Daily Inspiration: Meet Carrie Hensel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Hensel

Carrie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up on a small farm in the middle of Michigan. As a child and teenager, I spent most of my days exploring the land – watching the trilliums grow in the woods, wading in the creek in search of crayfish, or spying on a mother fox who raised her kits each spring in a den under the same ancient apple tree. My goal then was the same as it is now – collect the experiences, catalog them inside me, remember them fondly like old friends. Back then, I wanted to be an artist AND concurrently the first scientist ever to discover a cure for chicken pox. Why did I have to choose between those professions? Why not both and more?

At Albion College, I majored in Chemistry, but I also took as many art classes as possible. From there, I went to graduate school for biochemistry, but found after one semester, that the lab was a lonely place, and animal research was not for me. Luckily, one of my art professors from Albion connected me with the Dean at the Art School at the University of Michigan. After he reviewed my art portfolio, he enrolled me into the art school. Woohoo! I spent the next three years painting my heart out, and I tried, tried, TRIED to figure out how to make money as a professional artist, but alas, I could not break the code. It was the 1990s before Instagram, Facebook, Etsy, and online portfolios. There came a point when my body was exhausted from waiting tables to earn minimal cash, so I left my dream of being a painter behind “for the time being.”

My chemistry degree helped me get a job in Regulatory Affairs (Chemistry, Manufacturing, & Controls) with a pharmaceutical company. For five years, I made a nice salary, bought a car and a house. Concurrently I took classes at a community college, so I could learn Photoshop, Illustrator, and web design. During those years, it became abundantly clear that the corporate world was not for me. When the pharmaceutical company was purchased by a larger corporation, I saw my opportunity to leave and start my own marketing and web development firm. For the next 15 years, I built a small team, and we created marketing materials and websites for hundreds of organizations. From there, I became a marketing & sales consultant for a specialized healthcare company. All the while I pushed my dream of being an artist to “maybe someday.”

When COVID-19 quarantined the world, I realized I had a choice – watch Netflix and drink Cabernet nonstop; OR make better use of my time. Painting was a much better choice! In the fall of 2020, I committed to paint every day for one year to “see what happens.” In that time, I produced some crappy paintings and some good ones too. Three galleries brought me onto their rosters. I learned so much – about my craft as an impressionist painter and about the business of selling art. My background in marketing and sales was so helpful!

Today, I still spend countless hours outdoors – hiking in the hills, trekking through forests in search of morels, chanterelles, and other edible mushrooms, and getting lost under the oaks & hickory trees. I take photos along the way of all the interesting views, foliage, and animals I find on my adventures. I still paint everyday, as proven by my home studio which is chocked full of paintings. I sell work through two galleries at present, but the majority of my sales are through Instagram, Facebook, my business connections, and my growing list of collectors.

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?
William Blake said, “If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.”

I appreciate the quote because I believe persistence is the key to success. Life is full of obstacles and reasons why you can’t do something. In the creative realm, most people think artwork comes from natural abilities, but I always argue that my paintings come from hours of practice – with drawing, color mixing, adapting my approach. I also reassure people that I stunk at painting (and many other things) when I first started, but with persistence and practice, I stopped stinking at it.

Sometimes my biggest “struggle” is just putting myself in front of the easel and starting a painting. When that happens, I say to myself, “Just do the sketch” or “you only have to work for an hour.” Then as soon as I get into the work, the struggle dissipates, and I’m caught up in the wonderful flow of making art.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an impressionist landscape painter. My specialty is SUNLIGHT. I spend much of my time in the woods and the rest of my time in the studio translating that feeling of being in nature onto the canvas. While I’m painting, I listen to music and dance, sing, chant, and laugh while I paint. I bring that movement, elation, and freedom to each painting. Collectors and fans say things like…

“Your paintings feel like actual sunlight. They might even help with my Vitamin D levels.”
“Your work speaks to my soul in the same way being in the woods does.”
“Your work is a celebration of the interconnectedness of the natural world, and your paintings help me feel connected to it all.”

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me overall in life? Love. Creativity. Open minds and open hearts. Perspective. The ability to see all sides, understand other points of view, feel tenderness and empathy even when we disagree.

What matters most to me in my work? Joy. Learning. Expression through color and movement. The natural world, especially springtime when the leaves are soft and brightest green. My favorite time is early May when the ephemerals are covering the forest floor for just a few short weeks until the new leaves above cover up the sunlight. The migrating warblers have returned to build their nests. The morel mushrooms are calling me to come find them. Somehow through a billion miracles, I was born and get to coexist with the trilliums, the morels, and the migrating birds. Heavenly! And all of it is here for such a short while, just like all of us. That beauty and impermanence is always the catalyst for my work and my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carrie-hensel-12693
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriehensel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carriehenselart