Meet Judy Eckhart

We recently connected with Judy Eckhart and have shared our conversation below.

Judy, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

In an art design class in college, the professor gave us an assignment to list 50 ways to incorporate a “shoe” into design and concept. After the usual “wear a shoe on the foot”, and “line up shoes by the door”, the list became silly, surprising, creative, dark, unexpected and more. I have used this exercise many times and have taught it to art students and business people. It is an affective lesson on brainstorming. It taught me to have some fun, be silly, be unusual and be creative. Another way I like to keep creativity alive is to take art classes in mediums that I probably will not use in my own art. The new class teaches me to look and express art in new ways. Social media gives me access to new artists and art forms, as well as visiting galleries and museums. Lastly, and one of my favorites, is to gather friends for art making time together. My friends keep me curious and looking forward to what is next.

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 have been a professional artist for 40 years which has included graphic design, teaching, artist-in-residences, and fine art. I began this most recent venture into a fine art business 18 months ago at age 68 when many people are retired from work. My inspiration to start a new art business came from other women and men who continue their careers well into their senior years of life. Why stop now when I am so excited about my new body of artwork, about representation in a wonderful art gallery in a major art market, and about the network of artists I have as support? My paintings are mostly scenes of American Southwest landscapes and the messages from the art are about land conservation, preserving views, preserving habitat and the resilience to survive. Part of my profits are donated to a local land conservancy to preserve land for future generations.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Over these last decades of a career as an artist, the first action I take when arriving in a new community is joining artists’ groups and networking groups to broaden my contacts and opportunities. Second, I say ‘yes’ even if I am not sure I can do the project. Developing the needed skill comes next. When I have said yes, more opportunities appear down the road. And third, I keep up on my education both in my art and in business. I have a fourth recommended skill; learn to nurture friendships and contacts. Ask them to coffee, check in with them. Recently, a group of my art friends are starting a marketing education group to meet once a month.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I would like to blame my age for the reason that I continue to have trouble with technology, even though I know people older than I am who have excellent computer skills. For many years I have used computers and have taken classes, but the difficulty persists. I decided that my time is better spent painting art for sale at my gallery and for sale on my website, so I reached out for help from professionals. I hired a talented webmaster to create my website and maintain it. My local Small Business Center provides regular help with my local sales taxes and I don’t hesitate to reach out for help posting on my social media accounts. Asking for help is necessary for me to have a successful business. Please visit my beautiful website, www.judyeckhartstudio.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.judyeckhartstudio.com
• Instagram: @judyeckhartstudio
• Other: https://www.artisgallerysantafe.com

Image Credits

All photos by Judy Eckhart