MY BEGINNINGS…
I grew up in a family of artists. My grandmother Snarr created amazing Needlepoints. My father was a watercolorist extraordinaire. When I was 12 years old I was able to go to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I marveled at the incredible artwork displayed throughout history. Though I could not create anything like what hung on those walls, and though I felt very inadequate, these influences pushed me to try to draw and scribble rough attempts on my own. Mostly it was frustrating for me to see my laughable beginning efforts. But, maybe because I was stubborn I just kept trying.
PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.
I have been pretty much self taught. IN high school I would spend endless hours practicing drawing and lettering. When I graduated it continued. I studied art from different cartoonists, painters and illustrators that inspired me. I put hours and hours exploring color, different mediums and layout. I learned that even though I didn’t feel like I had the most talent… a lot of effort closed the gap. Cartooning was an easy way for me to see a result quickly as they were simple drawings that helped me learn to draw people, animals and various objects. Over time, my cartoons, drawings and paintings got a little better. Eventually I felt like “hey, my stuff isn’t that bad!”.
DETOURS AND SLOW PROGRESS
My life got absorbed over time in doing commercial art. It paid the bills. Though I loved working with my clients, secretly I was frustrated not being able to have the time to paint and draw my own paintings like the artists I saw in the Museums as a kid. BUT, late in the evenings and on weekends I would squeeze a few hours here and there to spend painting and drawing. Over time I created many landscape paintings and pieces of whimsical cartoon art. Around the fall of 2019 I decided, since I was getting up in age (61!) I would just cut off any distractions that I could and paint and illustrate a children’s book. I illustrated my first children’s book, BEYOND THE HEDGES on my small iPad. Together with Randee Nielson helping write the book, and in the fall of 2020 we excitedly saw it come to fruition.
I find illustrating and painting very meditative for me. Though in my heart, I know I have a long way to go to reach the levels of the great masters, I hope my whimsical art brings joy to children or some soul out there somewhere. Let me know what you think. Making people happy is all I really want from using my talents.
Thanks for stopping by and seeing my work.
I hope my art brings a little sunshine in your soul,
Curt Snarr
