Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marthann Masterson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Marthann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

My parents did when they were very young, mother 37, father 2 years later at 41. I was 17 when they died.
My 2 sisters went to live with our grandmother, but she did not like me and said she had no room, even though she did. That left me alone with no place to live.
My life has been full of of risks. Some were choices and others because I really had no other options but TAKE A RISK.
First I needed a job. I was 17 with only a high school education and at that time you had to be at least 18 to work for a substantial business. SO I TOOK ANOTHER RISK. I went to one of the major oil companys and
did what I needed to do to get a job.
First I lied about my age on the employment application to make me 18, I continued the fabrication when It came to qualifications. When asked about typing skillsI responded with a yes, knowing I really couldn’t type very well and when they asked if I knew how to use a dic-a-phoneI said no, but I was joining a class and would be able to very soon. Both big risks but it worked and they hired me as the receptionist in the very department I had adjusted the truth about age and talent.

I was desperate for a home and a friend of a friend knew someone that needed a roommate. I jumped at the opportunity and although I had never met her and never seen her apartment, I took a risk and said I would take yes I would be her roommate,
I advertised for a ride to work on the company’s bulletin board and ended up engaged to the man that responded to that ad. We had a son
and started to make a life together. That worked for about 12 years and then we divorced.
I had to work so I got my real estate licence knowing it was risky because there are no guarantees I could sell a houses or if
it would provide enough income for my son and I to live in a fashion that we were accustomed to.
There were many risks in my single life…some that worked in my favor and others that didn’t turn out to be helpful all.
I was successful as a realtor and yet I begin to feel restless.
About that time I met a woman from New York that owned an Inn and French restaurant n No Carolina.
I mentioned my passion for cooking and asked her if she ever needed extra help, that I was available.
She called several months later and asked me if I would be interested in working for her at the inn for the summer months. Well, I had never lived anyplace but Houston, had never been to No. Carolina, never had worked in a restaurant and certainly did not know about cooking professionally. I ached as I mulled over this decision but all my friends agreed it would be a good risk to take so I said yes.
I was 37 when I moved to No. Carolina and worked there for 3 months.
That risk changed my lie forever. When I returned to Houston I had cooking skills that impressed my friends. People began to ask me to prepare food for their dinner parties . Before I knew it I was doing a lot of catering. I quickly out grew my home kitchen and leased a professional kitchen and office. It was risky because I had to generate enough business to cover my overhead. My business began to flourish and I quickly became the caterer of the stars.
I prepared food for the kings of Norway and Turkey, A state dinner for the secretary of treasure, President George Bush, and many other celebrities including Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stone band.

I remarried and found myself living in the midwest without knowing a soul and the only friends were my 2 golden Retrievers. I did have a collection of framed magazines and newspaper articles about me and my catering life so I hung them in the basement. Our dog walker saw them and read these articles and told her sister-in-law about me and my catering business. Turns out she was the NBC affiliate news director and she hired me to work at the station as an on-air personality and expert in lifestyle.
I had no experience in television and not a clue as to how to produce a segment much less how to act in front of a camera! I thought, how hard can it be and my show started as 2 30second segments and ended up with working 7 days a week telling the viewers how to entertain and cook! Now that was a huge risk and it turned out well for me.

We moved back to Houston and there was no place in the media for lifestyle personalities so I, once again reinvented myself
During my years in catering I ran the cafe at the Museum Of Fine Arts which perked an interest in art.
With time on my hands I decided I wanted to learn more about art. I returned to school and
took classes in drawing and painting and became passionate about creating art.
One instructor said I had talent but to go deeper and paint about my feelings.
The first painting was about my family experience as the one on the outside. I am the middle child and very different than my sisters. That and the fact my grandmother excluded me I was infact I used simple chairs to reflect human behavior. The first really big painting I did touched the hearts of many viewers. I decided to enter that painting into a an art competition. The title of the competition was “Embracing Our differences” . I did not realize this was an international competition or that there would be over 4,000 entries but none the less I took the risk and entered.
The painting was selected as one of the 15 paintings to be in the exhibition. They enlarged all the paintings the size of a billboards and exhibited them outside in Sarasota, Florida. Years later my painting was selected by the Sarasota Ballet Company to create a ballet about my painting.
I never quit painting and 20 years later and became a professional artist.

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.

My parents did very young, mother 37, father 2 years later at 41. I was 17 when they died.
My 2 sisters went to live with our grandmother, but she did not like me and said she had no room, even though she did. That left me alone with no place to live.
My life has been full of of risks. Some were choices and others because I really had no other options but TAKE A RISK.
First I needed a job. I was 17 with only a high school education and at that time you had to be at least 18 to work for a substantial business. SO I TOOK ANOTHER RISK. I went to one of the major oil companys and
did what I needed to to get a job.
First I lied about my age on the employment application to make me 18, I continued the fabrication when It came to qualifications. When asked about typing skillsI responded with a yes, of course and when they asked if took shorthand I said no, but I was joining a class and would be able to very soon. Both big risks but it worked and they hired me as the receptionist in the very department I had adjusted the truth about age and talent.

