Today we’d like to introduce you to Linnea Maas.
Hi Linnea, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was having my teeth cleaned at the family dentist the summer before I went to art school, and my dentist told me that his daughter had wanted to go to art school …but he made her become an accountant. I was so horrified, I don’t think I ever went back to him.
For me, there was nothing else, I was always going to become an artist. I grew up a curious observer, playing in the woods, absorbing colors, and watching the plants and animals on my small family farm in rural Minnesota. I lived in my imagination and I always drew.
I didn’t let anything stop me from going to art school and I graduated from Washington University in St Louis with a BFA in Visual Communications specializing in Illustration. Shortly, afterward, I began a freelance career in Minneapolis and I started exhibiting my paintings in cafes, galleries, and funky art spaces.
In 2013, I moved to Los Angeles (and swore I’d never return to the frozen north…) where I loved the art scene, everybody was the best of the best and it was really exciting. Around this time I started working much more with digital creation due to the emergence of drawing tablets and pens, and I began to use a lot more technology to make my art.
I did move back to the tundra and started over here again. My partner is a computer guy and DJ, and he introduced me to virtual reality painting tools (OpenBrush). I think my brain generated new neurons that day and since then, we’ve collaborated to create experiences combining his music and my digital art creation as performances.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a rollercoaster road! I’ve been a botanical illustrator, a furniture concept illustrator, a kid’s room painter, a graphic designer, a faux finisher, a color matching specialist at a print shop, a project manager, a muralist, a metaverse builder, a virtual reality creator, a live painting performer, a streamer, a collaborator with many creatives.
Choosing the path of an artist means there’s no template to follow, you forge your path and often do not always know exactly where you’re going. It’s terrifying to be headed into the unknown every day, life has no guarantees.
My biggest struggle is doubt, questioning if what I’m doing has value. Art can be perceived as superfluous or as an indulgence when the world has people whose basic needs are unmet. I’m making pretty pictures when there are builders and doctors and teachers out there. I get “what’s-the-point-itis”.
But then I go out in the world and take a breath and I see that art does make a difference. Making art is what I’m passionate about and I believe I can use that passion positively and small changes can add up. So my work focuses more and more on connection, and finding a voice. Feeling seen, acknowledged, and understood is at the core of the human experience.
This essential part of developing a sense of self-worth and belonging is what drives me as an artist.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am trained in traditional visual artist media, and I use all kinds of drawing and painting materials. I work in all sizes including murals as big as possible. I love painting digitally and I am especially fond of creating in virtual reality and collaborations.
My art fans remember me most for my colorful and playful Robot character who shows up in lots of my paintings and digital work. Robot has invaded many homes in painting form and is gaining a growing audience through virtual reality live paint streams. The Robot exists in an extra bright world where the Robot’s directive is to make connections.
I’m quite proud of the work that I have done with organizations that serve marginalized populations. Most of this is mural work, and it feels good to be able to see firsthand the difference it makes and witness the growth of community pride and engagement. The murals truly bring people together and create a sense of belonging and ownership of public spaces.
I have much in my art to set me apart! I think my art has a pretty unique style, my characters have emotional resonance, I make use of technological integration, and constantly combine these things to improve my storytelling prowess.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think my life would look a lot different if I had this kind of vision! For me, the biggest changes are the shift in ability to connect your artwork to an audience, and also the shift in focus from what art is and how it is consumed.
100 years ago you had to know the chosen few galleries or dealers to put your artwork in front of interested parties. Today is an amazing point in time where we all have access to a global stage. Anyone can create a presence that could reach millions of people.
An artist used to sell just the art they made, the thing. Now, they’re the product, the brand; their life is the content, and everyone has a three-second attention span. Especially right now, with AI and technology evolving incredibly quickly, it will take an artist a lot of work to stand out.
Contact Info:
- Website: insidetherobot.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidetherobot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheRobot/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linnea-maas/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/insidetherobot
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@insidetherobot
Image Credits
Travis Anderson Photography and Kazar Librojo
