May 2024 Unicorn Of The Month: Melodie Provenzano
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| Melodie with Fashion Icon Donna Karan |
"Yeah man, I'm GOING for it this year!"
1. Tell me about you as a person. The name in which you prefer to go by. Where are you based? What are your origins, where are you from, etc.?
I was born in Hudson, New York, and raised in the Village of Kinderhook. Having been a young Francophile, I went to Paris my sophomore year of earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Parsons School of Design. After graduating in 1996, I stayed in New York City, freelancing for high end fashion companies like Donna Karan Collection and Hermes, while maintaining a fine art practice that began in my early childhood. In 2020, with the husband I had met and our three year old son, we packed up and moved to rural Tennessee outside of Nashville to live near our son's grandmother. I love the feeling of getting absorbed into doing things, making music, creating White Glove Soap, gardening and painting to name a few. In the 90s I created an alter ego for making music named Connie Acher (not Archer, it’s Acher, meaning “One who aches”). I have six albums, five of which are full length vinyl records and one pressed only as a CD. There are also 99 copies of a one sided vinyl 7 inch single called "Precious" in the musical underground. I would play shows, and the pseudonym would confuse people who met me, when I would tell them my “real name”, the name I prefer, the name on my birth certificate, Melodie Provenzano. I guess I’m fairly attached to this name, opting not to change it when I got married. Recently, we went to Rome, Italy, and I had this overwhelming sense of belonging when we arrived. I am American, but part of my heart, which is reflected in my name, is certainly Italian and loves Bernini.
2. How long have you been practicing art professionally, when did you consider yourself a real artist?
Both my parents and my k-12 public art teachers made me feel super special, like an art star that could not fail. I considered myself a real artist at a young age, winning $10 for a coloring contest when I was 3, lol, competing with 5 year olds! In high school my art teacher purchased a painting of mine and in college my painting instructor bought one too. I was meeting with financial encouragement and confirmation of my belief all along the way. In the world of painting showrooms and backdrops for fashion companies I developed an excellent reputation as a painter and never had to apply for jobs. People came to me through word of mouth. I remember the day the art director for Louis Vuitton called me to paint the floor and walls of a huge showroom to look like Richard Prince's studio. It was incredible and a super fun way to pay the bills. Once I was offered a job to faux finish some props in a studio that was outside of the city with no easy way for me to get there (I didn't drive or have a car at the time), so I turned it down. The owner said he would send a limo to pick me up and take me home. I agreed and was chauffeured to the production house for a week in an old stretched limousine. It was amazing and hilarious. NYC is an expensive place, but I managed to survive on my earnings, living alone in a railroad apartment on East 117th Street.
I recently showed some new abstract paintings at the SPRING/BREAK Art Show in LA, and a collector's daughter chose one as her 17th birthday present on opening night! It was the perfect moment and now a perfect memory. It made me feel so good that a beautiful, young, smart, kind, vibrant person, vital to the future, resonated with the new paintings, which are bursting forth with creative excitement and simultaneously pointing to inner peace by way of the gray gift bow. Allow me to explain the gray gift bow and why it is my symbol of peace. I am also inspired by Ellsworth Kelly, specifically his artwork that I saw at the St. Louis Museum.
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6. What are some of your non-art inspirations?
For years I have listened to Dharma talks given by the Thai Forest Monks in the tradition of Ajahn Chah. I was able to visit Amaravati in England, where Ajahn Amaro is the Abbot. He is a marvelous teacher. In 2010, I found sobriety and changed my life from an ongoing sense of doom and gloom, with recurring bouts of crying all day to a state of cheerful gratitude and realization of a healthy lifestyle by taking to heart the wisdom of Ajahn Chah. Don't get me wrong, I still have lots to improve mentally and physically, but I'm on the right path headed in the right direction. My whole “Seeing Oneself in Others” series of painting other artists’ sculptures blossomed from the Buddhist philosophy of no self, which may be deeply delved into, but quickly summed up, is the understanding of no permanent, individual, independent, everlasting self.
