We recently connected with Annamarie Garcia and have shared our conversation below.
Annamarie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I first became interested in painting, specifically paint pouring during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when we were stuck working from home. I was watching videos on YouTube and came across someone pouring paint on a canvas and then using a blow dryer to move it around or tilting the canvas to move the paint around. After watching a dozen videos, I decided to try it and I became HOOKED! After that, I wanted to try all the different techniques I saw on various social media platforms. One thing that I wished I had done from the start was to record my process and write down the colors and styles I was using. There was a lot of trial and error in the beginning because I could not remember how I did a particular piece so there were several times where I had to scrape wet paint off a canvas and start again. The biggest skill I learned was patience. I realized that not every piece was going to be perfect and when I thought it was that I needed to stop! Again several pieces were scraped because I went too far and ruined the initial design. I would say my biggest obstacle was time….not having enough time or space to continue to learn and grow.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have always loved being creative but never took a chance on it until COVID-19 happened, Being stuck at home really helped me blossom as an artist. I love to create unique pieces of art and I truly love to see how people react to what I do. I started with paint pours and have incorporated abstract art, resin art, charcuterie boards, one-of-a-kind clocks made from vinyl records, coasters, and recently added laser cutting to my offerings. I try to push myself to get out of my comfort zone to be as creative as possible. What sets me apart from others is most of my artwork is one of a kind. No two clocks or abstract art will be the same. My Charcuterie boards are not only usable but are visually appealing. My goal is to provide art that everyone will want and they won’t have to worry about any one else having the same thing. I pride myself in being able to offer affordable art as well as being able to create custom art that no one else has.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing the look on a customer’s face when I have gone above what their expectations were for their artwork. I love it when a customer says “Here are the colors I want, create what you want with them.” Having the option to let my creative spark come out helps me become a better artist. I am not stuck within the lines, I can color outside of them!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Before I started my journey, I didn’t understand the process myself. “That seems so easy” was something I found myself saying quite often. That is until I started creating art myself. The process can be frustrating, and the outcome is far less than what you thought it would be. We are used to things being mass-produced by machines, we forget how much time and effort goes into a piece of artwork. Words of encouragement, compliments and ultimately purchasing a piece of art go a long way in supporting the journey. People only get a glimpse of the process….the result. They don’t always know the hours it took, the tears shed, and the money spent making sure it is a beautiful piece of work. Supporting small businesses goes a long for us!
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agarciaartwork/
Image Credits
Annamarie Garcia