Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Wilken.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m 20 years old, I was born and raised in Iowa and moved to Texas at 18 to be closer to family. I got married to my best friend of seven years last September. We adopted a Catahoula/Lab mix pup and named him Gatsby after my favorite book ever. I work hard so my dog can have a better life, haha! I have loved photography since my sophomore year of high school when I randomly took a class on it. I haven’t put down the camera since then, and am constantly learning and growing in my art.
Please tell us about your art.
I mainly photography couples, intimate weddings, and families. I also freelance for local small businesses and work with local bloggers to create content. The message I want to convey through my photography is love. I want these images to radiate love, passion, and hope. I draw inspiration from books, movies, and the people that I am photographing. True art makes you feel something, this is what I aim for with every image. I want an image to provoke nostalgia, laughter, deep seated love and awe for the beauty of a moment. What you should know about my art is that these are memories you will have forever. These images will never fade or disappear although the memories someday will. The images I create will be around for your life, your children’s life, and so on. I take my job as a life documenter very seriously, and I have a lot of fun doing it.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I think artists have always been the bed rock of society. From the very beginning, be it cave drawings or the sculptures of ancient Greece, artists have observed and recorded history in the most beautiful ways they could. Art is so vital to humanity, yet, artists have always been the underdogs. Today, if you tell someone you’re going to art school, their immediate thought is that you are wasting your time and will never be able to make a living off of your degree. It is true that most artists never become famous, or if they do, it’s posthumously. Fame is not what true artists long for. True artists create for the simple joy and instinctual need to create. I think the most important thing that cities like Dallas/Fort Worth can do to help artists thrive is pay attention. When you see a photo, painting, or poem that makes you feel, makes you think- don’t just keep going with life. Stop, ponder, wonder, and appreciate the beauty before you.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Check out my work on social media!
Website: www.paigewilkenphoto.com
Instagram: @paigewilkenphoto
Facebook: Paige Wilken Photography
Contact Info:
- Website: www.paigewilkenphoto.com
- Email: paigewilkenphoto@hotmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigewilkenphoto/
- Facebook: Paige Wilken Photography
Image Credit:
All images by Paige Wilken Photography.
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