6. When do you know when a work is finished?
If I’m painting still life or another artist’s sculpture, it is usually quite clear when a work is finished. The painting is singing in the most beautiful voice possible, “Oh my goodness, I look so good, wow, wow, wow, how exciting, ahhhhhhhhh, go ahead, show me to the world, I'm ready!” There’s nothing my eye is being drawn to in order to correct. The object looks like it has air around it and could be popping off of the canvas. Everything is resolved and refined and looks awesome! With abstract paintings, it's not as cut and dry, because at the moment, there is no obvious goal for me to attain. I'm opening myself up to experimentation, going for it, experiencing the process and eventually reaching a place of satisfaction or not. I'm in a state of growth and learning.
7. Tell me about your process when working. Do you listen to music or do any rituals to get yourself ready to make art?
In general, the way I work is very meditative. I light the object of my attention, conscious of the shadows that are created, and I focus on painting it from direct observation. I get in a flow state and before you know it several hours have passed. Sometimes I am painting still lifes that I have carefully composed, or a single object like a gift bow, or an artist's sculpture that I have borrowed and set up in my studio. I began a practice of loosening up by setting a timer and allowing myself only one hour to paint a gift bow in this manner. When the hour is up, I stop. At first these paintings looked so messy to me, but I've grown to appreciate what they have to offer visually. In contrast, the process of making the abstract paintings is very messy. I put gloves on and literally finger paint, also gluing chucks of acrylic paint and gold leafing here and there, exploring what visual media can do and tapping into other parts of my imagination and creative abilities. I either work in silence, or listen to dharma talks or non-fiction audio books. Recently, I’ve been listening to books written for salespeople and entrepreneurs, because I'm actively learning more about marketing, business and ways of commerce. The world is fascinating, rife with problems and solutions and educational books about them. It seems like one can learn just about anything online. My absolute favorite book that I have listened to multiple times and will again is "Food for the Heart" by Ajahn Chah.
8. What are the meanings and the concepts behind this particular body of work?
“Seeing Oneself in Others” is an extraordinary, expanding body of work that celebrates the creativity and diversity of humanity by featuring paintings made from direct observation of other artists’ sculptures. The talking points and avenues of entry are as diverse as the materials used by the sculptors and their various cultures and backgrounds. For example you could look at the painting I made of Shari Mendelson’s vessel and talk about the ubiquitous plastic bottles that she repurposes to create contemporary masterpieces that might be mistaken for ancient artifacts. The painting of Jae Yong Kim’s ceramic donut with devil horns might inspire a deeper dive into Korean art history or elicit a conversation about desire and delicacies. The painting of Matthew McCaslin’s “Joy of Gesture” sculpture bears the title of the series “Seeing Oneself in Others”, because his sculpture is made up of multiple light bulbs, the perfect metaphor for peoples’ ingenuity. Each light bulb is mirrored so the viewer of the sculpture sees himself in the piece. It’s literally a brilliant sculpture! The broadest stroke or meaning of the show rests in group harmony and interbeing. My ultimate goal in life is to be wise and peaceful. The act of painting from direct observation is meditative and grows the peace in my mind, while the content of the paintings together reflect the peace I would like to see on a global level.
9.What do you want viewers would take away from your work?
Inspiration! Happiness! Energy! Mind expansion! A gratitude for the life we share, an appreciation for the mystery of life, self confidence, a willingness to participate, a sense of belonging and being cared for, a smile, an understanding and respect for others, unconditional love, strength, compassion for all living creatures, the joy of creative expressions, a vision of world peace, an uplifted balanced stable state of mind! All the good in the world! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
10.What are your biggest goals as a visual artist? And what has been your proudest moment professionally?
One of my biggest goals at the moment is to coordinate “Seeing Oneself in Others” as a traveling exhibition that expands at each stop it makes. So far it has been exhibited at Nancy Margolis Gallery on West 25th ST in NYC, featuring sculptures by Jae Yong Kim, Matthew McCaslin, Shari Mendelson, Michelle Segre, Arthur Simms, and Jeanne Tremel, and most recently at The University School of Nashville, where paintings and drawings depicting student sculptures were added to the mix. A dream I'm hoping to achieve is to return to my hometown of Kinderhook and present “Seeing Oneself in Others” at Jack Shainman’s “School”, the building in which I spent part of my formative years as a third grader! I feel like my proudest moment professionally would be exhibiting at The School, making a full circle at the place I left to become a professional artist. But If I had to choose something from my professional past, I would say illustrating and selling the copyrights of a signature toile fabric to Saks Fifth Avenue, a part of which ran as a full page ad in the NY Times, because that job had an excellent and very exciting pay day!
