Maybe we’re not always conscious of it, but most of us are always seeking some kind of balance in our lives. Courtney Khail discovered hers in watercolor at an early age, and it continues to serve as her reminder to step back, wait, and relinquish control. It took Khail years to learn that resisting the urge to “fix” the medium and letting the materials do what is natural is part of what makes the finished product so beautiful.
We caught up with the Atlanta entrepreneur during some downtime to get valuable insight on what it takes to start your own business as an artist, and why the best and worst parts of being your own boss can sometimes feel like one in the same.
CommonCreativ: What drew you to watercolor as a medium?
Courtney Khail: Watercolors are incredibly finicky and difficult to work with, plus they require a ton of patience. You can’t layer them in the same fashion as acrylic or oil, and if you rush them they quickly become muddied. This (understandably) drives some people up the wall. But to me that just makes the payoff that much sweeter. Watercolors have such a depth to them and they’re constantly in motion while you’re painting, so you have to be willing to relinquish a little control to capture their magic. As a pretty Type-A individual, I appreciate a medium that is able to remind me time and time again that I am not in control.
I attended a fine arts school from fifth to 12th grade where I was introduced to everything from photography to painting to graphic design to ceramics. When I was about 12 years old, I told my parents I wanted to explore painting more, so they signed me up for private lessons with local artist Jim Gensheer.
Jim just happened to specialize in watercolors. So once a week, after a full day of school, I’d head to his studio and paint more. I did that until I left for college at the University of Georgia. When I got to UGA I knew I wanted to study art, but quickly found that I missed academics and therefore being a “regular” painting or drawing major wasn’t going to work for me. Long story short, I found myself majoring in Scientific Illustration. Back then, they didn’t rely on computers as much as they do today, so most everything was handpainted in watercolor, which I adored.
After I graduated, I felt a little lost art-wise and decided to take a short break from painting. When I finally returned to my studio, it just felt right to explore the medium I’d been practicing with pretty much my entire life. I fell right back in love with watercolors and have never put them down.
CC: Who are your biggest influences?
CK: Clyfford Still, Joan Miro, Ansel Adams, Helen Frankenthaler, Edward Weston, and Mark Rothko have all greatly influenced my work. As of more current day artists, I love the movement and line work present in Allison Stewart’s work, as well as Heather Day’s.
CC: What brought you to Atlanta?
CK: I grew up in Augusta, Georgia, moved to Athens, Georgia for college, lived for a few short months in Italy studying art abroad, and then moved to Atlanta while my husband got his doctorate in pharmacy. In his last year of rotations we took a two-and-a-half month cross country road trip (exploring the west and camping in national parks) and decided to move to Denver, Colorado after he graduated. We lived there just shy of three (awesome) years before the South called us back. This spring will mark two years since we moved back to Atlanta.
Photo by Elle Golden Photography
CC: What advice would you give to artists wanting to start their own business?
CK: I think most people, especially artists, have to make mistakes to really learn, but there are few pieces of advice I’d give before anyone jumped into art full time. First, make sure you are truly passionate about what you do and are willing to work on keeping that passion alive. What I mean by that is, when art is just a hobby (i.e. you don’t have to make money from it) there is a ton of freedom and very little stress. You just do what moves you.
Once it becomes a business, though, you’ll be working with clients, doing taxes, working on your website, promoting etc. That part isn’t so stress-free and it’s definitely not the romanticized dream most people have when it comes to being an artist. Second, believe in yourself and what you do.
There will most likely be some low points and if you don’t fully believe that you are doing what you are meant to do, it can be hard to push through any self-doubt or criticism. Lastly, save up money. Make sure you have somewhere between six and 12 months of expenses covered if possible. That way you can really immerse yourself in what you’re doing and create without worrying if you can pay your mortgage or eat. It also helps prevent you from making bad business decisions simply because you need the money.
CC: What would you say are the best and worst parts about being an artist who runs their own business?
Courtney Khail
CK: I think the best part is the freedom and opportunities it allows. I get to have a pretty balanced life (in regards to work vs. play) and have been fortunate enough to meet and collaborate with some truly phenomenal people and organizations. It’s also really rewarding to create something that you can put out into the world.
The flip side is that everything is on you. As amazing as it is to receive compliments or praise, you’re also the only person criticism falls on. Your mistakes are just that: yours. When something doesn’t go according to “the plan” there’s no blame shifting. It can also be a little lonely at times to be an artist, which is why I think it’s so important to surround yourself with people you admire that are also passionate about what they do. People you can relate to, collaborate with, bounce ideas off of, and ask for advice. All that said though, the pros far outweigh the cons.
CC: How do you think your artistic style has evolved since you began painting with watercolor?
CK: It’s become more confident and intentional. When I first started painting with watercolors, I was very concerned with things being “right” and it made me create pieces that felt overworked and timid. The years of practice have made painting almost second nature now, and I am able to just create instead of constantly thinking about the amount of water I need, which brush to use, what colors. My style has also become much more relaxed and contemporary than when I first began.
CC: How did your recent partnership with West Elm come about?
CK: I’ve been a fan of West Elm for years now and admire their commitment to local artists and makers through their LOCAL program. After moving back to Atlanta, I wanted to be more involved with the community so I reached out to the Ponce City Market store to talk about possible opportunities. They invited me to do a pop-up shop and due to its success, they passed my work along to the corporate office. A few months later, I got a phone call from corporate and the rest just went from there!
I was also able to partner again with the (amazing, super talented) Ponce City Market team to launch the “Meet the Artists” exhibit series. It’s a weekend-long show held at the PCM West Elm that features four local Atlanta artists and allows for a laid back atmosphere for the community to be introduced to new work and talk to the artists in person.
CC: What’s your favorite neighborhood in Atlanta?
CK: I’d say Decatur, but it’s technically a city not a neighborhood, so I’ll go with East Lake. (Full disclosure: I’m biased because it’s my neighborhood.) It’s an amazing place to live! We’re within walking distance to Decatur Square, Oakhurst, and downtown Kirkwood, and now we’re finally getting our own “spot” with the new development at 2nd and Hosea. The people are friendly, you’re close to parks, there is a ton of history (from the Civil War to Civil Rights,) there isn’t a lot of traffic, and it’s really easy to get into downtown or Midtown if necessary. It’s pretty much perfect to me.
You can see more of Courtney Khail’s work on her portfolio and Instagram. All artwork shown above is copyrighted by Courtney Khail Watercolors.
