We were lucky to catch up with Twyla Gettert recently and have shared our conversation below.

Twyla, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I am always grateful to be a full-time artist for over thirty years. There is nothing safe about being an artist and making it your full-time profession. I have found that the most important factors behind my success have come from following my instincts and taking risks. Success comes my way, when I strive to listen for my inner voice and follow it when I hear it. The road leading to where I am today has been a continual lesson in risk, perseverance, drive, and finding new ways to express my creativity through my art. There have been many challenges. It has always been a goal to keep my artwork inspired and fresh. It is my curiosity that drives me to try new mediums, techniques, and to keep my art new and surprising. My first serious academic instruction was in portrait and figurative painting. Then years later, I studied with an internationally known Taiwanese artist, Yueh Mei Cheng, a Chinese Brush Painting, Sumi-E brush, and Chinese calligraphy professor. She encouraged me to enter my work in exhibits and I was subsequently selected for two International Asian Sumi-E juried exhibitions at the National Museum of Art; Osaka, Japan. The exhibit traveled to three nations. I also studied printmaking for over five years to explore a new way to incorporate my painting in a new medium.
The diversity of my work has been a very big asset. It has not only opened up many opportunities, but has set me apart from others. My work is hanging in a large number of high-profile locations. I love receiving letters from people that have my art hanging in their homes after many years or from a hospital where it has brought calm and comfort to both patients and visitors. My first chance at showing with a gallery was given to me by Las Olas Fine Art Gallery in Fort Lauderdale. I also began presenting my work to corporate building developers, interior designers, and some galleries. Over the years, I have cold-called galleries and businesses, either in-person or by phone, and I have always had to be involved in promoting my work. There was little internet marketing when I started. It was difficult having to live from one painting sale to the next. If not for some timely project contracts for large-scale paintings, I may not have made it. A few of those sales not only gave some financial cushion, but more importantly, gave me the self-confidence and the drive to keep moving forward. I have been fortunate to show my work with networks of wonderful galleries. Persistence, perseverance, and keeping my art fresh has been vital keys to my longevity. Also, putting a lot of energy and time into marketing and creating commissioned work has kept my art career alive.

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

The beginning of my art journey was with my mother, an amateur painter, who would sit down with me and a tray of watercolor paints with an opening question “What shall we paint today?” She had only the primary colors in her paint set, so I learned to mix secondary colors at the early age of six years old. I was given these gifts by my mother — I became an artist and a colorist and developed an eye to really look and observe things. I graduated from the University of Iowa in Urban Planning and Sociology and worked in regional planning until I was inspired to explore art as my full-time career.

I have a large existing portfolio of artworks and my experience includes completing site-specific commissioned artworks with designers and architects for major hotels, hospitals, private homes, and corporate projects. My art has been included in over 100 private and corporate collections. My skills in effectively communicating with a collector or client has been a tremendous asset.
I create in a number of mediums including Painting, Printmaking, Photography, manipulated Digital Radiography (x-ray), and abstract Sumi-e technique. Some of my photography and paintings are available for licensing.

It’s always my intent that what I put on canvas and paper tells a story or evokes a feeling that touches a person, bringing a higher level of inspiration and joy into their lives. By sharing my personal vision and emotion in painting, I hope to draw viewers closer to their own inner worlds.

My study of Chinese Brush Painting and Sumi-e painting influenced both my creativity and expanded my personal viewpoint.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

This is an interesting topic. The romanticized version of being an “artist” has come up for me on a few occasions. Well, I am not complaining- but explaining. It is not sitting around with my paints at an easel – just dreaming and painting. In real terms, I am taking on the multiple departments of a business. There are many hours of contemplation, painting, preparation, manufacturing, marketing, sales, social media, follow-up, shipping, exhibits, just plain elbow grease, perseverance, some frustration, and focused effort. As in most endeavors, the end results may not reflect the behind-the-scenes activity. I know some of these aspects can be delegated, but I have had the necessity to take them all on as I was building my full-time artist career. It is encouraging to sometimes hear the observation “Oh, there is a lot of work involved for you as an artist”.

But, for me, the thrill of expression and painting is so worth it!

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

A simple letter says it all. I received a letter from a woman that had sat in a hospital ICU waiting area for weeks while her husband struggled to survive an accident. She looked at my painting “Dancing Pears”, for many hours and days hanging there in the ICU section, She wrote me a very moving letter about how it lifted her up during such a difficult time and she thanked me. Art is important in so many ways and, for me, this is one of the rewarding aspects.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TwylaArt.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/twyla.artist/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/art.twyla/
• Linkedin: : https://www.linkedin.com/in/twylagettert/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Twyla_art
• Other: https://macfineart.com/twyla-gettert/ | https://www.saatchiart.com/twyla