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Penelope Moore, Painter and Modern Day Vagabond

Artist Penelope Moore

Giving up everything to concentrate on art, Artist Penelope Moore has been traveling the country with her artist boyfriend, Aaron Memmott, on a extended painting expedition.

Trading artwork to stay in vacation rentals and second homes (upscale condos to chic apartments), the couple has spent six weeks in Wine Country, two weeks at a rustic hillside retreat in Albuquerque, three months nestled in a luxurious Utah mountain hideaway and soon; a cottage surrounded by vineyards - in the South of France.

When did you know you were an artist?
Creating art is something that I am most naturally compelled to do. I have always been an artist. I have been creative and drawn to art since I was very young.

When I would visit my grandparent's house my all-time favorite project was to paint rocks. My most memorable Christmas gift from my dad was a set of finger paints. I must have been six. I remember going to the grocery store with my mom as a child and spending the entire time (while she shopped) in the school supply isle admiring the crayons, scissors, glue, pens, paper and markers. I think she picked up on my creativity at an early age and nurtured it by entering me into school art competitions, taking me to art festivals and galleries and ultimately figuring out a way to put me through art school in San Francisco.

Reflections at Rue de Jean
oil on canvas, 36x24

You received your BFA at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. How important was a formal arts education to you? 
Extremely. Once you are classically trained to see, draw and visually communicate you can then apply your skill to anything.  I believe that it is even important to know how to draw before you can successfully be an abstract painter. Your skill level will always shine through. Formal training doesn't always have to be taught through a college of art. There are many outlets for formal training such as an apprenticeship, workshops, mentorship and being brought up by and learning from a family member who is a successful and practicing artist. It is critical to look to the masters and art history for guidance. There are so many shortcuts and methods in art that are tried and true have been shared and passed down for hundreds of years.  Without tapping into that pool of knowledge and tradition I imagine there would be lots of unnecessary lost time spent. I am very thankful for my education.

Why do you work with oils?
During college I worked with many mediums.  I began as an Illustration major where we had to try and get used to many forms.  During my fourth year I decided to take a landscape painting class in the Fine Art Department as an elective for fun.  I remember coming home one day and calling my mom to tell her that, "I'M a painter!"  and I'm changing my major to Fine Art.  I changed it the same day and never looked back.  During my last two years of college I rapidly excelled in painting and graduated as Valedictorian in my department.  At the Spring Show that year I won four awards, including Director's Choice Award and Student Choice Award.  In hindsight, I realize I was always a painter. I love the brilliance, luminosity and consistency of oil paint.

Your paintings are still lifes. How do you choose your subject matter and how do you work?
Still Life is a big category offering opportunities to tell a story, reflect on the past, or embrace beauty as it naturally is.  It is also a great excuse to use color and play with shapes, pattern and repetition.  I find glass and metal intriguing because of the way they distort the surrounding environment. I always have my digital camera on hand and I take photos everywhere I go. Currently, I have 17,311 photos on my Mac (that I purchased one year ago). I've found a way to merge my passion for art, food and wine by making it my "job" to eat at hip places with good food, warm atmosphere and amazing wine lists.  I use the photos I take at restaurants and wine bars as my reference for paintings. I edit and crop them on the computer then paint directly from the screen.

I also really love to paint from life. I set up a still life arrangement in the studio and take a "Quick Studies" approach to painting-even if it's a large piece. I can usually knock out a painting from life in one or two sittings.  Painting from life is always a great "wake up" exercise for me because I'm moving fast and I relying on spontaneity, intuition, and my formal training.

Aaron was a full time Professor at the Savannah College of Art in Design. We moved to Savannah from San Francisco for his job. We lived there while he taught for three years. Savannah is a warm and wonderful place full of amazing and supportive people and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. However, there was always a constant feeling of not being able to fully settle in.

Three years had flown by and I remember one day when Aaron had come home he motioned his hands from head to toe and posed the question, When did this happen?" "Who am I? This is not me." It became clear how each and every day would unfold for the remainder of our lives. That was a thought that scared me. I knew at that moment that something had to change, before it was too late.

