Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Pomm Hepner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Pomm, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

In order to really make a living at any career, it takes hard work, persistence and really focusing on the goal that you really want to make. Once you have those steps really in, then you have to do whatever it takes to promote and let people know about you. And that again is persistence; you have to advertise, do social media, do different art shows, so that people can see you and you can collect names, addresses, phone numbers, emails and social media contacts so you can continue to promote your work.

When I was a kid, in my childhood, I loved painting all the time and I loved to draw. Wherever I would go I would paint and draw. And I wanted to learn more and more about art, so I took as many art classes as I could to really perfect my style and KNOW the technique needed to actually create realism and figures and real life subjects, and have that ability to actually draw something that was real. That meant a lot to me because I personally felt like I wasn’t a true artist if I didn’t know how to draw what I saw.

Once I achieved the ability to draw what I saw, then I had the freedom to expand from that. I could make things look better than what I saw and exaggerate what was real, and from that create a beautiful, inspiring piece of art. And the feedback I got from the pieces that I worked on was very positive, so that gave me the courage to pursue this as a career. So then I started to enter as many art contests as I could find. The more ribbons and awards I received from these contests, the more confident I became. Then once I was confident with my ability, I felt that I could turn my passion into a business. And that opened a whole new door for me. Because it wasn’t just about how good my art was, it was how well I could actually sell my art.

I had to learn what business skills were necessary to actually make this into a business. You not only need to be a technically good artist, you also have to have good business sense to make it in the art world. So I became a good sales person. I learned to be a boss, I’ve had employees under me. I’ve hired the type of people I like to work with. Then I learned to set goals for myself financially, for the company and for myself, and worked with my group, to achieve these financial and business goals. Each month we would hit different targets, we knew what the target was and we did whatever we had to do to make those targets. We never gave up as a business, and I never gave up as an artist.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The term “Old Masters” generally refers to the most recognized European artists, mostly painters, working between the Renaissance and 1800.I was inspired by some of these Masters, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Carravagio. If you were to ask somebody who they think most represents art in the art world, they will always name the artists from the Renaissance period. To this day, these artists are still famous. I did research on these artists to find out what they did to become incredible artists, and I followed that. These masters studied and learned composition, color theory, technique, anatomy, and all the skills that make a master. In fact, back in the Renaissance, you weren’t labeled an artist unless you worked with one of the masters. So I took this to heart.

I was also very inspired by the Impressionist period. Impressionist artists developed different techniques to portray their impressions of the world around them. They used short, broken brushstrokes and a vibrant color palette to capture the transient qualities of light and movement, resulting in works that appeared fresh, immediate, and alive. I studied their techniques and I began painting works that were very French Impressionist. These paintings give so much joy to people who look at them. That is my goal, I want to inspire so much joy in those that look at my paintings, as much joy as the works created by Monet and Renoir.

I moved to France to attend college and study art in Aix-en-Provence, where I fell in love with the Old World architecture. After college, I returned to California and studied with the internationally renowned artist Scoot Moore in Laguna Beach. During this time, I created and perfected a unique style using translucent watercolors applied in many layers, which has allowed me to create the powerful colors, light, and shadows that capture the feel of Europe.

What sets me apart from other artists is my persistence and integrity. My goal is to bring back the true art of the Masters. I am dedicated to bringing back that joy in today’s art so that the artist of today can be as well admired as the artists from the Renaissance and Impressionist periods.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the things that made me resilient was my confidence in my ability to create a piece of work. If I didn’t feel that confidence, I would go and learn more until I attained
that confidence. I realized the art business is not an easy career to take on. There are a
lot of barriers and oppositions that an artist will receive on their journey to being
successful. And if you are weak in your confidence and your abilities, then those are the
areas which will affect you and will discourage you to continue. So it was learning that I
had to keep my confidence, my integrity and being ethical about what I wanted to
produce, and that made me unshakeable. No one could discourage me or affect me in a
negative way because I loved what I did.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create pure joy when people look at my paintings. I want to enhance their mood, their space and their environment. If I can deliver this reaction to people, I
feel that I have done my job. I also want to help other artists to create this effect,
thereby enhancing the mood of our society.

I have seen the environment of people’s houses change once they have picked one of
their favorite pieces of art and placed it on their wall, it changes the environment and
increases the beauty of their surroundings. I ask my clients what is one of their favorite
moments in life, and when they tell me, I ask them if they would like to look at that
moment every day, eternalized in a piece of art on their wall, and that is the gift I can
create for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pommfineart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pommartist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pommartist