We were lucky to catch up with Terra Leone recently and have shared our conversation below.

Terra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I certainly prefer being my own boss. I delegate my time where it needs to go. I rest when I need to rest, I study when I need to study, and explore new ideas at my leisure. It makes my art richer and deeper when I’m not encumbered or rushed by deadlines or looming overseers.

If I was working for someone else it would be harder to find the time, energy, or motivation to learn new skills or explore unusual avenues of artistic expression. While it has taken a long time to get to where I am today, I enjoy having the time and space to follow my curiosities wherever they take me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Terra Leone, and I am the Director of Design for The House of Greentree. While I specialize in 2D digital art, my passion is painting in oils. I’m also a mural artist with murals in private homes across Colorado. My digital and traditional work is shown all over the world.

I was previously a member of the Castle Rock Public Arts Commission and I work with art nonprofits when I can. Pre-Covid I was working with singers and bands in the Colorado Blues community. Currently I am working with a photographer, and I collaborate with models, performers, and dancers for reference images for my work.

Currently I’m exploring digital medias such as digital 3D modeling, and animation. The benefits of using these applications could be profound. I have created 3D models to use as reference for my 2D art. And creating traditional art and animating it is a tantalizing idea. Oh, the POSSIBILITIES!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Being an artist, to me, is a deep and personal exploration of self. I’m pulling multilayered ideas from the aether and translating them into a flat image. That can mean reworking an image until the FEELING I get from looking at it is right. It can be very mystical at times, but enmeshed into that is my desire to be a scholar of my craft. So I’m looking up pigments and their properties, studying color theory, exploring new tools, adding new unique touches to my work. It’s a slow but gradual expansion of who I am as person and an artist.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was a metal smith and jewelry designer for many years. I had a realization one day that I can only sell a hand made piece once, then it’s gone. But if I focused on art I could sell my work infinitely. Prints, merch, licensing, etc. it would take a similar amount of time but the possibility of making more money was much greater. It was a tough decision, shutting down that business. Starting the House of Greentree in 2018 was a huge leap of faith. I had excellent drawing skills from my design work but I needed to learn color theory which is a whole other beast. I’ve progressed very quickly due to my digital artwork but I feel I’ve only scratched the surface of what I am capable of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://houseofgreentree.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terra_leone/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terra.leone.9
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmTrQQ_aoDPN1pV2D0tdepA
• Other: Patreon; https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=10838733 TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@theterraleone?_t=8iohSnBhwUx&_r=1

Image Credits
Photographs by Dr. Anthony Earl