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Angie Huffman was born and raised near Dallas, Texas. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a BFA in Drawing and Painting in 2010 and has been a resident of Eastern Iowa since 2014. Her award-winning works have been included in solo, juried, and invitational exhibitions throughout the United States. Pieces can be found in the permanent collection of the Yellowstone Art Museum, and in private collections in Iowa, Illinois, and Texas.
Published on April 1st, 2025. Artist responses collected in months previous.
Talk about some of the logistics of your art practice. What systems do you have in place to help streamline your workflows?
I jot down ideas when they arise and keep fleshed out painting draft mockups in Procreate until the time is right to move forward with them which I find very helpful. I also keep digital lists of all tasks I can think of that I need to address in my life, including art subtasks to help me remember and reprioritize as needed on the fly. List and organization apps are great. I was given a brush shaper/restorer fluid as a prize some time back and it has helped increase the lifespan of my brushes thankfully. I had not taken the plunge on my own but I do not expect to go without it again in the future. I additionally tried some protective painting envelopes a while back and they have been helpful for safeguarding the work both in storage and during transport. I should probably expand my supply of those to extend the sphere of protection at some point.
What is some advice for someone who does not have any experience who would like to pursue a career like yours?
We do not live in an era where being a full time creator of work that is not targeted towards interior decorating is a good idea. Even then it seems pretty dog-eat-dog out there. If you do not have a source of income to support yourself in addition to what you plan to artistically pursue, you will need that first. Do not assume that “if you build it, they will come” and that things will take care of themselves. If you are confident that you want to proceed and that having enough financial support will not be a problem, I would ask that you please become educated in what you plan to pursue. This includes not only how to create what you desire to technically, but also what is already being or has already been created. Go to museums, art centers, galleries. Find artworks and creatives online. You are not the first person to create, nor will not be the first person to create the kind of thing that you do. Knowing what is already out there and doing your best to bring something with your unique spin on it to the table is vital to creating quality work.
What was the lowest point in your art career and how did you overcome those adversities?
When I was in school I had envisioned starting a job post-graduation and then painting in the times I was not working that job. The reality that followed was that for me that was not immediately possible. As an introvert and a perfectionist, interacting with others that are neither is draining. I also lived in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area initially and it was wild how much time was lost commuting in traffic to and from work, traveling to get groceries, and then working through the crowds in stores. I tried to paint some while residing there but there was no temporal or emotional space for it. My “art career” effectively did not exist. I was able to overcome this issue by relocating to a location with a lower population. The struggle still continues, but it is a night and day difference. I now fight to get five works done in a year as opposed to one if I was lucky and the quality of my output has greatly increased. I have definitely witnessed firsthand the impact that place can have on one’s life.
How did you come into the type of artwork you are doing now?
From the get-go I wanted to pursue photorealism. I am an exacting individual that does not want to spend time on things that I do not have confidence will succeed. I also do not possess the kind of creativity, self-assuredness, or skill needed to create work pulled purely from my imagination. Working from photographs gives a concrete and defined point of focus as well as the opportunity to output a level of precision that reassures me. Frustration with the state of domestic and international waste streams and the forces that have caused them to rise has been one of the drivers of my starting to move in other directions. That and an interest in chance inputs referred to in this publication previously has led me to a body of work I am currently exploring where abstracted shapes and waste materials are incorporated into photoreal pieces. I expect to have a small collection of these pieces completed in 2025.
What was an epiphany in your art practice that took you to the next level?
I have known for years that I need time for my work, for myself, and for my family. I have also known that time in general is always in short supply. Fortunately I was able to gain more painting time this year due to a reduced day-job work schedule, but that change did not fully resolve capacity issues. It had already been clear that I needed to try out different directions of art creation as photorealism is incredibly time intensive, and this new knowledge has applied more pressure to move in some of those other directions. And some of them are already begetting their own little epiphanies.
Talk about some of the logistics of your art practice. What systems do you have in place to help streamline your workflows?
I jot down ideas when they arise and keep fleshed out painting draft mockups in Procreate until the time is right to move forward with them which I find very helpful. I also keep digital lists of all tasks I can think of that I need to address in my life, including art subtasks to help me remember and reprioritize as needed on the fly. List and organization apps are great. I was given a brush shaper/restorer fluid as a prize some time back and it has helped increase the lifespan of my brushes thankfully. I had not taken the plunge on my own but I do not expect to go without it again in the future. I additionally tried some protective painting envelopes a while back and they have been helpful for safeguarding the work both in storage and during transport. I should probably expand my supply of those to extend the sphere of protection at some point.
What is some advice for someone who does not have any experience who would like to pursue a career like yours?
We do not live in an era where being a full time creator of work that is not targeted towards interior decorating is a good idea. Even then it seems pretty dog-eat-dog out there. If you do not have a source of income to support yourself in addition to what you plan to artistically pursue, you will need that first. Do not assume that “if you build it, they will come” and that things will take care of themselves. If you are confident that you want to proceed and that having enough financial support will not be a problem, I would ask that you please become educated in what you plan to pursue. This includes not only how to create what you desire to technically, but also what is already being or has already been created. Go to museums, art centers, galleries. Find artworks and creatives online. You are not the first person to create, nor will not be the first person to create the kind of thing that you do. Knowing what is already out there and doing your best to bring something with your unique spin on it to the table is vital to creating quality work.
What was the lowest point in your art career and how did you overcome those adversities?
When I was in school I had envisioned starting a job post-graduation and then painting in the times I was not working that job. The reality that followed was that for me that was not immediately possible. As an introvert and a perfectionist, interacting with others that are neither is draining. I also lived in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area initially and it was wild how much time was lost commuting in traffic to and from work, traveling to get groceries, and then working through the crowds in stores. I tried to paint some while residing there but there was no temporal or emotional space for it. My “art career” effectively did not exist. I was able to overcome this issue by relocating to a location with a lower population. The struggle still continues, but it is a night and day difference. I now fight to get five works done in a year as opposed to one if I was lucky and the quality of my output has greatly increased. I have definitely witnessed firsthand the impact that place can have on one’s life.
How did you come into the type of artwork you are doing now?
From the get-go I wanted to pursue photorealism. I am an exacting individual that does not want to spend time on things that I do not have confidence will succeed. I also do not possess the kind of creativity, self-assuredness, or skill needed to create work pulled purely from my imagination. Working from photographs gives a concrete and defined point of focus as well as the opportunity to output a level of precision that reassures me. Frustration with the state of domestic and international waste streams and the forces that have caused them to rise has been one of the drivers of my starting to move in other directions. That and an interest in chance inputs referred to in this publication previously has led me to a body of work I am currently exploring where abstracted shapes and waste materials are incorporated into photoreal pieces. I expect to have a small collection of these pieces completed in 2025.
What was an epiphany in your art practice that took you to the next level?
I have known for years that I need time for my work, for myself, and for my family. I have also known that time in general is always in short supply. Fortunately I was able to gain more painting time this year due to a reduced day-job work schedule, but that change did not fully resolve capacity issues. It had already been clear that I needed to try out different directions of art creation as photorealism is incredibly time intensive, and this new knowledge has applied more pressure to move in some of those other directions. And some of them are already begetting their own little epiphanies.
Find Angie Huffman on Instagram
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