The man behind the Wizard Tree, Andrew Pollard, stands proud behind some of this latest artwork. Photos by Blake Bekken
Seconds from campus—at home, locked in his room late at night—Andrew Pollard is often sketching away at another fabled mountainscape.
Whether it’s with watercolor or pen, the vast landscapes are quickly recognizable as work from Andrew’s headspace.
Born and raised in the foothills of the Wasatch Range, Andrew spent his early days skiing around Alta with his tight group of friends. His love for the mountains developed at an early age.
“When I was a kid, it was cool to watch the other Pollard, Eric Pollard, be a pro skier,” Andrew said. “But at the same time, he was also a serious artist.”
Eric Pollard is a professional skier based out of Portland, Oregon. Andrew found Eric’s nature-based artwork as an inspiration to his forward-thinking, ink-based landscapes.
Andrew builds his work around the mountains.
“I like the mountain culture because I grew up in it,” he said. “I want to portray that culture through my work. Going to those places that you almost have these magical memories of, but it’s almost not what they actually look like in reality.”
Andrew said he spends his spare moments on road trips and away from cell phone service. Those weekend expeditions fuel his creativity and push his business aspirations. He has labeled his artwork with the signature mark “Wizard Tree.”
“The art is the further path for me,” Andrew said. “When you’re done being a pro skier, you’ve got to have something else to do.”
As an arts administration major, Andrew said he wants to improve on the business and marketing side of his artwork to make a living off of it down the road.
He said he is hopeful that his work will take off, as he has already been discussing collaborations with companies like Tecnica/Blizzard this past year.
Andrew’s roommate Christian Kinnison, sophomore from Salt Lake City, praised Andrew’s passion for his art and his commitment to the outdoors—specifically skiing.
Entranced in the process, Andrew Pollard works on one of his latest mountains capes in the basement of his home.
“Andrew Pollard’s focus, energy, talent in his artwork and as well as his skiing is what makes him an incredibly unique individual,” Kinnison said. “His deep passion for the outdoors is highlighted throughout all of his pieces.”
Andrew pigeon-holes himself within the boundaries of the outdoor community, and he said he is thankful for it.
“I’m doing something unique and new: looking to inspire good ideas about environmental protection and that whole aspect of preserving those special places that we have,” Andrew said.
Those places are important to Andrew, and he said he knows that those sacred places are important to others within the outdoor community, as well.
More of Andrew’s work can be found on his Instagram: @wzdtree
