Four Careers Later: Couture’s Journey to Being an Artist

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Art by Hilarie Couture. Copyright © Hilarie Couture. Used by permission of the artist.

Hilarie Couture knew she wanted to be an artist since she was a little girl, but it was not until 30 years of eclectic professions did she decide to once and for all listen to her younger self.

She started college to pursue a career in fashion design and medical illustration, but after discovering that she wanted to spend her time drawing more, she hitchhiked through San Francisco and started selling some of her art. In that pursuit, she learned that in order to follow her passion, she would have to listen to her own heart.

Artists may know that they have a talent as a young person, “but as you grow up, people start telling you that you have to get a real job,” Couture said. “So, I did. I was doing beauty school for a while.”

After working as a cosmetologist, realtor, appraiser and auctioneer through the years, she decided to finally start her journey back toward art — though it was gradual.

“Don’t quit your day job right away. You have to work first,” she said. “You have to decide why you are painting — are you doing it for yourself or are you doing it for the money?”

Art by Hilarie Couture. Copyright © Hilarie Couture. Used by permission of the artist.
Art by Hilarie Couture. Copyright © Hilarie Couture. Used by permission of the artist.

Couture advises artists to think outside of regular gallery settings in order to get exposure as they start their careers. Get creative and start thinking of places that might not be so obvious.

“At the beginning, it’s all about getting your art out there. If you have a favorite restaurant that you think your work will fit in, then do it,” she said. “You have to be an advocate for your art when you start.”

Her work is heavily influenced by the Russian Impressionist movement, inspired by her Russian ancestry. The color-mixing skills she learned in beauty school helped develop her style, Couture said.

With only four years into her art career, she embarked on her most ambitious project yet, First Mothers: Portraits of Progress. A set of 36 paintings that showcases 40 influential women from Clark County, Washington, from the 1800s to the present.

What started as a small idea developed into a full touring exhibition, running from September until December at the Clark County Historical Museum. Attendees will not only get to see the painting but also learn about the mark that each of these women left behind. Women included in the series range from Gretchen Fraser, winner of the gold and silver medals for alpine skiing in the Olympics of 1948, to Nan Henriksen, the first woman mayor of Camas, Washington.

Ultimately, as an artist, it may sometimes be difficult to stay motivated, but surrounding yourself with people that think alike, will encourage you to keep going forward, Couture suggests.

“I learn a lesson every day. I am all about sharing my knowledge — I’ve had such great mentors,” she said. “Keeping yourself in that circle that is creating and keeps you motivated is good.”

For more information about Couture, visit her at hcouturearts.com. If you are in Vancouver, Washington this year, you can attend her workshop about intense color mixing from June 3 to 4, or see some of her First Mothers: Portraits of Progress exhibition at the Clark County Historical Museum (cchmuseum.org).