| Favorite Animal | Birds, many birds. |
Kirsty Dillon, also known as “Clarry” or “Clarrydoll,” is a full-time British artist and broadcaster currently working and residing in Manitoba, Canada. With a love of tea, dolls, and creativity, in general, she finds inspiration from nature, wildlife, and even mental health. Especially interested in birds and insects, her portfolio is filled with feathered, flapping subjects, such as blackbirds, owls, bees, butterflies, and even bats. About four times a week, Kirsty shares her creative passions on Twitch Creative with the goal of building a friendly community and making beautiful things for her viewers to enjoy.
While mostly specializing in watercolor, Kirsty isn’t afraid to utilize alternate materials and has been frequently working in pen and ink. She also enjoys working with dolls and considers herself a doll modder. Always experimenting and allowing her artistic style to change and develop, she enjoys spending time exploring her subjects and fine-tuning her techniques and artistic expression. “I am at that point in my art journey where I’m trying to find my style,” she remarks. “I often get lost in the minute details but I’m also learning a lot right now.” Kirsty’s favorite moment in the creative process is completing a piece and reflecting on her own personal growth. She finds it rewarding to witness improvement in her skills from learning something new. “My artistic style is always changing,” she reflects. “How I feel about my art changes all the time.”
At the age of 30, Kirsty has always harbored a passion for art. When young, she found inspiration from animal reference books, particularly those featuring birds. “I’ve always been inspired by nature,” she realizes. “I think it’s my love for birds that had me drawing them all the time when I was young.” From these books, she developed a casual hobby of drawing avians, studying the intricate features displayed within the illustrations and copying the technical drawings to improve her illustrative abilities. “I really enjoy the fur and feather textures, as well as interesting colors,” she explains. Now a college-educated adult, Kirsty has allowed her passion of illustrating birds and other natural elements to become her full-time work.
Kirsty first became involved with FaunaFocus in June 2017 while working on a vibrantly colored ocellated turkey in watercolor displaying an array of varied feathers. Although her piece was not completed in time to enter into the Free-For-All that month, she was incredibly eager to participate in future FaunaFocus events.
In September 2017, Kirsty offered her creative and streaming abilities to partake in the FaunaFocus Charity Host Train. This 24-hour event hosted 11 different artists and broadcasters in order to raise funds for the World Wildlife Fund’s endeavor to help the endangered tiger species by doubling the diminishing population by the year 2020. During this event, Kirsty illustrated a curious tiger in Staedtler ink, framed within an irregular circle. With bold, striking stripes and delicate wisps of whiskers, this piece captures the beauty of the tiger in an elegant manner.
While reflecting on her own personal growth, Kirsty encourages others to follow their creative passions, as well. “Draw as much as possible,” she recommends. The more an artist practices, the more opportunities he has to learn and improve his work. Even when casually sketching or putting in a minimal amount of time or effort, one’s skill will evolve. Practice remains one of the most effective ways to grow as an artist, however, there are many facets of the art community to be utilized. “Make friends with other artists,” Kirsty advises. “Find good artists to follow on YouTube or Twitch Creative, so you can learn from them.” Just as Kirsty broadcasts her own creative work, many others share their creative journeys, too. It’s much easier to grow when you surround yourself with other supportive individuals following a similar path.
Guys she’s phenomenal check her out!
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