I recently completed an interview for Voyage Raleigh Magazine, an online publication highlighting small businesses and entrepreneurs. I have shared that interview here so that you can enjoy it too!
You can find the full interview at Voyage Raleigh
Check Out Katie Peña’s Story
Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Peña
Hi Katie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I knew from the time I was first able to pick up a pencil at a young age, that I was destined to become an artist. My parents were very supportive and further encouraged my creativity with supplemental artistic education, in a variety of mediums. I began my career as a fine artist during my teen years, when I explored oil painting and accepted commissions from my parents’ friends. Simultaneously, I was introduced to filmmaking through a local summer camp in Annapolis, Maryland, run by Hollywood producers looking to expose young minds to possible future careers in film. I used my earnings from commissions, plus a half scholarship and a whole lot of student loans, to pay for my college degree in Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design, where I majored in Film/Animation/Video.
With this education, in tandem with my passion for painting, I hightailed it out to Los Angeles, California in 2010, during a time when film work was scarce due to ripple effects of the 2007-8 Writers Guild of America Strike. My first job was as a receptionist at a post production facility that handled such cinematic masterpieces as ‘Sharknado’. I networked my way onto sets as an Art Department PA, and quickly up to Set Painter for television, commercials and movies in Hollywood, under the mentorship of a prominent IATSE union Set Painter. Through my 20’s I worked as a Jane of all Art Department related trades, until I was fortunate enough to be invited to be a member of Local 44 under the parent union, IATSE. For years I thrived in the department of Set Decoration, climbing onto better and better gigs, until I finally found a home as a core crew member on a string of Nickelodeon franchise sitcoms, including ‘Henry Danger’ and ‘Danger Force’. However, a 6-month hiatus during COVID lockdown brought me to the realization that my love of creating fine art paintings was somewhat limited by the demanding schedule of film production, and I found that work-life balance was becoming more difficult to maintain as my values shifted and matured. I was becoming acutely aware of the physical and psychological toll the film industry has on below-the-line workers.
I met my [now] husband in 2021, who had also done a stint in the industry as a successful commercial actor, but he too saw some of the same writing on the wall about working in Hollywood. We began to visit his hometown of Raleigh, NC, where I fell in love with the community and lush climate. I was amazed at the abundance of opportunities for creatives in the Triangle region, where art seemed to be celebrated everywhere I looked. We thought at the very least we could maintain a bicoastal life, and continue to fulfill my passion for story-telling in Hollywood by working a show or feature, and then taking a hiatus to paint for several months, before starting up the next Hollywood project.
I began to finally paint full time, at least during my 3-month stints on the East Coast. With the encouragement of my husband and his extensive professional knowledge of marketing, I began to consume as much ‘free’ knowledge as I could absorb, on the topic of Art Business Marketing, in the form of podcasts, youtube, and audio library books. I also networked in the community and planted ‘income’ seeds, as a fine artist. My ultimate passion is in fine oil painting on canvas using the same process as the Renaissance Masters, so those seeds would take time to grow. Meanwhile, I used my experience as a Set Painter to start dabbling in murals in my neighborhood, even having one featured on Historic Oakwood’s Candlelight Tour. I also began to see inquiries come in for commissioned portraits through my website, and realized that the notion of a ‘starving artist’ as a professional, was an antiquated concept.
When comparing our quality of life to the one we encountered every time we returned to LA to work on a movie or show, LA was beginning to pale in comparison to the vibrant life we were building in Raleigh. We also saw a future in which we wanted to raise a family close to family, and our new home seemed like a breath of fresh air with lower crime rates, more affordable housing costs, more space, a kind and welcoming community filled with southern hospitality, and a gorgeous climate that actually came with 4 seasons. After crewing on one last movie, ‘Atropia’, just north of LA in early 2023, we made the decision to move my treasured and vast collection of houseplants to our home on the East Coast, and knew we had officially found a place to establish some real roots.
We got married in April of 2024 at our home in Historic Oakwood, and have been enjoying our newlywed bliss and a life filled with full-time creativity ever since. Today I’m juggling murals, oil painting commissions, private oil painting instruction out of my home studio, gallery showings, art fairs and somehow finding time to create my own original art collections as I constantly consume further artistic education. I hope to integrate my unique perspective for the art of storytelling into my work here in Raleigh.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’d say it’s been more of a cobblestone road with some potholes, but perseverance, community, and research have helped overcome hurdles along the way. Initially I struggled with the ‘admin’ (or dry as I like to call it) side of a creative business. Being a fulltime professional painter means that at best 50% of your time is spent putting paint on a canvas, with the rest being consumed by outreach, applying to artist calls, creating social media content, documenting works and visiting printers, communicating with clients, digital design work and research. All of my experience in Hollywood did teach me how to communicate and collaborate with others, present myself well, and have an eye for a client’s expectations, but I had little experience marketing myself and sourcing clients out of thin air. It’s a process that requires constant maintenance and outreach, but luckily I wasn’t alone and social media connected me with other artists on the same journey, who were willing to share their story and resources.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m inspired by vibrant color, flora and fauna, mythology and fantasy. My main medium of choice is oil paint on linen canvas, and I use the same process of glaze layers that was pioneered by Leonardo da Vinci and Johannes Vermeer, to achieve an effect of vibrant realism. I also love to work large scale, on murals in acrylic and spray paint. I’m currently working on a botanical series that I’m super excited about, that will be on display for the month of September, in my favorite craft cocktail bar on Person St, called William & Company. I have a rambunctious sense of humor as well, so I’m also cooking up a series of comedic bathroom art mini paintings, that I call “Dogs Dooin’“, featuring a number of breeds. I also take on a lot of portrait commissions of family members and pets, and look forward to expanding my subjects.
What matters most to you? Why?
Professionally- creative authenticity and autonomy. Quality and interest in my own work life over financial gain (don’t get me wrong, I like to eat and keep a roof over my head too!) Personally- manifesting a life filled with love, nature, connectedness, and gratitude, while prioritizing mental and physical health.
Contact Info:
Image Credits Photography by Katie Peña and Shay Stifelman
Interested in working with Katie?
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