Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariane Edmundson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
OMG, I’ve had such a long journey to get here. being born with an artist’s soul is not easy… it has had to learn to adjust to various circumstances quite a bit. Often misunderstood in relationships and not easy to live with.
Regardless, I’ve inched my way to this post and am happy to be here now. Already in Kindergarten, I knew I was an artist. I graduated with an Outstanding Senior Nomination from Ball State University with a BFA in Interior/Environmental Design. All the art teachers would pull me aside and say to me, you know you’re an artist, why Interior Design???? but I pursued thinking that was the only way to make a living.
A few years later, with some design experience under my belt, I hung it all on a nail and began to follow my real calling. A wonderful Gallery took a look at my paintings and bought them all on the spot. I was on my way. Soon I began to notice that I was really really good at portraiture. I was able to capture an essence or spark in the faces I painted. I got many many commissions for portraiture and call myself a portraitist today. its always been there, it found me.
Great, 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?
Financial concerns have always been an issue and kept me close to art-related occupations, such as interior design, art workshops, private lessons and teaching at colleges in their Continuing Education divisions and then finally getting a second degree as an art teacher and teaching art for several years.
The good news is, I learned a lot, and garnered creativity from my students… invaluable experiences. I had a knack towards art therapy. I instinctively realized how therapeutic art can be and studied it on my own for quite some time.
Please tell us about The Painter Sister.
When I first moved here to Texas, because my sister Vivian lived here already, I had no idea what a deep-seated and thriving interest Houston had in the Fine Arts! Well, I quickly felt right at home and my love for Texas has grown exponentially. I started painting some watercolor portraits for some prominent clients and that’s pretty much enough said. Of course, I couldn’t help painting Longhorns, Live Oaks and the such, it’s just inescapable not to. But Portraiture paved the way. I paint a lot a lot for Pappas Restaurants too…
I have three things I’m good at painting what you want, how you want and when you want. on the side I paint for myself, I’m always taking classes to learn new techniques, I delve into my inner self and try to extract deeper meaning and spell it out in a visual language. Right now I’ve signed up for an online class to learn Abstract Expressionism. Very hard, very very hard. I’ve relied on painting what the eye sees for most of my life.
Now, I’m trying to paint what my heart sees… So, I paint portraits, watercolor portraits and collage portraits are a real favorite.
Especially for wedding couples. I also paint random assignments for Pappas Restaurants, and I paint my own stuff, abstracts, abstract botanicals, abstract expressionistic paintings.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory was in Ethiopia. We had 7 horses at one point. one horse which I named Echo, we got for free, because he was in really bad shape and close to dying. Well, I took him on and groomed and nourished him back to health. I mean I did everything…. treated his mange, his hooves, ears, eyes, his mane, gave him extra nutrition and shots and he had a terribly infected wound down his spine where the flesh exposed his spine, a wound caused from the wooden saddles that Ethiopians use…
But after a year of pampering, he was the happiest, most friendly, peppiest horse we had. He would come galloping up to me whenever he saw me come home from school… I taught him how to jump hurdles and he loved it. we would go riding to a big field and just let ‘er rip… run and run until we couldn’t anymore … Favorite times, I suppose that’s why I’m painting the Wild Horses Series today. My Echo was a Mustang too.
Pricing:
- $2500-5000
Contact Info:
- Address: 1510 Davon Lane Houston TX 77058
- Website: www.thepaintersisters.com, www.thepaintersister.com
- Phone: 7137247839
- Email: ariane@thepaintersisters.com
- Instagram: Ariane Edmundson
- Facebook: The Painter Sister, painted portraits by Ariane Edmundson
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