Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eve Carton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Eve, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
I draw since always. like a lot of children. around my 20’s, it become a dream to live from it. I was too shy to say that I pretend to live from it, and that my draw and paint were supposed to be sold. So when people ask me “what do you do for living?”, I answered “ho nothing” . But one day ,at the swimming pool where i used to swim twice a week, a lady which who i started to talk weeks before, ask me this famous question ; “what do you do for living?”… I was tired to lie, so i said the truth : “im a painter”. “Hoooo” she said, “I love art, im a collector, where can i see yours ?”
Ooook…. I was very annoyed but I told her ” you can come to my home, im painting in my living room”.
So she came, and asked me what was the price for a little paint, a portrait. I had no idea, so I told her “I don’t know !”
She told me “i can give you 700 dollars for it are you ok ?”
Of course I was ok ! that was the first dollar earned as a creative.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Its difficult for me to talk about what im doing, i can tell that i always been interested by people, specially strange people, seems to me that their story is always more interesting that random people.
Painting is something for me natural, something I do for being calm (after having paint, not while im doing it). Im in love with colors, with the texture of the oil paint, I love when the characters are getting alive on my canvas, sometimes i dream about them, and sometimes they are angry and scaring. but when they are on my canvas, its like they are mine. I love when at the end of my work the time arrives to paint details, the eyes, nose, mouth.
I take my inspirations in my readings, my dreams, watching movies, pictures I took in the street, all can inspire me.
I paint in my appartment, always with music, always. I always have a draw, a sketch, a portrait in my mind. i didnt paint all of them, but i always have inspiration.I work alone.
This activity allow me to meet really interesting people who gave me motivation to pursue my art.
Im proud of me for having been able to hold on, not losing myself in the rat race. Living this way is a choice, the artist way isn’t easy.
I especially appreciate paint very huge canvas ( like 78X78 inches) because I can feel more freedom in my movements. Colors are a universe for me in which I dive.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is of course to be free and also to be able to catch a moment , a feeling , a vibration, an emotion, a picture of a feelings a scene and fix it for a long time.
Touching people very deeply without knowing them. ( funny cause i noticed that every people who bought me a draw or a paint has something on common with it, without noticing it !)
As an artist , being creative sometimes give me the sensation to be the extension of human sensitivity or it just might be the way i see it and the great thing is that i can share it.
It’s like an escape, a long escape from reality. Artists are in their own world, but it doesn’t mean that they are disconnected from the real world : at the contrary, we are the witnesses of this world,and we can or try to send a message about it like a warning, or trying to bring beauty into it.
Culture in general is primordial to the world. In many ways. I am proud to be part of it.
For me literature and paint are connected, I had a lot of inspiration reading books.
Being creative is super interesting, it allows people to get immersed in a book, a paint, a movie etc… It can change a person’s life, and can change his life perspective at least it can bring like a protector balm.
Can you imagine living in a world without literature, music, movie , paintings? Impossible.
What is destroyed first during war times? : Books, sculpture, paints… I mean Culture, maybe because its the basis and the foundations of Civilizations.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I have so much examples. I knew really high moments and very low moments.
Every time I thought to leave this way of life because it’s difficult, I had something to stop me:
It could be the sell of a paint, a discussion with someone….
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @eve_carton
- Facebook: Eve Carton Everson
