Biography
I’m an Oregon transplant, but having lived in Oregon now over 25 years, I consider myself an Oregonian. I relocated with my family to the Halsey/ Brownsville area from Arizona.
For as long as I can remember, I have been involved in art, in one form or another. After changing my major a couple times in college, I took a photography class and became enchanted by the photographic process. I graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Fine Arts and minoring in Art History. Soon after graduation, I moved to the Portland area with my husband where I worked in a corporate environment for seven years.
Missing our rural life and families, an employment opportunity for my husband arose, and we returned to the Brownsville area. I discovered the Brownsville Art Association soon after returning and picked up my camera again.
This time armed with a digital camera, having previously shot with film, I began exploring photography’s digital realm. Over the past several years, I am enjoying rediscovering my love for photography and creative processes. Living in a rural community, where I find much inspiration and beauty, I feel fortunate to be part of the Brownsville Art Association’s diverse, supportive, and thriving artists’ community.Interview
1. Full Name: Tennille Catherine McVeigh
2. What is your favorite art medium?
Photography!
3. How long have you been working with that medium?
About 9 years
4. Do you expand outside your primary medium?
Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always drawing, painting, and creating. I love the tactile nature of art making, which explains why, with my digital photography, I have experimented layering beeswax over my photographs, and mounting my images on wood. As an artist, I believe practicing, or being open to different mediums and processes, can only enhance how you experience and make art.
5. Where do you find inspiration for your art?
Nature. Patterns. Color. Light. The unexpected. My work is inspired by the small details and simple beauty that surrounds us each day. I am also energized by other artists’ work.
6. What is the best part of being an artist?
I enjoy creating something eye-catching from what normally would not get a second glance. To make visible the beauty in the mundane and seemingly ordinary objects.
7. What is the hardest part of being an artist?
Negotiating the business aspect of art-making was a challenge, initially.
8. How and where do you sell/present your art?
Currently, I sell my work at the Brownsville Art Center. I am available for portrait work as well, including senior and family portraits.
9. Who supported you in the time you decided to become an artist?
My husband has long encouraged me to follow my creative endeavors. I can’t imagine my journey without his encouragement and support.
10. What advice do you have for beginning artists?
Don’t second guess yourself. Talk to other artists. Experiment. Continue to learn and be confident in your abilities. |