We caught up with the creative and insightful Sharyn Richardson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sharyn, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Having optimism doesn’t mean you were born with it, although I do believe there may be in-born blessings of brain chemistry that help. My childhood family was full of disgruntled, even depressed people, Seeing the unhappiness it provoked in them and others, caused me to wonder where it came from and why. As my life unfolded, the lessons demonstrated by the good role models I sought proved that those who were more satisfied, even grateful for what they had, led more fulfilling, happier lives. The foundation is fourfold: 1) take responsibility for my choices; 2) accept that perfection is not really possible and, even with the best of intention, I’ve made mistakes; 3) so rectify them wherever possible; and 4) always give my best in thought and behavior to be at least satisfied with the result. It’s a good idea to surround yourself with happy people, if possible. And get out of your own way. By that I mean that we make a lot of our own troubles by the choices we make. A choice doesn’t have to be a lifetime sentence!
Circumstance and others might invite disappointment and unhappiness, but I don’t have to accept the invitation. There’s only one person who can change my attitude and that’s me, so I’ve actively developed the strength and willingness to do it. I’m a truly happy, fulfilled person, an optimist still setting new goals, accepting challenges, living life to the fullest.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I left tenured life as a professor and academic dean to follow my husband back to our family roots. It was scary to give-up familiar things, but trust life. It turned out to be a great opportunity to remake myself as the artist I always hoped to be. Twenty-five years ago I took up the threads of my art education and began Light Pixie Studio to find clients for my custom portraits. Along the way, I’ve painted adults and children, animals and pets of all kinds from blue-ribbon dogs, cats, and horses to birds and lizards, as well as houses and landscapes. Today I’m known for my paintings of romantic flowers and their pollinators, rich color, and the stories told through the artwork, an idea person, a creative that sees the subject’s spirit.
I fly a taildragger as an instrument-rated pilot, so I’ve painted a number of airplanes in the air flown by their owners over their favorite locations, Innovation is my middle name, so now I’m proudly mixed media in my approach. I gave up oil paints after developing an allergy, in favor of oil pastels, watercolor, and pigmented ink. I’ve done commercial photo repair and restoration, and love the post-processing part. I’ve won significant prizes in art and have a large and growing following. As a good listener, I’m very customer-oriented and easy to talk to and work with on your project,
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?
Three things that marked success in my artful journey were the qualities of perseverance, a willingness to try new things, and bravery in the face of criticism or failure. Art is a tough business! It can take years to find even a small success. And traditional art school training focuses only on process and practice. If you expect to be successful as an artist, you have to make enough money for the supplies essential to your creation. And then there’s the part about a roof over your head and eating. If your art is not making some level of support, then it’s not really an art business. It’s okay to be a successful and happy art hobbyist; many outstanding artists are just that.
But that wasn’t what I wanted or needed, so it’s been another whole education to learn how to conduct the business side of art. Running Light Pixie Studio means that in addition to creating beautiful, inspiring art, I am the product developer, accountant/bookkeeper, purchasing department, operations and financial manager, tax consultant, human relations chief, customer service liaison, marketing and sales, and more. If something needs to get done, I must do it. Making art takes about one-third of my time and the business demands the rest. This is where perseverance is necessary. Thankfully I have a lot of energy for long days.
I’m an innovator by nature, always eager to learn something new; it keeps me engaged and my art fresh. In both art and personal life, I want to learn everything I can. That’s important to me, even though what I know isn’t always useful, but it does provide perspective. And oh my, what I’ve learned from my custom clients in the process of discovering their story to tell through my art–well, it’s been a priceless education. And throughout, I’ve acquired new friends and colleagues. Of course, not everything tried will succeed, so I keep in mind that even failure can be entertaining in the retelling.
The thing that ruined my early art aspirations was a young instructor who told me I had no talent. I believed and was embarrassed by his harsh judgment. Almost all artists have, at one time or another, succumbed to someone else’s opinion, rather than trusting themselves and empowering their own insights. I’m not sorry for the failure I allowed, but glad for the resilience found in continuing to make art for myself. Art is more precious to me because I fought for it. Every compliment is a treasure and every purchase a validation.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is someone who wants to bring more beauty into their life, someone who has thought about owning artwork but fears they don’t know enough to make a good choice, a person who has precious memories they want to preserve for themself, a friend or their family, or to honor and celebrate an important milestone.
Be confident when deciding on art! I’ve learned that art criticism is as unique as the individual making it. There is no single standard for beauty. Personal taste is entirely valid. If you love it, does it really matter what a critic says? Great collectors need no formal education in art beyond responding to the emotion of a piece they desire. In addition to my commission art, I paint romantic flowers and know that everyone doesn’t respond to them as I do. But a good, respectful conversation is always welcome.
A client needs to know that it’s not just okay but important to ask about price. It’s expected and reasonable, just as you would ask price for any other acquisition. Do you know that many artists and most galleries will negotiate price? An artist wants to send their art into the world, and many will help to make it possible for someone who admires the work to acquire it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lightpixiestudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharyn.richardson_lightpixie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightpixiestudio
