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

Hi Galina, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

When I first started approaching galleries in Hawaii about displaying my paintings, I heard the same word “NO” repeatedly. My best friend in Hawaii, Diane, had great faith in my ability. She would look for galleries where she felt my work would be a good fit. One day she drove me to Kailua, on Oahu. We went to a gallery there called Island Treasures,

When I went inside, I looked around the gallery. They had a lot of beautiful paintings, many of which were tropical flowers. At that time, most of my paintings were of tropical flowers. I looked around and felt that with all of the floral paintings they had, they wouldn’t want to take mine. I didn’t even ask because I didn’t want to hear the word no again. I walked outside and was going to get in the car. I looked at my friend Diane and felt that she had driven me across the island, a 90-minute drive, to see this gallery. I felt that I owed it to her to at least try,

So, I went back into the gallery and spoke to the manager, Ben Matlin. I asked if he would have any interest in displaying my work. To my surprise, the answer was not an immediate “No”. He asked if I could show him some samples of my work. I showed him some pictures from Instagram and he then asked how soon I could bring some!

I had the paintings there the next day. Ben had cleared an entire alcove for my work. I was thrilled! My work was displayed there for more than a year until the gallery lost its lease and had to close. They sold a lot of my work and were a real confidence boost for me, I owe a lot of my success to my friend Diane for taking me and encouraging me. I also owe a lot of my confidence to Ben for taking me in when it felt as though no one wanted my paintings.

I am now in 5 galleries on the Island of Oahu. My paintings have now been sold to individuals in Japan and across the United States. The son of Charles Schultz, creator of Charlie Brown, has 3 of my paintings in his Oahu home in Hawaii Kai. I would never have been able to reach this level of success without the support of my friend Diane and the ability of Ben to see something in my work.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I began to gain an interest in art when I would visit art museums in Europe. I found pleasure in viewing the works of famous artists and I felt that they must have had wonderful, pleasant lives. As time went on and I neared retirement, I began to watch YouTube videos of various artists. I would watch and learn as much as I could about their style and techniques. I began to paint, and with each painting, my confidence would grow. While in Europe visiting my family members, I took some time to attend a course on oil painting at an art institute. Each painting became better and better. I would find new techniques and try them. Some would work and some would not, but I kept going.

For me, the natural beauty around us serves as my inspiration. Having a home in Hawaii has been a big influence on me. The natural beauty all around is a wonderful motivator. Whether it be a seal, a turtle, a gecko, or the flowers around me, there is much beauty to bring to the canvas. I love to sit near my lanai and paint while looking at the ocean and hearing the sound of the waves crashing on the beach below me. This is true tranquility for me!

I also travel as often as I can. I have visited Europe and the Mediterranean many times. I went to Australia and New Zealand this spring. This fall I am going to visit the Rhine Valley, going from Amsterdam to Germany, France, and Switzerland, I hope to find inspiration in the fall colors as well as the sights and sounds from the middle age cities and towns, I absorb as much of the beauty I find as I can and then recreate that beauty when I return to the canvas,

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I have found new techniques by watching other artists on YouTube or seeing a finished work on display. Recently I learned of a new technique that I felt would be very popular. It adds to the illusion of water. Many of my paintings feature sea life. Some of my favorites are seals and Honu, or the Hawaiin Green Sea Turtle. My turtle paintings have proven to be very popular and I then felt that using the new technique would only enhance the popularity of these paintings.

You can imagine my surprise when I was contacted by one of the galleries displaying my work, requesting a painting just like the one they had on display but without the new enhancement technique. From that, I really learned that art is very subjective. Each person has their own likes and dislikes. It doesn’t matter what I or the majority of others may think about a work of art. Each work speaks to us differently. We all have our own personal likes.

What I learned is to not become too invested in a technique just because I like it. I should not take it personally when others come forth with a different opinion than mine. We each have our own tastes and an artist must be willing to adapt to reach the broadest market.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My first mission is to just be happy. Painting brings me great pleasure. Should others find my paintings enjoyable, that is always a plus. Sales of paintings provide a return on investment of more than just money. Sales signify that other people appreciate your work and creativity enough to make a purchase. That helps to provide motivation, but at the end of the day, just being able to paint is what I love to do!

I have paintings across the country now in the hands of private individuals. That feeds my drive, but I would still paint without the motivation of sales simply because I love to paint. I hope that my love for painting shows in my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://galinalintzpaintings.com/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/paintings_by_galina
• Other: www.saatchiart.com/galinalintz www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/galina-lintz

Image Credits
Galina Lintz