Today we’d like to introduce you to Selena Mize.
Hi Selena, 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.
This might sound a little cliché, but I have always loved anything art related ever since I was a little girl. I drew a lot of cartoons when I was younger, and I had always dreamed of working for Disney Animation Studios one day. I referenced a lot of 2D animated movies and television shows whenever I would sketch. I started to get into graphite on paper in middle school, and I began to practice realism from then on out. In college, I was required to take a painting class, and I fell in love with oil paints and portraiture. I changed my major from graphic design to painting immediately. I graduated from Midwestern State University in 2018 with my Bachelor of Fine Arts and did not know what my next step was. I worked at a gas station and a bar to make ends meet, did small painting commissions here and there, and I kind of just coasted through life until I got my first major mural project in 2019. I then started to partner with several local businesses in downtown Wichita Falls and started to paint murals for these businesses. My art career slowly started to grow and expand beyond Wichita Falls, and I am trying to make my way into the DFW area. I decided to quit my full-time job at PPG Paints as a Paint Specialist to pursue art full-time in April 2021! I have never been happier.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I want to say it has been very smooth so far. There are challenges that come with being self-employed, especially when you are an artist. I have instances when I am super busy, and I am booked for four months, but there are also times whenever work is very slow, and I am just waiting for my next project start. But when work is slow, I usually take it as a blessing in disguise because it helps me step back from “the grind never stops!” mentality for a bit.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I do a lot of commission work, and I paint murals. I paint mini portraits on tiny, tiny canvases, and I also have the skill to paint extremely large portraits on big walls! I love to use specific color palettes, shapes, and line work in my artwork. These elements tie together very cohesively and create a very solid composition that highlights my subject matter. I really like to do freelance illustrative work, and I have been practicing graphic design again. I am always searching for ways to hone my creative abilities as an artist and exercise those artistic liberties to the best of my ability. I enjoy being able to share my art with others, and that is one of the most rewarding experiences to me. I like to connect with artists in their communities and learn from them and their experiences. I have really stepped outside my comfort zone the past couple of years, and I am proud of myself for taking those steps to put myself out there. I am currently designing murals for Walmart stores (nationally!), and I think that is pretty cool that a small-town girl like myself is partnering with a huge corporation like that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.selenammize.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selenammize/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selenamaemarie/
