We had the good fortune of connecting with Denise Gunter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Denise, what was your thought process behind starting your own business
The collage process has always been a love of mine. I was introduced to Romare Bearden by one of my college professors. It was instant attraction. At the time I was majoring in Art Education and mainly explored painting, sculpture and etching. These are all process-oriented mediums. As an educator I taught art, promoted artists residencies in the schools and engaged students in all forms of the arts.

As my career advanced it was difficult to practice my art. I promised myself that when I retired I would pursue the arts. As I started to create my own pieces and explore various kinds of mixed media materials, I knew I had found my passion. I began to create painted papers by designing various patterns and textures. I combined this practice with my love of photography. It was then I realized I could share the joy of personalized collages with others. Through my work I aim to capture the ordinary in an abstract manner.

I reached out to family and friends that were planning special events to collaborate on an art piece that would fit the occasion. That’s how my business began. My business began to grow by word of mouth as others shared my unique process.

I have learned that risk taking can lead to great things. When I entered my first juried art show I was taking a risk. What if I didn’t get accepted? What if my artwork is not worthy to be presented? Well guess what? My advice is to reach out and take that risk. You never know until you try and have nothing to lose. You can turn that “no” into a learning experience but the “yes” with be a sweet surprise and boost your confidence.

I constantly have to remind myself that “My art is worthy.” The more exposure I get, the more confidence I gain.

After I retired I was considered as a potential candidate as head of school for a small Christian school in Atlanta. I was already on the board of trustees there, so why not? I thought long and hard about the offer and decided to decline. If I had taken the position it would not have afforded me any free time to pursue my creative practice. It was a difficult decision because I felt I could have made an impact on the school and I enjoyed the leadership role. Then I remembered I retired with a purpose. I am relieved that I made that decision and still maintain a relationship with the school. This decision propelled me into my second career as an artist.

I have found that multi-tasking and creativity do not go together well. As an educator it was almost essential to juggle many different tasks during the day while delegating as much as I could. As an artist I feel more productive using time blocks for various activities, focusing mostly on the making of art and sharing my practice with others. I still struggle with balancing all of the aspects of creating art, business practices and my personal life. I feel as I get better organized it will become an easier balance.

“Great Creator, I will take care of the quantity. You take care of the quality.” This is my favorite quote and I have it posted on my computer in the studio. It reminds me that I need to be in a worry free space in order to let the creative process flow. When I was struggling with the thought of facing a blank canvas I found it helpful to work on a series of mini collages. Working intuitively instead of worrying about each mark being perfect allowed me to create a rhythm to streamlining the process. My daughter who is a creative spirit herself, gave me this saying that her professor Betsey Garand told her: “The work generates the work.” To me this means to let the process take you where you need to go. I know that once I take the first step to get started, the the piece will evolve on the canvas. I now look at my creative process in a different manner.

As a young child I always had an imaginative and creative spirit. I grew up in the 60’s and we had to create our own entertainment. In elementary school I loved to sing in the chorus but quickly realized I’d never be a soloist. In high school I joined the drama club, performed in school plays and loved being on the stage. I even had a chance to direct a skit in a school play. Having an art and education background I was able to introduce many performing artists into the schools and handled the programming for all of the arts. It was when I retired I returned to produce my own artwork and regained that creative spirit.

 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
People view artwork on an emotional level. They don’t think about the process at first glance. They are probably unaware that many artist struggle over the process when creating a piece. Most artist don’t like to talk about their work. It’s not always comfortable when others are judging the final product. As artists we need to learn how to talk about our work and accept constructive criticism in order to grow. What does it mean when someone says “Your work is beautiful?” What does it mean when your work is not accepted into a juried show? We need to learn how to get our work out there and seen by many people. Today we have many different vehicles to share our art and we need to maximize this advantage.

For me the most important factor behind my success is learning not to be afraid to try different things. We need to gain exposure in many different creative arenas. Since starting my business I have joined many different art groups and met some amazing people. I’ve always felt that sharing ideas is an important learning process. Being around like-minded and positive people is a source of energy for me. Today we have answers at our fingertips and a wealth of resources but I also enjoy reading a good book about art. Two of my favorites are “I’d Rather Be In The Studio” by Alyson Stanfield and “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. These books are meant to be read over and over again and serve as resources to support my growth as an artist. But nothing is more enjoyable than being around and learning from different artists.

Within the arts community I have been dubbed “The Collage Queen.” Mostly because I create mixed media collages from my imagination. I’m going to take that title and run with it. I enjoy collaborating with my clients to create personalized, custom-made collage for meaningful events such as weddings, anniversaries, graduations, birth and memorials using their memorable photos. Through my artwork I aim to capture the ordinary in an abstract way. My work is created to inspire people and offer it as a form of healing for all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Downtown City of Decatur is a fun place to visit, especially if there is an arts festival in town. If not there are plenty of great restaurants and the area is very walkable with cute little shops. The Decatur Square is quite often a showplace for concerts and special events. My favorite eating spots are Raging Burrito & Taco with a wonderful outdoor spot, the Iberian Pig for tapas, and Sushi Avenue. A little further out is a wonderful pizza spot I recently discovered called Fellini’s Pizza. Ask for their Fellini’s Special sold by the slice.

Another place to check out is Buford Highway which is known as the International Corridor. You’ll find restaurants and a variety of ethnic shops featuring Mexican, Central American, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures.

My favorite spot for late morning stroll is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Get there early before it gets too hot! There are many exciting exhibits there, with enormous floral garden sculptures throughout the year. And guess what? There’s a great restaurant right inside the garden as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The Atlanta Collage Society has been instrumental in helping me gain confidence to exhibit my work. They are a very active group with very talented members.

Website: Info@paintandpapervisions.com

Instagram: Denise.Gunter.5

Facebook: Paint and Paper Visions

Image Credits
ArthurRatliffPhotography

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