the moon from my attic: March 2016

Sometime ago I started a new series of painted florals in watercolor on paper, just for the fun of it.

I had forgotten about them but seeing the lovely artwork of Kim Smith, it reminded me how much I love art, painting and creativity!

Let me introduce you to Kim. She is an artist, designer, business owner, mom and more. Kim says her life is crazy busy but somehow she is able to squeeze in time to follow her passion every single day (or at least close). That alone is very inspirational and a great example to follow for all creatives who don't have much time to pursue their dreams.

Artist Kim Smith

Kim says, "With three kids and a business in Advertising & Design, I felt like I never had time to paint and follow my creative flow without feeling guilty about the 'more important' things that I should be doing with my time. So several years ago I made a commitment to get up around 5:00 am every day and paint. And I love it. It brings me peace and happiness. What a great way to start any day!"

The Moon from My Attic: What's exciting about your creative work? I feel that, although my painting sessions are very short, and often sporadic, I am continually growing and learning. I make the most of every precious minute I get. I never sit in front of a blank canvas and wait for inspiration to hit. It's always there. I guess that's a positive of not having enough time to do what I love, it's forced me to be super efficient with the time that I do have. I don't have time to overthink things, which is a good thing.

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I love so many types of mediums, watercolor, acrylic, oils, hand lettering and more. I painted with oils when I was very young (6th grade), but never really enjoyed it. I worked mostly with watercolor years ago (before kids), and then had a dry spell when I really had absolutely no time for art. Then when I decided that it was now or never to get going again with my art, I really wanted to loosen up, so I tried oils again and now I absolutely love them! Oil paints are so delicious and buttery and oh, so much fun.

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? I went to school for graphic design, which I've been doing ever since in my "real job." But I never had the opportunity to take an oil painting class back then. So I'm self-taught. I find inspiration everywhere. That's a wonderful benefit to the internet. I am often listen to podcasts while I'm painting (the savvy painter and the jealous curator) and have found an endless amount of inspiring artists to follow. I was especially inspired by the daily painting movement, with some of my favs being Carol Marine and Karin Jurick, who made me realize that I could fit painting into my life, even with very limited time.

TMFMA: Tell us a story about one of your paintings. Last year a friend gave me a vase of zinnias for my birthday. I went outside on the side walk behind work and did a five minute photoshoot. I've painted and sold many, many paintings from that tiny inspiration that created happiness over and over again.

TMFMA: What's in store for your future? I would love to have my work in a gallery someday, or perhaps in a group show, or it would be fun to try an outdoor show with a booth and the whole nine yards. I hope someday to paint full time. That's such a scary thing to say since I have a great business that I'm not ready to be finished with. So I am just working in that direction with the faith that everything will just work out as it's meant to—when it's meant to. Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor, right?