Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Clark.
Hi Cassandra, 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 backstories with our readers?
I believe I learned to paint before I learned to write my own name.
I was raised in the Chicagoland area by my mother, who was a very talented painter and glassblower that also practiced ballet for decades, and my grandmother, who was a classically trained Russian dancer and ice skater who fled Kyiv during WWII and used art as escapism. To say creative self-expression was encouraged would be an understatement- the arts were our love language and way of being.
While I never formally studied the arts in my adolescence (unless grade school art class counts), it’s been an integral part of my being for as long as I can remember. I lived for crafting and scrapbooking in my elementary years and even started my own side hustle creating and selling beaded hemp necklaces when “Bohemian chic” was all the rage in the early ‘90s. After making countless messes and experimenting with decoupage, resin, and countless items I repurposed into art in high school, I really got into acrylic painting as I entered college.
I went to school for advertising, Spanish, and international business, and started channeling all of that knowledge into converting my hobbies into what would eventually become my own art business. After receiving enough positive reception from gifting my paintings to friends and family on special occasions, I started securing small commissions for local businesses and getting noticed in local publications in Illinois.
Always a lifelong learner, I decided to start learning more about other mediums after several years of selling acrylic paintings and murals. I started taking adult continuing education classes at the Art Institute of Chicago and fell in love in love with oil painting. I also started getting really into the Chicago Latin dance scene, met my now-husband salsa dancing, and moved to Miami.
As an ocean lover and scuba diver, my work became deeply inspired by oceanic creatures and the desire to protect them and was featured in several group exhibitions in New York City. I donate 10% of my profits from all my oceanic work to the Ocean Cleanup Project.
My work also took us to Austin for a couple of years, where I studied printmaking with The Contemporary Austin and participated in multiple art shows and group events with the incredible art community there. I also got really into alcohol inks, abstract painting, and painting large (they say everything is bigger in Texas…).
Feeling inspired, I took my art business to the next level by creating a website and social media presence, then launched my own clothing line and artistic gift shop on Etsy in 2019. Recognizing the impact that the arts can have on children, I also volunteered with the Dell Children’s Hospital teaching art therapy through the Art of Giving program.
When Covid hit and the art world stood still, my husband and I decided to put our stuff in storage and my traveling art practice began. We spent a lot of time staying with friends, family, and short-term rental properties around the world as I focused on miniature paintings and watercolors inspired by the changing landscapes. I was featured in several virtual exhibitions and digital art shows as the art world dramatically shifted to our stark new reality.
Today, having settled back in beautiful Miami, I continue to draw inspiration from our gorgeous environment and the stunning -but fragile- ecosystem below the surface. I love teaching art therapy, creating painting tutorials, connecting to the Miami art scene, and continuing to experiment with new mediums and styles. In a world as diverse and ever-changing as ours, I refuse to remain stagnantly pigeon-holed by one style or medium.
I am currently simultaneously working on a collection of monochromatic watercolor portraits, large-scale acrylic landscapes, surrealist oil paintings, decorative linocut prints, and new clothing designs for my shop and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
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?
I don’t know any artist, present or past, that found this profession to be a smooth road. I think you have to have a desire to create embedded so deeply within your fabric of being that no amount of criticism, a lull in sales, the strain on resources, mental block, or self-inflicted barrier can keep you from your passion.
I love Georgia O’Keeffe’s quote, “you get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare.” As art is so open to interpretation and the visual arts so undeniably subjective, I think you first become an artist by declaring yourself as such and then fully committing yourself to what it means in practice.
It really is a labor of love to run your own art business. Yes, I’m a painter and creator, but that means I also have to be a CEO, CMO, CTO, CFO, budgeter, marketer, strategist, event planner, trainer, technologist, influencer, graphic designer, curator, collector, researcher, shipping specialist, and so, so much more every day.
I’ve had hot streaks when inspiration runs freely, my brushstrokes glide confidently, my pieces come to life effortlessly, and I am delighted with the final output. However, as every visual artist knows, there is a vast difference between what you love to create and what people love to buy.
While fortunately some of my work is inherently commercially pleasing, I made the decision long ago to prioritize my passion over chasing trends or fluctuating market tastes. This means sometimes I will go weeks without any sales or months without a custom commission.
Even if it means working full or part-time on the side to support my passion, I feel there is a certain integrity in remaining true to yourself and committed to the practice over the purchase. This dedication makes me all the more grateful to my collectors and clients, for we have a harmonious understanding and appreciation for the work that runs far deeper than what’s trending.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m best known for painting landscapes, underwater scenes, and bold use of colors across a variety of mediums.
While the spontaneous nature of my ever-evolving practice has manifested in a wide variety of themes, much of my work showcases the beauty of the world around us, while serving as a commentary on its fragility. As an avid world traveler, beach lover, and scuba diver, I donate 10% of the proceeds of my art sales to non-profits committed to protecting our planet.
As a lifelong learner, I’m constantly pushing myself to experiment with new media, but most often you’ll find me painting with watercolor, oil, or acrylic. I also enjoy sketching, crafting, beadwork, papercraft, and printmaking. I further channel my love of learning by volunteering as an art therapy teacher and art class instructor for all ages.
My practice is often about the process, as nothing makes me feel more alive than getting lost in the zone, letting my right brain take over, and surrendering to the power of creative expression. I thrive when I can create, connect, and inspire others through the arts.
What do you think about happiness?
Art. Art makes me deeply happy.
In all its forms, art is love, laughter, pain, reflection, joy, and everything that makes you feel something and makes life worth living. Whether I’m observing, consuming, collecting, or creating, the arts fuel me, move me, and inspire me to share this endless elation with the world around me.
The arts preserve history, capture our lineage, reflect our reality, tell our story, and bare our souls. Granted, this all is rather abstract, but I’m just delighted that humans have this gallant ability to communicate and connect in a language as universal as a smile.
Pricing:
- “INK” Woodblock Limited Edition Hand-Pulled Print 24″ x 30″ $680 https://www.cassandraclarkart.com/workszoom/3523965/ink-woodblock-limited-edition-hand-pulled-print#/
- “VANDENBERG EEL” Oil on Canvas 18″ x 24″ x 1″ $750 https://www.cassandraclarkart.com/workszoom/4245075/vandenberg-eel#/
- “MIAMI SUNSET” Oil on Canvas 36″ x 48″ x 1″ $2,100 https://www.cassandraclarkart.com/workszoom/3539641/miami-sunset#/
- “MAHĀNA MITI RA’I (SUN, SEA, SKY)” Acrylic on Canvas 36″ x 48″ x 1″ $1,700 https://www.cassandraclarkart.com/workszoom/3539828/mahand257na-miti-rai-sun-sea-sky#/
- “OCEAN DRIVE” Acrylic on Glass 4” x 6” $170.00 USD https://www.cassandraclarkart.com/workszoom/4554579/ocean-drive#/
Contact Info:
- Email: CassandraClarkArt@gmail.com
- Website: www.CassandraClarkArt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassandraclarkart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassandraClarkArt
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CassClarkArt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CassandraClarkArt
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TravelPaintCreate
