#inthestudio

today grace considers herself an impressionist painter - and describes her style as follows:

“I like my paintings to look like paintings - I want viewers to see the grooves of the brushstrokes and notice where the bristles were rough or smooth. Yes - I want to accurately reflect a likeness in my portraiture pieces, but I’d rather interpret a likeness in a painterly way - than create a photo copy of a person.”

When I was a kid, I sketched all the time. Mostly animals and people in motion - pictures of equestrian shows and boaters in Venice I found in calendars and encyclopedias. Creating adventures through writing and illustration was something I always thought would be my cup of tea, however, I wouldn’t let myself make a full career out of it until 2017.

Having earned my Bachelor of Science in 2013, I became a licensed intervention specialist and worked the next 2 years as an educator & advocate for children with moderate/severe disabilities.

Drawing and painting was a natural form of learning for many of my students, so I often incorporated art therapy techniques into our classroom. In 2015, I made a career shift into wellness incentive insurance for a company in Cleveland - still working 40 hrs weekly- but no more lesson planning in the evenings and weekends. For 3.5 years I worked within a team - creating and editing digital programs to fit the style and demographic of the clients who bought our product. I worked with dozens of clients across the US from my desk in Ohio. This job helped fund and further my personal painting projects. During these years I began accepting commission requests in the evenings and on the weekends. I began building an online presence. And I was amazed at the consistent flow of inquires for my paintings from new clients.

I kept on painting and said yes to every single design job and painting commission that came my way!

the July of 2018 brought a opportunity

A co-worker connected me with a self publishing author who needed a freelance illustrator for a children’s book. I met for coffee - learned about the book idea - and said YES the same day I met Author Andrea Kryszak!

And we made the book happen! check that out here:

Since that month - I left my cozy, full time job - and began to work 30 - 40 hr weeks with painting commissions and illustration clients. I only worked 20-25 hour part time for extra money. It worked well! The part time work since 2018 has been a mix of marketing for a greenhouse, event planning for a local non-profit, teaching elementary art lessons for after-school programs, and even nannying for a doctor friend during the rough 2020-21 pandemic years.

In the January of 2022 - I had so many oil painting commissions and Live Wedding Painting clients - I decided to leave the part time work and see how 2022 would go as a full time painter! With the support of my spouse - it was doable!