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

Stephanie, appreciate you 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?

My mother encouraged me to try an unconventional local antique show that incorporated various other home furnishings. I will never forget the customer who walked into my booth—a complete stranger—who said, “I really love this piece. How much is it? I’ll take it!” She then placed cash in my hand. It was a pivotal moment that I will never forget and it made me believe that selling my art was a real possibility!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been creating art since I was a small child, but art as my career did not commence until my early 30s. I began participating in local art shows and ventured to Colorado and Texas for larger art fairs and markets. Along the way, I developed relationships with individual collectors and interior designers.

I love working with other creatives, especially designers on their projects. I love being able to see a space come alive with my art! Art is always a key element in design, and I feel very proud when I am chosen to collaborate, or an individual chooses one of my pieces—it is very special to me.

I am a fairly diverse artist in some of my subject matters. Some of my customers tell me they enjoy this because they own many pieces, but all are very individual and unique. I do landscape work as well as abstract, florals, and figurative work. A long time ago, a gallery suggested that I only focus on one genre, but that seemed so boring to me. So, I continue to paint what I love and feel a connection to. I have a strong sense of color and a painterly style with my work. I enjoy using oil paint with a palette knife, as well as some softer brushwork. Most of my clients say that what they enjoy most is the way I use color in my paintings.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

It’s okay to say no and to know your limits as an artist. Sometimes we want to do it all, try it all, and take on projects that interest us. We may even get a request from a long-standing customer and want to please them. But I had to learn who I am as an artist. I know what I do well, my strong points, my weaknesses, so the project has to align with all of that. I received a request once during a commission; the husband and wife were involved in this project, and near the end, the husband requested that a windmill be added to the landscape. His vision was for something highly detailed and to create a major focal point, which was just not the direction of this painting. My work is not highly detailed; it definitely allows the viewer to fill in with some of their own imagination. I had to kindly tell this couple that if that was what they were interested in, then possibly I was not the artist for this project. In the end, they decided not to add the windmill to the painting and stayed with my original plan of painting the landscape they had first requested. It was an interesting and learning process for all of us!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I grew up in a very traditional home, where my parents had very traditional types of careers. My mother was a schoolteacher, and my father was a dentist. At that time, it was very hard to see that an art career was a viable choice, so I did what most people do—I had lots of jobs along the way before I actually found my way back to art. All these experiences were great and contributed to my knowledge of sales, running a business, and time management. If I were to encourage anyone today, I’d say one of the hardest things to overcome when you apply your creativity to a business model is knowing where your income will come from. Art sales can be up and down at times and all that has to be planned for—it’s not like getting a regular paycheck every week. But with multiple sources of income, part-time jobs, side hustles, etc., it’s all possible. And keep honing your craft; never stop learning while you are on this journey. I continue to study with other artists that I admire and spend time with other creatives. It keeps me energized and inspired.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephaniewheelergallery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniewheelergallery?igsh=MWNjM2cxZmZqNWl1dw==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieWheelerGallery/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wheeler-b3ba5710b/

Image Credits
Credits to Paula Marie De Castro