11. Has there ever been a time in your life when you doubted your abilities as an artist? To the point that you wanted to give up? If so, how did you pull yourself out of it?
I’ve never doubted my abilities as an artist, meaning as one who could take their experience and create something from it. I believe every human being has the ability to be an artist if they are inclined. Desiring to absorb myself in creative endeavors comes naturally to me, especially painting. I enjoy it immensely. However, I have doubted my abilities to talk about my art, to market my art and make a thriving career out of selling my art. It takes a lot of hustle, confidence and social skills to network, make connections and be prepared at the right place at the right time. I’m actively working on talking about my art, because with practice, it gets easier. Practice is the key to everything.
I was born in Hudson, New York, and raised in the Village of Kinderhook. Having been a young Francophile, I went to Paris my sophomore year of earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Parsons School of Design. After graduating in 1996, I stayed in New York City, freelancing for high end fashion companies like Donna Karan Collection and Hermes, while maintaining a fine art practice that began in my early childhood. In 2020, with the husband I had met and our three year old son, we packed up and moved to rural Tennessee outside of Nashville to live near our son's grandmother. I love the feeling of getting absorbed into doing things, making music, creating White Glove Soap, gardening and painting to name a few. In the 90s I created an alter ego for making music named Connie Acher (not Archer, it’s Acher, meaning “One who aches”). I have six albums, five of which are full length vinyl records and one pressed only as a CD. There are also 99 copies of a one sided vinyl 7 inch single called "Precious" in the musical underground. I would play shows, and the pseudonym would confuse people who met me, when I would tell them my “real name”, the name I prefer, the name on my birth certificate, Melodie Provenzano. I guess I’m fairly attached to this name, opting not to change it when I got married. Recently, we went to Rome, Italy, and I had this overwhelming sense of belonging when we arrived. I am American, but part of my heart, which is reflected in my name, is certainly Italian and loves Bernini.
2. How long have you been practicing art professionally, when did you consider yourself a real artist?
Both my parents and my k-12 public art teachers made me feel super special, like an art star that could not fail. I considered myself a real artist at a young age, winning $10 for a coloring contest when I was 3, lol, competing with 5 year olds! In high school my art teacher purchased a painting of mine and in college my painting instructor bought one too. I was meeting with financial encouragement and confirmation of my belief all along the way. In the world of painting showrooms and backdrops for fashion companies I developed an excellent reputation as a painter and never had to apply for jobs. People came to me through word of mouth. I remember the day the art director for Louis Vuitton called me to paint the floor and walls of a huge showroom to look like Richard Prince's studio. It was incredible and a super fun way to pay the bills. Once I was offered a job to faux finish some props in a studio that was outside of the city with no easy way for me to get there (I didn't drive or have a car at the time), so I turned it down. The owner said he would send a limo to pick me up and take me home. I agreed and was chauffeured to the production house for a week in an old stretched limousine. It was amazing and hilarious. NYC is an expensive place, but I managed to survive on my earnings, living alone in a railroad apartment on East 117th Street.
I thought the fine art world was going to work that way too, just come to me, like an old stretched limousine! However, it turned out to be more challenging to get recognized on the highest levels. I didn't realize how much networking, marketing and trends are actually involved in making money in the fine art world. Maybe the way I fell into the world of painting for fashion companies, is the way some people fall into the world of showing in museums, being represented by blue chip galleries, and having waiting lists of people to purchase their works, but that has not been my experience. I turned fifty this year and with lots of focus, effort and determination, I'm bridging the gaps and taking my fine art career to higher levels.
3. Did you go to art school? Tell me about your training, formal and informal.
I’ve had A LOT of painting training. While growing up, our neighbor gave me private watercolor lessons. I did my first oil painting with her guidance as well. In high school, we had three art teachers and the best electives. I took ceramics, sculpture, illustration and oil painting. In the summer, as a teenager, I went to the Russell Sage College and studied figure drawing and oil painting. My sights were set on going to Cooper Union, because at the time it was free. It was the first big blow to my sense of control over my future when I read the rejection letter. I think it’s so important to mention that life, no matter what you do has failure involved, the point is to be creative and persevere. Fortunately, I had applied to Parsons and opted to go there. My painting teacher, Mr. King, was a Parsons alumni. He was very happy for me. In the end I got to go to Parsons in Paris for 9 months, which was mind blowing having access to The Louvre, Rodin and Picasso Museums to name just a few. After acquiring my BFA, I freelanced doing window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue to support myself and pay off my student loan. Working at Saks was a visual boot camp! I learned how to be part of a creative team transforming thousands of square feet every week! When I was seasoned, calls came from other high end brands to paint special projects, showrooms, windows, store walls, etc. Once I was flown to San Francisco to paint a mural at Macy's for DKNY Pure. I wonder if it is still there?
