Life and Work with Courtney Giblin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Giblin.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Courtney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Painting has been my passion for as long as I can remember. My parents framed one of my pieces at the age of nine and I was SO proud. Growing up I spent all my chore money on supplies and all my middle and high school lunches in the art room. In 2011 I received my Bachelors of Art from the University of Oregon. I proclaimed I was going to be an artist since the age of five, yet I somehow never thought I could get to do what I love as a career. I was taught to believe that all artists were starving artists and that it was important I get a ‘real’ job to be financially independent and successful. I spent years working corporate jobs while selling art on the side, managing my website, building a loyal customer base, and participating in shows and art markets. After time spent doing what I thought was right, I finally decided to do what I knew was right for me and pursue art full time.

I feel so blessed to do what I love each day and I hope that shines through in my work.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nope! For me, battling the ‘starving artist’ stereotype has been challenging – I was instilled with fear in what would happen if I did what I was meant to do. Pursuing a corporate job killed my creativity. Breaking down that story, and building my confidence in terms of understanding my worth and my time in what I create has required a lot of personal work. Trusting that as long as I am listening to my heart and working hard everything will fall into place is challenging. All that said creating brings me so much joy. When I paint nothing else matters, everything else fades into the background. Hours somehow fade and I don’t realize I am famished or that I need a break! I constantly am painting in my mind, even in my dreams sometimes. My work is the thing I am most proud of. Being able to create work that moves people and brings others joy is so rewarding.

My advice for anyone looking to start a new chapter would be to listen to that inner voice – follow your passion! No one else will gift you the life you want, you have to create it so, trust you can. Attract opportunities, create opportunities, focus on what you want and never give up. Sure, there might be bumps in the road, but not trying will feel worse. Create the life you want, you deserve it!!

Please tell us more about your artwork, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I enjoy rendering acutely detailed drawings and creating large abstracted paintings. I also love exploring with textures through use of multi-mediums, creating on unusual surfaces and challenging myself to learn new forms of art such as photography, embroidery and ceramics. I think this versatility in my work is what stands out. My current work is a marriage of these techniques and aims to challenge false restrictions that have been placed on me as an artist. It is a visual exploration of how diversity creates harmony, balance, and beauty.

Painting serves as my medium to explore the energetic experience of a given moment. Through a series of mark-making, I aim to discover how everything fits together to instill balance.

This unfolding of experiences is the intention behind my work. Creating helps me slow down and appreciate each moment. In this chaotic and fast-moving culture, I think that is vital! My hope is that people get to relish in that pause when they look at my work.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Statistically speaking, the art world is not as generous to female artists. If you look at permanent collections in the most prominent galleries in the world men hold the vast majority representation. Further, male-created work is valued substantially higher at auctions. None of which is too surprising as we live in a patriarchal society where women historically have held less rights and were barred from artistic professions or, professions in general.

That said there has been an uprising of women in the last few years, a demand globally for equal pay and equal rights. While I am excited to see the shift towards women in leadership I think some people are resistant to change and that fear of the unknown is one of the biggest barriers I see. I’m grateful for the companies that make a point of bridging the gap, who seek diversity and foster equality. For articles like this, that highlight women in leadership, trailblazers, and that draw attention to #ladybosses. Women are still largely underrepresented in the art world, and while the statistics show it is slowly leveling it is so important we continue to fight for equality. Women are phenomenal. Together we can create magic, we can create change, we can roar in the art world, in the boardroom, and in the oval office.

Pricing:

• My work ranges in price from $100-$6000, depending on size, material cost, and time to create

Contact Info:

• Website: www.courtneygiblin.com
• Email: courtneygiblinart@gmail.com
• Instagram: @courtneygiblinart

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.