We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Helen Turner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Helen below.
Hi Helen, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I am approaching making a living with my art, and I say approaching because they just raised my rent and now I will have to work harder!
You need to fill in the gaps between the magic moments of clients buying a painting off your walls with hard work. Offering commissions is a great way to test your skills and I also teach painting both in the Studio and “en plein aire”, which gets me outside and is quite enjoyable. I also make reproductions of my larger paintings for sale as note cards, prints and calendars. There are also shows to enter but these are more for publicity and the social interaction of your fellow artists.
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.
I started painting in my early teens when I discovered my Mother’s old oil box filled with tubes of paint. She told me to just experiment and play with it, and that is how I have treated art ever since. Pastels were also an experiment that exploded me into a real career choice because of their hands on quality no need to mix colors or solvents . My first jury show with pastel won me Best of Show, and that got me doing it seriously.
The most important thing about creating art is paint what fascinates you, what gets your attention, what makes you emotional.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I used to be a full time jazz musician, playing flute and singing. I had been an artist and musician my entire life and had paintings in other people’s galleries with the occasional victory when they would sell. I was raising my two sons and had nights free to gig and bring home a paycheck. I loved painting but did not have time to really put in the hours until the boys got older. We moved several times during this period and at our present rental, we discovered a store front nearby with an affordable space perfect for a Studio /Gallery . That was my chance to really pursue my creative dream. I continued to play music up until 2020, but then my partner in music moved away and I lost my motivation to work nights and threw myself into my art with renewed vigor.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I opened my Studio in Waimea two months before the Covid -19 lockdown of the island of Kauai. Our Mayor decided to cut off the tourist trade so I had no business but was able to pay my rent by negotiating with my landlord, and forming an alliance with a nearby resort, that sell my reproductions, and trying all sorts of new ways to sell art. I also started teaching painting in oils or pastels, with variations for indoor or outdoor classes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.helenturner.com
- Instagram: helenturnerfinearts
- Facebook: Helen Turner Fine Arts
- Linkedin: Helen Turner
Image Credits
The image I used is an oil painting called “Everlasting” by Helen Turner
“Hidden in the Leaves” pastel painting by Helen Turner
“Sunny Yellow Cottage” pastel by Helen Turner
“Into the Blue” oil by Helen Turner
“Canyon Drapery” pastel by Helen Turner