I was desperate for a home and a friend of a friend knew someone that needed a roommate. I jumped at the opportunity and although I had never met her and never seen her apartment, I took a risk and said I would take yes I would be her roommate,
I advertised for a ride to work and ended up engaged to the man that responded to that ad. We had a son
and started to make a life together. That worked for about 12 years and then we divorced.
I had to work so I got my real estate licence and even though it was risky because there are no guarantees
it would provide enough income for my son and I to live in a fashion that we were accustomed to.
There were many risks in my single life…some that worked in my favor and others that didn’t turn out to be helpful all.
I was successful as a realtor and yet I begin to feel restless.
About that time I met a woman from New York that owned an Inn and French restaurant n No Carolina.
I mentioned my passion for cooking and if she ever need extra help, I was available.
She called several months later and asked me if I would be interested in working for her for the summer months. Well, I had never lived anyplace but Houston, had never been to No. Carolina, never had worked in a restaurant and certainly did not know about cooking professionally. I ached as I mulled over this decision but all my friends agreed it would be a good risk to take so I said yes.
I was 37 when I moved to No. Carolina and worked there for 3 months.
That risk changed my lie forever. When I returned to Houston I had cooking skills that impressed my friends. People began to ask me to prepare food for their dinner parties . Before I knew it I was doing a lot of catering. I quickly out grew my home kitchen and leased a professional kitchen and office. It was risky because I had to generate enough business to cover my overhead. My business began to flourish and I quickly became the caterer of the stars.
I prepared food for the kings of Norway and Turkey, A state dinner for the secretary of treasure, President George Bush, and many other celebrities including Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stone band and I catered a wedding in NYC.

When we moved back to Houston and I had a goal to learn about art. I went back to school and studied all the elements necessary to start painting.
One of my assignments was to go deep, so I painted about my family experience and how I always felt I was on the outside. Using stick chairs
I was able to clearly define how it feels to be left out…on the outside.

I entered a painting competition even though I knew little about competitions. The exhibition International with over 4,000 entries.
The theme was “Embracing Our Difference’s”. It was accepted as one of the 15 pieces ing the exhibition. They enlarged the image to be bigger than a billboard.
The exhibition was outside in Sarasota,Fla. A couple years later The Sarasota Ballet wrote a ballet about my painting and used the giant image for the backdrop of the stage.
Now I paint everyday in your studio.
. I started painting using drips of paint.
I pace 1 drip an inch apart across the width of the canvas. Then I come back with a second color and place a drip between the existing drips I applied the first time.

I come to my studio every day to paint. My studio is in a building that houses many artist and we hold open studios the second Saturday of the month which draws a lot of people and gives us an opportunity to sell our work.
I have been fortunate enough to have built a business as a result of our open houses.
One day a woman came in and was mesmerized with my drip paintings.

I come to my studio every day to paint. k.
I have been fortunate enough to have built a business as a result of our open houses.
What most artists want is tfor their work to be shown in a gallery. It is very difficult to figure out just how to approach galleries. I am in 2 galleries One in Houston and one is Mexico.
My clients are people tha
i
I also offer to allow them to take one of my big paintings home to see how it looks. Most of the time they end up commissioning me for a larger painting than they originally thought they wanted. The painting I allow to leave my studio is one that has been in inventory for a while.
After they are happy with their chosen size we begin the process of commissioning a painting.
I have a simple contract that states the date the painting is ordered and the date it will be finished, the size and palette. I quote the price and ask for 50% deposit. I always offer for the collector to come and see the painting about half way through to make sure I am going in the right direction with the palette. There is also a clause stating the terms of a rejection of the finished painting. The terms state if for some reason they do not want the painting,
They will return it and I keep their deposit and the painting.
Another piece of advice is to get as much publicity as possible. I have been very fortunate to have had cover
stories on two different magazines. My drip painting also connected me to a gallery in NYC and they produced a
brochure featuring my work , me and my process.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I strongly believe in goals.
I make a list of the things I never got to last year, things that frustrate me and things I want to achieve in my life.
I categorize my goals and then place them in quarters of the year. That prevents me from being overwhelmed, helps with time management, and give me the contentment that I have accomplished my desired goal.

I do not accept NFT’s.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe a really creative person will find it difficult to work in a job which has closed spaces. I sold real estate before I became a caterer and although I enjoyed working with most people and previewing houses, I felt I was in bondage working the phones in a closed up space. I made money, but just had a giant push to work in a creative field.
My day starts with walking into a bright studio surrounded by the beautiful colors of my paintings. I love to see how hard work can create something beautiful. And it is most enjoying when a painting comes together.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @marthannmasterson
• Facebook: marthannmasstersonart

Image Credits

Kenny Braun Photographer