Life in a Family of Artists

Frida Kahlo "My parents, my grandparents and I, Family Tree"

Is creative talent, be it novelistic, musical, or artistic, something you’re born with, or is it something that anyone, with practice and dedication, can acquire?

Were you born an artist? Are creative people sprinkled throughout your family tree? Did you start drawing, dancing, or writing as soon as you could speak? Or, did it take time for you to uncover and develop your gifts? 

Artistic talent appears to be a heritable legacy passed through generations in families. Consider the three generations of world-class artists in the Wyeth family, NC, Andrew, and Jamie. The Waugh family produced three generations of novelists: Arthur, Alec, and Evelyn, then Auberon (Evelyn’s son). Musicians, painters, and poets offer hundreds of examples like these making it tempting to ascribe creativity to a genetic trait. Yet whether or not talent and creativity are products of nature, a gift must be nurtured, recognized, and supported to blossom.

Ernst Van Leyden "A Self Portrait of the Painter and his Family"

Imagine growing up with an artist mother or father. Artists' children have obvious advantages. Not only is art practiced and encouraged at home, parents are more likely than most to tolerate the dualities of creativity: the interplay between focused and free-floating thought, extroversion, and introversion. For the children of artists creativity is an intimate force shaping their lives. Art becomes a shared experience that strengthens bonds through creativity and common pursuits.

These children, observing their parent's relationship to their art, see creativity as alternately joyful, challenging, and painful. Watching their parents create art sparks their artistic passion. Influenced and inspired by their parents’ creativity, there’s a strong chance a child will grow up to become an artist.  

Charles Wilson Peale "The Peale Family"

No family was more influential in early American art than the storied Peale family of artists. Headed by Charles Willson Peale, the family was instrumental in establishing a tradition of distinctly American painting that encompassed portraiture, landscapes and still lifes.Several members of his family would follow in his footsteps, including his son, Rembrandt Peale; his nephew, Charles Peale Polk; and his brother, James Peale.

I had the good fortune to grow up in a multi-generational family of artists. My maternal grandmother, Margaret Folsom McFarlin studied at the Boston Museum School and painted in Provincetown with Charles Webster Hawthorne. Below are a few examples of her work.

My mother Alison M. Convery attended Massachusetts College of Art before she moved to Martha’s Vineyard to get married. She wrote and illustrated “The Child’s Guide to Martha’s Vineyard” in 1970. Her book has been reprinted four times. My mother has been an exhibiting member of the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association (MVAA) since 1960 and served on the board for over 40 years. This summer the MVAA hosted a retrospective of her paintings in honor of her 90th birthday. Here is a Martha’s Vineyard Times article written about the event. 

My Dad, my mom and I at the gallery opening fr my mom's retrospective.

The Winners' Circle

Katama Barn

Another Tern

The Birds of Martha's Vineyard

School St Christmas

MV Agricultural Fair

My father Leo P. Convery is an accomplished woodcarver whose evocative fish and birds have won first place many times at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair. My dad has always appreciated fine craftsmanship and collected antique and contemporary bird carvings. My dad has also been known to fix or build almost anything in his workshop. But, wood carving was not my dad’s primary life career, he took his first classes after age 60 to keep busy during winters in Florida. I am particularly proud of the quality of his creations despite severe arthritis and a painful shoulder injury.

The Big Tuna and my dad Leo Convery

Striped Bass

Dancing Bass in the Grass

Flying Pintail Duck

The Opsprey and his catch

Backyard Birds

Three Little Chickadees

My sister, Betsi Convery-Luce recently earned a master's degree in animal photography from Animal Image Makers. Her photography brand is Bark Furtography and she specializes in capturing the essence and whimsical spirit of animals. Betsi also has a bachelor’s degree in pastry from Johnson & Wales University and trained at The Cordon Bleu in Paris. She bakes fabulous floral cupcakes and used to create elaborate wedding cakes. While her children were small Betsi designed and sewed adorable one-of-a-kind children’s clothing using the label Bumbly Bee Originals.

The Royal Frenchies

Where's the Cheese?

Bark Furtography

Jinx

Kiro

The Night Before Christmas

Highland Cow

Flower Cupcakes

Bumbly Bee Designs

Moonlight Osprey

Three Chicks

Even my children have artistic leanings. My 25-year-old son, Daniel Foltz is a talented photographer specializing in resort photography and portraiture. He studies Hospitality Management at Broward College and works for the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale.

Thee Convent of Christ

Four Seasons Nashville

Four Seasons Nashville

Audi Concept Ad

Nike Concept Ad

Be Here Now

Moorish Castle Walls

Daniel Foltz, Jack Foltz and me

My 23-year-old son, Jack Foltz is a food artist. Jack studied Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales and now studies hospitality management at Florida International University. During the summer he is the chef for a private club on Martha’s Vineyard. His culinary creations are mouthwatering to eat and beautifully designed in their presentation. He has known he wanted to be a chef since he was 14.

