For the Love of Art
One Artist's Journey
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Eleanor Blair did not know what to do. She had broken her left arm. Breaking an arm usually meant not being able to use it for a couple of months. But it was far worse for Eleanor. For those two months she would not be able to make a living or do what she loved.
It meant she could not paint.Eleanor, 63, has painted since the age of 3. She said she was perfectly happy living in poverty until she was 40 years old because she painted.
She painted when her mother, who introduced her to painting, said it was not the best idea. She painted while raising her two sons.
And having a broken arm two years ago did not stop the left-handed artist from doing what she loves. Eleanor had to paint. So she did. With her right arm, painting slower and making shorter brush strokes.
For the past 20 years she paints in her Gainesville art studio on main street, which is filled with about 70 still life and landscape paintings. The well-traveled artist has painted landscapes of Spain, France and Belgium, while visiting Europe for three weeks in April. Another series of paintings was created from photos of her eight-day kayak down the Suwannee River. Even though she likes to travel, most of her paintings are of local landscapes. She has recently completed a series of interiors of the home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, an American author whose Cross Creek home has been made into a historic state park.
Kerry Estes and Hartmut Derendorf are longtime collectors of Eleanor's work. In 1982, the married couple went to a play called "Morning's at Seven" at the Hippodrome. While there they bought Eleanor's poster, which was inspired by the play.
In 1983, the couple unknowingly bought Eleanor's paintings for each other for Christmas. Kerry said this illustrated that they belonged together.
Over the years, the two have collected 40 of Eleanor's paintings. They were also in the audience when Eleanor painted alongside the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra as they played.
Kerry said she buys Eleanor's paintings not as investments but because they are beautiful and she gets a feeling of calmness when looking at them.
"She's very generous and genuine, and her paintings are timeless," Kerry said.
Though Eleanor does not enter many contests, she has "a drawer somewhere full of ribbons," she said. In January, she won a lifetime achievement award in the arts from the Gainesville and Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board. She has attended countless art shows and festivals and has donated many paintings to various fundraisers. In May, she painted a chair for The Musical Chairs Project, an arts and music benefit for Alachua County Schools, which was held at her studio.
She has taught private art lessons in her studio and art classes for Senior citizens and college students. She said she makes a decent living from her paintings, but financial achievement has never defined her success as an artist. Her passion, productivity and consistency define her success.
Eleanor recently painted a vase of flowers for a friend as a gift. She said receiving no money for the painting does not lessen her pleasure.
"There is so much I love about that painting," Eleanor said. "It captures the light, the breeze in the window, the shadows and reflections. That didn't exist two days ago. And now it's there and will exist long after I'm gone."
Emma Eleanor Blair, 83, understands her daughter's love for art. When Eleanor was 3 she watched her mom paint and wanted to try it. So Emma set up a little bit of paint and Eleanor copied her mom.
"It was incredible," Emma said. "Truly incredible."
In the 10th grade, Eleanor learned that she could have a career in art. Emma knew her daughter was a good artist, but thought it would be a hard way for her to make money. Plus, Eleanor had other talents. She was good at English and was often on the honor roll, Emma said. As an 11-year-old, her essay on "What Memorial Day Means to Me" won a contest and she spoke in front of her entire town in North Jersey. Eleanor still has a copy of that essay.
"Eleanor, you've got all this talent and knowledge," her mom would tell her. "Be a teacher"
But Eleanor did what she loved.
She received a degree in art from Cooper Union of the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City in 1969.
In 1971, while living with her parents in Sarasota after college, she visited Gainesville to attend a concert with her friends. The azaleas and dogwoods were beautiful in April and she loved the city, so she moved to Gainesville.
She lived inexpensively with a bunch of roommates and worked jobs that allowed her to paint during the day.
"I just really liked [painting] and had no expectations on making any money, ever," she said.
She worked the "classic odd jobs" to get by. She painted the signs in department stores, bartended and delivered newspapers. After her first two years of working, she quit all her other jobs to focus solely on art.
However, there was not a market for original art in the '70s and her landscape art was not popular at the time. So she had a show in her studio in Micanopy and sold all of her paintings for $25 apiece.
"People were buying three at a time," Eleanor said.
After working in 21 different studios, Eleanor came up with an idea for having a studio in downtown Gainesville. It would be convenient for her because she would be closer to home -- her kids were still little -- and art supplies were nearby.
In those days four out five buildings were vacant on Main Street, she said. But as a struggling artist, she could not afford to rent a building, so she spoke with city officials about making space available to artists until someone wanted to rent them.
The city agreed. Eleanor and seven other artists were allowed to work in the top floor a building, now known as the Tench Art Studio Building, for $50 each. In all, the artists paid a discounted price of $400 a month, but they would have to move out if someone wanted to rent the building for $1,200, the actual price. She planned on using the building as long as possible and relocating to another vacant building sooner or later.
But the owner, Judge Benjamin Tench, liked the fact that artists were in the building and gave it to the city under the terms that it would only be used to provide affordable studios for artists. Although Eleanor came up with the idea for her own personal growth, a lot of other artists benefited as well, she said.
The following year, Eleanor was offered to lease the building next door to the Tench Studio for a price she could not refuse. She moved in and rented that studio for about 15 years before buying it several years ago.
Eleanor said art is always fun because she "paints what she wants to see" and as soon as a subject starts to get boring, she changes it. A couple of years ago, she painted a series of palm trees for a performing arts center and got tired of it. So she switched gears and began painting still life.
Sometimes she may change the pace and paint a big picture, or a smaller, more detailed one.
"Anybody who wakes up in the morning with a sense of anticipation for the day has the opportunity for more happiness and joy," Eleanor said.
She said she is constantly reinforced to work hard because of the supportive Gainesville community of people who appreciate her work and comes to her shows.
Emma said she knew Eleanor would be successful in whatever career she chose, but she did not think she would make it like she has in art. Emma is thrilled because her daughter is so happy doing it.
But Eleanor has faced rejection. She has watched people overlook her paintings at festivals, and she does not always win in art shows. Her pay varies. One month, she may sell 23 paintings, another month only five.
But that has never stopped her because she is so caught up in the process of painting and trying to improve.
Eleanor said many times artists attach their love for writing, dancing, singing or whatever they do with being a big superstar, and if it does not happen, they stop. She said you have to like what you do even before others acknowledge that you are good at it. You have to get something out of it that makes you keep doing it.
"People can be their worst enemy," Eleanor said. "They can find excuses not to do what they love to do. I think my strength is, I don't let myself get away with those excuses. I just do it." §
Malika A. Wright is a freelance writer and student in UF's College of Journalism and Communications. She enjoys singing, listening to music and writing. She is the president of Singer-Songwriter Society at UF. mawright@ufl.edu
