We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patricia Busso a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

A friend of mine asked if I wanted to sublet her artist’s studio for the summer and I jumped at the chance – both to have a workspace other than the almost closet-sized spare room in my house to work in as well as to have the chance to show my work to the public at First Fridays. My stomach was doing somersaults for 3 days after the the first open studios I participated in … I had sold 15 paintings! Now granted, they were not at high price points, but the fact that people actually were willing to exchange money for works I had created simply blew my mind.
I eventually took over the lease to my friend’s studio and have been using it as a workspace/gallery ever since. That was 14 years ago and I am still going strong (with a higher price point ;)

Patricia, 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 already shared how I got started turning my love for painting into a business in the last response, but as far as getting into painting itself, I simply felt a need to express myself. I am a high school math teacher with no formal artistic training and initially asked the art teacher in my school for some supplies and he got me started on watercolors.
Now I had been doing photography for several years and decided to take a month’s long artist’s retreat in the wilderness of British Columbia living in a tent on a mountainside with no running water or electricity. But when my camera broke on the first day there, I improvised and bought some acrylics in the on-site “store” (a woodshed stocked with art supplies) and began painting on found wood. That is when I switched from film to paint.

I think what sets me apart is, first of all, I have 2 jobs I love; teaching and painting. Also, I think the fact that I am self-taught is noteworthy. Not knowing the rules has given me a freedom to explore all different mediums and genres. If you stepped into my studio, you might think several artists worked there, as I have pieces ranging from loose interpretations of landscapes to purely non-representational abstracts. And I love to explore the use of different materials. I currently use encaustic paints (pigmented wax that you melt, paint with, then fuse with a torch as you add layers), oils and oil with cold wax, but I’ve experimented with mixed media, collage, and ink.

The process of discovery excites me; I don’t like my work to get stagnant. In fact, the first time I ever try something new, it seems I get the best work. But if I try to replicate that method it is never as fresh. So on I tread …

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

I think what fills me up most is the fact that when I enter my studio most days, I have absolutely no idea what will be there once I leave. In other words, something will exist that didn’t several hours prior, and it’s often something I simply intuited; one mark led to another and a cohesive collection of brushstrokes I had never previously envisioned is staring back at me. I am always looking for beauty in the world – found objects, simple wonders in nature, manmade marvels, acts of kindness – and it still amazes me that I can actually create something that I consider beautiful. I can conjure up beauty!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Non-creatives may not understand that many artists are simply compelled to do what they do. They are constantly thinking about how this or that could be incorporated in a piece. For me, I often write down color combinations (color is probably the most important element in my work) when I’m going about my day (yes, sometimes when I’m driving) and also note interesting compositions in the landscape. I still take tons of photos, just no longer with a professional camera, so am constantly finding the perfect frame. I just have to capture anything I deem beautiful, wherever I may find it. And I also think people may not understand that how long a painting takes is not important (soooo many people point to a piece and ask that question). Some of my best works happened quickly, maybe when I was painting over a piece I wasn’t in love with so I felt free and loose. I think others may not understand that any artwork you create is the result of that particular moment but also everything that came before. There’s a corny line I like to say with a smile when someone asks me how long it took to complete a painting. I respond, “My whole life.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.patriciabusso.com
• Instagram: @patriciaybusso

Image Credits
all photos are mine