Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Malouf.
Hi Jill, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I spent over half my life in law – first as a criminal prosecutor then, then civil litigator. I began painting later in life as a creative outlet and stress relief.
I received some nice honors early on, including New Texas Talent and Best of Show. I was still practicing law when I had my first solo show – a milestone of sorts.
Late last year, I traded the courtroom for the art gallery. It was a leap of faith to become a full-time artist. That was one of the best (and most gut-wrenching) decisions I’ve ever made! I’m so glad I did it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Juggling art and law was something else. One morning I was inspired to finish a painting but was about to leave for work. So, I just bent down in my dress and heels on the driveway with a blow torch to smooth the wax on a piece! (That piece ended up receiving a First-Place award in an art show. The collector who bought it loved that backstory!)
People ask sometimes how I’m both right and left-brained. All I know is that the creative brain and the logical brain just aren’t good playmates sometimes. I felt like my head was going to explode, going from “I WILL be creative today” to “but oh my God I have all these deadlines!”
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My mission is to create Calming+Captivating art. I want to help others relax through my artwork, just as the act of painting itself is calming for me. When someone says my paintings are soothing or have movement, it’s a high compliment.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think you make your own luck. The very first art competition I ever entered was at a prestigious blue-chip Dallas art gallery. It was at the top of my “this won’t ever happen for me” list. There were over 700 submissions. But I got accepted!
I thought oh boy “I need a website!” and spent the rest of a vacation figuring out how to create one and what to say. I also had to come up with an artist bio for the show, which I put in 30-point font since I didn’t have any honors or shows to my name!
I realized, though, that this was an incredible opportunity. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but I began seeking out others for advice.
So don’t hesitate to ask for help or ask questions. We all don’t know what we’re doing all the time, so find the people who can guide you.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@jillmalouf.com
- Website: www.jillmalouf.com
- Instagram: @artist_jillmalouf
- Facebook: Jill Adams Malouf
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