Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Welcome
Hi Courtney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was always a weird little creative kid, whether it was writing stories or enjoying every elementary school art class and even into high school where I found a love of graphic design. It wasn’t until 2017 when my dad died that I really felt the urge to start painting. I felt like after that traumatic of an event, I needed some way to channel my emotions. And I had a lot of emotions. I originally started with paint pouring but then it evolved into more of what I like to call “abstract colorscapes.”
Then, more traumatic events, a divorce and a 500 mile move from Florida, I’ve finally landed here in Savannah. I’m a server by day and tortured artist by night. And I’m loving every minute of it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say it’s been an extremely bumpy road, but it hasn’t been the smoothest. Shortly after my first couple of art fairs in 2018, I found myself freshly divorced and deciding to move 500 miles to live closer to my sister and nephew. I also felt like moving to Savannah would be beneficial for my art career.
Another obstacle I’ve been trying to overcome is authenticity and social media. If used correctly, social media could be an extremely useful tool. It’s really good for marketing and connecting with others, but creating content is not my best quality. In the beginning, I thought that I had to post like the other artists I followed to get the kind of engagement they were getting, but then I realized that I wasn’t being myself. My art is very personal, it’s filled with emotion and my art studio is the one place I can truly be myself and let my emotions out on the canvas. I knew that I had to be myself both while I was painting and also online. Now when I post on my Instagram I always try to be my authentic self and I feel like a lot of people really gravitate towards genuine people.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I paint abstract colorscapes, just letting it flow through me. I usually don’t plan out my paintings, I don’t pick out my colors beforehand, it’s all in the moment.
I realized late last year that whenever I’m working on a painting it is definitely influenced by the type of music that I’m listening to, and I listen to all different types of genres of music. So I decided to turn it into a new art series where I incorporate music into my paintings. I have a little box with different albums from different artists and I’ll pick one at random. Then, I only listen to that album while I’m painting. I’ve been posting them on my Instagram Reels and I’ve even gotten some friends and followers to suggest albums for me to paint to. It’s been a really interesting art series so far. I’m excited to see how this series evolves.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I currently have collectors in the midwest and here on the east coast. I am also working on a website to display and sell originals and prints.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtney.steele.art/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@courtney.steele
