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

VIE, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Growing up in a creative household, my mother encouraged and nurtured creative projects such as sewing, painting, decorating, and such. At the age of 13 I participated in an art show on the San Antonio Riverwalk. I displayed finger paintings on parchment paper and sold out the first day. I decided then exuberantly that was how I was going to make a living. After graduating high school, all my art friend’s parents were saying they needed to go back to school and get a real job. When I told my mother I didn’t want to go to college and that I wanted to be a painter, she responded “then you must be excellent”.

VIE, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After high school, while all my friends were going off to college, I chose a different path. I took on a full-time job and enrolled in classes at a local private art school and attended 3 nights a week and Saturday mornings. I painted every chance I had, and my passion and skills grew simultaneously. At age 19, I began to exhibit at a gallery and soon after, several art teachers asked me to teach them to paint. Timidly I declined. They had art degrees and I felt inadequate. Unexpectedly, they showed up at my front door and said they were there for lessons. I invited them in and my life as an art instructor began. Soon instead of taking night classes, I was teaching 3 nights a week. The art classes grew, and I decided to go into teaching full-time in my home. I left my employment with the State of Texas. My painting style was flourishing, and art sales increased. As time passed, I would be invited to teach workshops at many different art venues. I loved the interaction with the students. It was a joy to watch their progress and delight as they grew artistically. During these years I continued to study in academies in Italy and with artists whose work I admired and respected. Gallery opportunities continued to arrive, and I loved, loved my job. I have always been committed and determined to be excellent at whatever I choose to do. This career as a painter requires devotion and discipline. Fortunately, my husband and family understand my role as a painter and have always been supportive, and patient with the long hours I spend in the studio. Because of my love for Italy, I began taking students to Italy to paint. Of course, there are many fun stories to go with those adventures. I do believe that the people I know and the places I have been are an inspiration as I work. I have worked in many mediums but the most celebrated of my works were oil paintings. After 45 years working with oil paints, I developed an allergic reaction to this medium and collapsed while teaching a workshop. I tried to continue working with oil paints wearing a hazmat suit, googles, respirator mask, and gloves. I was concerned that changing mediums would affect my gallery business. After 3 years, the protective gear would no longer protect me. Broken hearted, I surrendered to working in acrylics, which I knew very little about and was never interested in. I felt like I was starting over. Although I knew how to paint, I now had to figure out how I wanted to paint with a very different medium. I took several workshops with Joan Fullerton of Colorado who I consider my acrylic guru, and contacted David Mankin of Cornwall, UK for some advice on working with acrylics. They were both extremely generous with information and I was then ready to reinvent my work. I realize now that it was time for a change. The challenge has been wonderful, and I am so excited about what is to come, knowing that I have just scratched the surface and the sky is the limit. More recently, after a trip to Barcelona and Italy I have become intrigued with religious icons, sacred places and moments, and a Church Series was born. Flowers are a vital part of my compositions, and the forms are beautiful, sensuous, and fragile…..a metaphor for life. As I paint, I continue to embrace formalism while stepping out of bounds to explore the endless possibilities.

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

That daily I continue to do what I love and do best, and that is to paint!

I believe that art brings beauty into our lives and enriches the spaces we live in. My collectors tell me often how much they are enjoying the paintings they have purchased and the energy the artwork brings into their homes. Many times, people are attracted to a painting for very personal reasons and find peace and encouragement in my work. It means a lot to me when my art can comfort and inspire others.

Working with other artists and collaborating is fabulous. We teach each other, encourage each other, we share life, our art is a reflection of our hearts. VIVA ARTE!!!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As an artist/painter I have been dependent financially on art sales or teaching workshops. Early on there were meager periods. In my twenties and thirties, when work was slow, I would pick up construction jobs some days and then paint at night. The physical demands and depletion during the day required determination and devotion to arrive at my easel in the evenings. During that time, in both these professions I was working in a man’s world and there were many lessons there. Building a career as an artist/painter can be very colorful!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.viedunn-harr.com
• Instagram: viedunnharr
• Facebook: Vie Dunn-Harr
• Linkedin: Vie Dunn-Harr