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

Melinda , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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 graduated with a B.A. in Visual Arts from Baylor University and went back for a further 2 years of postgraduate work in Printmaking (Lithography, Intaglio, and Silkscreen). During my studies I fell in love with ink and paper, and the processes involved in creating art (almost as much as the subject matter of the art itself!). Currently, I work with ink and watercolor. These, combined with my strong drawing skills, allow me to use a layering process and slowly build depth within my work. I lean into detail in my drawings but inks and watercolors can have mind of their own becoming, in a way, a partner in the creative process and therefore freeing me from the need for control.

I wish, in my early pursuit of creative expression, I had been willing to embrace flaws or perceived failures in my work, and view those mistakes as redirection. Clinging to my attempted “control” of a medium slowed my exploration of techniques and development as an artist.

Basic drawing skills (understanding form, perspective, light source, composition, and so forth), aided me greatly in the pursuit of my art and in my development as an artist. Having a strong foundation frees up the creative process so that the focus can be on subject matter or message. Honing these skills should be a continual pursuit, not unlike scales to the musician. Mastery of the basics allows the artist to focus on the artistry. In the past, finding the time, and money, to register for and take a course was a huge obstacle to learning and advancing skills. Today, however, there are many wonderful courses offered online where one can learn in one’s own home, at one’s own pace and schedule.

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.

While my formal education is in visual arts and printmaking, my “art career” began in kindergarten when I overheard my teacher tell my parents, “she is going to be an artist”. This wonderful teacher saw that I had, at that young age, drawn the sky all the way down to the grass and had given the tree, in this apparent masterpiece, a shadow. That day was the beginning of my pursuit of art. Kudos to my wonderful kindergarten teacher for planting the idea in my head that I was an artist. What followed in the next (insert a “way too high number” here) years has been a life filled with artistic and creative pursuits.

While at college I discovered a love of printmaking and all things ink and paper. It was the perfect medium for my strong drawing skillset. I loved learning all of the different processes involved in intaglio, silkscreen and lithography. I loved mastering the processes as much as the subject matter of the art pieces I was developing.

I was pleased to secure a job as a paste-up artist with a print company right out of school but was discouraged to learn I would be cleaning up other artists work in preparation for print. Still, I demonstrated to my worried parents that there were jobs out there for artists. In the years since, I have designed theater sets, was nominated for a Column award for Best Set Design, been a founding member of a theater company, performed with a sketch comedy group, been a product merchandiser for a large warehouse company, traveled as a performance Sand Artist, and developed a way to secure and display LED backlit sand art (there is that love of figuring out the art process again).

Currently, I am living my dream as a full time studio artist. I work with ink and paper (the medium I first fell in love with back in college). I lean into my love of drawing and detail, but also learning and testing different methods to bring depth and texture to my pieces with watercolor and ink washes. As I sit here in my studio, I realize it took a little longer arriving at this point than I had hoped. However, all those creative jobs and pursuits of the past helped me grow as an artist. While at the time I may not have recognized the benefits toward furthering my desire to be a full time studio artist, I now realize that no experience is wasted. I learned storytelling from my time in theater and you will find the story in my artwork. I love humor and making people smile from time spent as a sketch comedy performer (which I still do, you can search Skitzy Chicks and find me there) and you will find humor in many of my pieces as well. Those past creative pursuits were not time wasted, just experiences to build on and use in pursuit of art. I wish my kindergarten teacher could see me now!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Yes! I want to encourage artists to look for community in your area. When I quit my full time merchandizing job to pursue a full time studio art career, I just put my head down to work . . . all on my own. I juggled the creation of art and the creating, and managing of, a social media presence. I did not realize the community of artists, and the resources and support of them, that were in my own “backyard”. About a year ago I asked around about a local art community. I found that we have a thriving and supportive one in my area of North Texas, including multiple art clubs and organizations. I joined the Art Club of McKinney, the oldest art club in Texas, and the Arts and Music Guild of McKinney. The connections, opportunities, and friendships that have been afforded to me in these organizations were an unexpected, but welcomed and invaluable, surprise! I encourage everyone to search out the art community and organizations in your area, join the groups, attend the meetings, volunteer at the shows, and to generally do everything possible to integrate yourself into your community. You will meet other professionals that are more than willing to share knowledge, make introductions, and point you toward opportunities. Further, you will meet artists who create beautiful work with no aspirations other than to make others smile! In short, find community. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own!!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have two goals that motivate my creative journey. The first is a need to discover, explore, and hopefully master various techniques that interest me. I like to be challenged, yet I struggle with “letting go”. My husband says I create rules where there are none. (Of course, that comes from him as the “rule breaker” in our relationship!). However, he is not wrong and my need for “rules” is exactly why I work with mediums that I cannot always control. I learned that I need to “break” a few rules to create my art. In other words, I found that I enjoy a medium that takes the artwork in a direction I was not necessarily expecting. I can tell you that my pieces almost never turn out how I imagined, and that I am always thankful for the challenge of “letting go.”

The second goal is simply for my art to speak to the audience. Much of my work is a reflection of beauty around me, and I want the audience to experience that beauty as well. However, many of my pieces are narrative. They represent a personal experience with which I hope the viewer can relate, and in which they can find their own story. For example, one of my pieces is titled, “When Peace Finds Me”, which is somewhat autobiographical. For years I struggled with General Anxiety Disorder. There was a several year period of time that I did not venture out of our home alone. While I may never completely be “cured” of this, I learned ways to manage the symptoms, and slowly was able to leave the house again to experience nature and recognize that being outside filled me with peace, not fear. I’ve stood back at galleries whenever this particular piece is displayed and watched those viewing it, wondering if they share a similar story, if they are seeing themselves in this piece and if they see the hope I found and want to share.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whittenarts.squarespace.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/whittenarts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whittenarts

Image Credits

Melinda Whitten