Adrienne Harrington - Its Never too Late to find Yourself

monets sunflowers adrienne harrington I was born and raised in Utah, the oldest of 4 children.

In 2007, I relocated to North Texas for my work and got married within 3 days of each other. Planning a wedding and a move in 30 days was a lot easier than it may sound - as long as you keep things simple!

By day, I'm a computer geek which is what pays the bills; however, in my dreams, I would have my own restaurant/bakery/art gallery.

Monet's Sunflowers, 16x20 inches © Adrienne Harrington

When was your first experience with art?

Well, I've always had a need for creativity. It started when my dad encouraged me to take up photography. I bought myself a Pentax ZX-10 SLR in high school - which I still have in my closet gathering dust - and now use a Canon 30D DSLR when I have the urge to go take pictures.

Earlier this year (2012), my good friend took me to a painting class one night and that sealed the deal for me - I was hooked. Suddenly I was obsessed with learning how to paint and how I could get better.

I'd played around with painting in the past, mostly for crafts, but never dreamed to become an artist. I still don't truly see myself as an artist, to me that conjures an image of someone who does this full-time and has a spacious studio in a trendy part of town. I live in the suburbs and use my guest bedroom as a studio.

Please tell us all about your artistic process

Acrylics are my medium of choice right now until I feel brave enough to try oils. I like how quickly acrylics dry because I am a very impatient person and don't like to wait for anything, especially paint.

Since I am so impatient, I like to paint things that don't require a lot of fine detail - big bold brush strokes are my favorite. I will try to paint just about anything right now; however, my favorite subjects are landscapes & nature.

Art and Music

I listen to whatever I have on my iPhone which is a pretty eclectic mix. My favorites are Rebecca Ferguson and Sara Bareilles when I need something soothing and help focusing. Some days I want to get out my aggression and will put on Eminem or Rage Against the Machine. When all else fails, I go with good old classic rock.

cherry blossom adrienne harrington

Cherry Blossom Branches, 24x48 inches © Adrienne Harrington

Inspirations

I scour the internet for pictures of places & things that I find interesting. If that doesn't work, I step aside from my studio and get out in the fresh air. Sometimes inspiration comes when you least expect it & I've heard many artists say to keep a notebook or something handy at all times to capture ideas when and where they come to you. It's sage advice!

What do you like to do in your spare time besides creating art?

Spare time? That's hardly possible between working 40 hours a week and having a family! However, when I do find time for myself and I'm not painting, I like being outdoors, taking pictures, baking, reading and hanging with my friends and family. I used to be a terrible shopaholic and would love to go shopping every weekend, but now the art supply store is where I spend all my money. Texas Hold 'Em was my other vice before having a child. My husband and I would spend 12 or more hours playing poker together in Las Vegas or Wendover when we were still close enough to drive there.

Recent artwork

I am currently working on some commissioned paintings for friends: a small landscape with a mallard and a large abstract triptych of a flowering tree.

My most recent completed work was Delicate Arch 3 - Arch with a View. Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Moab, Utah is one of my favorite subjects and certainly one of the most recognizable landmarks in Utah. I enjoy painting it because of the rich contrast between the blue sky and red-orange rocks that dominate the landscape.

Do you have a best artwork?

That's a tough question because I am my own worst critic. My painting has changed so much in just this year it's really hard to compare where I started to what I make now.

I do have two favorites that I plan on keeping for myself though - Mountain Lupines and Cherry Blossom Branches. I think Mountain Lupines is my best Landscape painting because when I finished it, I sat back and thought to myself "wow, I really channelled my inner Bob Ross!". Cherry Blossom Branches is my favorite Abstract because I really had to challenge myself to get the colors just right to match my bedroom and still get the blurry background effect I wanted.

Both of these paintings took a lot of time, thought and effort on my part - and several revisions before I was finally happy with the result.

What is the role of artists in the world?

Artists help us think outside our comfort zone and learn to see the world in a different way. I think artists seek to evoke emotion through their work and create a connection that transcends words. It doesn't matter what language you speak, everyone can relate to art in some way.

Have you sold many of your paintings?

I've sold 10 pieces so far, some through Etsy, some from Facebook referrals, and the rest through local friends. I have prints available from FineArtAmerica.com but haven't sold any there yet.

mountain lupines adrienne harrington

Online Art Promotion

I started with just the blog, but it was hard to get any meaningful traffic to the site so I created my Facebook fan page and begged my friends and family to share and like my page. Beyond that, I try not to over-promote myself for fear of being annoying. However unrealistic it may be, I want my work to speak for itself and spread through word-of-mouth and personal recommendations.

Mountain Lupines, 22x28 inches © Adrienne Harrington

Artistic Influences

I don't think there's any one particular artist or style that has influenced me because I really have no idea what to call my style. I usually label my work as abstract since it doesn't seem to fall under any other category.

Favorite contemporary artist

I recently saw a quote from Pol Ledent which said “I started painting at the age of 40; it was like a revelation. I just realized that I was able to paint. And once I started, I never stopped.”. That really spoke to me so I looked up his works and realized that he was absolutely right. His work is subtle and beautiful at the same time.

Achievements or Stories from your life

Sorry not much to say about myself or my life, it all seems so ordinary to me & it's really hard for me to talk about myself. I will talk about things I am passionate about until I'm blue in the face, but not so much when it comes to just me.

I guess an achievement of sorts is that I was selected (albeit at random) to participate in this year's ArtCon8 event in Dallas. I'm thrilled to be a part of this to raise money for local art programs and just hope that my work is good enough to fetch a respectable bid at auction :)

What outlook do you have for your art in 10 years?

Hopefully I am still painting 10 years from now, it largely depends on my success (or lack thereof) in the next few years. I can't see myself painting full-time professionally because painting is my escape from the mundane reality of everyday life. If I had the pressure of making a living from my art, I think it would take the fun out of it all and just be like any other job with deadlines and stress to perform. Then again, I usually thrive under pressure and deadlines so who knows?

Advice for other artists

Just keep painting and paint EVERY day. You can't get better if you don't try. Don't be discouraged if not everything you do is a masterpiece because that is how you will learn. Also, it's never too late to start!

adrienne harrington Sometimes I do feel like I'm at a disadvantage because I started at age 34 and never took art classes in college, but like many other things in life, I don't think a degree is necessary to do what you love.