We were lucky to catch up with Peggi Habets recently and have shared our conversation below.

Peggi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I am most proud of my most recent series of paintings, Untangling Our Roots, which is has been a stretch both personally and creatively. I have loved hearing from people responding to this work by revealing their own personal stories. It has been so rewarding to have artwork that resonates so deeply with others.

Untangling Our Roots, explores the evolution from childhood beliefs and cultural influences to developing a unique path and voice as an adult. Each painting in the series addresses a different universal struggle and is infused with a solitary figure, enigmatic nature as a healing and guiding force, and/or spiritual and cultural symbolism. This series strives to embody mystery, beauty, exploration, and discovery.

My own journey started mid-life, following a childhood steeped in Catholicism, traditional family values, and a small-town view of the world. I started the life-long process of unravelling beliefs that served me well to those I did not accept. I discovered meditation and Buddhism in my thirties and began learning and practicing skills that have helped me unpack mysteries of my life, past, and connection to others in this world. This practice has influenced my artwork conceptually and visually.

Peggi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I live and work as an artist in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa. My deep love for the fluidity and spontaneity of watercolor has led me to paint and teach in the medium for over 20 years. My figurative and cityscape paintings have been exhibited and collected internationally and I have received awards in many prestigious shows, including the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society International Juried Exhibitions. I have had my work published in magazine articles such as The Artists Magazine, The Art of Watercolour, L’Art de L’Aquarelle, Pratique Des Arts, Watercolor Artist, Watercolor Magic, and Palette. I am also an author of “Watercolor Made Easy: Portraits” and was featured in “The Art of Drawing and Painting Portraits” and “Faces & Features” books.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had three big pivots in my career as a full-time artist. I started out as a portrait painter, creating commissioned portraits of people and pets. Although I enjoyed the work and my clients, I hit a wall creatively after ten years. As a commissioned portrait painter, I was always hired to paint in a style I have done over and over, Experimenting with new materials or styles was not an option. As a result, I felt my work had plateaued and it was time to make a change.

I stopped accepting commissions and starting teaching to supplement my income. At first, I taught classes locally, eventually working up to 3- to 7-day watercolor workshops around the country. It was a great lifestyle and I loved the travel. I also loved working with artists in a group and one-on-one. During 2020 pandemic, all in-person workshops stopped and I was asked to teach online. After much research and thought, I decided this was not a path I wanted to pursue, so I had to make my third pivot.

I stopped teaching altogether and decided to take a risk by creating a body of work that was both meaningful to me and experimental. The first two years were exciting but difficult financially. Eventually my followers grew on social media and I have been able to sustain myself through selling my work. Today, I work only on a select few commissions with the rest of my time devoted to working on paintings that I exhibit and sell from my website and galleries. My goal is to continue to create work that is personal, meaningful, and unique.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Living most of my life in Pittsburgh, Pa, a city that is both traditional and relatively conservative, I have had to forge my own path spiritually and personally. Trying to balance family life with the work of an artist was a constant push-pull. There was plenty of opinions about what I “should” do but, in the end, I kept my boundaries firm and built my art career into a path that I knew was right for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.peggihabets.com
• Instagram: @habetsstudio
• Facebook: Peggi Habets

Image Credits

Peggi Habets