Today on the podcast I’m joined by the wonderful Lex Marie, an artist/mother based in the Washington, DC, area. Lex has been immersed in art for a long time, though her jump to career artist has been more recent. We talk about switching up your life path, working in cycles, and feeling unstoppable after natural birth!
Though she originally saw herself in graphic design, Lex fell in love with painting. Once she started, she never stopped, even while working in real estate, as an art teacher, and an arts consultant before ultimately taking the leap to pursue her painting full time. This switch couldn’t have come at a better time, as art has proved essential during the simultaneous upheavals of the pandemic and the national racial reckoning: Lex’s art both documents this moment and promotes crucial systemic change.
Being a mother has heavily impacted Lex’s work, as she turned to painting portraits using herself and her child as models after her pregnancy. Lex finds herself instilling her own love of art into her son even though they create on opposite schedules — she’s a night owl, but he rises daily at 7am! We talk about finding community through social media while recognizing it as a double-edged sword: control it, don’t let it control you! We also return to a recurring concept on the podcast: embracing changing definitions of success throughout your life and career. When you remain flexible, you are better able to prepare for and work towards your goals. For Lex, this means planning for her first solo show and returning to a sense of routine (hopefully!) post-pandemic.
See more of Lex’s work on her website.
The Artist/Mother podcast is created and hosted by Kaylan Buteyn. You can see more of Kaylan’s work on her website or connect with her on Instagram @kaylanbuteyn
