We recently connected with Tori Berghoff and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tori, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

My maternal grandmother “JoJo” was a beautiful artist and person. She was loving, accepting, eccentric (I loved it!), talented and smart. As I’ve always seen it, she lived a tame life with a wild heart. She was a textbook suburban housewife and mother but she always sought ways to express her ideas and creativity. She was a painter, an author, a poet, and the best gift wrapper to ever tie a bow. She even snuck in flying lessons while her husband was deployed and in her early 20’s she adventured off to work at the 1939 NYC World’s Fair.

Wherever she lived she had an art studio – in the laundry room. I loved visiting her. She made me feel loved, safe, and appreciated. And one of my very favorite parts of visiting her was going to her studio/laundry room. Even as a young child, I LOVED the smell of linseed oil that would overtake my senses the second I walked in, followed by a waft of Tide and Downy. And then I would marvel at whatever beautiful landscape was coming to life on her easel.

It was in those early days my fascination grew with the magic of bringing something beautiful to life with just a flat surface and some globs of color at hand. JoJo began teaching me to paint a little during most visits. She knew how much I loved it so she enrolled me in my first art class at age 8. Art meant everything to me when I was young. My home life was chaotic but art was steady. It was the one thing in my life where I felt like I had any amount of control. Art allowed me to express my feelings, escape my feelings, and to feel like I had power and value.

I still have the easel JoJo used, along with her art box. They connect me to a time when art was at its purist form within me and when I first knew I would be an artist for the rest of my life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in small-town Texas. My parents divorced when I was six and when I was eight my mom remarried to a rancher. Most of my youth was spent on that farm. While I missed and coveted my old suburban way of living, I look back now and see how growing up on a farm helped shape my creativity. I spent a lot of time curing boredom!

I have been an artist and creative my entire life but lacked in the level of skill and knowledge required to become a confident, professional painter. When I decided to return to school to study art I wanted to focus on portraiture. I love people and I love stories. Folk/Indie has always been my favorite genre of music because of the way the stories in the songs paint a picture in the mind. I feel that in painting a portrait, I have the opportunity to write a folk song with oil paint on canvas. When I paint, I want to create a piece that has soul and a story behind the subject’s eyes.

My husband Joel and I met in Nashville where we were both pursuing a life in music. After a couple of years we relocated to San Francisco, near his family, and I attended Academy of Art University in San Francisco. There I learned the classical approach to portrait painting. While at times I want to bust out and do something crazy (and sometimes do!) I still love and find comfort in working in a classical approach. I work primarily in oil portraits of people and pets but I also enjoy painting just about anything – from fruits & veggies, to toys, to abstracts and murals.

I have been fortunate enough to be able to work as an artist while raising our two children. Having the flexibility with my work has allowed me to be as present as I had hoped to be in their daily lives. I am proud of the work I do because, though it may not be high volume, each piece is created with great care, love, and a sincere desire to add a few more square inches of beauty into the world one painting at a time.

I work primarily on commission but also create other works which can often be seen in various art shows. My goal this year is to create new work that can be reproduced into prints and other more accessible mediums.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think non-creatives don’t always understand the amount of time, training, and money that serve as the foundation of our work. Because the experience of creating art can be appreciated at any age and from any skill level, I think people sometimes think art is “easy” and therefore lesser in value to other trades or services. But most artists invest many years (and a lot of money) honing their craft and developing their skills and style.

I also think some non-creatives may not see artists’ work as serious or important work. To be honest, I struggled with the value of my work as an artist for a long time, wondering how making pretty things contributed to a better society. But art is not only important, it is essential! As both a means of documenting society in real time but also as a way to offset the darkest parts of our societies by releasing into the world beautiful, meaningful, and sometimes challenging work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is, without question, the honor of creating a work of art that connects with another person’s heart. Especially with portraiture. When a client sees the essence of their loved one and tells me I captured them, I feel a huge sense of joy and accomplishment. It is truly special to know my work serves to capture time and become a reminder for years to come of that moment in their loved one’s life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tori-art.com
• Instagram: @tori_berghoff_art

Image Credits

All images copyright Tori Berghoff Art