Why I paint

All the reasons why I paint and where I started

I started acrylic painting in middle school. Painting was my therapy. I spent countless nights working on my techniques. My small town school had no art class, so I learned mainly from online tutorials and YouTube videos. My first acrylic painting I did was actually a tutorial from a DS game. I don't even remember what the game was called but if I saw it now it would bring me right back to the days where I spent my time painting in my parent's attic. That is where my journey began.

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

I remember painting being the first time where I did something in my life that made me really truly proud of myself. Now I find joy in the artwork I create for others more than the art I create solely for myself. I spent so much time on my art and put so much effort into it that it really became part of who I am. It's really grounding to be able to be so integrated into a passion like this. It has grown into a career path that I work at every day. I can visually see my progress through out the years. I can see where I have yet to go. Looking back, I had no clue where my art would take me. Little did I know I had some big adventures ahead of me.

Where I have gone and where I have yet to go

I have been very fortunate in my journey as an artist. In high school I participated in multiple art competitions through the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council. I got a grant to go to a writer's/ artist's camp in Ashland, WI, where I met the wonderful watercolor artist Janet Moore. I had many brilliant professors in Duluth who taught me painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Duluth brought me many wonderful opportunities and confidence in my abilities as an artist. I had the opportunity to paint with muralist Adam Swanson on a mural in the Tweed Museum. I also had an exhibit in the Tweed Museum my senior year. The ebb and flow of life has always brought me back to my art.

I have just claimed my business as a freelance artist. It is as terrifying as it is thrilling and I cannot wait to see where this adventure will continue to take me.