'...And these children that you spit on as they try to change the worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're going through...' DAVID BOWIE
Grew up in Michigan City, Indiana. Studied liberal arts and attended art classes at Purdue University. Self taught on the human form and portrait work. Learned through trial and error the art of paintng. Always taking photographs as art, life and inspiration.
What did you have to do to become an artist? I have always drawn pictures. When I was pregnant with my son, I had to go on bed rest. Which led to me disassembling a fan and painting it... which led to painting the nursery and every wall in my house... which led to a canvas. Eventually, those canvases started selling and people started asking me to paint their walls. I attended a few available classes at Purdue North Central and took a year of art classes at Indiana University South Bend. Mostly I have self taught myself through books and YouTube, the art of painting. Which is probably why my work doesn't look like anyone else's.
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Every piece I finish I show to a select group of friends before presenting and putting on my website. The most positive feedback I receive is from children. If they are not feeling it or don't like your colors, they don't hesitate to say 'um...try again'. My children are my biggest supporters, fans and critics. If I can open their eyes and make them see the world a little differently, then I've done my job. Art isn't about fame, power or riches. It is about taking a piece of your soul and putting it out there for people to understand, accept, judge, love, hate... If a piece hits an emotional cord and you've touched the viewer's soul because they love or hate the piece, it's a success. It's all about pulling the viewer into the artist's world and getting any reaction.
Do you ever have trouble thinking of new ideas? I have had periods of great drought when I can't think of an idea to save my life. Then a creative dam will burst and I can't hardly draw fast enough to keep up with the ideas. Dreams are very revealing and a great source of inspiration. Artists are observers. We live in conflicted worlds where we must observe to obtain ideas and retreat to draw what we've seen. Painting is time consuming and a lot of alone time. No one understands that each canvas can take 2-120 hours to fill. Each image is a part of your soul put out for judgement and sale.
What would be the worst part about being an artist? Not a lot of people have the passion I feel for my career. I wake up and can't wait to work. I stay up late and on weekends. I forget to thaw out dinner. I lose track of time. I'm always late because I need a few more minutes working. No one takes you seriously over a paint emergency. There isn't a worst part about being an artist. I watch paint dry :)
Melissa Darnell Glowacki joined Pixels.com Licensing on July 31st, 2013.
