We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cheryl Spaid. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cheryl below.
Cheryl, appreciate you joining us today. 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 have always loved to draw and doodle. For me, drawing was (and is) relaxing and enjoyable. I had my first and only in-person art lessons when I was 13. They lasted all of 6 weeks and then we moved out of the area. After that life took over. I married and spent the next 40 years raising and educating seven children. It wasn’t until my youngest graduated high school that I decided it was time to draw again. I have had no other in-person art lessons, but I have utilized many YouTube videos and online art classes. There is such a wealth of talented people who are also generous with their wisdom and knowledge. I try to ask questions of other artists when appropriate, to read books on drawing and the human form, to scour magazines for inspiration, and of course, to spend time playing and experimenting. I have found that to hone my craft I must do my craft – that means time every day – not just working on a specific piece, but lots of time sketching ideas, observing, experimenting with various tools and color combinations, and even reflecting on various pieces of art and styles and thinking about what draws me in, what attracts me, what repels me,as well as what my goals and motivations are. These all play a part in my learning. And the learning never stops!
I believe I could have sped up my learning process by devoting more time to it in the beginning. We are all busy, but how we spend our time often reflects what is important to us. When I embarked on this journey 4 years ago I did not spend enough time either with a pencil in my hand or truly reflecting and asking myself what I wanted from my art. I would draw when I felt like it or had a spare moment, instead of making it a daily habit. Another way I could have sped up the learning process would have been to spend more time observing, practicing, and reflecting when I first started. I began by imitating the work of others because I was afraid to try anything on my own. I was afraid to try on my own because I had not spent enough time observing or reflecting on what I wanted to convey. Imitating other works of art can be a helpful learning tool, but can also slow down the process of developing your own style. It takes time to observe, practice and think about what is important in order to allow your work to mature. Most artists go through phases and their work changes as they do. Time spent actually doing the craft is the channel through which change is allowed to flow.
I believe two of the most essential skills for portrait artists are rendering accurately and learning how to capture the essence of the subject itself. For the type of portraiture work I do it is important to understand the human form from various perspectives – if your basic construct is off, then it doesn’t matter how skillfully the rest is done the finished project won’t look quite right. Understanding geometric structure, internal structure, and surface structure are crucial. In addition to the construct, being able to capture the essence of the subject and tell a story is equally essential. You can have an exact rendering of a person, but that rendering can be boring and leave the viewer empty. This is most likely a skill that requires a lifetime of practice to perfect..
The two biggest obstacles for me were money and of course my own self-doubt: asking who did I think I was that I could begin an art career at my age! And really, you’re going to spend how much on paint tubes? I still have lots of self-doubt: am I really any good? and why would anyone want to buy this from me? But I have learned to face those doubts head on. Knowing why I draw helps immensely – then I’m not as worried about whether something sells or not. Van Gogh painted because he had to – I draw because I am compelled to. And in regards to finances, that is similar to time, if it is important, then I will budget for supplies. Having a budget helps me to also focus on which medium I will use for a particular project. Some obstacles never go away, and often new obstacles present themselves, but we can learn to treat those obstacles as challenges and opportunities to grow in our craft.
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 am a wife to my husband of 40+ years, a mother to seven grown children, and grandmother to four and counting. Most of my adult life has been spent in education – teaching my own children and the children of others. It wasn’t until recently that I found myself with more time on my hands and the long buried desire to create began to rise to the surface. In 2019 I decided I would learn to paint and began scouring the internet for online free tutorials. Later that fall I discovered charcoal and fell in love with the medium. Charcoal is now my go-to, and when used on natural paper fibers it reshapes and reforms itself in new and exciting ways. Most of my work involves portraits or animals – both wild and domestic.
I love drawing/painting faces because I believe in the immortality of the soul and in its eternal worth. I try to capture that inner quality that tells a story. We all have stories from our pasts that shape us, but we also have stories yet untold. I hope my portraits cause the viewer to wonder what is going on behind the eyes, behind the smile or lack thereof, and that if they look hard enough, they see something of their own soul reflected back to them.
