There’s something magical about the way an artist can take a pencil and paper and turn it into a masterpiece. “How did the artist create something so spectacular?”
For Travelers Rest artist Cory Godbey, it’s what inspired him to turn a childhood interest into his life’s pursuit. Godbey’s interest in art sparked at a young age.
View this post on Instagram
“There are some early, vivid memories I have of staring at books or posters, whatever it was, while not having the vocabulary to describe the feelings still being enchanted by it,” says Godbey.
A magic trick led him to realize how special art was. One day, his art teacher had a student stand on a table and hold a baseball bat. Pencil at the ready, in just a few lines, the teacher captured the speed and intensity of somebody about to hit a ball with a bat, and to Godbey, it was unforgettable.
“I wanted to understand how it was possible that a drawing could feel alive — like a lightning strike. I still remember that feeling,” he says. Years later, while creating illustrations with a group of his friends in a small studio, Godbey found his sweet spot.
“Ultimately, what I’ve found to be invaluable as an artist is to create personal work,” Godbey says. “Every year I create a sketchbook on a theme for myself. I plan out a new series and collect all the sketches and studies that go into making that new series. Time and time again what I found is that it’s that work that attracts most of my clients.” Now, Godbey’s portfolio includes work for clients like Disney, Microsoft, HarperCollins, and many more.
Godbey’s love of nature and animals becomes evident with every piece he creates.
“When you weave the elements of nature, animals, and humans together this is the sort of artwork you get from me,” he says.
Follow Corey:
- Instagram: corygodbey
- Twitter: @corybodbey
- Online: https://www.corygodbey.co
