Meet New Veteran Artist Yvette
“Although my family is what’s most important in my life, painting is what really keeps me going. It’s what helps me express my joy, anger, sadness and forget about all the negative going on in or around me. It reminds me that I am not limited due to my disabilities but the world is my canvas and I can paint every story I feel.”
Veteran artist Yvette has enjoyed a life-long connection to art. She was introduced to art and creativity in grade school but it wasn’t until junior high that she was formally introduced to her creative soul. Yvette continued to sketch in her free time but her career in the military and time spent raising her children took priority over creating art. It wasn’t until Yvette retired from the Army that she was able to fully reconnect and explore her creative soul.
Yvette spent over 20 years in the Army, managing a dining facility. Her goal for every person who had a meal in her facility is that a feeling of home and belonging was felt while they were there. Her desire to create familiarity and comfort within spaces has influenced her paintings in a profound way. In 2013 after Yvette had retired, she was helping her daughter move into an apartment, the artwork intended for the space didn’t feel right, Yvette decided to paint something that would be right, creating a painting that embodied the feeling of home. When thinking about creating that painting Yvette remembers, “I felt it at that moment, like I was living my second life.” Yvette has spent many of her days since painting in her studio.
She has not received any formal training, rather, learning from experience and videos she watches online. Her style is an intuitive one, the inspiration for a piece can come from anywhere. Yvette’s paintings always begin with music, from that point she incorporates her mood, dreams, recent experiences, and most importantly the support and inspiration she receives from her family into each painting.
1.What experiences have influenced your art/creative process?
My kids were the beginning of my influences. They needed help with school projects or a picture for their room/house that sparked my current journey.
2.What lessons have you learned through your experiences
Never take life and people for granted. See the world for what it is. It can be colorful; filled with dark colors, bright colors, or as simple as black and white.
3.What drives you to make art?
I make art because it’s freeing and fulfilling. I’m driven by the creative ideas that I feel at random times and want to share that with others. Creativity sets my mind, heart, and soul at ease; a stress reliever. It gives me the opportunity to imagine and think outside the box; allowing me to get away from life for just a few moments in time through each brush stroke.
4.Tell us about your style? Has it changed over time?
It definitely has evolved. I used to sketch in my free time but after retiring and having less kids in the house to help on their school projects, I found a love for painting. Since the day I picked up a paint brush, my style has been abstract.
5.How do you start a new piece?
First and foremost, I turn on my music. It gets me into my creative mode. Sometimes I’ll have a nice glass of wine depending on my day. From there I just let the paint brush flow with the music and my mood. Tough days dealing with internal issues are to credit for having the music and wine kick off my process when beginning a new painting.
6. How long does it typically take you to finish a work of art? Do you generally work on more than one piece at a time?
It definitely depends on the piece. I sometimes work on 3 different paintings at one time, especially when layering is involved. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks depending on size, my feelings, and the weather.
Acrylic paint is my most important medium when painting. I find that it is forgiving because if I don’t like something, it allows me to paint over it with no issues.
7. Why is being apart of ArtLifting important to you?
It’s important to me because it’s an opportunity to share my imagination with those outside of my immediate area. It’s also a great community where they support artists from different backgrounds that normally wouldn’t get noticed and can get recognized for their work while still being in their natural environment.
8. How do you feel when people appreciate and compliment your artwork?
I feel like I made it! I have arrived as an artist.
Painting has taught Yvette many important lessons over the years, the empowerment Yvette has gained through her art is perhaps the most powerful.
“I am invincible. I truly can do or create whatever I feel. Abstract is my go to, however, with a little patience and guidance from YouTube tutorials, I can create anything and the only thing that can slow me down is running out of paint.”
Yvette’s current collection with ArtLifting may be found here.
