An Artist's Heart

Roxie

I was born with an artist’s heart. I have doodled since I was old enough to hold a crayon and have had a longstanding love affair with color and pattern. Numbers don’t stand a chance at sticking in my brain, but I can always remember what color someone’s outfit was or how their living room was decorated. Thankfully I was raised in a home where there was an endless supply of crayons, magic markers and paper!

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The first drawing my parents saved and the first time I wrote my name.

I come by it honestly.  My Dad is the most talented and creative person I know.  He can draw anything, paint anything, build anything, cook anything … I could go on and on.  

His sister (our beloved Aunt Janet) is the same way and they got it from their mother, my Grammy.  Grammy did not live in a world where the arts were supported and encouraged, but if she had, I am sure she would have excelled in whatever medium she chose.  She poured her creative energy into cooking and sewing.  I am told she could cook anything, though I was too young to remember eating at her table.  She made beautiful quilts, knit slippers and made me a whole trunk full of doll clothes to go with a doll she gave me for Christmas.   My family has many a treasure we hang on to because “Grammy made it.”

Aunt Janet painting a window display piece for the shop.

Grammy with a quilt that she made for my parents.

​Creative genes run strong through my Mom’s family as well.  My Great Aunt Neva was an amazing painter.  She was a high school art teacher and excelled at modern / abstract art.  Trips to her house for Thanksgiving were always a thrill.  A coffee table full of colored pencils and crayons always awaited my brother and me.  Her house was a wonderland filled with her paintings, collections and many cats!  When I was in college and finally feeling confident in my own artistic abilities I offered her a trade, one of my pieces for one of her paintings.  I was thrilled that she agreed and I still cherish the painting I scored from the swap!

Aunt Neva and me at my senior exhibition.

​I have counted myself very lucky to have been raised in an environment where my creativity was encouraged.  It could easily have been opposite, growing up in this small, southern town, as unfortunately, artistic abilities are not always seen as special and worthwhile.  A childhood neighbor, Barry, was always up to some creative project with my dad.  Their most memorable projects were murals painted on the walls of the elementary school.  Another neighbor (and my Fairy Godmother), Sharon, always told me that she wanted a set of sheets printed out of one of my patterns!  In high school I was starving for creative instruction as there wasn’t much offered through the school system at that time.  Thankfully, our friend and elementary school art teacher, Mary Ann Cox began teaching art lessons in her home and my brother and I were able to learn from her once a week and soak up all that she had to give creatively.  We were able to learn and try different techniques and mediums.  Honestly, I would have never been prepared for art school if it hadn’t been for her!

​Off to the University of Georgia I went and found myself in the middle of a creative’s paradise at the Lamar Dodd School of Art.  Art School at UGA was a perfect fit for me, having only minimal instruction before college.  I was able to learn and grow in my talents with the aid of many kind and helpful professors.  It took me a little while to fully break “out of my box” as some would say but when I finally became comfortable and confident in my talents I really soared and couldn’t soak it up fast enough!  Art school was an amazing experience, filled with good instruction but enough freedom to “find myself” creatively.  I will forever cherish the years I spent at Lamar Dodd and all the creative energy and excitement it brought to my life.  There were too many wonderful people at UGA to name them all but Glen Kaufman and Ed Lambert were my creative champions that pushed me to excel more than I ever thought possible in my work.  

Left to Right: High School teacher and mentor, Mrs. Roberts, me looking goofy, Mr. Kaufman, Mary Ann Cox.

Every senior art student has to present their own gallery show in order to graduate.  I feel like my senior show was one of the great triumphs of my life.  I worked fervently on it for a year and half, carefully crafting each mixed media piece and pouring my soul into the story I was telling.  My opening reception was a night to remember, filled with family, friends, professors, high school teachers … it truly was a night to remember and a perfect graduation ceremony of sorts!  I could go on and on, naming people that have helped shape and encourage me creatively. ​

And then life happened! Upon moving home, I quickly became immersed in learning how to run a business.  I poured everything I had into making this shop work, learning how to constantly be a better leader for my team, and a better wife and business partner to my husband.  I let myself slip away from the art world, what little grasp I had on it.  I stopped sketching and drawing, stopped dreaming in prints and patterns.  I quickly gave up on the dream of setting up a real working studio in the upstairs of my old building with screening equipment and my very own paper beater and press.  I let all of my skills become so rusty, I barely remember any of my instruction from art school! 

​Over the years I have channeled my creativity into producing works of art of a different nature, in over-the-top store and window displays, fabulous events, with every detail tended to, and dabbled in graphic design for myself and a few local customers.  With the help of a good friend, I even managed to teach myself photo shop!  (thank you Lindsey!) 

My dreams these days are of new ways to display my goods, sets for my pop up shops, window displays and Christmas themes.  Don’t get me wrong, this has all been very fulfilling for me.  I love owning a shop.  I could never imagine a job I would love more than getting to create beautiful spaces every day.  You all are probably tired of hearing about how much I love my community and the journey I have been on to become a more compassionate and caring person.  So please don’t think I am whining or complaining of “lives lost”.  I am right where I am supposed to be, and I know that.  

​I am now fifteen years past college days (yes, I am that old) and feeling a bit lost.  I am so focused these days on social media, marketing, to-do lists, bills, building repairs and working on my house.  I feel like I have hidden away a part of myself that I just haven’t had time for.  I have found myself longing for a sketch book and some pastels!  I have decided to make it a goal for the year to get back to my creative roots.  I am going to start making myself sketch again and work on this creative muscle that is so out of shape!  You will notice a theme as we journey through the spring and summer of art and creativity.  Through blogs and soon to come new videos we will all be sharing more of our talents with you.  I am both excited and scared to death to jump back in to this world I have been so far away from for so long.  I assure you I am not planning on producing any masterpieces anytime soon!  But it will feel so good to pour a little of my soul back onto that paper!  

​​I will be sure to keep you all posted on the progress of my journey and I’ll share some of my “practice” works with you.  The good and the bad! If you are reading this and thinking to yourself, “I used to love to paint,” or “I used to love to try new recipes,” then I would like to encourage you to go on this journey with me and get back to giving yourself a creative outlet, whatever that may be.  Gardening, cross stitching, quilting, drawing, anything creative that brings you joy.  We’d love to hear what you are working on this spring so send us an email or post it on our facebook page.  Let’s get creative together!