Today we’d like to introduce you to Debbie Kindschuh.
Hi Debbie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve had a lot of variety in my career. It started when I was still in high school. If I wanted something new, I had to learn how to make it. We had a large family with limited income and all of us, children and parents, learned how to find resources that we manipulated to create whatever was needed. If I needed a new dress for homecoming or prom, well, I’d just find some interesting material and design and make my own dress. I found a box of beautiful wool samples that someone gave to us and I created multiple wool purses and began selling them at school. When I decided to go to college I had no predetermined goals. I knew that I wanted a creative subject matter and a degree in a field that I could work with different age groups. I then signed up for a degree in Media which included photography, cinematography, graphic design and print materials. I also signed up for an art education degree. I was fascinated with my subject matter. I became a darkroom rat and spent a many hours experimenting with developing photos and creating interesting graphics. This was before the technology that we have now. It was very hands on. I fell in love with cinematography! As the years flew by, I held employment in business marketing, teaching art to all age groups and I started my own photography business. I was a busy gal but I loved the variety.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Even though I enjoyed everything that I was doing in my business and my career, it was often very frustrating. I’m not good at finances and I don’t like managing budgets and time schedules. I’ve studied some art therapy courses and I quickly realized that I’m good at switching gears from one activity to another. I’m also good at meeting needs of my clients. I build a sense of community in any venture that I undertake. I try to become proficient in all of my undertakings, but I usually demand too much from myself and I then open the door to self doubt and self examination. I would set my goals too high and not take the time to grow step by step. Here’s a great example: I wanted to have a darkroom in my home. I was honored with a grant from Best of Missouri Hands that helped pay for the expense of my darkroom. I sought help from a very experienced friend because it had been years since I was able to use the darkroom at the college that I had attended. My budget tripled because it was difficult to find top quality darkroom equipment. I finally was able to begin using my vintage large cameras and lenses. I learned how to develop and print from film. I was exceedingly happy with my prints. After two years, I quit. Just like that. I was done with my darkroom. That darkroom space has now become my painting studio. I’m glad that I had that experience but I realized that it was too much for me to handle. My darkroom equipment now sits in a community darkroom in STL.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I embrace the Impressionist style of art. My paintings are very colorful and loose. I’m known for my collages from handmade papers. I had a very successful photography career which lasted for over 10 years. I loved meeting people and capturing their special moments. I provided a great service for seniors, I captured special moments in weddings. I even worked with hospice patience, young and old, capturing their final moments on film. I traveled the world with my husband and have a large portfolio of photos. What am I most proud of? Hmmm, I guess I’m most proud of how I teach others. As an art teacher and a classroom teacher for many years, I was able to ignite creativity to my students and allow them the space to discover their own style. I used the TAB art style of teaching (Teaching Artistic Behavior). I enjoyed working on art projects with children in the Navajo Nation, in Rwanda and in Japan. I have since started my own Art Academy at Crossroads Arts Council in Wentzville. I teach younger children as well as adult classes.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
When I first moved to Wentzville I learned that a group of individuals were in the process of starting the nonprofit Crossroads Arts Council. I jumped for joy to live in a city that supported an arts council! I have been involved with the council since its inception 12 years ago. I volunteer my marketing and graphic design talents and work with the most amazing creative people. There is never a dull moment, that’s for sure. It’s very rewarding to watch this nonprofit grow and create opportunities for us to bring art to our fast growing community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://debbiekindschuhfineart.com/
