself as well, so I just started putting my work online and selling it at markets, working odd jobs by day, and soon found a really cosy little corner of the creative industry that suited me perfectly. Primarily I sell my work in the interior design space, there is a really nice crossover between design and art happening in the particular scene I work in, which is filled with women run, small creative business across the art, design, interiors and homewares industry.
Q3: Talk us through your creative process. How do you reach your signature style?
Honestly my style is always evolving. I get bored with my own work easily and am always looking to shake things up and express new directions freely, which isn't always easy when you are creating commercially.
Being from a design and textiles background, I'm really drawn to pattern and draw lots of inspiration from the application of art on different surfaces, and textures or patterns in nature. I'm also just really obsessed with colour, and exploring how colours sit together in an image. I take a lot of photos and consume a lot of visual media on a daily basis, and this usually just naturally feeds into whatever I happen to be painting or creating at the time.
I try not to overthink my practice, and just lay down patterns, colours and shapes that feel joyful and are interesting to look at.
Q4: What is your favourite piece you’ve created? Why?
I can't think of a particular painting, but my favourite pieces have always been canvases I've slaved over the least - they just emerge really naturally and seemingly out of nowhere, and somehow the recipe is right and I just bang it out. That doesn't happen often, but it's so rewarding when it does!
I love that painting takes the artist on a bit of a journey with each piece, and you never really know what the end result will be. It's very intuitive, which suits me down to the ground.
Q5: What single tool or strategy have you found invaluable to your business so far?
It's probably a cliche, but I would absolutely have to say using Instagram as a business platform. Social media can be problematic in plenty of ways, but for the most part I really owe any success I've had in my business to building a following there, and engaging with the creative community it's fostered.
I try not to take it too seriously, and have just really naturally and organically grown a following, and been able to connect with like minded creatives. I love sharing my process and feel like it really helps me flesh out my ideas and direction, as well as the obvious benefits of promoting and sharing your work with a large audience.
Q6: What (and who) is involved in the process of bringing your pieces to life?
The life of an artist can be a little bit isolating, in that I primarily work by myself in a studio on a daily basis (which I quite enjoy, for the most part). But there's a fair bit of legwork involved in getting your paintings out of the studio and onto people's walls!
My husband Chris has always been in the wings and helping me with the trickier parts of operating the business (usually logistics and the accounts side of things). He's responsible for printing and shipping most of my print orders, and he also helps me package and ship my canvases out, just generally overseeing the production side of things. It's so easy to get bogged down in that side of running a business, and while I'm very much across and involved in all aspects of it, having him manage some of it for me gives me soo much more time to actually create.
I also work closely with my framer, The Art & Framing Company in Sydney, who we have a really good relationship with. They produce my canvas limited edition prints and sell my work on their own platform as well as to a strong network of stylists which is really helpful. I also work with an art reproduction company who scan my artworks so we can put them into production as prints.
And lastly, I would be nowhere without my amazing stockists. I'm represented by Fenton & Fenton in Melbourne, and Jumbled in Orange, NSW. They are both incredible, female run businesses and beautiful people to work with, I still pinch myself that I'm lucky enough to sell my work with them both. They are huge supporters of emerging artists and creatives, and I owe them a lot for giving me such a huge platform.
Q7: What is your big hope and dream for your work?
Honestly my 20's were all about the hustle, but I've just recently gotten married and I'm currently pregnant with our first baby, so my 3-5 year plan is to slow down and really fall in love with my practice and process. Just make art that means something to me while enjoying and juggling motherhood. It's a bonus if that work means something to someone else too, and they buy my paintings!
This is honestly my dream career and I would love to plod along doing it for as long as possible. I have lots of ideas in the pipeline, of things I want to make and create and sell, but I'm quite content to go with the flow at the moment and see where the journey takes me.
Q8: What are your top 3 superpowers?
Making mood boards, procrastinating, and making cups of tea that I forget to drink
Q9: We’re all about women inspiring women. Who inspires you?
I would say any small business owner who is also mum! I have too many to mention, but at the moment I am inspired by the photographer Lucy Laught, artist Vicki Lee, musicians/songwriters Clare Bowditch and Emily Wurramara, and fashion designer Lee Mathews.
Also, influencers get a bad wrap but I'm a diehard fan of insta accounts like Emily Yates' and Olive Cooke's - they have incredible style and document their lifestyles so artfully. It's been interesting to watch content creation become a thing, and the ways brands work with creatives online.
Q10: What advice would you impart on the next generation of women, and women in business?
Collaborate and engage with other creatives - having a support network of other women in business can be really helpful and motivating when you're feeling unmotivated or facing challenges in business.
Learn to say 'no' to opportunities or projects that don't add value to your business or light you up.
Celebrate small milestones and give yourself some credit for being able to monetise your passion - it's hard work, and takes a lot of vulnerability and energy.
Own your feminine super power of being both assertive and kind - being nice to people and also knowing your worth are both important.
In what ways are you supporting your favourite creators during these uncertain times?
My husband and I are getting our house renovated at the moment, so I've been squirrelling away at a wish list of things to buy for our home once it's finished. On my list are cot sheets from Rachel Castle for our nursery, and original artwork from artist Loralee Newitt, a rug from Clo Studios, ceramics from Saint Cloche gallery and just about every Bonnie & Neil cushion in their range.
We're spoilt for choice when it comes to buying art and homewares in Australia!
