We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christy Martinho a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I am a self-taught watercolor and gouache artist and I learned to do what I do by doing it. I remember painting as a kid, and I even took oil painting classes. But it was only at the age of 25 that I bought a sketchbook and a watercolor palette with my real grown-up money. Knowing what I know now, I would have spent more time painting. The more you paint, the more you learn! The most essential skill, in my opinion, is persistence. By being determined to learn and eager to become better, you keep doing it and you grow through as you go through the bad art days.
Lack of time and/or my adult day job stood in the way of learning more. It’s funny because now that I have a husband and two kids, I paint more than when I was single and childless. So I think prioritizing my art and my learning also stood in the way, I guess!
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
My name is Christy and I am a Portuguese immigrant living in the US. I am a pharmacist and an illustrator, and I bring my life into everything I do, whole-heartedly. I paint and illustrate from my daily experiences and a big part of my work comes from the the good, the bad and the ugly that life presents me every day.
I own Full Bloom and Co, a small online shop that sells greeting cards, stickers and other stationery items for the special and gift-able moments in life. All my products are exclusively designed by me, and are funny items that spread joy all around. One of my favorite things is vending at a market and hearing my clients laughing and smiling at my silly little cards and stickers.
Two years later, I became a mom and that was the best thing that happened to me and my business. It sparked a creativity and childlike way of looking at things that I’d forgotten. I put eyes and smiles on ordinary objects, to which my son laughs and calls silly. I illustrate candid family moments like camping trips, flashing light parties, tigers playing tennis, and bears sipping tea. I love designing exclusive stickers by commission, design unique greeting cards for a special occasion, and portrait work: family greeting cards, couple’s and house portraits, to name a few.
My absolute dream project would be to illustrate a children’s book about third culture bilingual kids.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I wish to make everyone feel seen in my illustrations. That is a very ambitious goal, and maybe a naive way of thinking. But I hope that when someone finds my art, they feel seen, heard and represented. I want people to not feel alone in their struggles, and to know that there’s someone out there that might be feeling the same way, going through the same hardships, and most importantly, still making it through alive.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Making someone laugh and witnessing the joy that my illustrations bring. Personally, it is also rewarding to make something beautiful out of nothing. The act of making with my own hands is priceless and something I hope more people can experience. Second best thing is getting DM’s or reviews that share how the receiver of a gift reacted or how it made them feel.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fullbloomandco.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fullbloomandco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fullbloomandco
- Other: Etsy shop: FullBloomandCoUS