Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Blazon.
Courtney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always wanted to be a visual artist; from the time I held a pencil as a little kid. I went to college in Boston at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and then finished up my degree at Parsons School of Design in NYC for Illustration. In Illustration, I found my niche and began my career as a professional artist. I had lived in cities for a long time, and ready for a change, made the decision to move to Missoula, Montana in 2005. An unlikely place, it would seem, to start a career as an artist, but as it turns out, it was the best decision I could have made for myself. I’ve been able to be self-employed as an artist in one of the country’s most lovely western cities, with access to nature and a small but vibrant creative scene. It’s been a lot of hard work to maintain a career in a small city like Missoula, especially in the early 2000s, but with tenacity and a strong belief in my own abilities, I have found that there is plenty of demand for artists and illustrators here. I have been able to balance my livelihood having shows at regional museums and galleries, nationwide group gallery shows, and a heavy load of local and regional illustration projects. It’s a quiet but very fulfilling life.
Alright, 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?
Becoming a working artist has not been a smooth road. Nor has it been treacherous enough that it deterred me from it. The challenges have come mostly in the areas of finances and especially in work/life balance. When I started building my career, I felt compelled to work 16+ hour days so that I could establish myself as someone trustworthy, hirable, invested. As my name became more known, the work started flowing in at a rapid rate, and I had a hard time saying no to projects for lots of reasons, but primarily financial reasons. It took me about a decade to smooth out my relationship with work to the point where I felt like I was finally getting a normal night’s sleep most nights and taking care to get a little time off to relax. I still love and breathe my work, but I have learned a bit about how to balance it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist/illustrator primarily working in the mediums of pen and marker and digital drawing. I draw intricate narratives that are layered with symbolism and meaning—in particular, issues surrounding women and the complexities of women’s lives throughout history. I draw influence from the natural world; literature, mythology, and fairytales; societal expectations, and coming-of-age issues, and lean into humor, irony, and symbolism to create involved stories that are woven together and are not always what they appear to be upon first glance.
I am most proud of the exhibition I did for the Missoula Art Museum in 2016 called “The Year without a Summer”, a huge project that tackled a historical event which took place in 1815. It was a massive undertaking, and one of the hardest and most satisfying experiences of my career thus far. I am looking forward to the next massive project I can undertake.
I think that what sets me apart from others is my style. I think no matter what piece of art I do, it’s extremely evident that it is mine, based on my style of drawing, my use of colors, and the themes I explore.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I think the lesson I learned from the Covid-19 Crisis was twofold: one part was about my community of Missoula, Montana. There was such amazing support for the arts community during that time and it made me so grateful to have chosen a tight-knit place to live and work. Part two was about myself as an artist and a person–I learned a lot about shedding layers. Layers of pretense, layers of stuff I lived with, layers of emotions that weren’t serving me…it was a fruitful time for me emotionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.courtneyblazon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyblazon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cblazon
