??Iss. #3 Pendlum's Palette-A Spotlight on Artanzo, Surrealist and Symbolist Artist

This little segment of The Pendlum Plethany is all about exploring the creative process through diverse lenses and perspectives by putting a spotlight on some of the incredibly talented creatives out there expressing their creativity in different ways—hopefully to show that creativity really does have endless manifestations.

I call this segment Pendlum’s Palette because it represents the fact that my own art and creativity is a pastiche of so many other creatives and creative works, past and present. This is really the case for anyone and everyone. Our creative originality comes from the unique way in which we blend and pastiche the things we see and read and observe and learn from. And since we’re always learning and finding new inspiration, our creative palettes are always evolving, with new colors and tools to draw from.

Anyway, without further ado...

PALETTE GUEST:

Name: Olivier

Artist name: Artanzo

From: Paris, France

Social media: Instagram: @artanzo.official

Website: https://artanzo.com/

Introduction: Today, I’m happy and honored to be spotlighting Olivier, artist name: Artanzo, a wonderfully creative Surrealist and Symbolist artist, hailing from Paris, France.

Artanzo, thank you for letting me spotlight you on The Pendlum Plethany. I first connected with you on Instagram. Your unique creativity and style immediately drew me in when I first saw your work there. Each one of your illustrations is like a little world or universe that tells a story. A lake inside of a frog, people dancing inside of a lamp post, mountains made of pencils, an island in an avocado, and so much more.

Mr. Pendlum: I like starting with the bare essentials. Can you give us your mini life bio in a few sentences?

Artanzo: I am a Franco-Peruvian artist, born in the Andes in 1983. I originally trained as a math engineer—nothing to do with drawing! But I’ve always loved having both the skills of art and science to bring a scientific research vibe to my artistic approach. Since 2005, I’ve been living in Paris, occasionally participating in exhibitions to share my artwork. However, my presence is mostly online, especially on Instagram, where most of my followers are.

Mr. Pendlum: How did you find your style as an artist??

Artanzo: Finding my drawing style hasn’t been easy! I’ve done countless experiments, sharing them on social media along the way. For me, each drawing is an experience in itself, helping me move forward little by little and discover my creative path. Right now, I’m working on developing two distinct styles: one with watercolor (my dream collection) and the other with Chinese ink (my nightmare collection).

Mr. Pendlum: Give us a peek into your creative process. How do you come up with your unique illustration ideas?

Artanzo: My ideas come to me spontaneously, especially when I dream at night. I also sometimes make spontaneous associations while browsing photos online, which adds a surreal touch to my drawings.

Mr. Pendlum: Now to get more philosophical. What does creativity mean to you?

Artanzo: What is creativity? That’s a great question. For me, creativity is something invisible and very hard to define. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to truly define it—if we did, creativity as we know it might cease to exist. More concretely, if I had to give an approximate definition, I’d say creativity is a skill made up of two dimensions: willpower and association. Willpower is the drive to constantly express something, and association is the ability to find the elements needed to build the message we want to share with others.

Mr. Pendlum: Taking from Pandora’s Jar, if everyone had a jar that represented their creative soul, what might the ‘Jar of Artanzo’ look like, if someone were to come across it? What would it have inside?

Artanzo: A jar that represents me? Haha, I pretty much only draw jars if you take a closer look! Here’s one I love to share—it’s a piece I created for a friend. It’s titled “Timeless.”

Mr. Pendlum: It's a beautiful piece—a jar I'm sure anyone would love to explore. What are some of your favorite projects or things that you’re currently working on?

Artanzo: I have several exciting projects at the moment, and one of them is creating an entire series of collectible cards featuring my drawings. I’ve prepared 178 illustrations for the first edition, and I can’t wait to see the final result once the cards are printed!

Mr. Pendlum: Someone in the future is browsing a poetry anthology titled ‘Miscellany of Miniature Verses’. They come across a mini poem by Artanzo, and it says:

(This is an Aiku:)

Brush strokes gently fall,

Dreams and ink shape worlds untold,

Timeless jars of soul.

Mr. Pendlum: We’d love to know a few of your favorite things. What are some of the things that you love or that inspire your creativity?

• Science
• Snorkeling
• Bubble Tea
• Art Nouveau

Mr. Pendlum: Before we finish, are there any words of wisdom or encouragement you would give to someone who wants to “be more creative” or get in touch with their artistic self?

Creativity should always be a joy—you shouldn’t force it, or the results won’t live up to expectations. To boost creativity, I recommend exploring the world around us, whether in real life or virtually. Curiosity is the key to everything!

Mr. Pendlum: Very much agreed! Where can readers find more of your work and follow you?

People can find my work on my website (https://artanzo.com) or on Instagram (@artanzo.official). I also have a Reddit account (Artanzo) and a Bluesky account I recently opened (@artanzo.bsky.social). I’m also on TikTok (@artanzo.official), although I’m not very active there. For those living in Asia, I have a Xiaohongshu account (Artanzo) where I’m quite popular!