Art Walk to feature the art of Celia Polster
Nov. 3—Anyone who knows Celia Polster will attest to the fact that she brings vast amounts of positivity into whatever situation she approaches. As a personal coach, she spends a great deal of time encouraging and helping others achieve and improve. This weekend at the Downtown Art Walk, she will follow her own example in the pursuit of a lifelong dream as November's featured artist.
"I have been a 'wannabe' artist my whole life," Polster said. "I was born into a family of talented artists. My mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins and even my children are gifted artists. All you have to do is walk through my house and see the family art."
Polster never liked her own work, however. It wasn't like the art produced by the rest of her family.
"Before I started to school, my mom and I studied all of the greats in the art world," Polster said. "We had a membership called 'Metropolitan Miniatures' that shipped to our home in Jonesboro straight from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. In our little two bedroom frame house out in the country we enjoyed and learned about fine art from all over the world. I knew them all. My favorites were the Impressionist era artists."
Ever the art lover, Polster knew that art would always be a part of her life. As the Executive Director of the Dogwood Arts Council she is surrounded every day by fine art. Eventually she decided to find the artist within herself.
"One day I picked up my art materials and began to arrange paint on a canvas," Polster said. "The feeling of my art flowed from my heart and soul, and all of a sudden I had created several paintings that were 'not awful.' For once I wasn't trying to be like someone else, painting a landscape or a mountain. I was using colors that I loved and moving them onto the canvas allowing my imagination and emotions to lead the brush or the pallet knife."
Her work with the Dogwood Arts Council has allowed her a front row seat to a virtual ocean of inspiration. Encouraged along her journey by artists she admires, Polster found the resolve to challenge herself, and she was rewarded with a creative outlet that she truly loves.
"These gifted and successful artists create beautiful paintings everyday," Polster said. "Just watching them live out their passion inspired me to start, and each of them challenged me to simply start to paint."
Polster focuses primarily on acrylics for her work, but has experienced a few other medias as well.
"I started painting in a David Tripp watercolor class two years ago," Polster said. "I will tell you what he told me, 'You must schedule time to paint or you will never have the time.' He believes that you should pay yourself first, meaning you should not leave your 'painting time' until last when everything else is done."
Polster finally embraced her passion at the age of 66 and believes there is no time limit on pursuing something you love.
"One of my award winning cousins started in her 60s," Polster said. "Grandma Moses started at age 77. Years ago I read this quote from an unknown author, which I found to be an overlooked truth. 'It is never too late to be who you always wanted to be.'"
Polster's art will be featured from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at @Home Furnishings, located at 201 W. Oak St.
Maps will be available at the Gallery at the Redlands.
For more information call 903-922-5794 or visit www.dogwoodartscouncil.com.
