Guest Artist | Andrea Garvey
/This week, my guest artist is Andrea Garvey. Andrea's positive energy, generous spirit, and kind heart spill onto the canvas. Her art is filled with layer upon layer of color, details, and thoughtful subjects. Her work is literally overflowing with color and beauty.
I love talking to Andrea so much that I decided it would be fun to record our chat on Zoom for you.
You can watch our conversation on my YouTube channel.
Welcome, Andrea, I’m so happy to have you as my guest this month on my blog.
You left a fantastic job in Corporate America to become a full-time artist. I’m very interested to know how you made the decision to follow your dream and were you afraid to take this big step?
I’ve always loved art, studied it in college, and wanted to become a graphic designer. I followed this path for many years and eventually, it led me to a number of Creative Director positions. I loved all my jobs and was extremely blessed in my career. Interestingly, I never really “made art” anymore, and didn’t even know I missed this creative part of me until grief opened my eyes to it again.
I was happily working in Corporate America for 20+ years, busy with my family raising 3 boys and settling down in Santa Cruz, California where I was extremely close to my mother-in-law, Anna. She was very artistic with a kind heart and a loving spirit. She taught me a lot about living life to the fullest. Then one day she suddenly passed away. The grief was enormous, and we were all in a state of fog from losing our matriarch. 2 nights after Anna died I had a vivid, colorful dream of painting. Full of flowers, and the ocean, and all the things she loved. I woke up like a bolt and sketched this image right away. I set out to recreate this painting, and for weeks I worked on it. Pouring out all my feelings into this piece of art as it became my therapeutic outlet. And that was the beginning of something stirring inside me.
Art became a huge part of my life again and I found myself painting with any free time I had. Setting up art areas all over the house. Taking online art courses as well as in-person workshops. I felt Anna near me and knew she’d be so happy that I was diving into my art again.
I slowly started to sell my art at some craft fairs and local shops, working all the while in my job and raising children. I could not deny a nudge, a whisper that was growing inside me. Creating art was more important to me now than working in my career. I wasn’t satisfied making art as a hobby, I wanted to create all the time, share my art with the world, and help support my family by doing what I loved!
It took a couple more years of hard work, continued support from my family and friends, and some guts, but I took the leap and left my career at 50 to start this incredible art journey that I am on now.
Your work is overflowing with color and beautiful scenes from the natural world. Can you tell us a little about your process when developing a painting?
I sometimes feel that I have a special superpower and that colors are brighter and more vibrant to me than others can see. Why aren’t more people stopping in their tracks when they see beautiful bright flowers, or the bluest sky, or dazzling sunrises. I also live in an amazing town, close to the beach and surrounded by gardens all year long. I find inspiration the minute I walk out the door!
What is your favorite medium or mediums to work with?
Well, I like almost all of them, but I do prefer acrylic paint and inks on canvas and watercolors on paper!
In February, you gave yourself a personal challenge to paint flowers every day for 28 days. I loved following along your journey. Can you tell us a bit more about this beautiful project?
Thank you! I saw a post from another artist and decided if I could do a #365-day art challenge back when I was working full time I could do this one! It was a bit harder than I thought because I also set up the challenge of painting in a different style than I am used to. I wanted to paint “looser’ with my brush strokes, it was a challenge at times, but I then that’s one way for an artist to grow by being uncomfortable.
You have a new online class on Jeanne Oliver’s Creative Network that goes live on June 12th. Can you tell us about the course?
I am so incredibly excited about my new class “Colorful Joy”! I was so honored when Jeanne asked me to create one for her creative network. I spent weeks in the creation and production of setting up an online class and was overjoyed with the result. There are 19 lessons, 4.5 hours of video and the class is yours forever. During this class, I will walk my students through a step by step lesson plan on creating a painting from start to finish. We will explore lots of techniques and beautiful color palettes while building up the rich layers. These layers will then become the foundation for a gorgeous floral piece that we will create together!
Early bird registration ends on May 7th.
You have an online shop where people can purchase prints of your artwork. Would you like to tell us a little more about what you offer in your shop?
My printed products are available on my website as well in my Etsy store. I sell reproductions of my original art on high-quality watercolor paper, as well as giclee gallery canvas wraps. I also have a line of popular flour sack tea towels that were created from my watercolor + pen flower drawings.
You can find Andrea here:
website: www.andreagarveyart.com
Instagram: @andreagarveyart
Facebook: Andrea Garvey Art
Youtube: Andrea Garvey Art
Pinterest: Andrea Garvey Art
Have a beautiful week.