Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Howington.
Melissa, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I started crafting right after I married 30 years ago after going into a fabric store and falling in love with all the color! I didn’t really know what to do with fabric but I was just in awe at the color of it all. I began small with craft projects that led into larger ones and eventually to where I am no creating large pieces of Art FULL of color and teaching door hanger paint parties and others how to create art as an escape.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I want people to feel alive when they look at my art. Kind of like I felt when I walked into that fabric store 30 years ago. I want them to feel happy. Color does that for me.
Creating art is so therapeutic and I can get lost forever painting in my own little world. I want other people to see the therapeutic side of it whether it’s simple crafting or real art. It takes you away from reality for just a bit and you lose yourself, in turn, you forget your troubles just for a short while, a mini vacation (if you will) that lets you zone out and take a break from reality. That break is everything! And to ADD to that, to be able to produce and SELL your work is a whole other level! That people like your stuff enough to pay for it and support you as an artist makes life so much sweeter. However, I feel I would still be creating with or without sales!
The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
In today’s world, the sky is the limit for artists! There is NO reason to starve. With the whole world at our finger tips, we are able to reach so many more people than in the past as artists. There is community building online that brings your people to you and they stick around. There are many different avenues to sell art these days. I’m not talking about fancy galleries either! I make a decent living by selling my paintings in booths in various places and online. I host Facebook live sales and sell there. I teach art therapy at a local hospital twice a month with simple art projects. I am a liscensed artist with a company that puts my images on clothing and they sell wholesale to boutiques everywhere. I also teach door hanger paint parties locally and I’m about to open a monthly online painting group! So see, the avenues are great! And there’s many many more ways than this! This is just what I do!
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I, of course, am on Facebook under MJH DESIGNS and Instagram as MJHDESIGNS _melissahowington and In person at Southern Charm LaGrange and Newnan and Wild Oats and Billy Goats In Decatur. I also teach door hanger paint parties in Hogansville where sometimes people drive an hour to come paint!
Contact Info:
- Website: melissahowington.com
- Email: melissahowington@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/MJHDESIGNS _melissahowington
- Facebook: Facebook.com/MJHdesigns
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