4. What is the medium(s) that you prefer to work in and tell why?
3. Did you go to art school? Tell me about your training, formal and informal.
I’ve had A LOT of painting training. While growing up, our neighbor gave me private watercolor lessons. I did my first oil painting with her guidance as well. In high school, we had three art teachers and the best electives. I took ceramics, sculpture, illustration and oil painting. In the summer, as a teenager, I went to the Russell Sage College and studied figure drawing and oil painting. My sights were set on going to Cooper Union, because at the time it was free. It was the first big blow to my sense of control over my future when I read the rejection letter. I think it’s so important to mention that life, no matter what you do has failure involved, the point is to be creative and persevere. Fortunately, I had applied to Parsons and opted to go there. My painting teacher, Mr. King, was a Parsons alumni. He was very happy for me. In the end I got to go to Parsons in Paris for 9 months, which was mind blowing having access to The Louvre, Rodin and Picasso Museums to name just a few. After acquiring my BFA, I freelanced doing window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue to support myself and pay off my student loan. Working at Saks was a visual boot camp! I learned how to be part of a creative team transforming thousands of square feet every week! When I was seasoned, calls came from other high end brands to paint special projects, showrooms, windows, store walls, etc. Once I was flown to San Francisco to paint a mural at Macy's for DKNY Pure. I wonder if it is still there?
4. What is the medium(s) that you prefer to work in and tell why?
Throughout school I mostly painted in oil, because that's what the establishment expected of us. For me oil paintings are like a chemistry project, with which I'd rather not bother. I never understood why one had to paint fat over lean with oils, until an oil painting of mine simply started to fall apart. I had thinned the paint with paint thinner, instead of an oil medium, because I liked the way it flowed off my brush, but this caused the paint to flake or "cleave" off after it dried. Not good. This problem does not exist with acrylic paint. When I worked at Saks I was mixing gallons of house paint to match the colors of designer clothes and regularly painting designs and faux finishes on approximately 60 foot long banks of windows, floors, walls and ceilings. It was so much easier to clean up using water based paints, not to mention the drying time was so much faster and essentially there are no application rules. Eventually, I switched from oil to acrylic in my studio. I do miss the opacity of oil paint sometimes, and use it when I need to, when the pros of it outweigh the cons. When drawing and working on paper, I like the precision of mechanical pencils and accents of gold leaf and gouache. I also like painting with watercolor on paper, partially because of the fluidity and detail that can be achieved with a tiny brush. My friend, Emily Holt, a wonderful sculptor, made me walnut ink. Talk about an amazing gift! I'm enjoying using it, because it was made by her and is a beautiful color.
5. Who are some of your art inspirations?
Right now I’m inspired by the paintings of Sarah Cain. She and I went to the same elementary school, only she is several years younger than me so I didn’t know her back then. Sarah was recently brought to my attention by my 5th grade teacher, a mutual friend. Ironically, I thought our mutual friend was telling me about her so that I could help Sarah with her career, but it turns out she’s in more of a position to help me with mine, and indirectly she already has. I’m very inspired by the immediacy, speed, and freshness that I feel when I look at her work. The large painting projects she has accomplished are full of energy, vibrancy and life force. In my own life, there would be large scale, speed and lots of abstraction in my commercial work, but when it came to my fine art, I would slow down into a meditative state and focus on the refinement of minutiae, putting 400 hours into one 3 x 4 foot painting of a still life. I still refine beyond belief, but I'm also branching out. Seeing Sarah's work has given me license to loosen up.
