Author: admin

I’m at ARTSTOCK in Greensboro, North Carolina this week.  I’m happy to be getting some exposure to my local community.  There is an art tour Saturday and Sunday, October 21 and 22, 2023.  Come out, meet the makers and see all of the great artists and their work.

What’s it like to be a visual artist during a pandemic?

Lots of people ask me how I stay motivated to create during this time of “stay in place”.  And while I am more motivated to paint after returning from a trip, these days I find myself getting inspiration from my travel photos.  I have a studio at our house in Greensboro, NC that is quite spacious and allows me the opportunity to work at different stations if I want (i.e., the floor, a drafting table, a long and tall painting table, the walls).

When I first began to be serious about painting, I never listened to music.  I was very focused on my work and didn’t feel right about having that kind of interruption.  Shortly after we moved back to the States, I found listening to different music genres when creating really helped me express myself.  I often pick music I think I would hear in an exotic location and paint to it.

Lately, I’ve been really fascinated with Paul Gauguin and his Tahiti paintings, so you’ll see several works that are inspired by Gauguin.

A fun fact:  I often name my work after song lyrics I like.

It’s been just over four years since I retired from the corporate world and started to re-engage my creative side.  I want to share a little about my journey.

I had no idea how hard it would be to let go of all that “stuff” one carries around when they have a professional career.  All those names, numbers and deadlines that we think are so important take a long time to fade away.  For me, it took well over a year.  OK, maybe two years.

Some of you already know that I started drawing in a sketchbook almost immediately upon retiring.  Sketching and painting got me to use the other side of my brain – and I mean really use it.  I sketched every day and for long periods of time.  I have filled a dozen sketchbooks so far!

I was thrilled after I had my first open house in Singapore to showcase and sell my art and people reacted favorably! I mean, people actually showed up and bought my art! And some were strangers! What a sense of relief and pride I felt. Honestly, I was afraid that my art was too juvenile and unsophisticated.  I kept thinking, how could I leave a very successful professional career and now be good at something so completely different?

I believe my art success has, in part, been due to some of the very skills I learned in the corporate world.  I found my honed attention to detail and abilities to relate to people from lots of different places and backgrounds were directly relatable to creating visual art.  When you look at my work, I hope you see feeling and life and even stories showcased in each piece.  Since I paint nearly every day, I like to think that my art is like a mirror.

Being curious and disciplined and willing to try new things has played a big part in my artistic development.  I’m still exploring new genres and studying different artists and taking workshops. I’m giving myself permission to make mistakes and create art that I never thought I’d make and just let people react. I’ve been surprised how freeing that is!

I hope you’ll join me in my pursuit of creative happiness.