We were lucky to catch up with Sue Costello Sepulveda recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sue, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Just look around our communities or our nation. People are desperately crying out for help. Some are lost in anxiety, others in substance abuse, some dealing with health issues. It seems as though we can’t get a break. Prices keep going up, global warming or news of wars. We are bombarded with so much negative energy that it can be overwhelming. .
I escape doing things I love. Taking a walk in the wilderness to enjoy the fresh scents, feel the wind blow through my hair or just take in the beautiful color nature provides. Sometimes sitting next to the water. The waves are mesmerizing as they rock back and forth. The music of the birds singing and the insect’s buzzing (doing what they do best) I take these experiences home and they inspire my paintings.
My paintings are tranquil. I’m immersed in my thoughts or lack of. Painting is meditative to me. Therapeutic in relieving stress and anxiety. I strive to capture the essence that’s therapeutic to me and share those experiences through my work to assist others to escape negative energy. To live a stress free life.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My News Years resolution this year was to challenge myself to practice seeing value. I wanted to encourage myself to paint a portrait (something I’ve never attempted). I practiced by painting flowers in a more realistic form, forcing myself to recognize the highlights and shadow as the relate to the value scale. . . .
The opportunity came when there was a call for community art for the Solidarity Street Gallery Event. The theme, people and places in your community. So I took a leap of faith and painted six Woman of Diversity to represent the diverse community. I’m very happy with the outcome and continued to receive positive feed back.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I have a background in Graphic Design and I use the principle of design while I paint to keep balance in my paintings. I’ve also use quit a bit of color theory so my color play together, (harmony) verses fighting one another. In addition: I worked in fashion playing with color and pattern textiles to structure outfits and work floor layouts. These practices help with recognizing visual details.
My advise is take life’s experiences and use them in your practice.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I become overwhelmed with a project I stop, step back and take time away from the project. When you take time aside of what you’re doing, you are allowed to refocus, regroup and come back to the project with a much healthier and creative mindset. It doesn’t always come right away, it may take a week or even a month, the project will wait till your ready to continue.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://costellosepulveda.carrd.co/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/costellosepulveda/
Image Credits
Sue Costello Sepulveda
