pollyana conte on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with pollyana conte and have shared our conversation below.

Hi pollyana, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I feel that right now I’m being called to step more boldly into creating faith-based art. For a long time, I hesitated—not just because I wasn’t sure how people would receive it, but also because I didn’t feel like I was in the right place spiritually to do it. I thought I needed to ‘arrive’ before I could share my faith through my art.
But now, I sense the Lord calling me anyway, and I’ve realized that He works in my heart and life even as I’m painting. That looks like doing more live paintings in churches and conferences, and creating pieces that point directly to faith and Scripture. It’s vulnerable, because it means putting both my art and my faith fully out there, but I know this is what I’m meant to do—to use the gifts God gave me not just to create beauty, but to encourage and reach people with His truth.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Pollyana Conte, and I’m a full-time artist living a unique lifestyle on the road in my RV. My work centers on creating meaningful watercolor paintings—everything from pet portraits and house portraits to live event paintings at weddings, churches, and conferences. What makes my brand special is that I often paint in the moment, drawing inspiration from sermons or live gatherings, and I use my art as a way to share faith and stories with others.
I also create smaller works like ornaments and mini plein air paintings, which bring art into people’s everyday lives in personal and accessible ways. My journey has been about blending creativity with faith—allowing my art to reflect not only beauty but also deeper purpose. Right now, I’m especially excited about stepping more into faith-based art, live church events, and using my gift to share the gospel through color and storytelling.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I never believed I could be a full-time artist. I grew up hearing people say that artists only became famous after they died, so I didn’t think art was something I could really pursue as a career. I loved creating, but I saw it more as a hobby than something I could build a life around.
Now, that belief has completely shifted. I not only create art full-time, but I also get to travel in my RV, paint live at weddings, churches, and conferences, and connect with people through custom portraits and faith-based work. What I once thought was impossible has become my reality, and it’s shown me that God can open doors far beyond what I imagined for myself as a child.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds in my life haven’t only come from circumstances outside of me—they’ve often come from my own mistakes. There were seasons where choices I made ended up costing me dearly, and I had to start completely over with my business. It was painful, not only because it cost me opportunities, but also because it hurt people around me. Carrying that weight was heavy.
But in that brokenness, I found the deepest healing. Supportive friends came alongside me, and above all, God met me in those moments. He has been rebuilding my foundation—not in numbers, success, or appearances, but in who I am in Christ. Through surrendering my life and even my art business to Him, I’ve learned that with God I truly can do all things. What once felt like an ending became a beginning, and now I carry my art not just as a career, but as a way to reflect His redemption and hope.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, the public version of me is the real me. What I share through my art, my social media, and at live events is genuinely who I am—I paint from my heart, from my faith, and from my story. I don’t try to separate my personal life from my art, because my journey, my testimony, and even my struggles are what shape the work I create.
Of course, I can’t show every detail of my life online, but what I do share is authentic. I want people to see the same person whether they meet me in person at a church conference, watch me paint live, or follow me on Instagram. And moving forward, I plan to be even more vulnerable and open, because I believe that honesty about where I am allows others to connect more deeply—not just with me, but with the message of hope I’m trying to carry through my art.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I don’t want people to remember me for my name or accomplishments—I want them to remember my story of redemption. I hope they’ll say that my life and my art reflected a real change that only God could bring.
More than anything, I want my art to speak what I believe—that it pointed people to hope, to faith, and to the truth of the gospel. My prayer is that people won’t just remember me, but that they’ll remember the God who transformed me and used even my brushstrokes to tell His story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pollyanaconte.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pollyanaconte_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PollyanaContesArtWorks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PollyanaConte_
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pollyanaconte_

Image Credits
Sue Cervelin Photography
Through Meilis Lens