Spooky Girl aka Andrea Nancy aka Andi is an illustrative artist and lifelong lover of all things pop culture, sci-fi, and fantasy. Growing up watching 80’s science fiction movies and reading authors like Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman, they have a long relationship with sci-fi, which inspired them to create Spooky Girl: psychedelic, pop-surrealist art that focuses on the unknown and the imaginary. They are a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and a full-time illustrator, have worked with clients such as UCLA, Lucii the Alien, Dani Thorne, Champagne Drip, and DirtySnatcha. They are currently living in Honolulu, Hawaii where they're pursuing their illustration career in the sunshine. Through their Spooky Girl drawings and digital illustrations, you will explore themes of retro-futurism, golden era sci-fi, alien encounters, and modern femininity.
The community behind Spooky Girl has grown far and wide at this point, but if there was some alien who came down to planet Earth, how would you describe your practice? 👽
"I'm an artist and illustrator who's using my platform with the intention of building a community. I think my art really speaks to people who feel like outsiders, and the result of those types of people all being drawn together by my art is a community of like-minded weirdos. I always joke that I know I'm going to like someone who likes my art – because my art represents who I am and what I'm feeling.
The last year has taught me the value of community and finding the other people in the world who see things the way you do. I've learned through Spooky Girl Art that inviting people to celebrate their differences is a real mission of mine."
"Growing up in a conservative Evangelical community, the phrase "not of this world" was used to convince us that we were different that people who didn't subscribe to our faith. It was something that romanticized the idea of our strict community not indulging in "worldy" sin or activities. This painting ["Not of This World"] takes back that phrase and puts my own power and meaning behind it. I am not of this world, not because I am controlled by other people or any god, but because I am a complex creature of the multiverse having a human experience. The word 'rare' comes up as a theme in my work as well - a nod to the ever present feeling of being outside the norm."
What was it about these pieces that made them the right fit for your genesis NFT collection?
"These are pieces from the last 6 months when I feel like my art has taken a big leap forward. These pieces highlight the direction that my art style is heading and some of the more important moments of inspiration I've found in the past 6 months."
Is there a plan for how you think about the end product when you're creating?
"I almost never have a real plan for a drawing, only whatever emotion I've been feeling or question I've been asking myself or the universe each day. I try to capture exactly what I'm feeling in that moment when I sit down to create a piece, which I think gives my art such a genuine and relatable feel. Most feelings or moments I'm trying to capture are just day to day things that we all experience."
"This piece ["Psychonaut"] is very special to me because it's an experimental design based off a psychedelic experience I had. During this experience I was convinced I had glimpsed the fabric of the universe. The colors and patterns chosen were directly copied from my visions of portals to different dimensions; a window into the backrooms of the multiverse. I realized during my journey that what's important about life is often the actual exploration rather than the discovery itself."
Your work tends to explore themes of retro-futurism, higher consciousness, alien encounters, and modern femininity. Where do the ideas, characters, and themes for your pieces come from? Do you usually artistically recreate/reimagine real life scenes and characters, or are you working more spontaneously?
"My two biggest inspirations are old, stylized scifi movies and really stylish girls. My style comes from my love of sci-fi but I draw from modern feminine expression. I tend to work spontaneously, if I'm inspired by someone walking down the street or a movie I'm watching I'll create a piece right away to capture that feeling.
I truly just draw the people that I want to be like. The girls I draw reflect confidence, style and attitude that I admire in women. I'm not sure if I would say that the creation of this style allowed me to be more free with my own personality...I feel like I've always been myself and fought for the freedom to do so...but I might say that it has allowed other people a deeper understanding of my free personality."
"This year my work has been inspired by so many things, one in particular being stories of ancient gods and goddesses and their influences on earth. I've recently been intrigued by a goddess named Astrea. In Greek Mythology, Astrea is the Titan Goddess of falling stars, the zodiac and magic. In the legends, she falls from the sky to earth and lands on an island. I drew this piece ["Goddess of the Stars"] as an ode to her, her unknown beauty and the stories of her love of the stars and islands."
Does turning your art into NFTs feel significant, or does it just feel like a natural extension of your career as a digital artist?
"My art career is so broad, between painting and doing art markets and fairs, running a Patreon with business insights and advice, operating a whole online store full of merchandise and also being a full time digital illustrator....at this point moving into the world of NFTs just feels like an extension of that world. There's so many moving pieces to keep track of every day, it's nice to know that these pieces are being appreciated in NFT form and I'm excited to see the reaction to this new branch of my art."
How have people collected your work in the past, and how might NFTs change that?
"I think that people collect art in the way that makes the most sense for them. I have many different collectors - one just bought up my entire gallery show from 2019 and had it shipped to Manhattan! Others collect each shirt I design or have over ten of my prints in their homes. NFTs will offer a new way of collecting my work and I'm excited to be able to provide that option for some of my customers."
Check out SpookyGirl's Genesis NFT Collection up for sale on Portion now!
