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

Christine , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally was in high school. Although I drew and created from a young age because my mom was an artist, I seriously considered it being my career when I was accepted to Pratt Institute from their National Talent search in my senior year in 1985.

Christine , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Christine Weeks and I’m a portrait and mural artist who also teaches painting and drawing. When my children were young, they attended Chocachatti Elementary School and Micro Society that offered an after school program for visual and performing arts. The original principal, Michael Tellone, saw my portfolio of work and offered me a position teaching one of their drawing and painting Micro ventures and the after school art class.
I am now in my 25th year of teaching there! One of my greatest joys is watching the students grow as artists and amazing human beings.

During my time at Chocachatti, I was asked to paint five murals, several windows and a sensory pathway. The exposure from painting these murals was the start of my mural art career. I have since completed nearly 100 murals from residential to large scale commercial projects.

Another aspect of my career began at Chocachatti as well. I offered a summer painting program for students and the parents were astonished at how well their children were able to create beautiful works of art. Parents and fellow teachers asked if I could offer classes/painting parties for them. So in July of 2012 I started my Canvas Creations painting studio that offers people of all ages, children through adults, 4-5 hour painting lessons, private painting parties and birthday/holiday celebrations. People were having so much fun and learning to create something they didn’t think they’d be able to do and the business quickly grew by only word of mouth referrals and me sharing class photos to my Canvas Creations facebook page.

One of my favorite parts of my career is something that I have always been passionate about, creating portraits of people and pets. Going back to my high school, I had one teacher that inspired my love of portraiture, Jim Borneman. I drew my first portraits of Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and Barbara Streisand in his class and his ability to help me see the characteristics that you need to capture when drawing a person were an integral part of my learning. All of my art teachers were amazing! Barbara Hirokawa was my photography teacher and my passion for photography began by seeing her inspiring photographs and learning to develop film in a dark room was such a cool experience. She recently had three of my photos representing the beauty of Florida featured in her Around the World in a hundred photos show in Colorado.

What sets me apart from others, I believe is that every artist is so unique, from the pieces they create to the process of creating. I have had the pleasure of meeting so many talented artists that I admire their work and creativity. I am fortunate enough to have become friends with them through this journey. My way of creating is by always quietly observing and studying my beautiful surroundings and interesting people. I take tons of photos and use them when I create to try to capture the essence of my subject.
Until very recently, I have always created everything freehand from portraits to large scale murals. With technology on the forefront it seems to be considered “old school” nowadays, So with demand to get two large murals completed in a timely manner one on very rigid garage doors, I enlisted the use of a projector for the rough outlines and it was such a time saver and allowed me the time I needed for intricate details.

I am most proud of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown as an artist and teacher.
Proud moments…. Seeing my work hanging in galleries and winning awards like the People’s choice award in the Brooksville Main Street Art festival and 3-D student art display at Art in the Park and being a featured artist in the downtown Art Stroll.

What I’d like people to know most about me is that I pour my heart into every project no matter how big or small. My artwork is a part of me and sometimes it’s hard to let it go. because there’s so much of me in it.
Also I work with people to make my art accessible to everyone. And when I teach I don’t like to rush. I want students to have time to learn how to hold a brush and learn the techniques I use to make painting and drawing accessible to everyone who’s interested in learning.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe the best way to support artists and create a thriving creative ecosystem is to appreciate and value the amount of time and effort it takes to create something original. Art is such a wonderful part of our lives and communities. Go to an art show or a festival. If you see something you truly love, buy it. If you can’t afford an original, purchase a print or one of my favorite things is to just tell an artist how much you admire their work. If I’m at a festival and haven’t sold many pieces, or when I’m out painting a mural, the happiest part of my day is when people stop and talk to me and say they like my work. It’s the greatest way you can support an artist. Lastly donate to your local Art Council. The Hernando County Fine Arts Council has been so supportive of myself as well as so many other local artists.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is looking at a blank wall or canvas envisioning the possibilities then bringing it to fruition. It’s so fun to step back and watch it come to life with each brushstroke. Also the joy it brings to people when they see it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christineweekscanvascreations?igsh=MTR3cjhiOGVnZDlsbQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17ERyVJkJ1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits

Christine Weeks