I wish I had taken a photo of the swordfish with pomegranate and pistachio salsa over celeriac mashed potatoes he made for us this summer. My parents declared it one of the most delicious meals they've ever eaten.

I spent most of August on Martha’s Vineyard enjoying my family. Art is something that ties us together as a family. We celebrated my mom’s 90th birthday with a retrospective show of her artwork and we had the fun of simultaneously displaying our artwork at the annual Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair. My mom, my dad, my sister, and I all earned ribbons and small cash prizes.  

Every year we take a day to go gallery hopping and out to lunch. This year a highlight for us was visiting the Moore Family Gallery. Andrew Gordon Moore is a realist painter, working in watercolor, egg tempera, and oil. He is a hunter, fisherman, sailor, and self-taught naturalist, the world outdoors is his source. He shares the gallery with his daughter Hannah and son Gordon who are also amazing artists. We spent an enjoyable hour with them. It's inspiring to meet other families who create together.

Andrew Moore's painting of his daughter Hannah

Artistic families face particular challenges. Each individual has to carve out their own identity not only in their chosen medium but also in the context of their parents' career choices. When a successful artist parent and child work in the same discipline there is a struggle to move away from under the shadow of the parent. The evolution in roles from the child as muse or apprentice to peer is a challenging passage as well. For this reason, many artistic children choose quite different media or forms from their parents.

Like many families, my parents believe art is a wonderful hobby but a poor choice for earning income. This made it especially difficult for me when I was in college and I abandoned my art for nearly 20 years instead of wrestling with the various modes art could lead to financial rewards. 

What I found most helpful about growing up in an artistic family was the encouragement to use my creativity to problem-solve new and unconventional solutions to my dilemmas. Creativity is a superpower that applies to any endeavor.  Understanding how to break away from the status quo and invent novel and unexpected solutions is useful whether you are a lawyer, an engineer, a scientist, a contractor, or an entrepreneur.  Art teaches that better than almost any other subject area.

Three generations of the Convery Family

As a teacher, I cultivate an environment for my student family that makes creating art inevitable. Pushing boundaries, trying new approaches, and embracing failure as an opportunity for growth, empower confidence and motivation. Open communication, encouraging diverse perspectives, and fostering a culture of experimentation and risk-taking are a few of the ways I build a creatively nurturing environment for my students and my children. 

Passing on creativity as a parent or a teacher requires a mindset of generosity and a genuine desire to uplift others. This means celebrating the successes of our children, our students, and our peers, offering support during moments of struggle, and recognizing the potential for greatness in everyone we encounter.

By acknowledging and uplifting the creative spark within others, we contribute to a collective energy that propels creativity forward.

Betsi Convery Luce "The Gift"

There is no need for your art family to be the same as your birth family. You can surround yourself with highly creative people in the workplace, in the community, or within your genetic family. When you have other people modeling how to respond to challenge, triumph, and discouragement it gives you the confidence to embark on your own creative journey.  

I firmly believe creativity is contagious, and the ability to pass it on is one of the greatest gifts we can give to the world. When we embrace the power of our own creativity and share it with others, we create a ripple effect that has the potential to touch the lives of countless individuals.

Unknown artist family

Whether you’re an established artist seeking new horizons or a budding creative looking to elevate your work I hope I have given you some ideas to expand your artistic potential.

Perhaps, I can invite you to become a member of my artistic “family” where I can support your artistic development. If you would like my mentorship, guidance, and advice in exploring your own artistic path please reach out to me. It makes me happy to share my insights and my knowledge with you.

If someone shared this newsletter with you and you'd like to subscribe, please reach out to me below with your email address. I promise, no spam, no overloading your inbox, just the good stuff.

 I welcome the opportunity for connection, conversation, cooperation, collaboration, and commissions. 

With Light and Delight

Susan Convery

My resources for this month's newsletter were:

https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/makes-family-artists

https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/artistic-families/

https://www.artandobject.com/articles/house-ryman-family-artists

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-for-these-10-contemporary-artists-art-runs-in-the-family

https://keolamagazine.com/art/art-runs-in-the-family/

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/17/arts/when-creativity-runs-in-the-family.html

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/contagious-nature-creativity-how-we-can-pass-gaargi-sarkaar-uwyhf/

Quote:

Sketchbook Prompt:

Draw or create a picture representing your family (however you define the term). Notice who you want to include and who you'd like to leave out. What if you were to make them all different animals? Or different vehicles? How would that look?



Title: Daffodil Delirium

Media: Mixed Media on Aquabord

Size: 11"x 14"

Price:$300

A fantasy of spring breaking through the final winter snow.

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Title: Poppy Pandemonium

Media: Mixed Media on Aquabord

Size: 11" x 14" unframed,

Price:$350

Summer's glory in over-the-top gold, red and pink.

Title: Something to Crow About

Media: Mixed Media on Arches

Size: 15" x 22" framed 22" x 28"

Price: $555

Frame: Gold

Watercolor, ink, gouache, stencils, so many marks and so much fun! A celebration of the Chinese year of the Rooster.

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