Meet Monica Puryear | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Puryear and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I believe that art chose me! Even as a young child I was always drawn to colors and patterns that existed in nature. My maternal Grandfather, Willie Hasse, was an artist in Germany before WW2 and even though I never had an opportunity to meet him (he was taken prisoner by the Russians), I was fortunate to have some of his work in my possession and felt a connection to him that exists to this day! After receiving a bachelor’s degree in fine art from the University of Florida in 1977 I worked in galleries and created work that helped me grow as an artist. My work has been exhibited in Houston, Austin, and Georgetown as well as galleries in San Francisco., where I resided for ten years before returning to Texas. Currently my work can be viewed at the Gallery off the Square in Georgetown and is in the exhibit “Let’s Talk” at the Downtowner Gallery in Round Rock, Texas. In February of 2020 my painting, “Ulrike’s View”, won best in show at the ReImagine Exhibit in Round Rock, Texas.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work has evolved over the years from purely representational to more expressive in nature, and by that I mean from my imagination as well as the natural world. Many mistake technique with being an artist, in my opinion this perception is the hardest to overcome and is at times an uphill battle. One only needs to look at Picasso’s work from his early days to the end of his life to see how his imagination overtook the need to represent his world, rather his vision intertwined the two and created some of the most famous paintings in the artworld. That is what I strive to achieve with my work, a unique perspective that the viewer will be able to connect with visually and emotionally.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Texas capital is an amazing place to visit where you can appreciate the beauty of the building as well as the work that goes on in the seat of government. The many music venues have always been a great way to take in the local culture, many of them have closed due to the pandemic but outdoor events are still happening. The city of Georgetown is a real treat for visitors due to its support of the arts and charming town square that holds special events throughout the year like the Art Hop and Christmas Stroll. Of course the Texas coast is always a special place to visit, my favorite is Mustang Island which is still uncrowded and has a quaint feel to it. And you cannot visit Texas without having a real barbecue meal, there are many to chose from but an old favorite is Blacks in Lockhart.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My maternal Grandfather inspired me as a young child to pursue art as a way of life since his life was cut short by WW2 in wartime Germany where he was a commercial artist. His daughter, my mother, also painted but her real passion was being a mother to my two brothers and I. She always encouraged my interest in art and told me how much I resembled her father, even down to our love of animals and our red hair! So my connection to my Grandfather was preordained and hopefully my artwork would make him proud.

Website: www.Monicaandjack.com

Facebook: Monica Puryear

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTszVrLwC27WGRkRIvyTepA

Other: Www.artmajeur.com– Monica puryear