We recently connected with Sandy Vaillancourt and have shared our conversation below.

Sandy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I took a risk when I started creating and painting . I think all artists know this risk .
Choosing art as a career can be a bit of a financial risk according to some universities. How can you make a living through working in the arts? It’s a question people ask in America. We live in an economic society. People can’t help themselves and often ask impertinent personal questions, such as “how much do you make”. Society seems to care more about how successful you are and what you can do for them, and if you are worth their time. Artists don’t always think in this manner. There has always been a romance to making art. Being an artist is some what of a calling. It’s inside people to create. To create something from nothing is magical . Even if the calling to make art is only for a short time, people feel compelled to try. it. As Joseph Campbell once wrote. The artist is important to society . Artists help to translate our complex world environment into accessible and understandable ways . Artists create a visual record of the people, places, and events of their time and place, helping us see the world in new and innovative ways. So art is good for society . So when I pivoted into art after working full time in corporate business and nonprofits, I took a chance.

At the moment, it seemed the path of art was a higher calling. Yes I contributed to society through working in the arts, working in the business community with entrepreneurs , working for my congressman in Washington DC, working in international education to promote creative and scholarly exchanges,
working in a socially responsible corporation that promoted natural food and healthy lifestyles, working in nonprofit arts organizations to share beauty and joy, working at a university to teach young people about international business . I was always working. Yet I still believed something was missing. I enjoyed working for others and helping them achieve their vision . But it was my own voice that was missing. Once I made the decision to paint, the art just came out of me so naturally it was hardly a struggle. It was like connecting to a part of a universal creative energy. The risk was figuring out how to make a living doing something I loved . In a spiritual sense, one hopes that simply by connecting your life passion to something that all doors will open for you . It does not always happen that way, but doors do open within you and that matters too. So I set aside time for art. It has worked out in more ways than one. I combined my business experience with my art. I started selling my art almost as soon as I began creating it. I was not just creating art for me, but ultimately for you. I wanted to make art that brought color, beauty, joy and prosperity into the world. I can now reflect on the fact that I have created a sort of visual anthropology through my paintings and travels.

Sandy, 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 was seduced by the desert, the big blue sky and the arts long ago. I had one child born in New York City and one child born in Santa Fe. I am currently an artist and creative consultant living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I also teach young people about art and business, as well as provide mentorships for students in person and on line. I am an artist in residence at La fonda hotel located in downtown Santa Fe and Kakawa chocolate House. I sell original art, fine art prints and greeting cards. I also offer illustration services for book covers and for children’s books. In addition, I provide consulting services in arts administration and marketing . I received my MFA from Columbia University in NYC in art and arts administration . It was great to get the extra training in business at Columbia University where I also had to study copyright law, accounting and marketing. As part of my studies in New York I did internships at the Guggenheim museum, Joe Papp’s Public Theater and the World Music Institute . While at Columbia, I received a scholarship from the American Association of University Women and The Schubert Theatre in NYC.

I moved to Santa Fe after working in Washington DC , New York City and California. In my search for a more creative environment, blue sky, I thought to myself, if I had to work, I wanted to be in a place where the air was fresh and the windows opened in the office and I could explore my own creativity and start my own business . My time in Santa Fe has always connected with the creative and holistic community . I worked for the Center for Contemporary art , the New Mexico Repertory, The Santa Fe Festival of the arts and I planned the open studio with over a hundred artists . Later on I had a small adobe studio on Canyon Road in Santa Fe for about 7 years. where I painted everyday , brought my Australian shepherd dog to work with me , greeted visitors , took in art commissions , taught classes and held art events and literary events in my studio. I have lived in Santa Fe for more than 25 years.

I got into the industry by choice, waiting, planning and hard work. In my art, as in my business in general, I try to keep my standard of service high. I love making art for people . I also love making money through my art. Creating art for people has a lot of meaning. In my consulting, I find my creative thinking can help a small business or nonprofit get out of “stuck” places. My passion for helping young people to succeed creatively and assist with their portfolios and mentorship’s shows and I think my clients appreciate it. I love helping our community and helping small business and arts organizations thrive .

But in the end, when I am painting…making. my art, I do not always know if it will sell. But I paint anyway–hoping that if I really like it, you will too.
What sets my paintings apart from others and what I am most proud of is my use of color and my composition. In a way, my color, line and composition became my brand. People recognize it now. Everything I have experienced in life comes through my art and creativity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think that if you keep at your art and craft over time it gets better. Malcom Gladwell once said, in this book “Outliers” that if you apply over 10,000 hours of deliberate practice into any field, you will achieve some sense of expertise. I have definitely put in over 10,000 hours. I have seen my art change and get better over the years . For the moment, it seems like what I create speaks to people and I am so grateful for their art patronage. I continue to meet amazing people through my art. I paint for everyone. My art patrons know I care about them. Santa Fe is a very competitive art market . You are only as good as your last painting, and you have to just keep on, keeping on, even in the face of challenges and struggles. I acquired my MFA from Columbia University in NYC to give myself credibility. I consistently put myself out there at Art shows and community events through out the state of New Mexico , I donate my art to causes and try to be consistent with my quality . When I work with art patrons and/or teens who are trying to learn about art and express themselves , I try to focus on what they love and find the art that inspires them and sparks joy.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There were a few times along my journey into creativity, art and expression that I simply wanted to stop and give up. The most challenging time was the onset of the pandemic . This was a very difficult time for many people. There were lots of needs in the world . Lots of people and communities needed help and I questioned the importance of what I was doing . Galleries and studios were deemed unessential and forced to close. I am very civic minded and I questioned how I could be of service to my own community. It was very concerning that most galleries, art related markets and shops had to close. My source of income was suddenly at a stand still. The situation forced me to make a few quick decisions early on in the pandemic.

One day, a friend who is a local bicycle policeman stopped by my studio on Canyon Road. He sometimes spoke in a somewhat spiritual tone. He said he did not want to scare me, but he sensed something big was coming down as the national guard and the Air Force base and hospitals were on alert .He also predicted that many people would be leaving this earth. I took a deep breath and decided to close my studio. Thankfully I was able to get out of my lease . My landlord insisted on meeting me by the Cathedral Basilica to process the paperwork and we shed a tear for the state of the world. But I needed to find other options to maintain my art and my business. I needed to reevaluate everything. I cried a lot. I cried for all the people affected by the pandemic. I cried about the uncertainty of it all. I created paintings that reflected uncertain times, as I didn’t feel much like creating anything. I considered how to be of service and make do with what I had. I moved my studio twice during the pandemic times. I tried to find a place that would function not just for creating, but for meeting visitors, art patrons and students. At one point, my studio neighbor would watch carefully and count how many visitors would stop by my studio and see if they wore masks. Our studios were not even in the same room. Other times, I would hear owners of my neighboring studies in loud arguments. It was a strange and uncertain time. It was challenging to create when under duress.

But strangely people wanted art. They wanted to be outside too. Staying resilient and strong for others who were lonely and needed conversation, creativity and friendship mattered. So I figured I could paint outside and offer plein air classes or zoom classes. It also helped that I have known some of my vendors and art patrons for years and they supported me with their business. During that difficult time, I tried listening to people. We shared stories. We met over zoom. I put my my art on line. I painted outside. I just let my art speak for itself. I pushed forward to make it through. We artists must stay both flexible and consistent . Keep making art anyway.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vaillancourtfineart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiovaillancourt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studiovaillancourtsantafe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-vaillancourt-65913033?trk=contact-info

Image Credits

All images are by Sandy Vaillancourt except for image of me painting in the desert .. that is by Jeff Della Penna