Art and Motherhood

Professional Artist Mom - Is it a Myth or Can It Be Done?

My daughter, stuck in the car while I paint a nocturne.

Laura Alma-Tadema.  Rosa Bonheur.  Georgia O’Keeffe.  Frida Kahlo.  Mary Cassatt.  Cecelia Beaux.  Anna Hyatt Huntington.  Joan Mitchell.  

More than likely, you have heard many of those names.  What do they all have in common?  They are all female artists of the last 150 years who reached the highest echelons of artistic acclaim.  And none of them had children.

There is a commonly-held belief within the art community that to be a serious artist, one must devote oneself entirely to that pursuit.  Art can be an all-consuming profession – more of a calling than a job.  It can be difficult to maintain a relationship or a marriage when one is absorbed by the artistic impulse, not to mention raising children.  It is not an accident that there are many more men at the top levels of artistic success than there are women, and it has nothing to do with talent or commitment.  Many women put aside art (or other careers) to raise their children.  In the process, they lose ground and visibility in the art world (of course, there are men who fall into this category as well).  And while family roles have converged quite a bit in the 21^st Century, women still tend to be the primary caregivers in a home (See this graphic from the Pew Research Center which summarizes this trend: http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/201/06/FT_16.06.14_fathersDay_time_use.png). 

If that’s true, then am I being a dreamer to try to meet the demands of a professional art career while raising a daughter?  I don’t think I am.

Pursuing any career while raising children is a challenging undertaking.  Children require a lot of attention, love, guidance, and patience.  They get sick and share their germs.  They get hurt, grumpy, uncooperative.  They have temper tantrums and make big messes.  They need their noses blown, their diapers changed, their knees bandaged, their dinners made.  They need rides to and from their after-school activities, help with homework, fears reassured.  Whenever my schedule is the most tight, the least flexible, it is inevitable that there will be a missed bus, a sudden fever, or a sleepless night.  When things are running smoothly, there are still so many moving parts to our schedules that often, there is no chance I can get in the studio.  When I do get in the studio, it is often only for a few hours, and all the stopping and starting can make a painting take extra time to finish.  Oh yeah – and kids are EXPENSIVE.

But the flip side is this:

Inspecting a big Glover's silkmoth in the back yard.

Things we take for granted as adults are astonishing for children.  Spending time with my daughter is a chance to see the world anew.  Taking the same walk day after day can result in a continuous source of discovery and delight.  We get down on the ground and look under bushes and beneath rocks at a bug’s eye view.  We climb up cliffs and imagine we can fly.  We go dragon hunting and pet caterpillars, skip stones and sing to each other.

Children are inspiring in their level of curiosity and their capacity for creative thinking.  We as adults can get stuck in "the box," but kids don't even know there is a box.  Anything is possible in their minds when they are small.  Later, the magical thinking fades a bit, but the creativity comes out in lots of  other ways.  I have found it remarkable and surprising to watch how my daughter's uniqueness matures and changes as she grows.  

As the child of an artist, she is growing up immersed in the arts.  She’s been in galleries and museums since she was born.  She started coming to Galleries West with me when she was 8 weeks old (thanks to my beloved friends Bill & Debbie Bunch and Scott Nickell, who owned the gallery and who became like a second family for my daughter).  At the age of three, she was noticing the paintings on the walls of houses in television ads!  Here she is in Galleries West in front of one of my old still life paintings – she used to kiss the flowers through the glass:

How do babies' legs bend like that??

I get to share my passion for art in such a personal way.  Not all artists’ children are enthusiastic about making art themselves, but my daughter has relished drawing (and more recently, painting) since she was a tiny person.  We talk constantly about light, value, shadow, edges, color.  I love to hear her aesthetic observations, and it’s a special delight to watch her develop her own passions. Painting in plein air with her is extra fun.

I am inspired by my daughter in the visual sense, as well.  She has found herself the subject of drawings and paintings over the years, and I am certain there will be many more.

There are other ways I benefit directly.  I have a built in sidekick for art events, a great helper in the gallery and studio, and she has a fantastic eye for critiques.  She even likes to help carry gear when we paint outside!

L to R: A tiny sherpa, the 'red carpet' at the NMWA Western Visions show last year, mopping up at Trio.

A couple words of advice for any other young artists thinking about taking this path.  If you decide to be a career artist and a parent, accept that your productivity may be sporadic, but your inspiration will increase!  Accept that you will need help - from a spouse, a friend, family, or babysitters.  I know I couldn't meet many of my deadlines without my husband being able to take over the childcare on some weekends or picking up our daughter after swim practice when I'm finishing up a commission.  Accept that some deadlines will just not be achievable - but remember there will always be more!  And embrace the distractions.  It's only a brief time that I get to be this involved in my daughter's life, and it is such a wonderful experience.  I choose to look at this time of my life not as a sacrifice but as a choice (and I remind myself of that choice when things get really hectic).  Getting to be a mom and an artist is a great adventure, and I would never choose another path.

