Monthly Artist Feature – Renee Evans
Monthly Artist Feature -Renee Evans’ Small Town Love and Countrysides
Name: Renee Evans
Website: www.reneeevansart.com
Location: Middle Tennessee
Instagram: @renee.evans.art
What Makes Renee’s Work So Meaningful?
We are so excited to share Renee’s work with you this month. She paints with her soul, and her warm and peaceful personality emanates from the canvas. Her work is mindful, thought-provoking and reminiscent of a time and place that feels like home. She’s a mother and a wife, in love with the simple things in life. Capturing small moments in time, her pieces bring peace to the world – and a little beauty in the form of art that heals.
Here’s our chat with Renee!
The Good Canvas: Hi Renee, give the readers a little bio!
Renee: I like to think of my paintings as my daydreams, I often dream them up, but take inspiration from nature and places I’ve been. I like the idea of slow living and hope that my work inspires the viewer to pause and to feel a sense of happiness and peace. I had a collector tell me once that when she looked at one of my paintings she actually felt like it lowered her blood pressure. I really loved that because that’s exactly what I hope to do in this world where everything is fast-paced and rushed – I want to slow it down. The first time I saw a Jackson Pollock painting, my professor asked us what we thought and I said it actually makes my heart beat faster. I guess I’ve gone in the other direction. Let’s pause, let’s take a breath, let’s admire the world around us. Painting is my form of admiration.
The Good Canvas: What do you create?
Renee: I create paintings, mainly oil paintings, but sometimes will paint smaller works in acrylic or watercolor.
The Good Canvas: Have you always been creative? Do you remember the time when you decided that creativity was going to be your career?
Renee: I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I loved writing stories and wanted to be an author. I loved art class and really started to gravitate towards painting in high school. I was an art major in junior college and it was there I was introduced to oil painting. I’ve always wanted to have a career where I can use my creativity. However, that has not always been my reality. Whether or not my career would be creative, though, I have always needed a creative outlet, I feel most “me” when I am creating and from there.
The Good Canvas: When did creating become a regular part of your life? What do you create today?
Renee: After a bit of a hiatus, I picked up painting again in 2013, but didn’t paint very often. I was very interested in and taught myself photography after having my first child and that was my creative outlet for a while. In about 2019, I really missed painting and decided I was going to work it into my life again, so I set up a small countertop easel in my kitchen and started painting in between cooking and daily life. I started my website and slowly started to put myself and my artwork out there.
The Good Canvas: What were the challenges you faced during the beginning of your creative journey?
Renee: I think the biggest challenge was to take that first step and put myself out there. It can feel scary to put something so personal out there for the world to see. With that said, it is also the most rewarding thing to have others see your work and to hear how it makes them feel.
The Good Canvas: In a nutshell, what was the path that led to you establishing your current creative space?
Renee: It was me making a decision to make time for my passion and then from there, taking little steps to get my work seen. First, I created a website and started sharing my work on social media. The feedback was always really positive and gave my self-confidence a big enough boost to get the courage to apply to a creative market. When I received the news I was accepted, it felt really daunting and scary, but also so exciting! Having my work seen in person was hands down the best thing for me, not only did it give me so much feedback, but it also gave me a whole new kind of joy – I started by creating for myself, because it brought me joy, but seeing that my work brought others joy was really, really amazing.
The Good Canvas: Do you have a studio? What’s it like?
Renee: I have a small studio/office in my home. It was originally the dining room, but we closed it off, added some built- in shelves and drying racks and it definitely feels like a step up from the kitchen counter!
The Good Canvas: Are you a full- or part-time artist? Do you sell your creations? What platform do you use or would recommend to other artists just starting out?
Renee: I’m a part-time artist, I have a full-time day job and paint mostly on the weekends, but sometimes can fit in some painting in the mornings or evenings, depending on my kids’ activities. I sell my work online on my website and also in person at markets and pop-ups.
The Good Canvas: How has being an artist/maker impacted your life, especially as a woman?
Renee: Needing time to be creative can sometimes feel selfish, but having my studio at home in the middle of my home allows me to spend my free time creating while also being there for my family. It is certainly a balance. I have also found that my kids enjoy and are interested in my artwork and are proud to see me working towards a dream.
The Good Canvas: On any given day, what is your studio schedule like? Do you follow a routine? Do you have any rituals?
Renee: I don’t follow much of a routine with creating, however, I don’t wait until I feel like painting to paint. I don’t particularly like planning or overthinking when I create, because to me that takes out some of the joy. If I know I need to paint for an upcoming event, but am feeling unispired, I will start by just doing something, like toning canvases. Taking that first productive step usually helps to stir some inspiration. I do try to take advantage of any amount of free-time I have, no matter how short, to work on my paintings, whether that is to paint, frame, photograph, etc.
The Good Canvas: How do you overcome creative blocks? Do you have a go-to exercise for jumpstarting your creativity?
Renee: I love nature and find so much inspiration outside, so I go outside. If I don’t feel super inspired, I’ll prepare canvases. Often just getting the canvas toned and ready will do the trick!
The Good Canvas: Where do you look for inspiration?
Renee: Nature for sure – I am a big admirer of trees! I love to study the light and shadows and I love all of the unique shapes of trees.
The Good Canvas: What are some of the greatest challenges you have faced as a creative online? Do you have certain suggestions for how to run a creative business?
Renee: I think the biggest challenge online is getting your work seen, there are just so many social media accounts now, it’s hard to be found if you’re only online. I think it’s super important to go out into the world and have your work seen in person.
The Good Canvas: Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?
Renee: I don’t really consider myself an entrepreneur, I am a dreamer who is learning to step out of my daydreams and do all the things necessary to become an entrepreneur.
The Good Canvas: How do you maintain an entrepreneurial spirit when you’re creating? What things are non-negotiables in order to sustain your business?
Renee: I think when you start investing in supplies and paying booth/show fees, you start to realize that in order to make it work, you really do have to consider your value. You can’t think of yourself as a hobbyist, or others will too.
The Good Canvas: What advice would you give to other creatives that are maybe struggling to find time, space or waiting for a studio or even those that have started, perhaps from their dining room tables?
Renee: Don’t let space or circumstances put out that creative fire that you have. You can start where you are and build on it, even if that means a corner in your kitchen!
The Good Canvas: What would you like to share about your work? And where can readers learn more about you and your business?
Renee: I keep everything updated on my website, with available artwork there. You’ll also find prints, ornaments and some photography that I absolutely love to share as well.
You’ll also find updates about new collections, my artistic process and inspiration there. If you want to read a bit more about me, my journey and how I got here, head there!
Renee’s Soulful Countryside Landscapes
Want to reach out to Renee?
You can follow her on Instagram and visit her website.
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