Today we’d like to introduce you to Tjasa Owen
Hi Tjasa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have painted seascapes and pastoral landscapes for my whole life but professionally in galleries for the last 25 years. I graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Art History and then continued studying art at the Academy of Art in New York and the Academy of Art in San Francisco….I always loved painting but thought I would end up working in a gallery or museum for fear of not being able to make a living as an artist….Before going back to school, I worked leading bike trips abroad for three years for a company called Backroads and then worked for a photographer in New York City thinking I was going to go into that field. I interned at various art galleries and interior design studios as well to see what those professions felt like …. I went back to school for interior architecture thinking I would work with my parents who were in the field, but every completed assignment was turning into a painting project! One day during a final critique of a project, a fellow student gently said that it was very clear that painting was my passion over architecture. He was ever so right. The Academy of Art here in San Francisco offered me an exhibit in one of the school galleries which was such a coup, …not only did the exhibit sell out but the wonderful Gallery across the street asked if they could represent my work. Once I started working with them, other galleries started asking to represent my work and here I am now…25 years later showing with a wonderful and select group of galleries and work directly with clients out of my Studios both in San Francisco and Cape Cod.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are times when other artists will copy your work… it has happened to me quite a few times over the years and in one particular case, it was so obvious they had copied almost down to the detail and color, it was so frustrating and uncomfortable for me that I found myself consulting with a lawyer who worked with artists…her advice to me (which I have passed along to fellow creatives), was ….take the copying as a compliment, keep focused on your creative path and development and eventually the other artist will find their own path, – just stay in yours and focus your energy there. To protect one’s work, one has to copyright each and every painting and that can be an exhausting and costly process …
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am known for painting seascapes and pastoral landscapes (always with a hint of water in them!) on canvas, wood panels, paper, found driftwood, cigar boxes…pretty much anything that crosses my path and draws my attention.
I paint solely from the heart, from intuition, not from photographs. I’m never far from the sea and it shows in what I paint daily. I love people and connecting to those who are drawn to nature and all the gifts it brings us…my artwork tends to be the beginning of many conversations I cherish immensely and I truly love connecting with people around art as much as I do painting in my Studios…. What I am most proud of is the close relationships I have with both my clients and those who enjoy following me on instagram. Many of these correspondences have turned into absolutely incredible friendships! I take the time to converse and message with people, hear their stories and find the common threads… I find this sets me apart as it’s not just about the painting, it’s about the connecting soulfully through the artwork and onward into other wonderful conversations…
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Be open to exhibiting your work anywhere…you never know who will see it…put yourself out there. Have Open Studios from your home or in a place where you can hang your work for a bit, …keep your pricing affordable so that more people can access your creativity, and if your pricing should start to rise, be sure to always have a line of work that all can be accessible (prints are a nice option for that)…share your work in as many places as possible…the online platforms are so helpful (compared to when I was starting out when we didn’t have social media) …there are so many more on line communities for your work to be seen, it’s wonderful! Most importantly, have fun, be authentic, share your work in as many places and really enjoy your creative gift that you are sending out into the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tjasaowen.com
- Instagram: https://www.tjasaowen.com/instagram
