In the Studio with Blandine Broomfield
Maryland artist Blandine Broomfield realized she was an artist in 2nd grade when all of her fellow students kept asking her to draw elephants. Raising a family of ten children paused her art education until 2016 when she started taking painting classes from notable artists such as Dorothy Redding and Abigail McBride. Since then, she has been drawing and painting every single day. Here’s Blandine discussing her inspiration, work and dreams for the future:
On finding the time
After raising 10 children (not done yet), and feeling like I would never accomplish my artist dreams, I realized I just had to squeeze it in every single day and started with drawing and inking. After taking some college art classes (at age 49) I realized I could produce something amazing in 3 hours. So I converted my evening relaxation time to painting, and my breakfast bar into my art studio. That way I could still be with my family while working. I discovered art organizations and put my work in shows. And here I am.
November Wind
On creating while waiting
My purse is an art bag. The only purse things it has in it are tissues and a hair brush. Everywhere I have to wait (like soccer practice, restaurants or doctors’ offices), I can redeem the time with sketching. When I am at church I draw during the sermon, what the pastor is talking about or what it reminds me of. This has many rewards: 1) I never regret it and often make a picture I love, 2) it has built my skills at drawing what is not in front of my eyes and making work from my memory or imagination, 3) has made quite a bunch of great Bible illustrations and 4) it keeps me awake.
On finding inspiration in fellow artists
I love Impressionism, Van Gogh, Sargent, the great portrait artists. Pietro Annigoni, a 20th century Italian portrait artist, is particularly inspiring. I aspire to become able to render glass and shiny, complicated things like Janet Fish does in her paintings of glass.
On memorable responses
A gentleman hired me to do a portrait of his wife and mother-in-law because his mother-in-law had died from COVID-19. He sent me a video of her opening it on Christmas morning and the subsequent tears. I guess that was a mixed reaction but moving.
Additionally, a friend of mine who is a poker dealer in Las Vegas commissioned a couple portrait of her and her husband and one of their dog. I ended up sending 4-5 paintings because the studies turned out well. She then hid them all over their house for him to find and he was very thrilled.
Lee and Ilene
On becoming a “real” artist
My lovely portrait teacher Abigail McBride tells her students to declare themselves to be artists, sign their work, title it, assemble the pieces and discover their voice, then to exhibit it. Before that, I felt like I could not call myself an artist until I had enough skill mastery.
Lotus Leaves and Ripples
On dream jobs
My dream job is to be paid to plein air paint and to illustrate books. If all organizations and utilities had an “artist-in-residence,” I would be a shoe-in for the park service or the water company.
See more of Blandine’s work on Instagram @blandine_broomfield_art or on her website.