We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adrienne Simes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adrienne below.
Adrienne , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My parents valued traveling, learning from other cultures and taught me the importance and love of learning from others and World around us. From the time I was a young girl my parents supported and encouraged my artistic talents and interests. I remember when I did my first large scale painting in 3rd grade. My family had taken a trip to Southern Mexico and I remember feeling inspired by all the colorful houses and fruits. Returning to school we were challenged to create a landscape that represented a special place for us. Perfect assignment for me to share what I encountered on our family trip. I created a colorful representation of the small city in Mexico which included a woman carrying fruit on her head. To me the painting was huge as it stood about 18 in wide and 30 inches tall and I was so proud to bring this masterpiece home to my family. Of course my parents were ecstatic, but what meant the most was my mom taking the time to get the painting framed and then my Dad taking it to his work to hang on the wall. I was so proud. Not only of the work that I had done but that my family saw what I saw! My parents could see the direct influence of our travels and encouraged my creations of these adventures. This was only the beginning. Every show, display or exhibit I knew that my family would be the first at the door. Introducing me to their friends as “my daughter, the artist.” A title I hold dearly. My family’s encouragement and enjoyment of my artistic endeavors meant they adorned the house with my art and shared it with many people. My parents’ supportive nature, value of traveling and love of learning impacted me to become the fiercely creative woman that I am today.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in the mountains of Montana, but raised in the Texas Hill Country by two loving hippie parents. Falling in love with art very early I have always loved to create and found my passion grew as I got older. I took art seriously through school, enrolling in every art class I could find. This naturally led me to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art. In addition to this degree I also obtained a teaching certificate and began a teaching career upon graduation. Teaching art fueled my passion to continue evolving my style, creating art and traveling. My love of learning led me to earn a Master’s Degree in Education as well as a long career in teaching. I feel that teaching art is one of the greatest gifts I continue to give both to myself and to my students. Being a teacher meant I was able to spend my summers out of the country learning, exploring the World, and gaining inspiration for my work. Although I travel often, I never moved out of Central Texas, and have been a resident of Austin, Texas for more than 20 years. I am inspired by traveling, people, cultures and the natural world and spend my free time creating art. I enjoy all art but I spend the most time painting with acrylics on canvas. My paintings are mainly abstract and expressionist, with a bright and cheerful vibe. I am a rebel with my palette using color to guide my journey. Recently I have been working with ultraviolet lights and glowing colors to create an other worldly experience for the viewer. I paint from my heart a feeling, experience, or a moment in time, captured in abstraction. I am known to use multiple canvases, exploring breaking up an image and how it helps the viewer engage with the work. I do custom work that trends towards realism, including portraits of pets, flowers, and old classic cars, realistically recognizable but always have a hint of my style. I enjoy working on large murals and love using spray paint and other paint media. I make “wearable art”, including custom painted trucker hats and hand painted leather earrings. I push myself to work with new media and techniques, continually refining my unique style and I strive to “Art Everyday”, making art both a priority and a lifestyle. I strive to continue to evolve my style and let my art grow, as I grow. I hope that others will share in the joy of my work as I seek new and exciting ways to execute my ideas. For me art is both the journey and the destination.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is to be, in a way, fearless. It is within this fearlessness that I can grow and learn and find the confidence within myself to pursue my journey in art. I am fearless when it comes to art, making art, being creative, taking creative risks. I have the confidence in knowing that the process can be as important as the product. I know that the most important mark you make on the page is the first one, the one that starts the masterpiece, so there is no fear of that initial mark. There is no fear of trying a new technique or medium or style. No fear in starting fresh, painting over, pushing through an ugly phase or just abandoning a piece of art altogether. It’s a rewarding place to exist, a place that allows me to focus on the joy of making art and the feelings of expressing myself. I believe this reward of confidence and fearlessness influences all aspects of my life, and art becomes the vehicle that carries me as I continue to grow and learn.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
“Art everyday” is my mission. This makes space for me to be creative daily and pushes me to find new ways to express my ideas and learn new methods. I strive to continually refine my style and take risks as an artist. It is within these risks that the best art is born, no fear of failure or judgment. For me making art and being creative is not a destination, it is a journey that I take with passion. Even if I don’t like the end product it is the process of creation that teaches me the most. In my creative journey ALL art teaches us something, and allows us to grow as individuals, as communities, as a people, as a culture. My mission is to continue on this journey that encourages me to keep reaching, growing, trying and to be able to continue to Art .
Contact Info:
- Website: simesart.com
- Instagram: @simes.art
- Facebook: SIMES ART
Image Credits
Studio headshot by Ben Porter Photography