ANDREA ZUILL
Artist statement

I was born in Bakersfield, California, in 1963.  Like a large majority of the population of Bakersfield my family came to California from Oklahoma, during the Great Depression.    

I lived in Bakersfield until I was 18 years old.  I hated school, and got a C average grade through most of my school career.  During those 18 years, drawing was my favorite past time.  The day after I graduated from high school, I met my husband to be (Woody) at a bluegrass festival.  A year later we married.  

Woody was my main inspiration, and he helped me get my art career going.  His way of thinking is, if you want to do something you just do it.  So I did. Since School and I don't get along, I've only taken one life drawing class and half of a painting class at Palomar College, in San Marcos, CA.  These classes helped me but I really enjoyed teaching myself. 

Dark and whimsical art has always been my favorite.  And this really came out in my work after my daughter Amy was born in 1988.  Her birth triggered in me severe depression and anxiety.  These two mental illnesses run in my family and I probably would have developed them eventually.  After getting on the proper medications, I was able to embrace my problems and use them as fuel for my artwork. 

My Inspirations are as follows: 

My husband, Woody 

My daughter, Amy

My dog, Homer 

My friends Jean Benelli and Cecilia Stanford

Luian Freud

Egon Schiele

Most Outsider type art 

Tim Burton 

Scary movies  

Horror and Sci Fi novels 

Arthur Rackham 

and Fairytales