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

Alright, Gloria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. 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 have always loved art. Ever since I was young, drawing, painting and looking at art were always part of day to day living. I did not have a formal art education until I went back to university after working a few years as a pharmacist. I obtained my BFA but did not receive the kind of technical skills I so hoped for. However, I did get to paint almost everyday and was immersed in the art environment.

I returned to my day job thinking I was still not skillful enough to be a ‘real’ artist. Until quite a few years later, I decided it was now or never and started taking a lot of workshops, diving in art books and videos. When I first started, there were hardly anything on the internet for art instructions like today, where it is filled with instructional videos of tutorials, demos and advices.

It has been a long and bumpy road to honing in my artistic skills. Misinformation and contradicting information led to many hours and days of confusions and frustrations. Many a time, I wanted to give up because it looked like a really steep uphill battle with one step forward and a few steps back. Am I wasting my time? And am I running out of time? But you just can’t give up, right? There seems to be always light after what seemingly to be a very long tunnel. Good things always happen when you persevere.

The one advice I give would be to do what you LOVE and keep doing it. I have learned not to listen to too many opinions other than basic fundamentals and not to get distracted with other people’s goals and paths. Try to draw and paint everyday, or at least look at art and analyze what you see. Take in all that you can which is in congruent with your own chosen path and leave out the rest. Charge forward with passion and hope and keep practicing and keep learning. Do exercises like practicing scales on a piano when you are not quite ready to work on a project. Keep yourself immersed in your chosen world and be hopeful.

Relax and not to dwell on success or accolades. Do lots and fail lots and be delighted. Embrace failure because without it we can’t learn and grow. We fail, recover, start again and do more. We then get more ideas and more options. We can broaden our horizon because we have developed more skills. Be open to new things, incorporate new processes, colors and ideas to your work to keep things fresh and exciting. Try new things, you can always go back if things don’t work out. Bottom line…keep doing what you love and be in it everyday. Practice regularly and follow your path. That’s our life purpose.

Always learn from those before us. We can build on their wisdom. Whether you want to stand on the shoulders of giants or tread the unbeaten path, it would be your choice when you have the knowledge and wisdom of those who have come before you.

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

As previously mentioned, I have always had an affinity for art. Drawing, painting and studying art books and reading about artists’ stories were very much a part of life. But it never occurred to me that art could be a career option. It was instilled in me that a career would be like becoming a doctor, a nurse, an engineer…so I became a pharmacist. But my love for art was very much alive. I returned to university for my BFA in painting after a few years working as a pharmacist. It still did not occur to me that I would take art as a career until years later that I decided to take it more seriously. I started diving in deep…taking many workshops, studying and practicing with art books and video tutorials. I have never felt more fulfilled. I am currently painting full time. I paint for myself, art shows and take on some commission work. I teach occasionally some classes and workshops.
I paint what is meaningful to me and mostly what I am familiar with. My surroundings, friends and family are always good subjects. I find painting is more fulfilling when I have a connection with what I paint, be it a person, an animal, a place or thing. My favorites are portraits and figurative works where I can explore connections and relationships among people. Other subjects include landscapes and still life.
But if I could only paint one thing, it would be faces. Every face is interesting. We all have relatively similar features, but every little change in measurements of distances and angles create different identities. Every piece of information makes up a unique individual. I always find observing the nuances of faces fascinating and at times meditative, hence I love people watching. While that sounds all relaxing and calm, when likeness of a face is an important consideration, the process can become less tranquil as every minute deviance of a millimeter would result in dissatisfaction. But the face is still my favorite genre as each expression reflects the inner state of the individual’s existence and brings a better understanding of people in general.
I paint primarily in oil in the style of impressionistic realism. I work hard on my draftsmanship and create images with gesture, color and lively brushwork to share my visions, feelings and communicate with anyone who is interested in viewing my works.
I start every painting differently. Perhaps like a person’s mood that can change everyday, I don’t have a set way of starting. I might use different tools to draw with, different brushes, with or without medium. All the variables depend on how I feel and react to what is happening at the time in my mind and surrounding. It is more like a stream of consciousness most of the time after the initial logistics have been planned out. I enjoy that flow state the most when I am not thinking of what is going on in my head. It is just a conversation between me and my canvas. I may or may not have a lot of control in how each painting turns out. But I am sure to use every ability and skill I have to ensure the painting created is up to my quality standard. Not every painting turns out the way I want it to, be it better or worse. The ‘bad’ ones could be discarded, painted over or set on the shelf until the problem can be solved in hours, days or years
After all these years, I finally realize that painting is more about self revelation and discovery than self expression. Going deep inside and understanding oneself curiously becomes the result of the painting practice. Now I understand when they say that every painting is a self portrait of the artist metaphorically speaking.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the opportunity to translate and transform what we see and feel into something tangible that can be shared with others which creates a bridge to connect and communicate with one another.

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

The best way for society to support artists is to get out to meet and connect with them. Try new experiences in place of regular entertainment venues. Go to an art show, a fair, attend a concert, try to see a play instead of a movie theatre, or visit a cafe with a singer, appreciate a performer on the street. Notice them, get to know them and support them. Pay the busker, buy a piece of art work, tip the coffee shop singer because they are trying to reach out with their souls and connect with others through their work and contribution to the arts.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gloriachowart.com
• Instagram: @gloria.chow
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/gloriachowart