Standing Ovation Print

I first started painting seriously during high school. It’s strange how one gets a glimpse of something they are facile at when they start to pick at it. Back then two of my paintings won recognition at a local community art center giving me confidence in addition to my enjoyment of painting. What does one do as an artist in today’s world provoked my decision to mirror my artistic interests with a practical path forward so I enrolled in architecture school at the University of Virginia. While there I kept painting, but it was my side thing. I struggled with lack of belonging in the art areas despite conversing with the painting director to allow me to paint in the art studio when no classes were in session. There i taught mysef oils and there I suffered my first big blow; I keep my supplies in a locker and the painting Director gave away my supplies at the end of a semester with no offer to help furnish me with a solution. That stopped my painting abruptly until I left college. After graduating from architecture school I moved to Washington DC. I picked up painting again after purchasing my first plain air easel. I struggled to handle the distractions of those with mocking tones as i painted outside. Looking for a community I tried classes at the Corcoran art center but found them to be more for wealthy house wives then what I was looking for - a serious way to grow. In 2010 I left my job in DC and after traveling for a quarter of a year I moved to New York to study painting at the Art Students League. There I thrived quickly becoming a class monitor and the privilege of tuition gifted from the organization.