5. Who are some of your art inspirations?
Right now I’m inspired by the paintings of Sarah Cain. She and I went to the same elementary school, only she is several years younger than me so I didn’t know her back then. Sarah was recently brought to my attention by my 5th grade teacher, a mutual friend. Ironically, I thought our mutual friend was telling me about her so that I could help Sarah with her career, but it turns out she’s in more of a position to help me with mine, and indirectly she already has. I’m very inspired by the immediacy, speed, and freshness that I feel when I look at her work. The large painting projects she has accomplished are full of energy, vibrancy and life force. In my own life, there would be large scale, speed and lots of abstraction in my commercial work, but when it came to my fine art, I would slow down into a meditative state and focus on the refinement of minutiae, putting 400 hours into one 3 x 4 foot painting of a still life. I still refine beyond belief, but I'm also branching out. Seeing Sarah's work has given me license to loosen up.
I recently showed some new abstract paintings at the SPRING/BREAK Art Show in LA, and a collector's daughter chose one as her 17th birthday present on opening night! It was the perfect moment and now a perfect memory. It made me feel so good that a beautiful, young, smart, kind, vibrant person, vital to the future, resonated with the new paintings, which are bursting forth with creative excitement and simultaneously pointing to inner peace by way of the gray gift bow. Allow me to explain the gray gift bow and why it is my symbol of peace. I am also inspired by Ellsworth Kelly, specifically his artwork that I saw at the St. Louis Museum.
I've been making monochromatic paintings of gift bows with the intention to hang them like Kelly's Spectrum. In addition, I read that Kelly made minimalist gray paintings as an anti-war statement. The ongoing conflicts and wars on this planet are so awful and depressing, that Kelly's gray series gave me the idea to paint a monochromatic gray bow as my personal expression, signifier, embodiment and belief in peace. I wasn't seeing world peace in the news, and similarly I couldn't find any ready made gray bows in the stores or online. I had to create my own gray bow with painted gray paper and hot glue, like the way I have to create my own peaceful state of mind and hope that the peace will have a ripple effect out into the world.
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Hence the gray bow appears in these abstract paintings as a reminder that no matter what the circumstances are, you have the ability (with lots of practice of course) to find peace in your mind. Another big inspiration are all of the sculptors, who have let me borrow their sculptures to study in my studio. I become intimately familiar with one sculpture at a time, sketching it and finding the angle and point of view from which I make a painting from direct observation, giving attention to every aspect with a meticulous eye for detail. Today in my studio, I am installing a sculpture by a Nashville artist, Delia Seigenthaler. It’s a ceramic wall piece, composed of letters formed by doll arms and legs. I absolutely love the sculpture, which declares “F-UHN”, and I can’t wait to look at it slowly, over an extended period of time, closely and experience it by doing a portrait of it so to speak. The painting will become part of my growing body of work entitled "Seeing Oneself in Others".
6. What are some of your non-art inspirations?
For years I have listened to Dharma talks given by the Thai Forest Monks in the tradition of Ajahn Chah. I was able to visit Amaravati in England, where Ajahn Amaro is the Abbot. He is a marvelous teacher. In 2010, I found sobriety and changed my life from an ongoing sense of doom and gloom, with recurring bouts of crying all day to a state of cheerful gratitude and realization of a healthy lifestyle by taking to heart the wisdom of Ajahn Chah. Don't get me wrong, I still have lots to improve mentally and physically, but I'm on the right path headed in the right direction. My whole “Seeing Oneself in Others” series of painting other artists’ sculptures blossomed from the Buddhist philosophy of no self, which may be deeply delved into, but quickly summed up, is the understanding of no permanent, individual, independent, everlasting self.
6. When do you know when a work is finished?
If I’m painting still life or another artist’s sculpture, it is usually quite clear when a work is finished. The painting is singing in the most beautiful voice possible, “Oh my goodness, I look so good, wow, wow, wow, how exciting, ahhhhhhhhh, go ahead, show me to the world, I'm ready!” There’s nothing my eye is being drawn to in order to correct. The object looks like it has air around it and could be popping off of the canvas. Everything is resolved and refined and looks awesome! With abstract paintings, it's not as cut and dry, because at the moment, there is no obvious goal for me to attain. I'm opening myself up to experimentation, going for it, experiencing the process and eventually reaching a place of satisfaction or not. I'm in a state of growth and learning.
