Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Fowler.
Hi Valerie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Houston, Texas, in the Montrose area. My parents were both artists and I have identified as an artist all my life. I graduated from the University of Texas in Austin and made Austin my home. My husband is a musician and music producer and we both maintain studios adjacent to our South Austin home. We raised our two children, now adults, in a home full of art and music. As artist parents, we divided the childcare and studio time up equally. We kept to a relatively strict schedule when the kids were little so that each of us could have dedicated studio time. As the kids grew and needed less from us, we were able to expand our studio time, now we work in our studios as often as seven days a week. I think the early dedication became habit and now I’d say the pull to get to my studio every day is a passion. I sometimes have to schedule time away from home just to get some space from my “work”. I love what I get to do every day.
When I do get away from my studio, I try to spend time in nature. My artistic work, my paintings, are about the natural world, our fragile earth, and the mark we humans make on it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I worked many a dumb job along the way. I waited tables all through college and after that I worked for Whole Foods for many years, but ironically, it was when our second child was born I decided to try to make it as an artist – to not return to my day job. I gradually exhausted all my savings, cashed out my 401K and my stock options while slowly beginning to sell my work. Having a partner who believed in my artistic journey and was not frightened by the financial risk-taking made a big difference. When the fundamentals of shelter and food are basically met – and we did live frugally – art can become its own reward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a visual artist, a painter mostly, and an illustrator. I’m mostly known for my abstracted, nature-themed, oil paintings. Sometimes surreal, often utilizing an unnaturally bold color palette, always complex and layered. I’m inspired by scenes in nature that hint at allegory.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success is linear. I am always pushing forward in my art practice. I constantly strive to improve my abilities within my craft while exploring new ways to better communicate my artistic themes. I don’t know what financial success would look like. We still struggle, the pandemic has been hard for all artists. I am lucky to be able to continue to work at home but gallery shows were limited for the last two years. I suppose, for me success is being able to continue my work and have it seen by an ever-expanding audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: valeriefowler.com
- Instagram: @valeriefowlerart
