Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Louchheim.
Hi Josh, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I began painting some time in 2009. The band I was in had recently broken up and I needed a creative outlet. I had put so much energy into building that band and didn’t know if I had it in me to try and start a new one from scratch. I wanted to have more control of my creative journey, without being reliant on others. So, one evening, while sitting in front of the computer at work, I decided I was going to try my hand painting.
Right when my shift ended, I drove straight to Michael’s craft store to pick up some supplies. I left there with two canvases, a variety pack of very cheap oil paints, a handful of brushes, and a couple of tubes of acrylic. When I got home I set up a towel on my bedroom floor and got to work. And I was hit with the harsh realization that I had no idea what I was doing. But the next day at work, the painting was all I could think about. I couldn’t wait to get home to give it another try. And I have been hooked ever since.
One of the main factors in getting where I am today is simply by just not giving up. I have failed countless times, but I’ve continued to get back up and try again. I think this is mostly because I have a strong drive to create and would feel lost without a consistent outlet for expression. Discipline is the other key to finding success. I have always treated creating like a job, this was true when I was writing music with the band, and I treated painting the same way. I have a scheduled time when I am going to paint, and I don’t ‘call in.’
I have also been lucky enough to have had some guidance along the way and was pointed toward Art One Gallery shortly after I started painting. I brought in what I had created in the first year, and they saw something in my work and decided to give me a shot. It took a while for the first piece to sell, but I will never forget the feeling of hearing one found a home. It was like pouring gas on a flame.
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?
Carving a path in the art world has not been easy. There have been smooth patches but most of the journey has felt like an uphill battle. The biggest hurdle has been being a self-taught artist. Trying to teach myself how to paint with oil has been interesting, to say the least, and left a lot of room for self-doubt. Without anyone to guide me on color theory and composition, it has years of studying others’ work, reading, watching videos, and a lot of trial and error.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I actually began to feel comfortable with the medium. Coming up with subject matter has always been the easy part, but trying to figure out how to get the picture in my head on the canvas has been a different story. Another struggle has been trying to navigate the business of art. Though I had some early success with Art One I had a hard time creating work quickly enough to fill the spot of the sold work. And eventually stopped bringing in new pieces to the gallery; ultimately losing my representation in 2012.
Though this halted my sales it did allow me time to gain more comfort with the medium and put together a new body of work. It also forced me to find other ways to show my work, by submitting to various calls. And after many denials my work was then accepted to be exhibited in a couple of groups shows at MonOrchid Gallery and then Herberger Theater Gallery. So, the loss of representation, though hard to swallow at the time, ultimately lead to both of my solo exhibitions. The first being at MonOrchid in 2015 and the last being at Herberger Theater Gallery in 2022.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a self-taught oil painter. My work is predominantly Western-themed, based on the desert landscape I have grown up in. Though my paintings are western based they tend to have a bit of a surrealistic element to them. It may be something subtle like the overall mood of the piece or more blatant, with a non-native animal as the focal point in a desert landscape. I have been told, since the beginning of my painting journey, that I have a unique style to my work.
One of the first people I ever showed my paintings to was local artist Mark McDowell, he pointed me toward Art One. During that visit, he gave me a lot of great advice but the one that carried the most weight was him telling me I had my own style and that was the hardest thing an artist could achieve. He urged me not to take any formal training, to preserve my style. I took that advice and ran with it and I believe it has given me the freedom to paint authentically, which I hope sets me apart from other artists. I also think my discipline, work ethic, and drive to get better sets me apart from some of my peers.
I currently paint 6 days a week and continue to make each piece more difficult than the last. I want to make sure I learn and grow with each completed painting. I am most proud of my perseverance and for not allowing setbacks and obstacles to stop my growth as an artist. Also, my willingness to allow things to progress organically and learn to build off of each little success.
What does success mean to you?
Success is happiness and passion. I have always said that even if I never made a penny as an artist I would still continue to paint, trying to push my abilities to be the best I can be. And the same goes for music, to this day I still write down song ideas and learn new music just for the sheer love of playing (even though I haven’t been in a band for nearly 14 years).
I think finding what you love and dedicating yourself to it is the key to life and finding success. If you love something and put everything you have into it, people will eventually gravitate towards it, and support it and financial success will follow. I think that without passion any monetary success is going to be void of happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://louchheimart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louchheim_art/
