Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Irene Nelson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Irene thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
As an abstract painter I create impressions constructed from the thin line between memory and imagination. Each painting involves risk. I face the blank canvas without a sketch or preconceived idea. My gestural marks are organic and free from formula and conscious constraint. Whether painting, drawing or working with monotypes, my process is guided by a mix of intuition and tenacious experimentation. Compositions evolve as acts of discovery rather than having a planned destination. My practice is a process of working through vulnerability to intimacy to strength and the belief that I am a part of something larger than myself.
Irene , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I transitioned from a career in the commercial arts to a painting practice 15 years ago. I was able to build on the tool kit I had acquired as a designer to expand to my vocabulary as a painter. My growth and outreach as a painter has flourished because of the work ethic, time management skills and marketing expertise that I have acquired through the years. I draw/paint on paper, wood, and linen. I use water based mediums like acrylic paint, ink, and watercolors. I have participated in numerous group shows and solo shows over the years. I value my relationships with galleries and art consultants and am pleased that my work has been placed in many private collections, as well as in medical and retail environments.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I am grateful to have always had an art practice. I was never happy in the role of employee and felt I had little choice but to trade off financial security for my creative pursuits. I have had many careers in the arts, beginning as a photographer followed by a 30 year career running my own boutique graphic design firm. My painting practice has been rich and rewarding. I am happy to be always growing, learning, and surprising myself. I spend my time in a studio filled with light. It is my sanctuary. I have been thrilled to find myself expanding my creative life in other areas—poetry, music, ceramics, and theater—it is all connected.
I cherish being part of a community of artists to engage in dialogue, discover other new artists, new materials, and to get inspired. I am thrilled by the unlimited possibilities in making a painting. Ultimately, I value that I have learned to embrace change and be comfortable with not knowing.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Being an artist means that one is compelled to make work—it doesn’t feel like a choice. There are always trade offs when choosing any life path. I exist in a liminal space with few limitations in the way I approach my work. There is an element of discomfort, to persevere, to exist in a place of not knowing and to welcome mistakes along the way. The materials and methods one chooses is wide open. The important aspects are to create something that comes from oneself, to experiment, to hopefully discover something in your own process. An artist makes things and at a certain point a practice develops. There is a commitment to keep showing up to do the work, as we continually ask the question, What if?.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://irenenelson.com
- Instagram: irenelson
