Olivia Findley: The lifelong journey of an artist

BY BRENNA DEMPSEY

Executive Producer

Art is different for everyone, but for Olivia Findley, it is a calling, and it plays a large part in her life.

Findley is a studio art major with a focus in painting and has recently presented her senior capstone project in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Art Center. For her capstone, she highlighted the strengths of some of the women in the Bible.

These oil paintings feature Rahab, Jael and Ruth as strong and persevering sculptures in lush green landscapes. Her work tells the stories of who they were in the Bible in a way that pays a subtle homage to their lives.

Her artist name is Willa Claire, which comes from the nickname Willa that she was given by her father and her middle name.

Findley has always had a passion for painting, and as a child, could often be caught doodling on her papers in church while she listened. This has sparked a creative journey that she hopes will take her through this lifetime.

It is not often that someone can be so sure of what they want in life, but Findley has found her calling.

“I want to do 10 pieces per book of the Bible, which sounds crazy… It’s an insane thing to be like, ‘I’m going to paint 660 paintings in my life, and the minimum amount of time—if I were to work small—would take 49 and a half years,’” Findley said.

As such, this project will span around 50 years of her life, if she were to continue without distraction. This is likely going to be her legacy that will still be in motion up until the end of her life, but that does not bother her one bit. On the contrary, it is something she is excited to think about.

“As for my career, I may never get to the end, and I think that’s cool,”  Findley said.

Findley plans to paint in chronological order, beginning with her first artwork soon. This approach reflects who she is and is rooted in her faith, as her “identity as an artist is inseparable from her identity as a believer.”

Simply put, she feels called to pursue this path of art and faith.

“It's almost a form of ministry for me to be able to use the gift that I was given to glorify the very

One who gave it to me,” Findley said.

Visual arts painting professor Tim Harding has been working with Findley during her time at Tarleton State University.

“She can work at a very impressive and focused pace, especially when she has something like this that’s really, very personal to her,” Harding said. “The way that she approaches it, it’s just very clear the connection that she has and what she wants her work to do.”

Her creativity and passion for art are also inspired by her parents. Her mother has a quiet but obvious creative spark that lit up Findley’s life. She has fond memories of the art and Bible verses she would write on the chalkboard in their home, and her influence in color clearly comes in part from her mother.

“She’s fantastic with color schemes and such,” Findley said. “I think I’m a very neutral color person. I think I get that a lot from her. Her color schemes have always been very pretty to me, and they make so much sense… I think that’s because of how she brought me up.”

After graduation, Findley plans to take these skills back home to her little “Hallmark town” of Fredericksburg, Texas, where she wants to work at a studio as an art instructor. She wants to focus on teaching people graduating from school so they can find and keep their creativity throughout the more stressful times of their lives.

With a focus on older teens and young adults, Findley wants to be able to share her passion with the people who are interested in learning and growing in their faith, as well as people who are just there for the art.

“It’s so rare – I don’t know if I’ve ever had a student who was as specific as she is in terms of what she wants to accomplish, with her work and in her lifetime,” Harding said. “You don’t encounter it all that often, and I certainly applaud the vision that she has.”

Before transferring to Tarleton and focusing fully on her arts, Findley played softball and still has a soft spot for the sport. She wants to pursue coaching on the side “for the love of the game” and because she was inspired by her own coaches when she played.

She has open art commissions that she works on as well, as she builds her portfolio, and she is also active on social media, where she posts the behind-the-scenes process of her work. She is working on her website, which will feature her commissions, prints and opportunities for private lessons. This will be fully finalized after her graduation.

Michael Mulvey is an instructor of photography at Tarleton and has been able to watch Findley’s art journey up close.

“I think she’s getting off to her great start, and she already has some people interested in her work…” Mulvey said. “And that’s a pretty interesting place to be because I would say most artists coming out of college, they’re trying to land that first sale or something beyond the community art programs.”

Although it is an ambitious endeavor, with the right focus and dedication, the possibilities are endless.

“She has a singular focus, she knows where she wants to go and she’s definitely putting in the time and the work to get her there,” Harding said.