Whitney Rain | Art Crush xo

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Who are and where are you from?

My name is Whitney Rainsdon and I am the artist behind Whitney Rain Studio. I grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta, Canada (the prettiest place in the world!) but after attending college in Utah, I began moving around the southern states with my husband. We currently enjoy living in Alabama!

Is creating art your passion and/or your profession?

Creating art began as a passion and is now becoming my profession! Feels like a beautiful dream to be building my life around. 

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How did you get into doing it?

I began painting in 2015 after stepping away from a career as an engineer. After receiving my degree in engineering and working for a while, I found myself without work for a time (as we moved for my husband’s career) and decided to finally pick up a brush and try to learn to paint. With no previous experience, I have been blessed to see so much growth in my artistic abilities over the past few years.

What is your driving force?

I really believe that home should be a reflection of you and the things you find beautiful. If my artwork can bring a smile, a bit of extra joy, or some extra inspiration to someone’s life, I feel like I have succeeded. 

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What is your current inspiration? 

My art is hugely inspired by my childhood and teenage years growing up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I spent countless hours outside, not realizing how truly beautiful my surroundings were. I’ve since lived in several different places, each with their own attractive features, but nothing compares to the fields of wildflowers and towering mountains of my childhood. Trying to capture some of the beauty and energy that I experience when I spend time outdoors is my aim as I create. I am forever inspired by the peaceful energy of nature, and all of its unique and imperfect beauty,

What kind of work do you do and why?

I am a watercolor painter of flowers and landscapes. I sort of stumbled into the world of watercolor and once I did, I could never stop. 

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Is there something fun that’s currently inspiring you?

The last few summers I have grown my own cut flower garden from seed! And it’s not easy! Watching and caring for plants as they slowly grow and progress (and sometimes don’t) helps me appreciate patience and the miracle of small progress over time. Overall, gardening is a great reminder to me of the way I’d like to create art and also how I’d like to live my life. It takes time, patience, and a lot of effort to achieve great things, but it’s so worth it!

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Something I am a huge believer in is the ability of each and every person to be creative. I am a walking example of that! Until about five years ago, I never thought of myself as creative, and yet now being an artist is becoming my full time job. I think it’s a skill we all possess and can develop, and how we choose to use our creativity varies so much from person to person. And I love that! I see it as such a privilege to assist people in being more creative with spaces in their homes. I find so much joy in knowing that my artwork and products are helping people to make their homes a beautiful reflection of who they are.

#artcrushxokim smith