Life and Work with Courtney Patton

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

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Courtney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in the country in rural Alabama, I spent lots of time on my family’s farm, watching my parents build and collect things, and absorbing the beauty of my world. I went through school focused on biology, but a desire to translate life beyond the molecular caused me to stumble into art during my last two years of college. After graduating from Huntingdon College with a biology major and a chemistry minor, I stayed in college, taking art classes while working. After studying abroad in Italy, I completed an art major with an emphasis on painting. Since then, art has remained a dominating presence throughout my career, from art assisting and art directing music videos and industrials in Nashville, Tennessee, to event design and interiors and even closet design. I learned graphics as an assistant to a video company in 1996, used it for a few years, tucked it away for 15 years, and recently unpacked what I knew and built on that knowledge to match the current technology. I’ve been using these new skills to create graphics for four years at a print shop (Minuteman Press of Fayetteville, GA.) Apart from my main job, I freelance in graphic design, I help individuals and companies design the interiors of their homes and offices, and I create and sell many types of art including paintings and even jewelry, and the occasional prop for feature films!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No! Not a smooth road! Marketing myself is a constant struggle, as is focusing on budget versus project outcome. I’ve had shops refuse to pay me for sold work, directors not pay me for art directing and business owners not pay me for visual consulting. Granted, most of them eventually paid, but only because I’m really noisy and persistent. My advice is, ‘a contract, or at least communication is key’. Charity is important and good, but if you want to be paid, be clear up-front. Shady people are usually very charming at the start.

Also, don’t be swayed by naysayers. Stay true to your art form while seeking to constantly improve it. Study the masters. Seek advice from people who have walked your journey and learn from them. I learned a lot from running a wedding venue and fulfilling the vision of my clients. People have good ideas and it can be exciting to find a way to make those ideas a reality. In graphics, sometimes I’m given a terrible logo to work with. It’s my job to make the client’s marketing piece look good and it can be satisfying to drag them into the light of a better design.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Some of my work is based on need. I went back into graphics during a difficult divorce. It was just the challenge I needed at the time and watching myself continue to improve and excel gave me a much-needed ego-boost. I love it! Now that the dust from that has settled, I have been able to get back to my first love of painting. In the past year, I’ve created 10 medium to large paintings and several small ones. many of which I’ve sold or donated to charities that are dear to my heart. I want to increase this work and focus more on painting in the year to come. I started doing live paintings at my church four years ago and that has been a reminder that, when the time is limited, I can work fast when lots of preparation is made.

I’m most proud of my ability to listen to my clients and work until they are happy with the outcome. My creativity and experience with large scale visuals from video work makes my process unique and sets me apart from others. I am extremely honest and see every design job as an opportunity to push the limits and bring beauty into a space.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I enjoy listening to podcasts, but I wish I had time for more of them. I love the Instagram posts of Valorie Burton. My faith in God has been critical to where I am now. My teenage son is the ultimate critic. Many kids are current on styles and trends, but he sees shapes and images in a special way. My boyfriend is a big encourager, and my friends have been very supportive. They often commission me to paint and send me clients. I live for deadlines!

Contact Info:

• Website: courtneyjanearts.com
• Phone: 6787081534
• Email: courtneyjane302@gmail.com
• Instagram: @courtneyjanearts

Image Credit:
Live painting photo credit- Shauna Veasey Photography

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