The Artist

I grew up in South Mississippi, Hattiesburg to be exact. It’s a lovely place, and I visit often! I had the pleasure of spending 18 years in the Memphis area, and am thankful for the friends and memories made there.  I currently reside in Biloxi, Mississippi, a beautiful city on the Gulf Coast.  The South is a wonderful world, and I wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else.

Painting is something I have always loved. For 20 years, though, I did very little of it. During that time, I was always painting things in my mind: I would see a sunset and imagine what colors I’d use to recreate it on canvas; I would watch my children playing in the rain and plan the composition of a finished painting; I would see the beautiful colors of fall leaves or spring blossoms and see a color palette for a textured abstract. Somehow, though, I just never made time to put these ideas into action.

As a child, I wanted to be an artist, teacher, or doctor when I grew up. As a teen, I wanted to be an artist and mom when I grew up. In college, I decided I had no idea what I would really do with art. People just looked at me like I was crazy if I seriously said I wanted to be an artist. Or so I imagined. It really seemed like an indulgence. It seemed risky. It seemed unsteady. Maybe I doubted myself, my ability. I don’t know. I chickened out. I thought I’d just be an artist one day…one day far away. It would just happen. Magically. Fast forward through life: being married, having four children, a real live dog…all keeping me happy and busy. Too busy to paint, but not too busy to plan those paintings in my mind. The desire was always there, close by, nagging me. Always. I loved the visions in my mind’s eye, but was sad that they were only in my mind.

In 2011, I realized that I would be approaching the big 40 in a couple of years…that my 20 year high school reunion was really happening…that being a wife and mother of four sort of qualified me for being in the “when I grew up” portion of my life. If I was to ever try that artist thing out, the time had arrived. All of a sudden, I couldn’t wait another day. I didn’t want to be an 80 year old with regrets. So I pulled out paint and brushes.

Now I’ve been painting for four years, off and on, but have only recently decided to get serious about it. I want to study, develop techniques, and devote a certain amount of time to art daily.