Part I: How I became an artist

Part 1: How I became an artist

In my childhood, I made doll clothes and furniture for my dolls. I illustrated a story I wrote for a Girl Scout contest. In second grade, I made a paper mache worm reading a book, with a  graduation cap on it's head that was loaned out to the local library and, as far as I know, they still have it.

I learned to knit and ended up making an ugly sweater for my brother.  After a semester of sewing in 8th grade, I devoted a lot of time to making my own clothes.  Again, I regret a lot of my sewing choices as it was the seventies and those styles were pretty garish.

I went on to make overalls,  cowboy shirts, and dresses for different members of my family as I was growing up. This habit extended into my adulthood, and I loved making Halloween costumes and Easter dresses for my little girls. Most recently, I've been making purses and bags.




The only clothing item I really regret attempting was the two piece bathing suit, which, when wet, came apart at the neck. Oops!

It wasn't until someone commissioned me to draw their portrait that I realized that I could expand my hobby into something more.

I've been selling commissioned portraits for almost 30 years, and most of what I've learned over the years comes from trial and error. I went on to sell my art and crafts in art fairs, shops, and eventually I opened my own Artisan Shop.

In my next few posts, I want to go into more detail with the processes for creating different styles of art. Keep an eye out for my next post: PROCESS to PRODUCT