Meet Eileen Seitz

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eileen Seitz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Eileen, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from the understanding and knowing that my mission was to reveal to people the beauty of Creation, with its harmonies and perfection through my paintings on paper and canvas. Being in this mindset makes my world filled with joy and expression and always lessons to grow and evolve.

I see and receive many letters and emails from people, how my paintings have touched their souls and hearts. They thank me and encourage me to continue my painting. I graciously thank them and remind them that they are filled and made from the same love, and beauty. from God Creator.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I was born with the soul of an artist. At 8 years old I had a one on one connection with God. I found my “love” God when I was drawing and creating artwork.
I was born on the island of Manhattan, N.Y. for my soul knew it was the place where I would have the freedom and opportunities to grow and learn the basics of being an artist. But my Soul knew the Concrete jungle of Manhattan NYC was not healthy for my Spirit.

My mom sent me to an art school at 13yrs of age. I entered a local street art festival and won a first place award for an oil painting. In high school I was published many times for my pen and ink illustrations, In those days we worked with the crow quill pen dipping into jars of ink.

The Mediums I paint with are ink and watercolor on paper and LARGE oils on canvas, I have also painted with acrylics 3 – 5ft x5ft x5 ft fiberglass sculptures for businesses in my community. I also worked with acrylics in designing and painted on 3 – 14ft x 11ft x 8ft metal information booths in my village to look like colorful Caribbean houses.

I was accepted into Pratt institute in Brooklyn and majored in FINE ARTS. I went for 2 years and then took a trip where I worked and lived for a few months on St. Thomas. 3 months later I lived on Puerto Rico. I saw life in a whole new way. Colors and sunlight completely opposite from NYC. I was hooked and knew I was an island girl for sure and found my home. This was 1968.

I went back to Pratt Institute for another YEAR and then had a vision of where I would be living. Tropical , Tropical Tropical. At The end of that school year my life changed and in the fall of 1972 I left NYC for good, left the concrete jungle and never looked back, My artistic career began full time. Always led by Spirit, Faith and trust, I and a friend hitchhiked, traveled for 3 months to Mexico and then all the way through to Panama and then to Colombia. I learned Spanish from a small dictionary I carried. Foreign countries, cultures, Spanish foods in local markets. sleeping on the earth and in rooms in guest houses and cottages.
I kept a DRAWING and WRITING journal and to this day, I pull from those amazing experiences and put in them into my paintings.

As time went forward I lived and travelled through many other Caribbean islands. My homes were wooden houses on Fincas built on stilts by the sea, sailboats, cruise ships, hotels and mansion .I rode horses on empty beaches, galloping through countrysides where no paved roads were to be found. In the Bahamas for 10 months I worked on farms with the locals, picking pineapples, and cabbages,, tomatoes. Swimming in the wild oceans, boogie boarding and surfing on waters lapping up against clean pristine beaches. Climbing fruit trees, living in huts, bathing in rivers, waterfalls and in standing in falling rain. All these experiences are felt in my paintings. PAINTING my life experiences. The Breathe of Life is in each Stroke.

In 1979 after 10 years out of America I returned to Florida, ready to share with the world.
Many Commissions and Teaching opportunities came advancing my talents, Always working always ready for the next blessing.. My work was sought and bought by Television, movie production companies, cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and other public and private places.
I carried my old singer sewing machine and took it with me on my travels. I would buy fabric from the island or country i was in and made my own clothes. Many people would comment. But it wasn’t my artwork and I always wanted to sew my own artwork designs, make my own fabric. One of my good friends helped me fulfill that dream. For 15 years i worked with a studio over in Bali and had my large scale paintings hand painted onto Rayon. I sold camisoles and tunics i designed and pillows for 15 years until the studio was sold and it was no longer available to me.

I did a 36″ x 54″ oil painting “Women of Elegance” ( commissioned one time for clients who wanted 3 ladies in room, I created an image of a rug in the living room of this painting) A new client of mine from Martinique came to my studio and saw the rug in the painting and said she would buy that rug, so I decided to start making wool rugs and look for a company that could help me make them.

I found the company at a trade show and they loved my work and we began to work with each other. So for the past 15 years I have been designing many wool rugs, I am also making rugs printed on Pet Yarn (recycled polyester) and also printed on Nylon. I can make individual or multiple depending on what the client needs. What I have learned is that all of these surfaces produce different looks and textures. All unique all beautiful.

Now I have sourced a new company in USA and they print my textile designs on cotton Thailand and Italy. I buy the fabric by the yard and also finished products for my clients. Duvet covers, sheets, pillows, shams, curtains and tablecloths. I have 8 designs at the moment that are on my website under “Decor and Clothing Fabrics” You can find it here.

Fabrics

So in a nutshell my whole world is about bringing the BEAUTY OF LIFE of nature and its elements to paper, canvas, fabrics and wool rugs. To bring BEAUTY and PEACE to peoples environments.

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?

A .Get the right and best materials if you want to create on paper or canvas or any other surface. Don’t go cheap, your end result will be half as good.
Materials will make you or break you.

B. Follow your intuition and take action. Follow what your SPIRIT tells you. GOD has given you the gift to live your vision, yearning, dream to its fullest, and all the time in the world you need to make this happen. We are Gods voices, hands and bodies.

C. Be YOU, DONT do your gift for “MONEY” That is not the purpose or reason if you are a true artist. A true Artist trusts and creates from Love. If people buy your work, you are blessed and pricing and creative works will flow.
If you paint to CREATE MONEY it becomes a business and you become a machine and not a vehicle,, and will go down hill because now its a JOB not a JOY

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

Sent me to art school and bought me art materials when I was 8 years old.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eileenseitz.com
• Instagram: @eileenfineart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileenseitzfineart/

Image Credits

Eileen Seitz
Laurie Schultz