We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful JEANNINE CURTIS. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JEANNINE below.

Alright, JEANNINE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I’d like to talk about a current/ongoing risk. It’s the risk of showing my work. In the last year I made a rigorous assessment of what areas were my liabilities for getting my work out to the public. I realized tech skills were a big block. I’m just no good at that. I needed help with doing entries for competitions and getting the right-sized images of my paintings to send to galleries (and for a website I’d hired someone to do). Creating, for me, has been the easy part, but everything was just being added to the pile. I also needed a photographer who knew how to get photos to computer. I had to find the help available that was in my budget. I’ve now hired an art coach that’s a whiz at all the tech stuff as well. The weight off my mind and heart has been huge. Best money spent! I’ve hired two friends to photograph, get images to computer, and to be my general sounding boards when I have questions or doubts. Now I’ve got a website in progress, I’ve entered an exhibit and am finding more links to expose work.
Budget may be huge hurdle for people but reciprocating talents might be a solution. I had to get honest about my strengths and weaknesses, then seek help where needed.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I knew I loved art in high school. My mom and grandmother loved to sew and I know it was seeing luscious fabric that caught my interest. Painting and building things were the direction I went, however. I took a drafting class in high school that had us build a structure with balsa wood. I still love to build and put things together like assemblages. I use acrylics, lots of mediums. I build many layers of paint using string, thread, small objects, beads. “Catch as catch can” methods. I’m a troubleshooter letting my mistakes guide me a lot of times. I know that’s the Holy Spirit. I just have to surrender to Christ and the Holy Trinity. I can’t take it too seriously. I do best when it’s playful and joyful. I follow artists who encourage play. It feels like that’s where God wants me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have a very close friend who is an incredible artist in realism. She does many portraits. I always compared myself to her. I considered my art “less than”, feeling I was undisciplined, lazy, yada-yada. But I would still mess around because it was just plain fun. The book “The Artist’s Way” got me into journaling and much exploring was encouraged. I started seeing books and going to workshops that showed me how to loosen up, to enjoy the process rather that the end result. I’ve found YT presenters that describe the process instead of technique. It has helped me have more confidence in my work, quit the comparing, and let go and have fun!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect is seeing what is revealed by creating. When I just slap some paint down and see where I’m led wonderful works might be made. It feels like it’s not me doing it. When I throw any old material or medium on it or into it just to see what happens that’s my happiest spot. I don’t want to be bored or regimented. I do best when I’m not being stingy or frugal with my ideas or supplies.

Contact Info:

• Website: jeanninecurtis.com
• Other: jeanninehelms@outlook.com

Image Credits
Martha Bass