Today we’d like to introduce you to Marna Schindler.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m primarily an art festival artist. I was lucky to have met a few artists many years ago who inspired me and let me believe that creating a living by exhibiting and selling your own creations was actually possible. I grew up in San Diego and spent the first decade or so of my working years trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I loved being an illustrator, working on the computer, but eventually, my antsiness got to me. I remembered from college how fun it was to slosh paint around and create something brave and bold and permanent.
In 2005 I started participating in art festivals, and by the end of 2006, I had quit my job as a graphic designer and jumped into a sea of hope and uncertainty as a full-time painter. I painted portraits of peoples’ beloved furry family members and as my waiting list grew I became more confident that I could pay my bills and feed my cats on my own.
I love traveling to different places and setting up a temporary little “gallery”, handing out fun stickers, meeting people, and placing my newly-hatched original paintings into the hands of new and continuing collectors. It is a thrill I will never tire of, and I am full of gratitude for the opportunity. Every day I wake up knowing how lucky I am, how ephemeral a sense of security is, and how I feel I alone am in charge of my path and my ability to provide for myself with my art, and it feels good.
I am constantly learning, re-learning, and realizing how much I don’t know. But I feel blessed and I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, and it is a journey that will never end.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist, so as far as obstacles, I don’t think I really had any; I am blessed that my family always supported my desire to create art. When I was only 8 years old, my parents gave me the gift of summer art classes at the San Diego Museum of Art and the San Diego Zoo. At the Zoo, in classes led by the inimitable teacher and artist Joe Nyiri, I think that’s where it became “burned on my brain” that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to paint and draw stuff – Joe made it all so fun and reachable. I loved animals and being outside, so I grew up wanting to paint and draw animals and nature.
Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity of creating murals for shops and Christmas cards for big companies and art for magazine covers. I’ve been able to help animal organizations by donating my artwork, and people actually paid good amounts of money for it and I’ve been blown away by their generosity. The only real obstacle is myself when I don’t believe in myself enough or get caught up in my own head. That’s when I try to remember to take a walk, listen to the birds, go to the easel, and get lost in a new painting. Those things always seem to get me back on track. It is a constant battle but art more than anything for me, is a healing process. I feel better after I paint a painting, and the side benefit is that this is also my job!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Marna Schindler Fine Art – what should we know?
What sets my work apart is probably the quirky sense of whimsicality, paired with vivid color, and maybe throw in an obvious love for animals. I started out as an artist doing a lot of commissions of peoples’ beloved furry family members, and I endeavored every time to capture their personality with a sense of fun and joie de vivre. I truly appreciate all of the families who entrusted their little furry loved ones to me to paint!
I’ve painted over 400 cats and dogs, and though I do this primarily for charitable organizations these days, I think it was most apparent in my pet portraits my certain style. In landscapes and paintings of other animals, the sense of whimsy and quirkiness is still there… but maybe not as obvious. I’m not a traditional painter, and I go about painting mostly as a fun activity, getting lost in each individual composition, not knowing how each will turn out.
In this way, I keep it fun. I think; I hope, this fun is somehow apparent to the viewer and they feel my sense of fun and joy when they look at it and enjoy it in their home.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Kindness, balance, humility, focus, commitment to contributing something I believe is unique and of value, staying grounded, and gratitude.
Contact Info:
- Website: marnaschindler.com
- Phone: 6198380012
- Email: Marna@marnaschindler.com
- Instagram: @marnaschindler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marnaschindler/
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