Where ART Lives Magazine Volume 2 Number 5 | Page 70

Rhea Groepper Pettit How often do you paint? How many hours a week? I recently transitioned from being a full time designer/part time painter (the last 3 years painting about 10 hours a week) to full time painter. I now paint almost every day. Most days are 6 hours in the studio, but some days I just paint a couple of hours. If I had to guess, I would say 40ish hours a week. How would you like to be remembered? I would hope that my work helped make a difference for animals. With so many species on the road to extinction, due to the actions of humans, we have a responsibility to turn this around, and soon – before it’s too late. A portion of my sales go to deserving non-profit conservation groups and sanctuaries. How do you know when a painting is finished? This sounds a bit crazy, but I fall in love with my subjects as I paint them, and they talk to me. If I’m very lucky, the painting takes over and paints itself, and tells me when it’s finished. Other times, it’s just instinct knowing when to sign it and call it done. Sometimes I go back and tweak, but I’m usually too excited to start the next one to obsess over the last one! What is the most inspirational place you have visited to date? Fossil Rim Wildlife Sanctuary, where wild animals are free to live and roam in a huge natural environment that mirrors their original home in Africa. My husband and I got married in Italy, and there was much beauty and inspiration there, as well! Where would you take your dream vacation? Africa, for the wildlife. What brings you the most joy in your life? My husband, stepson, and cat. My petite family (inside joke; our last name is Pettit) My husband is a beast on a road bike, and I love cheering him on. If you could talk about art with a deceased master artist, who would it be? Toulouse-Lautrec or Egon Schiele Tell us something that few people know about you. I’m kind of an open book. Everyone knows within 5 minutes of meeting me that I love art, dance, film, and animals. I live in Austin Texas, where we keep it weird and love music and bats! rgpettit.com 70