Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Vento.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a native Houstonian and was born into a family of creatives including musicians, singers, painters, seamstresses and furniture makers. Being exposed to many creative outlets I got to try most of them.
Beginning at an elementary age I remember selecting paint colors and even doing the actual painting of the walls in our house. Also, I was experimenting with cooking, received my first sewing machine, and was a less-than-desirable back up drummer for the band practicing in our living room. By the time I was in junior high I was sewing my garments and making my mom’s work clothes. When it was time to select electives for high school I chose every art class offered for all four years and became the art club president. My grandparents owned and operated Paul’s Upholstery on Tidwell Road for many decades. I remember watching my grandfather fill his cheeks with nails and remove them with the magnetic end of a hammer while upholstering furniture. My grandmother sewed all the furniture cushions, pillows, and somehow had time to make beautiful dresses for me. The store also sold new furniture and I enjoyed arranging pieces and talking with the customers. At one point my grandparents invited me to hang my high school art in their store. To my delight, some sold and this provided money for more art supplies and oddly enough a piece of artwork would sell each time I needed something. I often wonder if my grandfather threw in a painting with large orders!
At the university level I studied art while working at Exxon to pay my way through school. I worked for Exxon 8 years, married my high school sweetheart, and then stayed home to start a family. In those days the only art I had time for was once again painting the walls of my own house, sewing clothes and home furnishings, and many art projects with my sons as part of homeschooling. During this season I began making drapes professionally and dragging my sons to many fabric stores much to their dismay. However, they both eventually worked at a home fabric store while in college, so I guess it had its benefits after all.
When I was in my early 40s, I began an 18-year sole proprietor decorating company. This combined my entrepreneurial spirit and my need for a creative outlet. I really enjoyed everything about this line of work as well as all the wonderful people I helped to make their space fit their vision and lifestyle. During that time I was attending a church that had an artist who would work on a painting during the service. It resonated deeply with me and I began dreaming of going back to my roots of fine art. So I did. Art supply stores were visited and my home studio began to fill with easels, canvases, paints, and eventually finished works!
Today I almost always have something on the easel. My artistic style is contemporary impressionism working in acrylics and using bold colors. My desire is to pull back the veil of familiarity in order to get a glimpse at the larger story God is painting through the beauty of nature and every day life. I am particularly drawn to light and get excited about pushing the boundaries with unexpected color. I work to achieve an unblended, painterly effect using loose, intentional brush strokes.
I am a part of a local art league and have won many local and regional awards. Several pieces have been selected to show in local and national juried competitions. I have had the honor to receive first place in two local gallery shows, Ardest Gallery in the Woodlands and Archway Gallery in Houston. I am currently the Guest Artist for the month of August at Archway Gallery. My art also appears in private collections in several states.
I absolutely love to paint! When I enter the studio I begin to breathe deeply, relax, and enter another place. The creative force which has been a part of me from my earliest years has been life giving. Even at an early age in the midst of a dysfunctional home life, God has repeatedly allowed my creativity to be a vehicle to bring beauty to my personal world and hopefully to others as well. Dostoyevsky was on to something, “Beauty will save us all.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My art journey has been a long and winding road full of varied opportunities to explore and practice. I have had many inspiring people in my life and most especially my hero grandparents and the best high school art teacher. There have been long dry periods caused by lack of time, hard seasons, and more important responsibilities, however creativity has and will find a way to express itself all along the way even if it’s not in the most obvious ways.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am considered a contemporary impressionist and work primarily in acrylic. I think I would say my work is most recognizable for its bold, expressive color, and loose brushstrokes. What I am most proud of is that there are people that appreciate my work so much that they actually purchase it for their own enjoyment!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t wait or keep putting off something that you really want to do. Don’t tell yourself you have to be great at it in the beginning or even ever. Being creative is good for us humans as it broadens our worlds, gives a personal hands-on satisfaction in a digitized world of screens, helps us to recognize beauty more clearly, and gives the unique opportunity to share that vision with others. Whatever your skill level . . . just try it, you will feel more alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paulaventoart.com/
- Instagram: @paulaventoart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paula.s.vento
