Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Ferguson.
Hi Lee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was always drawing as a child. It got me lots of positive attention, so I never stopped.
When I went to college, it was as a fine arts major. But I was a home-taught little shrinking violet who was very intimidated by the crazy-talented competition of my classmates. And I folded like a cheap suit when I had a particularly harsh critique in one of my drawing classes in sophomore year. I took it really personally and decided to quit art altogether. I remember very dramatically gathering up all my drawings, paintings, and art supplies and ceremoniously dumping them in the trash. I then followed a boy I had a crush on to the PolySci department and didn’t pick up a paintbrush or pencil again till I was in my 30s.
But in between, I ended up earning a master’s degree in art history. Art history was heaven. Looking, looking, looking at so many different art periods and styles, and taking deep dives into the hows and whys of so many artists I loved was amazing. Those years studying their work informed the art I make today in many ways. I still draw inspiration from that.
Fast forward to my 30s. I had two toddlers at home and was antsy for a creative outlet. I started making art for my kids and drawing their portraits. I also started doing illustrations for a few fashion blogs I followed. I did pet portraits as gifts for family members. After a while, friends noticed and started giving me commissions. Years later, here I am!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey is never completely smooth. The biggest struggles I’ve faced are the ones that keep my art relegated to being a side gig. So many people have told me, “I can’t believe you can’t make a living doing this.” Well, I could make a living doing this. But I have obligations that make leaving the corporate world too great a risk, at least right now.
As a single mom with a full-time job, the only time I have to devote to art is when my other obligations have been met and I’m usually exhausted. When you’re stressed and tired, your art definitely takes a hit. If you’re strapped for money and time, your natural tendency is to try to figure out what kind of art will sell best and work on that. I’ve dropped out of or abandoned other avenues I’d like to explore (different styles, subject matter, mediums, etc.) in the service of what is commercially popular. Which is disheartening. Artists need time to experiment if they’re going to keep moving forward.
And sometimes, life really gets in the way. There have been times when the side gig had to be temporarily put on a shelf, and those fallow periods have cost me. When I don’t produce and don’t post anything on social media, it’s not just social media engagement that falls off, it’s commissions too. If you can’t be consistent, it’s difficult to build anything. You’re continually having to start over.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in portraits, both pet and human, rendered in a realist style. Most of my work up to this point has been drawings on paper, but lately, I’ve started to paint more. I love working in a variety of mediums – graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, and oils if I’m painting. I’ve dabbled in acrylics, but I’m just not as experienced, or comfortable, with them as I am with oil.
Even after all the years, I’ve spent practicing, I’m still excited every time I sit down to a blank sheet of paper or a new canvas to create a portrait. Working to capture a likeness and, if it’s not too corny to say it, the light behind a subject’s eyes will always thrill me. It never gets old. I feel so lucky every time I get a referral or a commission.
Not just because it means I’ll get paid, and I must be doing something right. That’s only half of it. The stories I hear from people about why they want a portrait of their special animal or human absolutely melts my heart. And I’m entrusted with creating something that will capture and memorialize that love. How great is that?
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I try to follow as many local artists as possible on social and in the news and to make real-world connections with them. What’s worked for me is simply texting or DM’ing them, going to their websites and emailing them, or talking to them when I run into them at events. I’ll let them know I’m an emerging artist and would love to buy them a cup of coffee to ask about how they make a living with their art, or how they run the business side of things. They are usually very gracious, and willing to share.
And I don’t limit myself to just artists. I have one client who is a self-employed badass and I try to touch base with her and ask her out to dinner a couple of times a year, just to get her take on things. She started her own company and is fearless, hardworking, and successful, and the advice she gives me translates to anyone working for themselves, or whose business requires selling.
Pricing:
- 8×10 Single-subject portrait drawing: $250
- Pricing scales upwards by size, number of subjects, and medium
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leeferguson-art.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leefergusonart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leefergusonart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeferguson1/
