Today we’d like to introduce you to Tatum Schwendiman.
Hi Tatum, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been told that I’ve been painting since I could hold a brush. Some of my earliest memories are tied to creating, and funny enough, if I ever got grounded as a kid, the first thing to go was my art supplies. So I guess you could say it’s always been a part of who I am.
As I got older, though, I slowly stopped sharing that part of myself with others. The people closest to me knew I had a talent for art, but it wasn’t something I openly shared or talked about much. Even when I went to college and told people I was studying art, they were often surprised or thought I was joking because it just wasn’t something I put on display.
It wasn’t until later in high school that I really started to see my potential. In my junior year, I had an incredible art teacher who encouraged me to submit my work, which led to being featured at the Springville Art Museum and in a gallery at the Peteetneet Museum in Payson. Then my senior year, another teacher entered one of my paintings into a district-wide Christmas card competition without me even knowing. I ended up taking first place, and my artwork was printed and sent out to employees across the district. Having all of that happen in less than a year really shifted something for me. It made me realize this could actually be more than just a hobby.
For a long time, I loved the idea of selling my art, but I also had that stereotypical “starving artist” mindset in the back of my head. I thought maybe I needed to do something more practical, I just wasn’t sure what that looked like. I ended up attending Southern Utah University on scholarship, but after a year, I realized the path I was on wasn’t fulfilling me creatively. It felt more draining than inspiring.
During that time, I met my now-husband, and life started to take a different direction. Today, I work full-time while also running my art business on the side. Over time, I’ve found my niche and built a strong community on social media, which has been incredibly rewarding. My goal is to eventually turn this into my full-time career and keep growing something that’s always been such a core part of who I am.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a perfectly smooth road, but I do feel really blessed with how things have come together. There were a lot of parts of starting a business that I didn’t know how to navigate at first, and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some really great people who helped me figure things out along the way, things I couldn’t have done on my own.
I’ve also had a couple of videos on social media perform pretty well, which I honestly think was just luck, but it helped get my work in front of a much bigger audience. That kind of exposure made a huge difference!
It has been a lot of work. I’ve put in a lot of late nights and weekends, and most of my free time has gone into creating, planning, and trying to grow something from the ground up. There have definitely been moments where I’ve felt overwhelmed or burnt out, but I’m starting to see it all pay off!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in watercolor, and a lot of my work leans toward a more realistic style. I’ve always been drawn to Paris. I’ve loved it since I was little and I had the chance to visit in 2022, which was really special for me. Since then, I’ve created a lot of pieces inspired by European architecture from that trip, and I also take commissions based on places that are meaningful to people, like their homes or trips.
That said, I’m probably best known for my botanicals. My best-selling print, “Flora,” is a full floral composition, and I love working with flowers, fruits, and greenery. Overall, my work tends to fall into that mix of architecture and botanicals, all done in watercolor.
One thing that sets me apart is that I’m completely self-taught. Aside from standard school classes, I’ve never had formal training. Fortunately, it’s just something that always clicked for me. I’m also very detail-oriented, which can be a bit of a double-edged sword. I can sometimes take longer than I probably should, but I also know that when I create something for someone, especially commissions, I’m giving it my full effort and attention. I never want to stop until it’s something that I am proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tatumschwenartistry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatumschwen_artistry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1D3yQXqDmr/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tatumschwend_artistry
