We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Reneé Royal. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Reneé below.
Reneé , appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
The very first time I thought I could pursue art professionally was in 2020 at age 29, even though I had been a creative person my whole life. I discovered my creative passion at a young age and the passion grew as I grew. I went on to receive my BFA from the University of Maine Presque Isle, but even then I still didn’t consider a professional creative path, I had the mindset that I would create art only as a hobby.
To give a little back story, after I graduated in 2015 I packed up and moved across the country to Washington to start the next chapter of life with my husband. I was so excited for the life ahead of me: finally living in the same state as my husband, a whole new place to explore, finding a new job and just making a home. I didn’t make time for my art for about three years, but this was an essential part of my creative journey, as a lot of the inspiration for my work comes from the adventures I had in the PNW.
In 2018 I picked up the brush again sporadically, but 2019 is when I made a commitment to myself and to my art. I turned our guest bedroom into my dedicated workspace and studio. This was a game changer for me because it made it easy to come home at the end of each work day and start painting.
I began sharing my art on social media and was overjoyed with the support I received. I began to grow “my following” and this was exciting for me.. I thought “oh my gosh, people who don’t know me like my art!” I was selling originals and I was getting a good amount of commissions, it just felt so good to be painting again.
In early 2020, I had officially made my art a side business! Then of course, March 2020 shut down the world. But I was met with a lot of “free time” at home, so I stocked up on painting supplies and spent almost all of my time creating and getting my Etsy store up and running. When things started to get back to normal, I went back to work at my “regular” job, I was in a place where it felt like I was working two full time jobs. It sounds exhausting, but I felt fulfilled.
The end of 2020 is when I began to think…”maybe I could do this”, but that thought was only a very quiet whisper. Of course, that little whisper only grew louder as time went on. I couldn’t ignore it. It was a little tiny seed in my mind that I had begun watering with each new painting and opportunity. Big changes were coming our way for 2021, my husband and I were going to move back to the East coast. This transition period had my wheels turning thinking about the possibilities of pursuing my art full time. My husband was (and still is) so supportive of my dreams. I can’t remember the exact day because it felt like it had been brewing for a few months, but having his support solidified what I had been thinking for my next moves. I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I knew to my core, now is the time! We got settled into our new life in Georgia about mid September of 2021, so I have been doing my art full time for about 16 months now and I couldn’t be happier with my decision and the direction I am heading!
Reneé , 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?
A little about me, I really love spending time outside exploring. From sitting in the sun, hiking, little road trips to epic road trips – it doesn’t really matter to me. As long as I am outside and away from man made noise, I am happy. With that said, of course the biggest inspiration for my work is nature. I used to think that sounded so cheesy, but when I take in landscapes, sights and sounds in nature I feel it move through me and it is when I feel most alive. Being able to paint from my own experiences is an amazing thing. It’s like I get to relive the memories and moments of peace over and over again. It is so humbling when others connect with my original work enough to invest in it. Commissioned art has been a huge part of my business. They have pushed me to paint many subjects of the years, but I have to say that my favorite type of commissions are landscapes. I love hearing stories about how and why clients are connected to a particular place. I end up feeling a connection to these places even though I may have never been there. I think that’s an amazing thing about art – the connections it can create to the land and to people as well.
I love being able to bring the outdoors into the walls of homes. Having nature inspired art in your home is like a little escape from daily life until you can get back out there again. My art is for the adventurer, the explorer and the (day)dreamer.
I want potential clients and followers to know that my love for exploring does not only happen outside, I enjoy exploring art and the different materials I create with. This last year alone, I have tried many new things with my art – creating functional art with my resin boards, wearable art (denim, hats and shoes), dabbling in macramé, and have continued to grow my skills with fine art. In the coming year, my biggest goal is to paint more murals – so if you need a statement wall in your home, your rental property (AirBNB/VRBO) or if you’re a business owner looking to spruce up your space with a mural, I would love to connect!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I was once an athlete – my passion sport was basketball. I played all through school, year round and then got to play two years of college ball. I played through severe pain caused by scoliosis for years because I lived and breathed basketball and didn’t want to give it up. I put off corrective scoliosis surgery for almost five years because I knew I wouldn’t be able to play ball competitively after surgery. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with my art business – I am getting there. The curve in my spine got so bad that I could no longer put off the surgery, it had to be done. It was an incredibly difficult time for me and became a really dark time in my life. Even though I had always been creative, I never really took it seriously. However, after my surgery I found painting. Painting gave me a new direction and a purpose. It was something I could work at, develop skills and it was something else to focus on. I got lost in the painting process and would spend hours creating – it gave me space to process emotions, let go of what was and ultimately it led me to finding acceptance of my body. This was something I had struggled with since middle school when I could physically see abnormalities of my body. A lot of my art was pretty dark for a while, but it was art that I had to create in order to move on.
Finding my way to art came from a place of resilience. Though I had several takeaways from that time, one lesson is that creating art is a sacred space for me, as it is for many others. It gives me time to process situations, emotions and the ebbs and flows of life. It is something I intentionally come back to when life gets hard.
Another lesson, that took me a while to see, is that the same discipline it takes to be an athlete is the same discipline it takes to be an artist. No one, but you, can make your skills better. YOU have to put in the time and effort it takes to be better, to level up and to take risks.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
There are so many aspects that are rewarding and fulfilling in my job as an artist. The most rewarding thing for me is the connections I make with people. Whether it be someone who really connects with my original work, painting someone’s beloved pet, painting a special place, or even connecting with other creatives and artists about the process. They are all connections I adore. A lot of time, the connection goes “unspoken” because art has a language of its own. I get to witness the joy that art brings to people’s lives and that, to me, is incredibly rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reneeroyalstudios.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/renee_royalstudios
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/reneeroyalstudios
Image Credits
E. Warner Photography