Meet LaVata Elise | Fantasy Illustrator

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

Hi LaVata, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was over ten years ago when I started, but I want to say that I was focused on growing as an artist which led to many experiences through business transactions and I’ve also been fortunate enough to make a couple of friends along the way.

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’m a part of a pool of artists who love the same things, but it’s me as an individual, my thoughts and imagination, that makes my contribution different. I have my own stories that I want to produce and over the years it seems like I’ve been training to get to a level that I would be proud to apply to those stories, I’m excited about that because it seems the time has come. Nothing was easy, if it’s worth doing there’s usually nothing easy about completing a large project or achieving a big goal. But you have to keep going, otherwise, you’ll never get to where you want to be or share what it is that you have inside you. I’ve learned that not all experiences are going to be positive but there’s a lesson in everything and to keep moving forward. I seek to contribute to an innovative brand that’s looking for a talented and dedicated fantasy illustrator. I’m always open to projects that explore different ideas and could push me creatively. I love stories, and I want to be a part of contributing to the different aspects of storytelling as I can. So, even if it’s just a single image, a comic, a movie or a tv series, I want to be a part of that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I just moved to Texas, so I’m not overly familiar with the area. But I visited a museum and went to a couple of different places to eat. Swimming, going to a paint and sip, and horseback riding. Which are things I would do if my best friend visited. I mostly like being at home usually though.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my sister, brother, and a few friends that have helped me and inspired me along the way. Terrene A davenport, my sister, the writer for the great balance series, which is being translated into comic format currently on Webtoons. Bobby, my brother, also wishes to affect the world with inspirational insight. Both my siblings have been inspirations in my creativity. My best friend Melissa, she’s always been there for me. Brandon, the president of Concept Moon Studios. And Kristianna Smith, the writer for a zine called ‘Seed Packets for Liberated Practice’. And a couple of my other clients as well that have helped me along the way.

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