We caught up with the brilliant and insightful James Bohling a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
James, appreciate you joining us today. 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?
After many years of experimenting with painting, I would occasionally hang something in my home that I thought wasn’t too embarrassing for people to see. I enjoyed the process and loved taking classes but never thought I would sell a piece or ever be able to make a living as an artist. As it happened, when I was around 50 years old, one of my good friends was an accomplished artist and noticed one of my paintings hanging in the living room. After showing her a few more pieces she suggested that I join her in her booth at one of the premier art festivals in town, the Art Students League’s Summer Art Market. It was going to be her last art fest as she was moving on to several art galleries. I decided to go for it and spent months painting and getting ready for the show. I had about 10 large pieces ready, fulling expecting that I’d be taking all of them back home with me after the weekend.
To my delight and surprise, I sold my first piece within a few hours of opening! It was thrilling! I felt validated in a way that I hadn’t ever felt with my artwork before. I sold several more pieces that weekend and that’s when I realized that I had been discounting my talent. I needed to believe in myself, validate myself. That weekend gave me the confidence I needed to start working hard for what I wanted – to be a full time artist.
James, 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 have painted all my life. Most pieces ended up in the trash or painted over and never saw the light of day. Over the years, I worked in finance, as a flight attendant, and then as an assistant kindergarten teacher, all the while painting. When I was 50 years old I had an artist friend that liked my work and encouraged me to try out an art festival . That was the beginning of my career as a professional artist.
I was born in Nebraska and grew up in Colorado, and as a landscape artist my paintings mostly reflect my life in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. There is a lot of nostalgia in my work and my hope is that people see scenes that are meaningful to their lives.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My main goal is to be able to keep doing what I love, painting. This isn’t easy because I still need to make a living and it can be unnerving not knowing if my work will continue to sell or sell enough to pay the bills. I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to do this thus far. Creatively, my goal is to continue improving the quality of my work while allowing myself the space to experiment. I find it difficult to give myself that space because experimenting often will produce work that isn’t up to par but it is necessary for overall growth.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me, is when someone feels and expresses a personal connection to my work. Art is subjective so I know that what I do doesn’t appeal to everyone, and even people who appreciate my paintings don’t necessarily have a visceral reaction. But on occasion, a painting will really speak to someone, because the location in the painting reminds them of a long lost home or relative, or the colors evoke feelings and memories, for example. When this happens it really makes my day and gives me a connection to that person that I might never otherwise have.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jamesbohling.com
- Instagram: @jamesbohlingartwork
- Facebook: @bohlingart