Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy King.
Hi Christy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have enjoyed art since I was a child- in school, doing crafts with my Girl Scout troop, and in extra-curricular art classes. At UNC-Chapel Hill, my friends encouraged me to study art, and I also majored in elementary education because the thought of earning a living as an artist seemed like a fairy tale (and I loved working with children and babysitting). It turned out that I adored teaching, and went on to be an art teacher at a few different community centers, museums, and three Montessori schools- one in DC and two in Nashville, TN. Some of my favorite memories from my ten years as a children’s art teacher come from leading the weekend family art programs at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and teaching summer camps at the Frist Art Museum. I earned my master of education at Vanderbilt University in 2017 and have developed a painting course for adults that I offer locally at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro.
In what little free time I had as a teacher, I made art and eventually started sharing it online on Instagram. Families knew me as the art teacher and would often commission paintings from me. One family was planning to self-publish a children’s book and asked if I could create the illustrations, which I did, and learned so much about myself as a potential artist in the process. In 2018 I began selling my work through the online gallery Well+Wonder. The steady sales provided the encouragement I needed to continue making art, improving my skills, and making more room in my schedule so that I could pursue being an artist. Right now, my work is available with Well+Wonder, Artfully Walls, Beaufort Linen Co., and on my own website.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Stepping away from being a full-time teacher is the biggest challenge I’ve faced in becoming an artist. I loved teaching for so many reasons, including the children, the stability, and the community of teachers and families. After earning my master’s degree in 2017, I reduced my hours teaching to half-time so I could paint every afternoon. In the spring of 2022, I became a mother and have been home full-time since then. I paint when my son naps and after bedtime or on the weekends if I have a deadline approaching. Throughout the seasons of life, there is always something that can pull you away, but if you know that you won’t be happy without giving yourself time at the easel, it’s easier to prioritize making art. There are a thousand other things I could choose to get done in my home or for my business during my son’s naps each day, but I know that when I lay down at the end of the night, I will look back on the day as a good one if I painted.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve painted animals, landscapes, still lifes, hot air balloons, botanicals, seashells, and more. I also create collections in oil paint as well as mixed media collages! This winding path has worked for me, and as time passes, I find themes that I enjoy revisiting each year. Right now, the main subject matter I am showcasing on my new website are landscapes and still life.
This summer, I am working on some large coastal landscapes inspired by Emerald Isle and Wrightsville Beach. They will be available online with Well+Wonder at the end of July. I also sell a lot of pet portraits throughout the year, and each July, I do a fundraiser for Nashville Humane Association (where we adopted our dog, Franny). I will be donating 25% of any pet portraits ordered July 4th-August 4th (Franny’s gotcha day), and I’m so proud that this is the 4th consecutive year I will be doing this!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
There are two things that have moved my career forward immensely: continuing to learn and finding a gallery to help sell my work. After graduate school, I took some one-on-one online painting lessons with my favorite painter, who I followed on Instagram, Felicia Forte. I learned so much and have since also taken courses from Sarah Sedwick, Zoey Frank, and Christina Weaver. While these teachers aren’t my mentors, they have certainly changed my life by teaching me how to paint! Regarding the gallery, I paid attention to who liked my posts, and when I noticed that Well+Wonder engaged with a lot of what I shared, I decided to submit my art to them. I also had the chance to meet the owner, Mollie Creason, at their pop-up event in Nashville, and the rest is history! She has sold so much art for me over the past five years and has given me the freedom to explore my interests as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: christymking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christymking/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christymkingart
