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

Hi Victoria, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The portraits I would make at age 14 of the models in teen vogue launched me into my first “artistic study.” Being self-taught I would always go through these stages of drawing similar subject matter collectively. This was not intentional, just a drive from within that I allowed to come out. Being self-taught is something that I pride myself on, but I also realize now it is extremely important to be authentic in the art world! As I have met other artists, I noticed there is a common trend of desire to achieve a specific style of art. Many artists take classes and learn to replicate a specific style in their artworks. I find it more important to find your own voice. That is why the only courses I have ever taken as an adult are the required college classes to receive my BFA. It is essential to find the subject you are wanting to create art from and practice it! This means creating many works to find your personal style. The obstacle of this task is always time. It is important to make it a priority of your day or week to practice to then work up to creating the intended artwork.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I was raised in Louisville, Kentucky—the city of the famous Kentucky Derby. In 2019 I received my BFA at Indiana University and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. To produce an income I take on commissioned portraiture and freelance projects such as graphic design, murals, and illustrations. These types of jobs are always given to me by word of mouth which keeps me busy. I always try to paint for myself throughout the week, which increases my happiness tenfold!

I have always loved painting and continue to challenge myself. Currently, I enjoy challenges such as Plein Air, timed painting, and still-life painting. I am pretty convinced that thoughtful color-match mixing can only be accurately accomplished by painting studies from life. Driven to be a master colorist, I am determined and grateful to paint almost every day. I am projecting to start a new series this year, but at the moment I am creating many studies for the series.

Before this opportunity of giving myself time to paint, it all started with accepting an art job. I sculpted and painted for a company called Weber Group Inc. while I was still in college. Through opportunities of knowing people and always putting myself out there, I also attended art fairs and produced my artwork and commission work. My family and friends always encouraged me when I expressed my passion for art-making. Not until 2019, did I know that I wanted to strictly stick to making oil paintings. Before then I embraced many types of mediums.

Practicing self-discipline, setting my priority to painting, and choosing my medium, are accomplishments as an artist. Recently, I produced an award-winning painting by participating in the Glendale Plein Air Painting Competition. That award demonstrated to me that all the time I’ve taken to paint my artwork proves to be desirable! I am most proud that I am not waiting for my dream to start; I am blessed every day that I get to do what I love and grow as an artist.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have had many days where I have thought about making art more than 5 times a day and never picked up my paintbrush. Reflecting on that statement is difficult to digest, but it is the truth of our human race. We all come across resistance and must cultivate resilience to overcome our burdens! My biggest advice is to create an art-to-do list, as I did. List all of the tasks that you know you need to do to become an artist. It is important to not overwhelm yourself with a list of tasks. I like to make a current list and also a future list so I do not get too overwhelmed with the tasks at hand. The main obstacle as an artist usually is, “how do I save money?” I find that patience and doing the work yourself allows you to learn and grow and be involved every step of the way. My manifested future can be realized because my disciplined day-to-day gives me confidence and encouragement to keep going. I start my day by highlighting one or two tasks on my current list a day and making sure I accomplish them along with making sure I leave time to create.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Taking a business course has important insight for selling artwork. I don’t mean that you must enroll in a college business course. Business courses are everywhere on the internet and specifically, they are there to give you the opportunity to get a head start. More than likely the person who created the course did all of the organization to lead you to success. The importance of organization is something that gets overlooked and can be the main struggle for an artist to succeed. Not just doing the work is hard, but understanding the steps to get it there is the key.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.victoriaklotz.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/victoriaklotz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoria.klotz.artist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-klotz-0a5687184/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJrpxbNwsqKEx-SFaB1hm_g?view_as=subscriber