Art Ovations Artist in Residence
The last week of January was a very special week for me. I spent the week at the Art Ovations Hotel in downtown Sarasota, FL. Each night from 4-8pm, I painted live in their art studio which is in the main lobby of the hotel. If you’ve never been to Art Ovations, it is a beautiful boutique hotel totally centered around the arts. From the curated art collections on the walls and the artistically prepared food and drinks, to the live music and art entertainment, as well as the gorgeous rooftop bar with city and ocean views, this hotel is really an experience to behold. I wanted to write about my experience, because I learned some very important things from this opportunity that I wanted to share.
The first thing I learned was how amazing my husband is at being the spouse of an artist. We were married in June, and this is the first big art event that I have had. He helped to make all of this possible, which was so much easier than any of my art endeavors have been in the past. From helping me load my work in and out of the hotel, to hanging the show, and sitting with me every evening, he truly has become a solid foundation that I can lean on in my life and my business. Friends this has not been my experience in my life before, and so I can’t begin to tell you how much this truly has meant to me. He makes me feel cherished in every part of my life, and this was just another example to me of how much my life has truly changed in an amazing way. I don’t take one second of it for granted, and thank God each time I’m reminded of how I’ve truly been redeemed from such a hard place.
Even an experienced artist has pieces that seem to paint themselves, like the green painting above. The piece seemed to come together with out any issues, even though I was constantly stopping to talk to people passing by. But the second piece was a different story all together. I approached them both the same as I always do with some bold moves and a lot of bravery, but the second piece didn’t want to work for me. Some people may have liked the many different phases that the piece went through, but they just never sat well with me. You can see three different phases and three different outfits, so you can see that I worked hard each time for days to get this one right. And I went through the typical artist stages of
1) this painting has potential,
2) this painting is ugly,
3) this painting sucks,
4) I suck,
5) oh wait I think I might like it!!
Can you relate?? And to go through that experience in your studio is one thing. But to go through that experience in a public setting where I know that people are watching me is a very humbling experience. But what I was reminded of again was how brave you have to be to paint this way. That holding back because of fear keeps my pieces stuck and me small. In the studio I have to be brave and push the boundaries at every turn to bring into creation something that has never existed before. Doing that in public was much more intimidating, and made me so thankful to have my husband there to bring me back to myself and my center. In the end, I was very happy with how the piece came to a completion, and I thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with those that watched through the process. Even when though it was uncomfortable, I would do it again in a heartbeat!!
And lastly, I learned that my art is not just for me. When painting in my studio day after day, I realize that I become mono-focused on my work. I forget how much my art is not just for me. Art is a bridge to our humanity, and something that can take away the divides of age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Beauty is something that brings us together to share. While I feel the creative process itself is for me personally, I don’t feel that the art is ever mine. I feel that it is for others to enjoy, which is just as much a part of the art as any. If you create the art but no one sees it, is it truly beautiful? Does it have meaning? This week, I was reminded that beauty matters, that my work matters, and all the amazing people that have joined me along the way matter as well!! The random connections that I had with strangers over my art and my process were so inspiring, and helped remind me why I do what I do. The beautiful connections that I have made through social media over the years and how they came to meet me in person was such a special, heartwarming feeling. Yes, social media connections are real friendships when they are connected through our common loves and giving hearts. And lastly, the people from my family and friends who came to support me reminded me how much I am loved and seen!! This creative journey can be many hours of a lonely grind in the studio for many years with only our friends and family knowing what we are doing and how hard we worked. And without their love and support, I would not be what I am today. You are my true rock stars!!
And I’m happy to say that this triptych will remain above our bed for now as a reminder of the great week that I had. Thank you Art Ovations for the amazing experience. I hope that I will get to comeback again soon!!
