We recently connected with Summer Langille and have shared our conversation below.

Summer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I started making art when my daughter was a baby. She’d nap and I needed a creative outlet. My Grandmother was a professional watercolor artist so I started dabbling in watercolor. It definitely scratched that creative itch but I didn’t think I was an artist until after my grandmother passed. I remember grieving her loss and wanting to make something for her with that grief. I’ve always been drawn to nature as was she, so, I decided to try and make a collage flower. I went to work, cutting out those tiny pieces of black and white to create the Matilija Poppy. It just felt right to be using paper to paint and anyone who saw the piece loved it. So I kept going. I created another collage with California Poppies this time and a stranger who saw it on my social media reached out to me to buy it. After I sold that piece, I put down my paintbrush, picked up my scissors and I fell in love with paper cut collage. I loved turning the bits of colored paper from old and discarded books and magazines into new, bright images.

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

I grew up a very creative kid in Southern California. The oldest of four, I was always writing and making up plays and stories for my siblings and the neighbor kids to act out. I sang in choirs and won writing contests as a kid and teen but it wasn’t until after I had my first child that I really started getting into art. I painted with watercolor and dabbled in digital art as well. When my daughter was in her early school years I started creating homeschool materials using my art and it eventually became a small business. I painted wooden bird sets and made felted nests, I created a rock and mineral club with hand drawn/painted art and I even produced a tiny zine about birds with my own art, as well as featured artists from around the world. I had a small following but it did reach parts of the world like the UK, Ireland and Australia as well as up to 12 different US states.

I didn’t start showing my art in galleries until much later. With both my kids in school after 2023, I was debating whether or not to go back into the early education field or continue making art full time. Luckily, I was able to make art full time for a few more years. I had my first opening at the Bell Arts Factory with the Buenaventura Art Association in Ventura, CA in 2024. The show was an homage to California native flowers and the hikes I’d take with my family. The art for this show were all digital images I created. I had some success with this type of art but I didn’t feel completely confident with the medium.

It wasn’t until after my grandmother Marty Rogers, (who painted professionally) passed away, that I tried paper cut collage as a way to help me grieve her loss. I fell in love with the art of cutting paper and have been honing my craft ever since. I won an award for my piece at the Carpinteria Arts Association in Carpinteria, CA in 2024 and had original art and prints in stores and galleries throughout Ventura, CA.

My family and I made a very big move in 2025 and moved from Ventura, Ca where we had lived for 12 years and moved to Jaffrey, New Hampshire, a tiny east coast town.

It was definitely a big adjustment for all of us. I quickly found my place here and realized we had stumbled on a very creative, artistic community. I joined my local civic center and started showing my work there and then I was juried into a brand new cooperative gallery space, the Blue Fern Gallery in Peterborough, NH. The gallery opened in September 2025 to rave reviews and I’ve steadily sold my art here the past year. I’ve also started teaching collage locally to both adults and children and have enjoyed taking that next step in my artist journey.

Currently I have art in 3 galleries here in the Monadnock region of NH:
“Sprout” Fresh Art at the Healing Arts Gallery at Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, NH

“Paint the Town Red” Member Show at Blue Fern Gallery
Peterborough, NH

Spring Member Show at Jaffrey Civic Center Jaffrey, NH

I’m extremely proud and lucky that I assimilated into the New England art scene so quickly. I’m surrounded by extraordinary artists and artisans who have given me advice, support my artistic endeavors and have given me a community to develop and hone my skills.

My own personal passion of working with children has taken me back into the classrooms this year. I work full time now in our local public school in special education. And part time I teach art classes locally and work at the Blue Fern Gallery. I was asked to teach a program for teens at the local library as their artist in residence, creating art surrounding banned books. So I’m a little bit of everywhere these days, making art on the weekends and after school hours, creating with kids and adults and enjoying every little bit of it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to find that extra joy in life. Recreating a landscape with tiny bits of paper and creating a bright, happy image that someone would want to look at every day in their home is just so inspiring. The act of cutting paper, especially from the sources I get (my favorite being old children’s book jackets or discarded art books) makes me feel simply happy. I love rearranging the colors to create the images I want.

I was an early educator for 15 years and I love all things whimsical and colorful. Collage is like going back in time and being a kid again. Things were brighter and more playful. Bugs brought you joy, nature felt wild and beautiful and sacred, friendships were strong, the world felt light. I think being able to create with your hands helps you remember the feeling of being a kid again and I’m loving being able to share that joy of collage with others when I teach classes.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think being apart of a creative community is key to a thriving society.
I’m not sure how things would have turned out for me if I had not found this creative hub here in New England. There are so many areas for creatives of every type here in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. We have several makers spaces where you can go and learn arts and crafts all year long from professionals in their field. We have art shows and lots of galleries big and small. I think it’s very important for art to be accessible for anyone and everyone. This region has a fantastic studio tour every summer where you can visit the artist in their homes or studios and talk to them right there about their work. What a valuable experience for artists and for people who enjoy art. Of course, it always takes a bit of money to make programs /events like these work, but if you have enough people who care about the arts and how important it is to a thriving community – you’ll find a way to get those funds. I know several of these art spaces started tiny and grew with time and resources.
It also begins in the schools- having educated, experienced and excited art teachers and programs in the schools is just the beginning of creating a thriving artistic ecosystem. These kids are the future artists and artisans and allowing them to explore materials and use their imaginations is pertinent for the future of a healthy, creative community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.summerlangilleart.com
• Instagram: @summerlangilleart
• Facebook: @summerlangilleart
• Other: TikTok : @summerlangilleart

  BlueFernGallery on IG and Facebook

  Email me @ summerlangilleart@gmail.com

Image Credits

Blue Fern Gallery