7. Tell me about your process when working. Do you listen to music or do any rituals to get yourself ready to make art?
In general, the way I work is very meditative. I light the object of my attention, conscious of the shadows that are created, and I focus on painting it from direct observation. I get in a flow state and before you know it several hours have passed. Sometimes I am painting still lifes that I have carefully composed, or a single object like a gift bow, or an artist's sculpture that I have borrowed and set up in my studio. I began a practice of loosening up by setting a timer and allowing myself only one hour to paint a gift bow in this manner. When the hour is up, I stop. At first these paintings looked so messy to me, but I've grown to appreciate what they have to offer visually. In contrast, the process of making the abstract paintings is very messy. I put gloves on and literally finger paint, also gluing chucks of acrylic paint and gold leafing here and there, exploring what visual media can do and tapping into other parts of my imagination and creative abilities. I either work in silence, or listen to dharma talks or non-fiction audio books. Recently, I’ve been listening to books written for salespeople and entrepreneurs, because I'm actively learning more about marketing, business and ways of commerce. The world is fascinating, rife with problems and solutions and educational books about them. It seems like one can learn just about anything online. My absolute favorite book that I have listened to multiple times and will again is "Food for the Heart" by Ajahn Chah.
8. What are the meanings and the concepts behind this particular body of work?
“Seeing Oneself in Others” is an extraordinary, expanding body of work that celebrates the creativity and diversity of humanity by featuring paintings made from direct observation of other artists’ sculptures. The talking points and avenues of entry are as diverse as the materials used by the sculptors and their various cultures and backgrounds. For example you could look at the painting I made of Shari Mendelson’s vessel and talk about the ubiquitous plastic bottles that she repurposes to create contemporary masterpieces that might be mistaken for ancient artifacts. The painting of Jae Yong Kim’s ceramic donut with devil horns might inspire a deeper dive into Korean art history or elicit a conversation about desire and delicacies. The painting of Matthew McCaslin’s “Joy of Gesture” sculpture bears the title of the series “Seeing Oneself in Others”, because his sculpture is made up of multiple light bulbs, the perfect metaphor for peoples’ ingenuity. Each light bulb is mirrored so the viewer of the sculpture sees himself in the piece. It’s literally a brilliant sculpture! The broadest stroke or meaning of the show rests in group harmony and interbeing. My ultimate goal in life is to be wise and peaceful. The act of painting from direct observation is meditative and grows the peace in my mind, while the content of the paintings together reflect the peace I would like to see on a global level.
9.What do you want viewers would take away from your work?
Inspiration! Happiness! Energy! Mind expansion! A gratitude for the life we share, an appreciation for the mystery of life, self confidence, a willingness to participate, a sense of belonging and being cared for, a smile, an understanding and respect for others, unconditional love, strength, compassion for all living creatures, the joy of creative expressions, a vision of world peace, an uplifted balanced stable state of mind! All the good in the world! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
10.What are your biggest goals as a visual artist? And what has been your proudest moment professionally?
One of my biggest goals at the moment is to coordinate “Seeing Oneself in Others” as a traveling exhibition that expands at each stop it makes. So far it has been exhibited at Nancy Margolis Gallery on West 25th ST in NYC, featuring sculptures by Jae Yong Kim, Matthew McCaslin, Shari Mendelson, Michelle Segre, Arthur Simms, and Jeanne Tremel, and most recently at The University School of Nashville, where paintings and drawings depicting student sculptures were added to the mix. A dream I'm hoping to achieve is to return to my hometown of Kinderhook and present “Seeing Oneself in Others” at Jack Shainman’s “School”, the building in which I spent part of my formative years as a third grader! I feel like my proudest moment professionally would be exhibiting at The School, making a full circle at the place I left to become a professional artist. But If I had to choose something from my professional past, I would say illustrating and selling the copyrights of a signature toile fabric to Saks Fifth Avenue, a part of which ran as a full page ad in the NY Times, because that job had an excellent and very exciting pay day!
11. Has there ever been a time in your life when you doubted your abilities as an artist? To the point that you wanted to give up? If so, how did you pull yourself out of it?
I’ve never doubted my abilities as an artist, meaning as one who could take their experience and create something from it. I believe every human being has the ability to be an artist if they are inclined. Desiring to absorb myself in creative endeavors comes naturally to me, especially painting. I enjoy it immensely. However, I have doubted my abilities to talk about my art, to market my art and make a thriving career out of selling my art. It takes a lot of hustle, confidence and social skills to network, make connections and be prepared at the right place at the right time. I’m actively working on talking about my art, because with practice, it gets easier. Practice is the key to everything.
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