Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Feia.
Hi Courtney, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After 15 years of full-time work leading worship and church creative teams, I changed course to work for myself as a Contemporary Artist. Music and art are two disciplines that have held my obsession since childhood. My Grandmother was a painter and gifted me supplies when I was 15. Some of her oils are from the 1950s and I still thin them with turpentine and lay them on canvas today. Painting was just a hobby that I never had enough time for until 2015 – a magical year when I became so unsettled with certain aspects of my work life, I simply quit – cold turkey. I got pregnant 2 weeks later, a wild and obvious fork in the road. I picked up my brushes and never looked back.
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?
Painting large scale out of a home studio has challenges. It basically looks like a dumpster fire in our house when I’m running a sale or have a lot of commissions. Someday I hope to work out of a larger space, although I love the convenience of walking downstairs in my slippers and charging right into a painting session. I share the studio with a tiny muse, my daughter, Coco. She just started Kindergarten so imagine the toys lying around. It’s not organized, and it’s not clean. It never will be.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My niche within the world of Contemporary Art is conceptualizing wild stories of the Old and New Testaments into large-scale oil paintings. There is no lack of inspiration there. I could spend a lifetime and not uncover the subjects, characters and insights. A study-first approach is a foundational part of my creative process and an homage to my roots. I see a lack of representation (in what some may call) “religious” art in the sense that many works are clearly tied to biblical subjects but not necessarily pieces you would hang on your wall. I like to think I’m filling a gap by creating pieces that are both intense and beautiful.
How do you define success?
There are varying degrees of success but bringing something of significant value to the world while remaining a healthy version of yourself would be my definition of a win. If I sell a painting for a million dollars someday but my marriage falls apart in the process, I’ve lost. This can trickle down to every level, large and small and in our hustle culture is easier said than done.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.courtneyfeia.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/courtneyfeia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtneyfeiastudio
