Why make the effort
Why do I make enormous efforts to create art around life?
Indeed, I do intentionally create art around my life for two reasons. First off I will not sacrifice family life to make art. Secondly, art is important to me, therefore, I’ve learned to create meaningful art around life.
As a young woman I believed creating art meant giving up most other meaningful pursuits. However, I now know it simply isn’t so.
I create art as well as take care of my family because I was purposefully created by a transcendent Creator. This is foundational to me and informs my values and pursuits.
Deciphering the value I give the world in exchange for the gift of time I’ve been given on earth is my value proposition. I learned about this term during the almost 7 years of owning a brick and mortar business.
My values are expressed by my activity in the studio and in life. Following is a brief history of my changing values on the way to becoming a full-time artist.
highschool years
I abandoned any thoughts of an art career after showing my accurate and colourful watercolour of my viola to my high school art teacher, Mr. Sanderson. Dutifully, I’m sure, he advised that the realism I loved was no longer relevant in 1973.
Additionally, my loving and terribly practical parents urged sensibility, too. Consequently, I earned a science degree at University. Therefore it seems that I valued the advice of my parents and teachers.
Marriage, work and Motherhood values
After university, I worked in hospital surgery, a chemistry laboratory, and did a stint in industrial real estate out in California after I married. Accordingly, I valued using my science training in a career. Albeit, in the end I decided I was not a scientist.
Later on as a stay-at-home mum, however, I pursued art again with a vengeance. Between diaper changes and chasing babies, I launched a fledgling art portraiture business, creating colourful and accurate coloured pencil portraits. Accordingly, I valued pursuing what I really wanted in my heart.
Then, life happened. Thus, I moved with my young children back to Kansas to be near my parents.
solo parenting years
As a solo mother, I worked during the day as an assistant project manager for a construction company. Nonetheless, I set up an easel in my bedroom to create art at night after my children were in bed. I valued creating art no matter what.
Thrilled with the developments on my easel, I, thereby, initiated an arts ministry at church. What a grand time. Indeed, we had two successful shows featuring several artists within the large congregation. I valued sharing creative joy with others.
I would have happily continued working these exhibitions, but then love intervened.
New Country, new Life
Thereby, in 2001 I shifted with my kids to New Zealand to be with my new Kiwi husband, Bill. My aim was to blend our two families and pursue art full-time. Well, almost full-time. Notwithstanding renovating two homes, planning a big wedding, and making trips back and forth to the United States; I valued pushing through to make art no matter what!
Indeed, I managed to create three big solo exhibitions and an exhibition with Anna Claire Thompson at Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Additionally, Anna and I also co-founded an active area wide visual arts group. Phew!! I learned to value time management.
Business Owner
Then I invested seven years of creative energy owning a picture framing and gallery business. We closed it in 2019. I probably won’t fully recognise the values I learned for a few years.
Creating art around Life
My value proposition now is this: I’m back full-time into my arts practice. I’m able to share knowledge and wisdom gained from over 30 years of Creating Art Around Life in the midst of the richness a full and eventful life.
I have tenacity and a strong will to create. I’ve stuck in there for a long time when it would have been easier, and arguably wiser, to simply give up. But I didn’t and I won’t.
I believe that our creative nature is a tremendous gift. Nearly as precious as the gift of life.
Coloured pencil works
Coloured pencil works
No Regrets
2006 solo exhibition
Noble People Treasured Land
Anderson Park Art Gallery.
Handle with Care
2011 exhibition
Out of Hand
with Anna Claire Thompson
Bill at the Grille
Click the image to watch Part 4 of a time lapse video of me creating this latest work fresh off the easel.
