Watch Out 2015

Southwest Art Magazine names Tina Garrett as an Artist To Watch in their December 2014 Issue. Cover art by the lovely Ann Kraft Walker.

I am so grateful for the, arguably deserved, exposure I've received in 2014. In part due to the judges of juried competitions I've entered. It has to be said that one man's opinion can be the difference between 1st Prize and no prize at all. Which is why in the midst of the storm of PR I am currently experiencing I'm ever grateful that a few of my works have been the favorites of said, "man". 

It is truly surreal to see so many of my own dreams come true this year: My first international sale and subsequent prize winning piece, "Gaze" has afforded me two check marks on my bucket list.

I got to take private lessons from my absolute favorite contemporary artist, Romel de la Torre, see his studio and meet his dedicated regular students and persuaded him to come here to little old Lee's Summit, Missouri to teach a 5 day, remarkable, oil-painting workshop in August. That's two more bucket lists events.

Then in the rarest chance meeting possible I met the generous and talented Michelle Dunaway, and she too is coming to teach here at Atelier Underground, my studio workshop space, in the autumn of 2015. Check!

Investing in and getting my workshop studio space up to par for these fabulous artists has totally paid off. I recently learned that Atelier Underground qualifies as a Studio Incamminati "In Your Town" workshop space! SI graduates are the best and are sought after to teach all over the world. It has been my dream to bring this level of artist to the Kansas City area on an annual basis, to share their knowledge with the wonderful family of local artists here. Artists with just as much passion and ambition as I have but whose circumstances have kept them from affording to travel to get this level of atelier training previously not available in the Kansas City area. This really is a big deal and a huge "check"!

"Baby Blue" was juried into the Urban Aspect Exhibit at Principle Gallery, Alexandra, VA by none other than Jeremy Mann. Check! Check! If you know me and follow my facebook feed you know the hard crush I have for Jeremy Mann and his exquisite work. To know that he considered my work worthy of a show where his own works displayed is an enormous compliment. Attending my opening reception at a nationally recognized gallery was a first for me and truly was a dream come true. I have to thank the client who pulled strings with a long time friend of hers to host me in her spare room for a night. It made all the difference in affording to fly to DC for the opening.

Remarkably, to be invited to participate in the Master Secrets Summit and have my video interview broadcast in the company of Michelle Dunaway's and Daniel Gerhartz's, among other greats, still shocks me. This was a check I didn't even have on my list!

Finally, to see my name in print in Southwest Art Magazine, a publication who's pages I have day dreamed over for years...hoping I would someday run an ad, never daring to dream they would ask me to participate as an Artist To Watch. This has to be the last "check" of the year because I can't take any more. 

And now I have to set 2014 aside and remember, I'm still learning. I'm still having the time of my life. And now all I need to do is as my good friend Scott Jones says, "Go paint, Tina."