Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyndsey Ullom
Hi Lyndsey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been an artist all my life. When I was a child, I discovered a passion early on for drawing. That passion grew into a love of portraiture, nature, and telling stories through various mediums. If it’s artistic, I find joy in it- whether it is visual art, music, theatre, songwriting, or writing fiction. While studying music at the University of Tennessee, I decided to become a teacher. I taught for 16 years at Halls Middle School. I taught choir, general music classes, drama, and co-directed many musicals. While I loved the work and building relationships with students, two years ago I decided it was time to move away from education. I had a dream of pursuing art full time and so I dedicated myself to learning the ins and outs of creating an art business. I have learned so much through the entrepreneurship communities here in Knoxville. I offer custom work and commissions, but I also produce and show original works at various places in town. I consider it one of my life’s blessings to have had such lovely support and feedback from clients, as well as friends and family. Recently I also joined the Knoxville Museum of Art staff as the Administration Coordinator in Development, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. I am excited to be fully immersed in the arts world, and look forward to growing my business and growing as an artist.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a road worth traveling, but I would not call it an easy road. I did not take the decision of leaving education lightly. That was a huge and terrifying step for me, because it meant that I was stepping into the unknown, out of a predictable (albeit stressful) daily pattern into a landscape I had to create for myself. Seeking advice and learning from groups in town such as The Maker City, Women in Entrepreneurship, Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, and the Art and Culture Alliance was a pivotal part of my journey. Specific challenges for me in the beginning were pinpointing what I wanted to offer artistically to the world, how I wanted to present my work, pricing structure, and marketing. Artists are very good at art, but we don’t always understand the proper way to market ourselves. For me, it became less intimidating when I realized that it is mostly about letting people know who you are, why you are doing what you’re doing, and what valuable services and products you offer.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My art tends to be colorful and vibrant, heavily influenced by the love of nature, animals, and connection! I love working with various mediums such as acrylics, india & acrylic inks, pen, and digital. My process is generally as follows: I get an idea that I love, I mentally map it out (which could take days or weeks). I begin by sketching out my idea and then I follow the creative wave. I paint/draw quickly, and I think this lends a free-spirited quality to my art. This means that the finished product may deviate from the original plan, but I have learned that when that happens, it’s meant to be! I love portrait work and have studied how to draw and paint human faces all my life. This has translated to a love of pet portraits as well. Pet portraiture has quickly become one of my favorite services to offer because I fall in love with each animal I paint. I also paint brick and mortar residences and businesses. I offer Art Parties, which are workshops designed to create togetherness and connectivity while learning how to paint a piece of my clients’ choice. These are great for social gatherings or team building activities, and I enjoy talking with people and helping them discover their own artistic gifts.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Absolutely. While those days were painful and unsettling, I would not trade the time I had at home with my family. We did “Mommy School” because my unused teacher energy had to go somewhere! However, we didn’t take ourselves too seriously. My son, who was 5 at the time, wanted to learn more about Mexico, so we studied the culture, geography, and Spanish. We also studied animals of the rainforest, danced, sang songs, and did crafts. It was a lovely experience, even though it was intense. The important lesson to me was that I love learning, and I wanted to show my children how it can be so joyful. It let me know that my and my husband’s efforts in those endeavors are never in vain. I also began painting more during this time, both as a way to handle anxiety and as a means to explore my creativity, which helped me develop my skills and style.
Pricing:
- Custom quotes done individually
- Website- products listed
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lyndseyullomart.com/
- Instagram: @lyndseyullomart
- Other: https://linktr.ee/lyndseyullomart
