Today we’d like to introduce you to Curt Baldwin.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Sure, small town midwestern boy with a love of getting dirty and playing with critters. Studied graphic design in college and moved abroad thereafter to Italy and Sweden for 10 years. Came back stateside afterwards and eventually found my way to Houston where my wife and I have lived for the last 4 years. I started oil painting when we moved to Houston. Originally merely to populate our home with art and occupy the time that freelance web design wasn’t filling up. Eventually, when I ran out of wall space I started to sell work. It has since turned into a full-time profession. Though I studied art in college, I am a self-taught painter and I am still learning every day.
Please tell us about your art.
Why Boats? I always get that question. Life and love has taken me to a lot of beautiful places in the world, but where ever I go, I always return to a small lake in the southeast part of Nowhere, Michigan. Here, on Sand Lake, is where my favorite time passes and so I paint the pages of my story there. I paint boats so I can paint the water beneath them. Water inherently narrates time and place through reflection but also clarifies atmosphere through distortion. How busy, windy or calm the day might have been at that moment. Water has thousands of historical connotations so the viewer is free to associate any of them to my paintings. My work is meant to set the scene, the viewers job is to decide what happens there. Hopefully a nostalgic connection is made but if not, that’s o.k. too, they can be just boats.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Create as much work as possible. If you can make it a career, you will know sooner or later. If financial limitations
require your art to be a hobby, then create as much as possible until you have a base to build off of. That being said, I’m also searching for the solution to this problem.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Regional Finals at Houston Museum of African American Culture September 26-October 13.
Artoberfest in Galveston on 10/20/18 – 10/21/18
Art@discovery green on 11/2/18 – 11/4/18
Instagram: curtbaldwin_art
Web: www.zione.co.uk
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zione.co.uk
- Phone: 7139979455
- Email: curtopia@gmail.com
- Instagram: @curtbaldwin_art
Image Credit:
Josh DiDonato
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
