Today we’d like to introduce you to Gracie Lathrop.
Hi Gracie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Wow, it’s tough to narrow down my story as an artist because truly I have been creating my entire life! My grandmother is an amazing artist and I spent loads of time at her kitchen table doing all sorts of art projects from ceramics to watercolor. My mother was a photographer during my childhood, and my sister, aunts, and cousins are all very creative people. So truly, creativity runs in my family! I did go on to get my art degree from Clemson University with a focus in sculpture. After college, my husband and I moved to a small town for his job, and as you can imagine there are not many art opportunities in a rural small town. I started a blog, built furniture, painted signs, hosted pop-up shops and so many other crafty things for a few years, and then eventually landed my dream job as a gallery manager for a contemporary art gallery in Charlotte, NC. While I loved my time building a blog, online business, and doing popups hosting other creators it truly was my dream to work in a gallery-like the one I ended up in. My time there was so fun, I loved representing such a variety of artists and connecting them to personal collectors and large corporate installations. A few years after that my husband had a job change that came with a lot of heartache, including moving cities which meant I had to leave my gallery job. We moved back to the Columbia area and I started a job doing events for a private business club. During this time, I really didn’t have much happening in my creative life. A year or so after our move we had our daughter and I realized I needed to get back to doing what I loved! So, in September of 2018, I started working on my art business full-time. This gave me the ability to be home with my daughter while also getting back to my roots of watercolor that my grandmother instilled so many years previously. It has been 3.5 years since I went full time and I have transitioned from doing only commission work to including lots of fun products for different holidays and seasons. I thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity to create things that bring joy to others, whether it’s through a punny get-well card or a commission of their family home. Being a full-time artist and mom to two is challenging but worth every single crazy second!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My work has been a crazy roller coaster. When looking back at all of my creative outlets it has ranged from welding and metalwork to whimsical watercolor illustrations. I would say that the ride hasn’t been smooth because it has come with a lot of pivoting, however, it has certainly been enjoyable! As an artist I truly enjoy my job, I enjoy the creativity, I enjoy the chance to use my voice to market these products, and I even strangely love the backend of owning my own business. However, the balance of being my own boss, wife, mom, and friend can easily get out of whack if I am not careful. I have worked extremely hard over the past few years to put boundaries in place to protect my relationships. Boundaries like not working on weekends, saving Sundays for our family to rest and worship together, finding consistent childcare for my kids but also keeping them at home with me, waking up to spend daily time with the Lord. These rhythms of rest and hard work are essential for me to be able to find joy in all of my work, as an artist, mom, wife, or friend.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As I said earlier, I have done so many different types of art throughout my “career” as an artist. However, currently, I am a watercolor artist that focuses on portraits and whimsical products. I started my watercolor career doing mainly home portraits for realtors as gifts for clients, this has evolved into pet portraits, venue portraits, landscapes of favorite places, and more. As my role of mom changed from a mom of 1 to 2 kids under 3, I shifted further to the product side. I began making greeting cards, art prints, gift tags, and paper party products. This shift was hard for me, I struggled with feeling like I wasn’t a “real artist” if I sold anything other than originals. However, this shift was necessary to be able to adjust my business to fit my family. Now, I consider it a joy to be able to sell my artwork on birthday party goodies or as an original keepsake for a family.
What do you think about luck?
Personally, I don’t think any of it has been luck. I truly believe that the Lord has given me exactly what I needed to make it through each season of my career. Patience to wait for my dream gallery job, perseverance in working through a not-so-creative events job, refreshment and rest when I stayed home with a newborn starting my own business, and now the wisdom to know when to prioritize my work hours while managing a family as well. Each of these things has been necessary for me to grow my business and they have been lessons I can build on and continue to implement as my art continues to grow.
Contact Info:
- Email: gracie@gracelangdonart.com
- Website: www.gracelangdonart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracelangdonart/
Image Credits
Lydia McCaulley Photography