-Jennifer L. Hoffman
  Behind the Brushes, October 2016
  www.triofineart.com

Along the Paintbrush Trail

"Yellowstone" 12 x 9 oil on linen. Our blogs from Trio Fine Art usually talk about some aspect of observing, and then applying paint in response to these observations. I will use this month's blog to digress a little and offer a few stories about painting in wild places like the Tetons, Yellowstone, and their surrounds. We live in big, wonderful and open spaces that we share with a lot of wild critters. Painting outdoors often involves encounters with them. Now take buffalo. I am always thrilled to meet up with buffalo on the painting trail.  We all know them as big, shaggy and awe inspiring representatives of the real West. They are also fast, nimble, and often cranky. Sometimes they resent human intrusion anywhere near them and may portray this annoyance with unfriendly gestures and sounds. If you are anywhere near them when they display this behavior, I would suggest that you move back to a safe haven. Leave your paint box if you have to. I've never seen a buffalo charge a paint box. They can also fool you and show their "sweet" side. Fellow painter and pal, Greg McHuron and I were painting near the Hunter ranch in Teton Park while a herd of buffalo was  grazing a 1/2 mile away. We, of course, were concentrating on our masterpieces and did not notice that the herd had moved right up to us and was passing through our area. We were next to our vehicles and were in no danger, but the buffalo were that unusual variety that seem to like art and milled around us with no aggressive tendencies. I would not suggest that you try to duplicate this encounter because you may get the non-art-loving variety. It's hard to tell the difference. Moose on the other hand, do not care if you are an artist or typical tourist... keep your distance!  Though I've seen moose many times while out painting, my most unnerving encounter came during one of my earliest forays into Teton Park soon after my family moved here. I was painting just South and East of the Moose bridge over the Snake river trying to capture a likeness of the Tetons and totally absorbed in this effort. Suddenly, a large, dark shape appeared on the bench below me accompanied by a bellow. My first reaction was... BEAR!  I played some basketball as a youngster and though never a great leaper, I did a 36" vertical that day. I should have had a selfie to satisfy the doubters out there (my flip phone doesn't take selfies). Bill in the plein air painting process. Photo from Buckrail.com. Deer and pronghorns are often just curious and will move in for a closer look. The autumn seems to bring smaller animals and birds in closer since they throw caution to the wind in their search for food before the harsh winter sets in. I was painting Teewinot near the pasture adjacent to the Taggart lake area when a wren landed on my backpack. He next hopped over to my palette and then settled on my hand as I was preparing to lay down a stroke. What caused this? Did he not like the color? I put it on anyway. The magpies are the bravest and most comical of spectators. They often will perch next to you and carry on a one-sided magpie conversation with a steady stream of gibberish. It is hard to tell what they really think of the  work, but they do hang around for a longer time than most of my visitors. One little guy that you may be lucky to see will be a weasel (a.k.a., ermine, if winter). They will pop up in log or brush piles, stare at you with that Alfred E. Newman face, disappear and the reappear in seconds about 25 feet away. They are fast! Be forewarned! Cranes don't care for company at any time.  You might be 200 yards away from them and they will put on a constant stream of noise until you move. I don't paint near cranes any more. "A Yellowstone Specimen" 8 x 10 oil painting. You might be thinking that I haven't mentioned bear encounters. Here it goes. I was painting near the Lucas/Fabian cabins on a beautiful summer day and had made a pretty fair effort. The afternoon light was changing, so I packed up and started back to my old Wagoneer. I carry my French easel on an old hunt pack frame and when I walk, the brushes rattle in the metal pans so much that I sound like an old Yankee peddler. I was near my car, when suddenly there were two splashes in Cottonwood creek next to me. A grizzly sow and cub had just plunged in about 25 feet ahead of me. My noise-making made them aware of my presence, and they ignored me. I, of course, was not that calm as I slowly backed away and stood behind a power pole. The bears would not move away from the vicinity of my Jeep, and I had to take a wading detour across Cottonwood creek in cowboy boots. The next morning, I bought bear spray. I hope that you are somewhat enlightened about the wildlife encounter possibilities. Some of these things may have happened to you. Use caution and enjoy your blessings when you are fortunate enough to mingle with these wonderful creatures along the paintbrush trail. Behind the Brushes "Along the Paintbrush Trail" Bill Sawczuk