Once we turned down Aaron's contract there was no turning back. At that point we knew he no longer had a job thus leaving us little reason to be in Savannah, let alone keep the big awesome apartment we had. Panic quickly set in.  What next? We had to be in Utah for two festival shows in June 2008. That was a start.

As we started to pack we began to evaluate our belongings and realized that most of the "stuff" was unnecessary. We sold or gave away almost everything. We had a studio sale and had a fun weekend party. Nearly every person we had ever met in Savannah showed up and bought at least one painting. It was incredible to see how many friends and supporters we had there.  We were sad to go but it was hard to avoid the pull of our passion.

Still at that point we knew we were going to Utah but we didn't have living arrangements or a clear plan. From our studio sale and the remainder of Aaron's paychecks we could get by for 6-8 months. In a discussion Aaron and I posed a question, "What do we have and what do we need?" This was our answer: We have an abundance of art and we need a place to stay when we get to Utah. We knew we had friends, family and collectors that have vacation homes or second homes that go unused for a good portion of the year. And they love our art. Why not contact them and propose a trade? Since we're not sure where we want to live we only need a temporary solution. Aaron thought I was nuts. While he was at work I began to write a proposal. I first sent it out to friends, family and collectors. Next, I posted the letter on Craigslist under the house swap section. The response was immediate. We had more offers than we could take. It's been over a year now and there is no end in sight.

My motto: Find a way to do what you love and everything else will fall into place.

Wine and Fruit
oil on canvas, 24x18

What artists have influenced you?
Monet, Hopper, Chuck Close, Wayne Thiebaud, Andy Warhol, Andy Goldsworthy

What other interests do you have?
I have two very special dogs - a 6 year old German Shepherd and an 8 year old Terri-poo. They are the best traveling companions and studio pups. They love to wear paint on their heads. I enjoy good wine, cheese and dark chocolate. That's an understatement.  Otherwise, I eat very healthy and stay heart healthy by playing tennis, running, and biking. Music and Howard Stern play a big role in my day-to-day functions. I love to cook. I can get pretty creative in the kitchen. Using fresh, local and in-season ingredients is critical to staying healthy and eating on a budget. I'm trying to keep track of my culinary creations to hopefully compile in a future cookbook, "Live like an Artist, Eat Like a King." I always look forward to Taco Tuesday-even if it falls on a Sunday. Live acoustic music-Honky Tonks in Nashville. My girlfriends that live all over the country. American Idol. Fresh flowers. Fall in the mountains. Rainy days. Shoes.

What inspires you to paint and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?
I am constantly inspired by the world around me. I find beauty in everyday life. I'm always inspired by good tunes. Music is a constant in my studio-I love it all-Blues, Indie, Acoustic, Club Beats, Hip Hop, International, Blue Grass and yes, sometimes even country-the real twangy stuff that makes you feel like breaking out into a two step. Radiohead is always motivating.  Howard Stern is the sound of my weekday mornings. Art exhibits always make me want to run back to the studio to paint. Nature and fresh air.  I am very self motivated but try not to take myself too seriously.  Taking periodic breaks throughout the day always helps too. It's also important for me to exercise. I regularly get out for a mid-day run or hit the gym for a spin class. Sometimes it takes a handstand. When I am painting I usually have 3-4 paintings going at once and circulating them helps my mental state. When I get to a point where I'm stuck or my paint gets sticky I'll switch.  Alternating my focus between painting, exercise and administrative work helps keep me up beat and motivated.

How do you handle the business side of being an artist (financial,marketing, etc) ?
I spend about 1/3 of my time doing administrative work such as following up on emails, photographing finished paintings, maintaining my online presence via my website, blog, twitter, facebook, myspace, and yelp), researching galleries, exhibitions and competitions.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
If you're passionate about it stick with it.  You'll improve.  Improving is a lifelong process.  If you were born a master you'd be bored. Do what you love without compromise.

Visit Penelope's MosaicGlobe Web site: www.moorepenelope.com

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