Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Donaldson.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
When I finished University in Australia, I came to the USA and married. During that first year, I wasn’t allowed to work while we sorted visas out, so I decided that I would take that time to learn how to paint something I had always wanted to put in the time to do. So, I spent a year taking my paints out into the experimental forests of Clemson, SC, to set up and paint from life. I slowly gained some of the necessary skills to paint something half decent and tried many ways to make enough money to put my whole time into it. Eventually, I made enough to care for my family (a wife and two kids), paint book covers, sell, and make prints. Now, I take my time to paint the things around me that inspire and teach others how to paint. (I have a few online courses teaching Gouache, Landscape painting, and oil painting). I have a studio in the back of Jitters Brewing Company a few minutes from my house in central SC.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting was quite rough. I tried and failed at many ventures. Finding a niche/ target audience who appreciated my work was very challenging. It wasn’t until I stopped trying to paint for other people and started painting precisely what I enjoyed that I could communicate well with those who cared for the same things I did.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with what you do?
I paint mostly nature scenes. Moss, rocks, trees + water. When I started, I was mainly painting in oil, but having a small house, a cat, and eventually a child, I found that the opportunity for wet paint to get everywhere was too much, so I transitioned to gouache (opaque watercolor) and found that I was able to use this portable paint to significant effect.
Networking and finding a mentor can positively impact one’s life and career. Any advice?
Most artists are both fiercely independent and, at the same time, hungry for peers. While reaching out to other artists might be intimidating, we are mostly happy to share our joy for what we do with others.
Pricing:
- $250 – $3000 for original paintings
- $10 – 450 for online tutorials and courses
Contact Info:
- Website: Justindonaldsonart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin_donaldson_art/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JDonaldson_art
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLQQciDj33LYX9KILbyv26g
