We had the good fortune of connecting with Millie Gosch and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Millie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I didn’t pursue my art it pursued me. At a very early age I knew I wanted to be an artist. I was always drawing or painting on something. It’s like breathing. Just something I have to do to exist .
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an avid plein air painter which means I paint outdoors from life. I love painting rural scenes and the low country but really, I just love painting anything that is intriguing. I travel a lot on painting trips with fellow painters . I enter competitions called paint outs and get to paint some really beautiful places. Painting for me is the most rewarding thing I can ever do and it’s also the hardest thing I will ever do. I’ve put in a lot of brush miles as we call it. Over the years I’ve been awarded ribbons for competitions, acceptance into some really great shows and paint outs and am represented by awesome galleries. None of which came without lots of hard work. When I first began painting plein air it was so different than any painting I had ever done. I called a family meeting and announced that they would get 1 hot meal a day and clean clothes but that they were on their own for anything else because I was going to learn to paint outdoors! Lessons I’ve learned …. each painting has a purpose some teach you , some humble you and others are simply enjoyed by others .What would I want people to know about me? That it is a privilege for me to paint God’s beautiful world.milliegosch@gmail.com
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?
I’d like to dedicate this to my husband, Andy and my three children, Katie , Steven and Finn . Whose love, support and encouragement allowed me the time and space I needed to do my thing . With a special shout out to my daughter, Katie. After a 20 year career in decorative arts I was burned out and thought I had given up painting for good. As she left for college she said, “Mom I loved that you always smelled like paint”. That statement was such a beautiful reminder that that is what I was born to do. So I rented studio space and went back to my first love, oil painting . Plein Air painting found me and 20 years later I’m still honing my craft
Website: www.milliegosch.com
Instagram: Millie Gosch
Facebook: Millie Gosch
Image Credits
Images by Millie Gosch