We were lucky to catch up with Mariah Kaminsky Artist/Painter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariah Kaminsky, thanks for joining 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?

In 1997, I had just graduated from Ball State University with my bachelor degree in Technical Theatre. I was accepted and began my graduate studies in the same at Carnegie Melon University. One month in, I made the very difficult decision to drop out. I was not loving my technical drawing courses but loved my figure drawing class (my only class in the art department). I chose to listen to that instinct. Having no idea what the long term plan was at the time, I knew I just wanted to start painting…whatever that meant. I moved back to Muncie, IN (Ball State) and began working for my undergraduate academic adviser who I had been previously painting backdrops for theme park shows. The rest (they say) is history!

I realized much later that really the only reason I went was the prestige of getting into that graduate program and that is just what everyone did….they went to graduate school. I have never been so glad that I quit something, but it was a huge risk at the time!

Mariah Kaminsky, 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?

After college, I began working as a scenic artist. I started painting backdrops for small theme park productions, then for larger summer stock theatre productions in Indiana and Maine. After getting a position at a company that produced many types of sets and backdrops for a wide range of venues, I made a move to Tempe, AZ. After working for this company for a couple of years, I was made lead scenic artist of a large casino project. I lead eight artists in creating all of the decorative wall finishes and murals for the casino and gained an incredible amount of experience.

It was at this time that my soon to be husband and I found Durango, CO. As soon as we visited, we knew that is what we wanted our life to be like. The larger city was just not for us. What we had to quickly figure out was how to take our existing theatrical/artistic skills and adapt them for a smaller market. I started out in Durango taking whatever house painting work I could get and he did the same with carpentry. As we established ourselves in the community, I became a decorative painter with a reputation for being able to paint anything and everything. Slowly over the years I have been able to fine tune that into a specialty of high end finishes and murals.

About thirteen years ago, I decided to add my love for painting portraits back into the mix. Now I work these two facets of my career side by side. I am always painting….if I am not on a job-site, I am in the studio painting. This is what makes me stand out, I think. My ability to adapt my business for what is being asked of me at the time. I do not need to “get another job to support my fine art career”. I have another job built into the plan. When things slow down in the decorative industry, I pop seamlessly back into fine art mode and visa versa.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that in any artistic endeavor you have to pick one specialty and be the best at that one thing in order to have success. I can understand the theory and it might even be easier for most people. For me, it is the many creative outlets that keep my career interesting and flexible for me. It can be difficult to get potential clients or collectors understand or even believe that you can do more than one thing well, but for me it is the only option. It is still difficult to make those crossovers happen. Collectors that buy my paintings do not think of me in a decorative painting context and my decorative painting clients rarely buy my paintings. It is a very weird barrier to me that to this day that I am constantly trying to break.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

It is super simple. Buy small! If you would like some artwork in your home, seek out your local artists. Our work exists for every price bracket, style and subject matter. I promise. We are here and we are so excited to sell you our creations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mariahkaminsky.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahkaminskyfineart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariahKaminskyFineArt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariah-kaminsky-98412019/
• Youtube: https://www.facebook.com/MariahKaminskyFineArt/
• Other: Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/redmariah/