Another interest of mine is that of ancient crafts – we live in a fast-paced world and we are constantly bombarding our senses. The ancient crafts require that we slow down. They allow time for contemplative thought. Along with painting and drawing, I began knot-tying a few years ago and most recently began delving into the art of natural dyeing. I love the idea of starting a plant from seed, nurturing it, harvesting it, preparing my fibers, and then dying from the bounty found in my own backyard. There is something immensely rewarding in seeing the end result of a year’s-long effort. Even the preparation and dyeing itself can take several days to several weeks. It cannot be hurried. That is part of the beauty of these crafts. Now, I give macrame workshops and create wedding backdrops for young couples.
About half of my work is custom work, both for portraits and macrame. Custom requests are more difficult for me as it means working to reproduce someone else’s vision and not my own. For this reason communication and collaboration are extremely important. Recently I had a request for a painting that was not in my usual style. I was honest and explained that I was not familiar with the style that she requested, but was willing to do some research and give it a try. She agreed. After working up several sketches she chose elements from each one and I combined those ideas into one composite portrait. Early in the painting stage I again requested her input and was able to incorporate her ideas into the finished piece. The client was extremely happy with the end result and I learned new skills along the way. I was honest with her from the beginning and thankful that she had enough faith in me to give me the opportunity to turn her vision into reality. And, of course, there is always that wonderful feeling when you know you have a satisfied customer!
I create because in a large way I am compelled to. It grounds me and connects me with this amazing world I am a part of. When I see one of my pieces hanging in a friend’s home or in the foyer of a small business, it brings a special kind of joy and pride – knowing that I have shared a piece of myself that will hopefully also bring joy and a connection to others.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal with my art is to arouse within the soul a sense of the mystery and meaning of the universe; to enlarge the soul with the goodness and glory of life. Art is my way of taking dull, dry facts and giving the viewer the look, the smell, the feel, the taste of those facts, helping the viewer see not just the outer form, but the inner beauty.
Along with that, I love the idea that I can somehow help to keep the ancient crafts of decorative knot-tying and natural dyeing alive for future generations. I have been a teacher for most of my adult life and it is natural for most of us to want to share the things that excite us or make us happy. Whether it is learning about the human form so that I can adequately portray someone, learning how to put various knots together in a pleasing design, or experimenting with different plants to see what colors can be extracted – these are the things that excite and energize me. If I can in some small way pass that excitement on to others, then I consider myself successful. William James said, “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
There are two books that have greatly influenced my thinking and the way I live my life. The first is The Simpler Life: An Inspirational Guide to Living Better with Less by Deborah Deford. As she writes in her introduction it is a book about “the good life that money won’t buy,” about possibilities, and about balance. She takes you through different areas of your life: home, personal relationships, finances, career, and simply being. She doesn’t give you answers necessarily, but rather she asks the questions and then gives practical ideas for how to move toward your own answers and your own style of living simply. After retiring from teaching I spent a year reading this book, asking the questions, and implementing many of her ideas as I carefully examined what I wanted from life going forward.
The second book that has helped to shape my entrepreneurial thinking is The Anomaly Mindset: How I Transformed My Business and My Life by Standing Out instead of Fitting In by Sandi Krakowski. This book is full of encouragement and practical insights as Sandi shares her own story of building a successful career starting with nothing. Each chapter has thoughtful questions about what you are experiencing, what is holding you back, and practical “anomaly actions” that can be taken. One of my favorite take-aways is that energy begets energy and weariness begets weariness. Learning to identify what drains me and then to eliminate it allows me to then concentrate on what energizes me. Focusing on those things allows me to be more creative. Another helpful insight was her approach to being production focused rather than time focused.. Celebrate what you have accomplished and don’t whine over what didn’t get done!
Contact Info:
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cheryljuneart