Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice McEnturff.
Candice, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up performing and dancing, and always was fond of the arts and expressing myself. I actually went to college for Theatre Arts for a few years and bartended for a living for a total of 12 years. Dance always had my heart, but as I got older my body just could not hang anymore. I tried many art forms over the years on the side, but nothing I did filled that void of missing the dance world. I kinda lost myself for a while. I lost several friends and loved ones and found myself in a dark place. One day, I joined some friends in a Painting With a Twist class and painted with acrylics on canvas for the first time, and it came so natural to me. It was like I’d done it for years, it was so weird and fun. I was color mixing and shading, and everyone around me didn’t believe it was my first time. I was hooked and so intrigued! I did not hesitate to make a trip to Michael’s to buy the basics so I could begin experimenting, studying, and teaching myself to paint at home. I was eager to learn everything about this new world. I soon painted my first portrait to challenge myself to the maximum. It was a painting of Jim Morrison from The Doors, and I still have it hanging in the doorway to my studio as a constant reminder of where it all began and how far I have come since then. My bar regulars and friends started paying me to paint their pets and soon after that, I was selling portraits and participating in my first art shows. I started my own little business Candy’s Paint ‘n’ Sip, to teach mobile classes to as many people as I could and spread the joy of painting. I started throwing my own art shows, known today as Faceless Art Show. I thank God every day for saving me with this gift of art. One day, almost two years ago now, I decided to walk away from bartending and take a completely unprepared leap of faith into my full-time art career, and I haven’t looked back since. Sharing the gift of art is my passion in life, and there’s nothing else I’d rather do every day for the rest of my days.
Great, 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?
Absolutely not, the struggle is very real. Being a new full-time artist is so hard, but being one during 2020 has been the biggest challenge of my entire life. If it weren’t for my Sean and my 3 rescue pups encouraging me every day to keep on keeping on, I probably would have lost my mind and given up 10 times by now. Sean and I decided to go through a major life transformation together at the same time to better our future, which is crazy and wonderful! BUT, with him going to school full time to pursue Physical Therapy, working at an unpaid internship on the side to earn his hours, my art is currently our entire household income. During a pandemic, we have had to navigate through all of the twists, turns, take-aways and punches, and take things day by day as they’ve come. Please send us all the good vibes and prayers, we surely can use them! We know that one day it will all be more than worth every struggle we have faced and we majorly appreciate every ounce of support thrown our way. I also suffer from autoimmune disease flare ups frequently, which is a whole ‘nother level of challenge to push through in times of high stress.
Please tell us about Candy Artworks.
My main focus is Candy Artworks. I love to paint a little bit of literally everything, on anything I can get my hands on from canvas to clothing. I specialize in acrylics, and dabble in watercolor as well. I enjoy painting in several styles, especially abstract. I love to paint weird stuff. I love things that are a bit strange. I believe I am mostly known for my portrait work, which I enjoy because it is such a wicked challenge and I get to connect with the subject on a deep spiritual level. I am most proud of painting with passion and purpose with every stroke. I put a whole lot of love and energy into my work, and everything I create has a piece of my heart and soul in it. I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to adapt and my will to consistently grow in my craft. I never want to stop growing and learning in every stage and season of my life. I work from a place of gratitude in my heart every time I pick up a brush, no matter what is going on in my personal life.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Some of my favorite childhood moments are surprisingly simple. This one that comes to mind in particular, I ended up painting an abstract about. I spent a lot of time with my Father’s parents growing up, especially after school and during the summers in Lancaster, TX. My Mamaw and Pop spoiled me rotten with lots of love. I remember being 5 years old at the time. I noticed their next-door neighbor Mrs. Cartwright’s tree had some small red and purple berries growing on it. I asked my Pop if I could have closer look. He didn’t hesitate to put me up on his tall shoulders so I could reach some, and my Mamaw brought out a glass jar with water in it for Pop to hold. I remember monkeying around up there for what felt like hours, staring up into the foliage, slowly picking the best berries one by one, staining my fingers, and dropping them down to the jar he held up for me so patiently. When I was satisfied with my collection, we would go inside and wash the berries well. Mamaw would let me dip them in sugar and gobble them up. They were very unique in flavor and to this day I cannot tell you what kind of berries they were. I am especially fond of that memory of simpler times with loved ones that I miss dearly. When my Father saw that abstract, he asked me what it was about. When I told him, he smiled ear to ear and said, “I had no idea that you remembered Mrs. Cartwright, and Pop did the exact same with me when I was a kid. Also, I still don’t have a clue what kind of berries those were!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.candyartworks.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/candyartworks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/candyartworks
- Other: www.facebook.com/facelessartshow
Image Credit:
Sean Callahan
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