Growing My Reach and Network as an Artist and Educator

One morning in 2020, my dad, who was fighting Parkinson’s disease, spent the afternoon in my studio and we chatted while I worked. While catching him up on what each of our children was doing and telling him that I was almost finished working to pay for school tuition, he said something that I will never forget. He said, “I hope that soon you get to do what you WANT to do rather than what you HAVE to do.” That night I got a call, rushed him to the hospital, and he died a few days later. That statement was the best gift my dad could ever have left me with because it opened me to the opportunity to dream about what the next shift in my career could be. 

Several challenges in the last few years have pushed me into putting my dreams and plans for a shift in focus into action. I knew the arthritis in my knees, hands and neck was becoming a painful hindrance. Then one morning out of the blue my world went (literally) spinning and I had to quit painting for months because of vertigo. Climbing ladders was not an option so it was time to put my backup plans in gear.

Art on canvas was something I have always dabbled in and offered to clients when I worked in their homes. So, one big dream was to circle back to my fine art training from high school and college, and create art on canvas using many of the products and tools that we use in decorative painting. Making connections in new ways with interior designers, clients and local boutiques has helped me gain some traction in selling my art. Recently my work was juried into the Art Comes Alive show at Art Design Consultants (ADC) gallery in Cincinnati, OH and in March some of my pieces will be shown through ADC at the Ferrari Art Market in Scottsdale, AZ. In February I was juried into the online Square Foot Show, and even painted live during several local fundraising events the last couple of years. 

I found teaching to be rewarding and fun at my studio in Kentucky, so I joined a mastermind group and learned how to produce online classes to reach a wider audience. I also put my introverted self out there and applied to teach at the IDAL convention and a couple of other events where I found a whole new world of friends and fellow artists, making it one of the best moves I’ve made!

After learning the process for creating custom painted wallpaper from a fellow finisher, I’ve found that to be another way to be off ladders, stop schlepping stuff in and out of my car, and live the dream of working in my own studio. Last year I painted a mural in my studio for an out of town client on wallpaper and saved myself (and them) from countless hours of working in their home. 

While I hope to continue doing work in the decorative painting area as long as my body holds out, I have learned to be picky about what jobs I take and where I spend my time. I have two adorable grandsons and other family members who I want to be available for whenever needed, and I’m ready for travel and other new adventures. It’s exciting to see where else my dreams might take me!