Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeanne Rosier Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Jeanne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
When I was growing up, art was always my favorite thing to do–but it never once occurred to me that it could actually be my ‘job.’ I came from an academic family and even though I was always encouraged to study what I loved, I knew no one who made their living creatively, and just could not envision that as a possibility. So I ended up a college professor with a PhD in English. Of course I never stopped painting. Little by little, over the course of about a year, I started getting commission requests, people asking me to teach them, and a gallery contacted me about representation. The key point here is that I had never seen a professional path until this moment. I had been working as an adjunct professor, and I realized one day that there was another alternative — and that it might actually be my dream job. Sure, it meant ditching a career I’d spent ten years and a heap of education building, but that mattered little when weighed against painting for a living! I was terrified and thrilled at the prospect. A friend pushed me to teach a community school art class. I had objected that I hadn’t trained, and she pointed out, ‘you can paint, and you can teach.’ So I was on my way.
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.
I have been painting exclusively in soft pastel for 25 years. I work with eight East Coast galleries from Maine to Georgia, and I have taught workshops and classes in my studio and nationwide for two decades, and now offer online instruction through EpiphanyFineArt.com.
My work is painterly realism, and my inspiration is the unexpected beauty I find in the natural world. I aim for sensory immersion, evoking the feel of the breeze, the ocean’s roar and spray, the quiet whisper of trees. I am most satisfied when clients express joy and uplift at living with my art every day, as it transports them in time and space and connects them to a personal memory.
I chose pastel as my medium for its gorgeous vibrant colors, its immediacy, its flexibility, its visual depth and freshness. I have always been drawn to pastels in museums, because they are the least susceptible to fading or yellowing over time, and the little crystals of pigment reflect light and color in all directions so they retain a luminosity unmatchable in any other medium.
As a teacher I believe everyone is creative and anyone can learn to paint, with the right instruction and dedication. My job is to help students can the confidence and tools to speak in their own voice.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Many artists struggle with the concept of building a social media presence because it smacks of self-promotion. That’s true but the only way to do it successfully and comfortably in my view also happens to be the smartest way to market. I have a two-pronged marketing system, with an email newsletter (20 years) and instagram (8 years). I built my email list (now 2250) slowly through word of mouth and doing in person demos, and for the 15 years I taught classes in my studio it was the only advertising I needed. It was free and kept people informed and eager to sign up. I began my instagram in 2016 (now 67K), and treated it as a more immediate version of the same thing. In order to avoid the psychological ‘ick’ factor of marketing, I think of both as a chance to share rather than sell. I share methods, little video tips, and new paintings with descriptions. Responses from newsletter subscribers and comments on instagram reinforce for me that people look forward to seeing my images in their feed or inbox. As long as I keep my focus on sharing and connecting, it’s easier and more natural for me. I am myself, and people follow and subscribe if they they want to. For creative artists, focus on the SELF rather than the AUDIENCE is so key, because as we know, too much focus on audience while doing anything creative can choke off any kind of productivity.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I am very independent and can generally figure out how to do anything I need to do. Like all perfectionists, it just felt like it was probably easier to do it all myself. For this reason, I waited far too long to admit I needed help and would benefit from an assistant. That was not productive as I wasted time doing things I did not enjoy and was not as good at, and didn’t spend enough time doing what I really wanted to do (paint). I finally did write up a job description and I hired a wonderful assistant and it was the best move I ever could have made.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jeannerosiersmith.com
- Instagram: @JeanneRosierSmith
- Facebook: JRosierSmith
- Linkedin: Jeanne Rosier Smith
- Other: https://epiphanyfineart.com/jeanne-rosier-smith-home/
