Today we’d like to introduce you to Aurora Pikop.
Hi Aurora, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My dad was an artist. He went to Portland Art School, and he used to take me with him — growing up inside that world shaped everything. Art wasn’t something I picked up later; it’s the language I was raised in. I’ve put in the hours since I was a kid, mastering my craft quietly, long before anyone was watching. I didn’t go headfirst into this. I’ve been planning for years, building the skill before the brand.
Auroras Artworks is my spooky-cute world — every piece hand-drawn and handmade by me. My characters are the heart of it: my goth unicorn, my little crew of spooky mascots. Vendoring isn’t the foundation of who I am; the work is. Markets are just where I get to share it face to face, and meeting the people who connect with my art never gets old.
I’m constantly trying something new. Sometimes it doesn’t land right. But I keep trying — that willingness to risk the miss is the foundation of my brand.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I do everything myself — the art, the sewing, the booth, talking to strangers all day — and I don’t drive, so every market starts with figuring out how to get there and get everything home. Some days it takes everything I have, and then I do it again the next morning.
The harder part is what nobody sees. Building something public when your inner world isn’t an easy place to live — that’s the real work. There were stretches where I almost talked myself out of this entirely. The money stress, the plans falling apart, the ideas that don’t land.
What keeps me here is the work itself. When I’m drawing, the noise quiets down. My characters are the most honest part of me. I don’t think the road is supposed to be smooth — I think it’s supposed to make you into someone who can walk it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I run Auroras Artworks out of Portland — spooky-cute clothing and art, all hand-drawn and handmade by me. I specialize in original characters: my goth unicorn, my crew of spooky mascots. They live on embroidered pieces, prints, pins, and decorated bags and totes. I’m known for that blend of spooky and sweet, and for the fact that everything is truly made by hand — no shortcuts.
What I’m most proud of is that I built this from years of quiet work. Nobody handed me a brand; I earned every skill in it.
What sets me apart? I’m honest about not knowing everything. I’ll try something new, it’ll flop, and I’ll say it flopped — then try again. A lot of artists curate this image of having it all figured out. I don’t. I’m learning in front of everyone, and I think people feel that honesty in the work.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love best about LA is the culture — California really is a dream to live in. The creativity, the mix of people, the energy — there’s nothing like it.
What I like least: I can’t handle the animal abuse, and the whitewashing. A city with this much soul shouldn’t be sanding its edges off, and I can’t make peace with animals suffering.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Aurorasartworks
