Ask Yourself This - What's Your Story?

Recently, a friend asked me to answer some questions about my art for a newspaper article. I thought the questions were interesting and revealing. Putting my thoughts into words helped me define what I feel and may have not had the words to say before.

From time to time, I will ask (and answer ) some of these and other questions. Please respond to them in the comments at the end of the post. I'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to write some of your own questions for me and others to answer. These posts will be called:

Ask Yourself This - What's Your Story?

We'll start from the beginning...

When did you start working in art?

      Art has been always been a part of my life. I have an older sister who supplied me with a lot of art materials including my first easel at age 7. Art saved me in grade school from always being the awkward kid. Alice Frisk and I were the best artists throughout grade school. In high school I became frustrated with my work – I wasn‘t able to express what I wanted to say and I walked away from it for a time. In college I was reintroduced to art when I took an entry level class my sophomore year. I soon realized I could stay on track for graduating with a psychology degree while taking all the art classes I wanted, so I did: life drawing, painting, printmaking and photography to name a few.

     I fell in love late my junior year and all I wanted to do was graduate and move home to be close to my then fiancee.  My husband, Mark has always been supportive of my art. He convinced his family to buy me the Cadillac of easels as a shower gift. I never believed one could support themselves with art. My art professors always talked about how hard it was going to be for us; working a full day and then coming home to one’s art at night. I found that even more difficult as I started having children.

As my children grew, I enjoyed taking art classes at the local colleges. I even taught a few myself at the local park district.  I always learned something in my classes but even better was to be in the environment with other artists and to have deadlines forcing me to complete work.

This went on for years. I’d always say, “When I grow up I’m going to be a painter.” Then one day, shortly after a birthday, my husband asked me at what age would I feel grown up enough to become that painter I always dreamed about. That was all it took to start the process of leaving my then 16 year position to do art full time. Early in 2013 Jill Rae Finally Art was on line and up and running. I left my job April 1^st of that year, an April fool? I think not. For me, it’s finally about the art – Finally Art.

A month later, my husband decided to take his own advice by leaving his job to rehab a 158 year old home in Rockton, Illinois. Needles to say our lives have been exciting ever since.

Be sure to leave your comments below.

 I can't wait to hear from you.

I'm getting ready for the Spring Art Scene this Friday as well as framing my two pieces for the Rockford Art Museum show. So I don't have a piece to post today although I can say I have been working on the cone flowers for Unforgettable Art on April 18th and the paining is questionable. Adding side panels of night and day may not tie into the painting as I wanted. (More updates to follow.)