Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Chester.
Hi Lindsey, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Lindsey Chester earned her BFA from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of Art with a focus in Printmaking and Drawing. Fresh out of school, she used her drawing and sewing skills to become a women’s clothing designer in New York City for 15 years.
Fast forward to ’98, Lindsey and her husband Hal were feeling the burnout from the daily grind and missing out on quality time with their little one. So, they went rogue, ditching their jobs and city life to put down roots in Cary. In 2009, Lindsey and Hal created CaryCitizen, an online newspaper that connected them with the local scene.
In 2014, fueled by a promise to a friend to rediscover her artistic mojo, Lindsey returned to her creative roots. She dove into acrylics on canvas, learning the ropes from books and YouTube. By 2020, artmaking had become a daily thing.
Then, COVID happened. Lindsey found herself sketching and painting outside with the CAM Raleigh Urban Sketchers, capturing the vibe of Downtown Raleigh. She experimented with watercolors, which were portable and easy to clean. Quickly, watercolors became her go-to medium.
Lindsey enjoys painting her adopted hometown and the surrounding Triangle. Cary’s historic spots, like The Pink House, The Ashworths, and Cotton House, are some of her popular images.
In 2018, she joined the Fine Arts League of Cary, where she later became a board member. There, she began showing in local art exhibits.
This built her confidence, and in 2022, she decided to try her hand at pop-up booths and started her art booth, Lindsey’s Fine Art at the Cary Farmers Market. Since that time, she has built a strong commission business from the people she meets at her booth. You will find here again this year at Cary Lazy Daze in August and exhibiting for the last 4 years at Cary’s Spring Daze, a few of the largest arts & Crafts festivals in the state.
Check out more of Lindsey’s vibe
at www.lindseychestersart.com
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
COVID was a tough time for all. Likndse4y and her husband struggled to keep their news business afloat, securing 2 PPP loans to keep their staff employed during that economic downturn. To relieve the stress, Lindsey made sure to create something every day. One project was to work on a series of famous women portraits to celebrate Women’s History Month. These graphite drawings took a lot of concentration and many hours of work. They took my mind off my troubles while I captured women whose struggles I admired. They included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hillary Clinton, Billie Jean King, and Julia Child.
I had a solo exhibit with the Town of Cary’s Page Walker Arts and History Center that was postponed from June 2020 to June 2021. With the show being postponed by more than a year, my work had evolved considerably during COVID. The new series became a featured aspect of the new show.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in Watercolor paintings of the Triangle and acrylic paintings of people and pets.
I am most proud of the fact that I have a loyal commission client base that continues to grow. I moved around quite a bit as a child, and making friends and reaching out to new people has been one of my personal strengths. It is serving me well as an artist, as many artists are shy solo entrepreneurs. I lean into making contacts and networking.
This has led to clients who become friends. In fact, I just attended one of my clients’ sons’ weddings! From that event, I received a new commission project!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have to credit my husband, Hal Goodtree. We met in college, and he has always been a huge supporter of my creative outlets. He is a Getty photographer and Emmy-award-winning filmmaker.
In our twenties, we even collaborated on collage projects
He and I love to travel, and now I focus on taking photos from my travels that become images for future paintings. I credit him with keeping my eyes open and improving my photography which leads to better source material for my work.
Other influences and supporters would be CAM Raleigh Urban Sketchers and leader Scott Renk, who organizes a monthly outdoor sketch session in Raleigh. Also, the Fine Arts League of Cary, which has given me so many opportunities to show my work, and lastly, the Cary Farmers Market, without whose support I never would have tried my hand at having an art booth. The community I have gained from each of these three groups has helped to give my business much-needed visibility and support.
Pricing:
- Commission Pet Portrait-$95 for 6″ x 6″ x 1.5″
- Watercolors $160 for 8″ x 10″
- 16″ x 20″ acrylic paintings -$600
- 11″ x 14″ drawings $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lindseychestersart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseysfineart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindseyChestersArt
- LinkedIn: Lindey Chester
- Youtube: Lindey Chester
